Alright if you wish to follow
along Galatians chapter 2 Galatians chapter 2 I Want to kind of jump right
in the middle of the context just want to read Four verses
this morning starting in verse 11 Galatians 2 verse 11 But when Peter was come to Antioch,
I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the
Gentiles. But when they were come, he withdrew
and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled
likewise with him. insomuch that Barnabas also was
carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked
not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto
Peter before them all, if thou being a Jew livest after the
manner of the Gentiles and not as do the Jews, why compelst
thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? I have to admit
that when I mentioned to you just a few passages of certain
things, certain words or phrases in this letter Paul wrote to
our brothers and sisters in the region of Galatia, there was
a part of me that's just chomping at the bit to get to some of
those passages. And a part of me wants to really
get to what Paul said to Peter at Antioch and to try to deal
with it in detail. I mean, this one verse just stands
out to me. I'm not saying it's more important
than anything else. Don't misunderstand me, but this
one statement Paul made to Peter just stands out to me. And we
can read it. I'm not gonna deal with it this
morning and may not deal with it for some time yet, but it's
verse 18. For if I build again the things
which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. Astounding statement. But yet, I want to deal with
the beginning of this context here, that when Peter was come
to Antioch. Now remember in the context,
Paul has met some of the believers at Jerusalem. They only knew
of him Well, some knew him personally because they had suffered at
his hand, but the believers at Jerusalem did not know Paul face
to face. They only knew him as Saul of
Tarsus. And then, of course, then Peter comes to, or Paul
comes, I'm sorry, Paul comes to Jerusalem being moved by the
Spirit of God, not being summoned by anyone, but being moved by
the Spirit of God, he goes to Jerusalem about this matter of
the gospel of God's free and reigning grace. And then he gives
us this account of Peter coming to Antioch. My title this morning
is this, Small Act large hypocrisy Do what I said small act large
hypocrisy The truth of the gospel when I say that when I say the
truth of the gospel, I mean this I mean the honor of The person
and work of Jesus Christ because that's what the gospel is about
The gospel is not about God created the heavens and the earth. That's
absolutely true and is truth, but it is not the gospel. The
gospel is the message of God concerning the person and work
of his son. That's the gospel. So the truth
of the gospel. Greater this is what I thought
about when I first began to read this some of these thoughts went
through my mind And then of course I pushed them to the side because
we were working our way up to this passage but the truth of
the gospel is Greater and more important than any even a pillar
in the church You hear what I'm saying? Paul himself states clearly
that Peter, James, and John, they were pillars in the church. But the truth of the gospel is
greater and more important than any pillar in the church. Even Peter himself. Peter, who
is held in high regard by Rome, that is the Roman denomination. The truth's greater than Peter.
I must say this, that the defense, the truth, defending the truth
of the gospel is superior to any one of us here. My opinion does not matter. I have many opinions. I draw
many conclusions when I read God's word, but they do not matter. I said this one time, and I had
one individual get very upset with me. When you have a, thus
saith the Lord, and it's right here in this book, and then your
mind begins to think, well, since that is true, then this must
be true. but you do not have a thus saith
the Lord for the this, then you cannot demand it to be true,
no matter how logical and reasonable it sounds to you. The word of
God is it, and we take God's word up to the point where it
stops, and we must stop there. There. Why? Because the truth's more important
than any of us. Any of us. Now, think about this. Peter had done nothing more than
switch tables at a church social. That's all he did. Now, his inner
reasons was the problem. It wasn't just the moving from
one table to the other. But it says, Paul is clear, but
when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face because
he was to be blamed. For before, before these certain
men came from James, and if you go back in the book of Acts,
the Acts of the Apostle, you'll find out James did not send these
men. This is what they were claiming
because James and the other apostles at Jerusalem in Acts 15 said,
we did not send these men. Okay, so don't go accusing James
of anything. That's one of those things when
you read this, well, James must have been at fault too. You're
reading into the book what's not there. They came from James,
but it does not say James sent them. And when you read the testimony
of Luke, you find out James is clear, I did not send them. But anyway, for before that certain
came from James, he did do what? He did what? He was eating with
the Gentiles. Eating. It was just concerning
eating. Okay? But when they were come, he withdrew
himself. He didn't just go over and say,
hello, how are you all doing? Glad you're here. He got up from
where the group of people that he was eating with and moved
over here and began to avoid the people he was eating with
and began to associate and fellowship with those who had come from
James. That's all he did. And he did it, as Paul says here,
fearing them which were of the circumcision. But there's so
much behind this one small act. Peter was in effect saying, since
I will avoid you now and be with them, then there's something
about them that makes them better than you. When somebody says
I don't see it, that was Peter's problem. He didn't see it either. And I can relate to impetuous
Peter. Prone to act, something happens. Prone to either act
or speak, just like that. You know what James himself tells
us? We ought to be what? Slow to
speak. Be swift to do what? Hear, hear. And believe you me, this is one
who has a lot of trouble with that one. But Peter never said
a word. Do you get it? He never said,
and I'm not saying he did not say anything, but his problem
was not with what he said, it was just the fact of getting
up from one table, moving over to another table, and refusing
fellowship with the people at the prior table. He did not deny
the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. He did not deny the absolute
righteousness and deity of Jesus Christ. He did not deny the efficacy
of the blood work of Jesus Christ. He did not deny the resurrection. He did not deny those who are
still alive and remain positive, caught changed and caught up
in the clay. He didn't deny any truth. by what he said, but he
denied a world of truth by what that one small act he did. Again, I say, Peter had done
nothing more than switch tables at a church social, yet his small
act had profound effects. Even Barnabas, Paul's missionary
companion, did the same thing. Pardon me. If you and I think that what
we do does not matter, we have really missed it. We've really
missed it. And how often I'm sure we forget
that. And I'm not trying to be mean
to you. I'm talking about us. How often it is to forget that. I understand, I understand if
I stood up here and told you Jesus Christ wasn't God, well
they'd be a rhubarb. And rightfully so. But that's
nothing with what Peter did. And yet Paul felt it absolutely
necessary to rebuke Peter to his face. Hmm. Think, this one small act led
others to insult God's Christ and his work. And how is that
so? Paul deals with it here in this
own letter in Galatians 3. We will read part of the problem. He doesn't fashion it with those
words, but this is what Paul wrote to our brothers and sisters
and to us as well. Galatians 3, verse 25. But after
that faith has come, we're no longer under the law. That's
what he's talking about. Look at the context. But after
that faith has come, we're no longer under the law. So if you're
not under the law, it's not about keeping the law. And I'll deal
with that more in a moment. For you're all the children of
God helped by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as
have been, that means for all of you that have been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female
for you're all what? One. One in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, then are
ye what? Real Jews. Now I am paraphrasing. Then you're what? Abraham's seed. If you believe in Christ, you're
Abraham's seed. You might be his physical posterity,
but you are not Abraham's seed. unless you believe Christ. But
if you believe Christ, I don't care what your station in life
is, we are all what? O-N-E. And a person who has, I just
have to say it, a person who has more legal obedience than
another is not higher on God's social pecking order in the church.
Just not so. And if ye be Christ, then are
ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. As a matter of
fact, we will look at this later, if you're under the law, if you're
really under the law, if the law is your gig, if the law is
what you're looking for, for merit before God, then God says
I cast you out. So Peter should have stayed at
the Gentile table. and let the other guys alone. Because once he got there, and
all this blew up, Peter then found out these guys really weren't
from James. And they were actually distorting
the truth of the gospel. But yet Peter had made it clear
by his one simple, small action, I stand with these guys over
here. And again I say, my mind still, my mind still, Jack has
a hard time wrapping around that. Then here comes Paul, Peter,
and everybody's still there. He didn't take Peter out yonder
somewhere. Why? Because Peter didn't do this
privately. He did it publicly, and it affected
other people. So Peter got a what for from
Paul in front of everybody. Now think about it, this is no
new truth that is this oneness, oneness in Christ, because look
at what Paul also wrote just prior to Galatians, what we see
is Galatians 3, 25 through 29. Look at what he wrote in Galatians
chapter three, let me find my spot, Galatians chapter three
and verse 7, 8, 9. Galatians 3, know ye therefore
that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith. So don't, this
is not something new. This ain't Paul's new gospel,
as some people try to preach. This is, there was not an Old
Testament gospel, and then a New Testament gospel. There has always
and will ever only be one gospel. and the scripture foreseeing
that God would do what? Not just accept. You can accept
somebody, but still kinda, you know, you stay over here, right?
You stay back behind me. You understand what I'm trying
to get at? No, this is justify. And Paul's already said it, I
don't have to go into it. Justify means to be declared that you're
right. So if somebody's right, and I'm
right, then he or she has the right to stand right here with
me, right? I have no right to say, stand
thou over there. I'm more holy than you. The scripture
foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached
before the gospel unto Abraham. Now granted, it was very limited
in its revelation, but it's still the gospel nonetheless. In, here's
what it preached, in thee shall all nations be blessed, not just
your physical seed. And as a matter of fact, as we
find out from the Apostle Paul and the whole of the testimony
of scripture, they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. So we see that Peter, just by
this one little small act caused a big problem in the church at
Antioch. You cannot separate from one
group and go to another and not claim that in some way you're
pointing down the other group when they all, if, no, no, no,
if they all believe Christ. Another part of Peter's problem
was he didn't really vet these guys. He moved from this table
over to that table? He didn't vet these guys. We
have a command in scripture, lay hands suddenly on no man. That's not talking just about
ordination. They do that thing where they
lay people's hands on other people's heads and ordain them. That's
not what that's talking. It says don't approve of anybody
without knowing for sure who they are. That's what he's talking
about. Lay hands suddenly on no man.
And not only that, Peter and others, what they had
done is insulted God's sovereign grace. We can see that in Romans
chapter nine. And let me just find my spot
here, just a few verses. Romans nine verse 18, therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy. Do you see that?
And whom he will, he hardneth. That will say then unto me, why
doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will? Nay,
but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the
thing formed say to him that formed it? Now, here's, let me
go back to this. Don't then try to tell, okay,
here we have a thus saith the Lord. And don't say, well, if
that's true, then there must be some reason why God would
do one thing to one and another thing to another. There's got
to be a reason in that person. But according to the testimony
of scripture, that's not so. A prime example was given, but
from between twins. They hadn't even been born and
they hadn't done any good or evil. It's just the way it is. Don't
try to figure it out. Don't try to find some philosophical
way to explain it so it don't sound so hard. It is hard. It's mentioned that it's hard.
There are some people that got hard enough. Now he doesn't make
them bad. He just what? Turns them over
to their hardness. But let's go on. Thou wilt say
unto me then, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted
his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? I'll give
you an example. I've gotta make it brief. It's said that Shakespeare, when
writing his play of Romeo and Juliet, got to where Romeo was
just really distraught. over this loss of Juliet, and
Shakespeare was said to be looking over his notes intently, and
a friend come in, asked him what he was doing. He said, well,
I don't want to make this decision for Romeo. He needs to exercise
his own free will, and the friend said, you're the author. He does
what you want. He has no will but your will.
Now I know that's a physical illustration, but God is the
creator. We're all of the same lump and
he can do with us as he pleases. And that's just the way it is.
Any other idea is replying against God. He says it. Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel under honor and
another under dishonor? What if God, willing to show
his what? Wrath. See, everybody thinks
God wants to show wrath and is trying to hold, or mercy and
grace and trying to hold back his wrath. It ain't so. Willing to show his wrath. Endured with much long-suffering,
the vessels of wrath, what, fitted. Now God doesn't, here's not good
people and God just says, all right, I'm gonna destroy them.
That ain't the way it is. They're fitted to destruction. And somebody says, well, what's
all that mean? Just what it says. They deserve what they get. And
if God shows mercy, you did not deserve it. You did not deserve
it. What if God, willing to show
his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? and that he might
make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy,
which he had aforeprepared unto glory. Now notice, it doesn't
say these other people were aforeprepared to destruction. They're fitted
to it. But these people must be aforeprepared
to the glory. Now look, but here it is. Even
us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of
the Gentiles. So Peter, in that one small act,
had denied some of the most profound truth of scripture. Had he not? And somebody says, that just
seems awful severe. Go back and read what Paul said
in Romans 11. God is severe. It says he's severe, and yet
this world wants to say, well, but that can't be who God is.
It's who God is. Okay, think about this. Here's
my first point. Rebuke is tough to endure. Ever been there? Rebuke is tough
to endure. Now I said rebuke, not criticism. Criticism is never used in the
scripture, the word. Criticism, there's never a word
translated into our English from the Hebrew, the Aramaic, the
Chaldean, or the Greek. Criticize, you know what it's
called? Backbiting, that's what it's called. Criticizing, and
you generally do it when they're not around. but it can still
be backbiting even if they're there. See, it's not, well, they
did wrong and I'm just gonna expose them to everybody. That's
not the attitude with which Paul rebuked Peter. One, the truth
of God had been offended. Two, Peter was God's man. Barnabas was God's man. Others
in the church of Antioch were God's people. Paul wasn't saying,
well, y'all's lost. Easy to do that too, ain't it?
Hmm? I'm glad for impetuous Peter.
Now I'm not trying to justify what he did, but I'm so much
like him. Hmm? Yap, yap, yap, yap. Huh? Hmm. But think about it, rebuke
is tough to endure. Now I'm not gonna go into scripture
here, but you know this is true. When we're rebuked, it often
brings inner self-justification. When somebody rebukes you, one
of the first things we begin to do, if we don't do it out
here, it's like, well, you know, I know I said the wrong word,
but they know what I mean. Oh, really? And that's why, because
you're Peter? Because you're Walter? Huh? Because you're whoever you are?
Well, I've been around a long time. You know what I really
mean. Then say what you really mean. Be slow to speak. Before you yap, you yap, think
about what you're going to yap. But it goes even further. Even
if you're not running your mouth, what you do. What you do. Now when somebody
comes to you, I'm saved by grace, it doesn't matter what you do.
They're walking in foolishness. Now this did not affect Peter's
standing before God, nor did it affect his standing before
Paul, or the church, or anybody else. But it did affect a bunch
of people. Because what, they were, what
does he say? They walked, we'll deal with this, God willing,
they walked not uprightly according to the gospel. So anybody tells
you you walk don't matter, they're wet behind the ears, and I'm
being nice when I say it that way. It's just not so. But again,
I say rebuke often brings inner self-justification. But for God's
people, it only lasts so long. It only lasts so long, because
God's gonna convict you of your self-justification, and then
you've compounded your problem. Right, ever been there? Ever
been there? But here's another thought. Turn
to Hebrews 12. Paul kind of got all over my passage with that,
so I won't have to do as much reading, I can just do some talking
about what's said here. Think about it. Let us remember
God's blessed word to us of himself when it comes to this thing of
rebuke. Hebrews 12 in just a couple verses. Verse five. And ye have
forgotten the exhortation, how often we do. And ye have forgotten
the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My
son, do you see it? My son, this is a quote from
God in the Old Testament. My son, not you rebel, though
rebels we are. Let me say, any time God chastens
you or corrects you, it's because something's wrong. It may not
be some big, large sin, put that in quotes, right? It may just
be removing from one table to another, church social. You see
what I'm saying? My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord. What's that really mean? Nor
faint when thou art, what's that say? Rebuked, you see it? Rebuked of him. For whom the
Lord loveth, he rebuketh. You can say that, to chasten
is to correct, and it even says that word, uses that word a little
later on. To be rebuked is to be what?
If it's done by God, it is to correct us. to straighten us
out concerning something that's wrong. And it doesn't have to
be something, well, I went out and got drunk last night. Religion
likes to talk about getting drunk and going out womanizing or going
out for a bunch of men. They always want to talk about
some base things of the flesh. The best things of our flesh
are an insult to God. Even our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags in God's sight. For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth, he rebukes, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
And yet, turn to Psalm. Now look at now, keep that in
mind. Keep that in mind, but turn to Psalms, and look at the
39th Psalm. 39th Psalm. Psalm 39. Look at verse 11. When thou with
rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty
to consume away like a moth. Surely every man is vanity. Stop and think about that. See
law. Now go back to Hebrews and listen.
Verse 11. For no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous. Don't expect that when you're
rebuked, all of a sudden it's like, well, I am so happy for
that. That's not going to be our first
reaction. It's just not going to be. And
I guarantee you it wasn't Peter's either. Right here in front of
all this church, he's Peter. He's an apostle. How dare you? Now, I'm sure he didn't say it.
I'm sure he didn't say it, but I'm sure inside he was hellin'
trying to figure out some way to make what he did okay. And
even if Peter didn't, I know that's what I would have done,
had I done that thing. Trying to figure out some way.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which not exercise
it, but are exercised thereby. When God lays hold of you, he's
gonna get the job done. When God rebukes, he's got a
goal in mind and it will be reached. But don't think it's all gonna
be roses. It's gonna be tough. It's going
to be tough. Here's the whole catch 22 is
the phrase we use. If we didn't have sin, we wouldn't
need to be rebuked, would we? If we didn't have sin, we wouldn't
need be rebuked. But because we have sin, we must be rebuked. Now remember that, blessed, but
also turn to Proverbs now. If you're still in Psalms, but
not turn to Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 27. It does,
I hope I have the right passage here. Proverbs 27, just a couple
verses here. Verse five of Proverbs 27. Open
rebuke is better than secret love. That means somebody really
loves you but they don't express it to you. It's better to be
openly rebuked. Now you think, how can that be?
Because we're so much in need of rebuke and we are not worthy
of love. Do we get that? Do we still remember
that? We deserve rebuke and we're not worthy of love. That doesn't
give me a right not to love my wife. You see, that's saying,
well, if that's so, then I don't even have to tell my wife about
it. When somebody loves you but don't
say a word about it, it's better to be rebuked openly than somebody
love you and not say a word. Hmm? Because you know how good
that love is? As one preacher said, it ain't
worth spit. If you see me going down the
wrong path, if you really love me, what are you gonna do? You're
gonna say, whoa, that's wrong. If you don't, then it's what's
called secret love. It ain't no real love at all.
You've heard of the tough love? Tough love is what? Rebuke. Look at it. Faithful. Faithful
are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. So remember what God says about
himself when it comes to rebuke. One, we deserve it, we need it.
Thank God for it. He does it to us as his children,
as his sons and daughters. And if God uses a means, if God
uses another individual to do it, I'm sure that when, who was
it, Scott Richardson said, Nathan stuck that bony finger up in
David's face. After that account with Bathsheba,
he deserved far more, David did. But what did God do? Thunder
down from heaven and say, David, you screwed up. Know what he
do? He sent a man to him. Now you know that first, you
say it didn't rile David up. Yes, it did. Nathan first started
with a little tact. He gave him an illustration about
somebody that has a bunch of lambs, and over here's a man
that's got just one little ewe lamb, and that man's got a bunch
of lambs, comes over and slaughters that one man's little ewe lamb.
What would you David say? Oh, he'll die. You think he wasn't upset? He
just didn't realize it was him that Nathan was talking about.
He said, you're the man. And I'm sure then his heart just
You know, you could probably see the blood. Mad. All of a
sudden, whoa. That's me. That's me. Let us ever be reminded, we are
never above serious error. But that serious error doesn't
have to be some great denial of truth. It can be a little
small act. That's the whole point here. Never had somebody just do you
wrong? Do you go tell them? Or do you
act about it to somebody else? Huh? What good's it done? Size makes you feel right. Vindicated. Justified. Well, you know what you deserve,
don't you? You know what I deserve, don't you? Hail. to be abandoned
in the black darkness of the lake of fire forever, and then
God to save that person and just let him go. Where's our yak and stand now?
Let us ever be reminded we are never above serious error, especially
in small matters. I think that's the whole point.
We're often on guard for these large sins, right? Now, come
on now. I mean, I go to work and I work
around all kinds of people. And it'd be easy just to give
in and just give in to whatever. But it's not, that's sometimes,
Jack, that's easy to deal with. Or at least easier to deal with.
It's a small thing. Things we don't, I'm sure Peter
didn't say, now, let's say, should I, if I get up from here, am
I going to be insulting God's gospel or not? No, he just, uh-oh,
fear. And he jumps up. goes over here
and quits fellowshipping with these folks. Don't be caught up in this trap
of so-called religion. They're always hammering on drinking
and smoking and taking drugs and going to X-rated movie shows
and going to the beer joint, and I'm not saying those things
are right, okay? That's not the point. Small acts
can be great acts of hypocrisy. And as Earl quoted, Earl quoted
someone else, I don't remember who it was, one of the writers,
it may have even been a poet, no man is an island. What you
say and do affects other people, and that makes me say, whoa.
Whoa. Now think about this. These small matters, They can
issue from us far easier than these large things. You know
what I mean? Coming down out of the tunnel
into West Virginia, and I'm going 69, 70 miles an hour with the
cruise control set, and there's an 18-wheeler. I mean, he got
right behind me, and just lights flashing, lights flashing, lights
flashing. And I thought, I'm not gonna
speed just so you go on around. So I just kept it right. And
he flashed all the way down the mountain until we went across
the bridge and I got to leave him because he had to slow down. What am I talking about? It was
easy for me. Okay, I'll just slam on my brakes in front of
him. Well, he's got a bigger vehicle than me. He may just
flat run over me and pin me both. It was easy to say, I'll just
keep you cool. Go the speed limit, you know. The car would start
to speed up a little, I'd touch my brakes. I wasn't trying to
be Ellen Hart on him. I'm not gonna speed for him.
But I'm just saying this, it's easy to not go out and rob a
bank. You got trouble with that? Are you constantly plagued by,
I need to go rob the bank and they get me a few dollars? Come
on. But how easy is it to just watch
what you do in everyday conversation? Somebody says, preacher, this
is kind of getting tough. You remember what Solomon says,
chapter two, verse 15, I'm not gonna read it. You know what
our problem is? The little foxes. The little foxes spoil the minds.
There's a fifth thought. Rebuke is not easy. It's not
easy to take. It's not easy to endure. It's
tough. Let us never be overcome by thinking
we're so important. We know the truth so much. We
are so valuable that our public conduct is our own private business. It just ain't so. Whether that's good English or
not, it does not matter. It just ain't so. Our public
conduct always affects others, either to the good or to the
bad. Now if you're trying to speak
the gospel, if you're trying to tell the truth of Christ,
and somebody goes off on you, that's their problem. But don't
let it ever be because we're decided, we gonna have our own
way. I mean, I had an individual one time, Penny can attest to
this, I'm not gonna mention their name, I'm not trying to hear
the harp on them, but it's an actual account I went through.
It's not me hearing it from somebody else. I was in someone's home,
and this individual was talking to me about, they say they believe
the gospel, and I'm not saying they don't, but they say they
believe the gospel, and they were talking about speaking with
a coworker at work, this had been a few, several months ago,
before that event, and started cussing and swearing. I told
him I didn't believe that blankety, blankety, blankety stuff, and
I'm thinking, that's the way you witness to people? You start
using the F-bomb? When you're trying to talk about
the gospel of Christ and not believing in it, that don't help
none. But you can get in that thing
where you think, I hate it so much. It don't give you the right
to be an idiot. An idiot. Let us never be overcome
by thinking we're so important. Now here's my second thought.
I'll try to move through this. I've not been too long. Well
yeah, I guess I have to. Here's the second one, dissimulation.
What about that word? Well, it means deception. It
can mean pretense. It can mean to counterfeit, not
to be genuine, or hypocrisy. That's why my title is Small
Act, Large Hypocrisy. Peter affected other people.
And I think, I mean, I can almost see Paul saying, when Barnabas,
they said Barnabas was carried away with his dissimulation,
the hypocrisy, right? I can almost see Paul thinking,
I did not see that one coming, huh? But turn to Matthew chapter
15, and I'm gonna give you something here. And if you wiggle and squirm,
then you just have to wiggle and squirm is all I can say.
Matthew chapter 15, just two verses. This thing, this dissimulation,
this deception, this pretense, this counterfeit, this hypocrisy,
it's what we all are by nature. It's all in us. Some of us may
be Gifted by God to deal with it better than others But it's
all it's in us all and look at what our Lord said our Lord said
these words Matthew 15 Verse 18 and 19, but those things which
proceed out of the mouth cometh forth from the what the heart
and they defile the man. For out of the heart, he doesn't
say sometimes, on occasion, what proceeds out of this old heart?
The first thing is the problem, evil thoughts. You see it? Evil thoughts. Evil thoughts. Murders, and I'm sure, let me
say that, I'm sure this is a very limited explanation. There are
a lot more things that we put on this list. Proceed, evil thoughts. Murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witnesses. And let me tell you, you talk
about murders, when that guy was behind me, I thought, man, if
I had my pistol. Huh? Now, you know what, it just
got me in jail. Even if I just pulled it out
and waved it around. That's brandishing a firearm. You understand what
I'm saying? I thank God I wasn't carrying
it. Well, inside of us by nature
is nothing but corruption and quit, don't ever get, well, I'm
getting a pretty good handle on this. No, you're not. Like
Clay Curtis said, especially if you're older, don't think
that old age is a sign that you're getting holy, you're just getting
too tired to do the things you used to do. You're just getting
too old to do some of the wild, stupid, crazy, rebellious things
you used to. You're just getting old, you
ain't getting holy. And we laugh at that, but don't
that, you know? I look back and say, man, I'm
not caught up with that anymore. It's all still right down in
here. Doesn't that kind of set you
back? You're not getting better. You're just as bad as you always
was. It may just be that because God saved you, he's restraining
you now when he didn't used to. Yet, here's the best, all of
this is boiled down to this. Yet our God has made provision
for us like we are. Paul put it this way. Beloved,
I am bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth, whereunto you've been called by the gospel. God made provision. God could
have left me right where I was. He did not have to open my eyes
and my ears and my heart. And I may have even been converted
to sound doctrine, but still just been going on and going
on and going on. But now listen to me now, but
that alone was not enough. See, when we talk about election,
people think, well, you think God just chose to save some people
and they get to go to heaven. No, Christ had to suffer and
die on the accursed tree. Listen to me, God's election
of a people unto salvation wouldn't mean squat if Christ didn't die
on the tree for their sins. because God is holy. Somebody
says God's sovereign, he can do whatever he wants. He doesn't.
He never wants to have justice fall to the ground. He will never
have his holiness disbanded or malked. Sin must be punished,
and it will be in the individual in the lake of fire, or it has
been in Jesus Christ on the tree. The question is, do I believe
that? I'm not asking you if you believe
Jesus Christ died for just the elect, that's not the point.
I'm asking you, do you believe that what Jesus Christ did on
that tree actually accomplished what he did it on the tree for?
For instance, in our letter, Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law. How? By converting us by the
gospel. That wouldn't be enough. Jack,
I'm gonna say this, God couldn't do it just that way. Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us. The curse was carried out on
the Son of God when he hung on that tree. Look at Colossians
chapter two, you can turn to that one if you would. Colossians
two, verse 13, and you, being dead in your sins. So when did
this happen? When you was still what? Dead
in your sins. And you being dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with Christ. That's before they were even,
these people were even converted. You get it? before they were
ever converted, this took place. We didn't even exist, and it
still took place. If it took place for us, had
to. He's not dying over and over
and over again. He died how many times according
to Hebrews? Once, one sacrifice foreseeing forever. and you being
dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together, not by Christ, but how with him, having forgiven
you all trespasses. So when did he forgive him? Looked
to death when he died on that tree. Now look. having forgiven
you all trespasses, blotting, notice how this is past tense,
blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against
us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way. How? Nailing it to his cross. That's when this took place.
Not when you heard the gospel and when converted, but hear
the gospel and be converted, you must. but that would mean
nothing apart from this person and work of Jesus Christ. And
somebody said, well that's, and having spoiled principalities
and powers. You see it? And made a shoe of
them openly, triumphing over them in it. Somebody said, but
that's probably just, ain't that just talking about the old sacrifices
and the old rites and the old rituals? I would tend to agree
with you were it not for the word of God. And therein is the
rub, the word of God's what matters, not our opinions and our thoughts.
As I said, Paul walked all over one of my passages. Look at it,
verse 20 of Hebrews 12. For they could not endure that
which was commanded. That was with the mount. What
was given on the mount? The 10 commandments. You can't, and I can't love God
with all I am. I can't do it, but Christ did
it for me. And where I don't do it, he suffered
for that, Ellen, on the tree for me. So you see it? For they could
not endure that which was commanded, and if so much as a beast touched
them, just a beast, this beast is not doing anything wrong.
touched the mountain, it was to be stoned or thrust through
with a dart. That's how holy God's law is. And so terrible was the sight,
and I wanna put that even Moses, not just them rebels down there
at the foot of the mountain, that Moses said, I exceeding
fear and quake. And yet, men and women still
think that they can get God's merit by doing or trying to keep
the law. God made provision, so much so
that, like I said, I should have just give Paul my notes and said,
here, you preach, and then I'll just stay sat down. 2 Corinthians
chapter five. For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. So he took care of the curse,
he took care of the law, he took care of sin. And then he makes
me the righteousness of God in Christ. Now what else do you
need? You don't need anything else if God's opened your eyes.
if he's opened your eyes. He settled this matter at Calvary. The question is, I'm not asking
you to believe the five points. I'm asking you, do you believe
the record God gave of his son? When he died on that tree, he
reconciled me. When he died on that tree, he
redeemed me. When he died on that tree and was raised, Paul,
he justified me. Why? Because that's what the
book says. What does God's grace do in such
matters like these? Now, turn to 2 Peter. I know
I've been a little long, but 2 Peter chapter three. And Penny probably seen me doing
this yesterday. She probably didn't know what
I was doing. I was looking up dates and things of when certain,
or at least when men think certain epistles were written. And you
can do some of that because the book of the Acts gives us a historical
record. There's one thing about 2 Peter,
long story short, because some of it's kind of complicated.
Peter wrote this epistle long after that Galatians chapter
two, verse 11 through 14 ordeal. That epistle came later. This
epistle, 2 Peter, came later. Now look at what Peter wrote
to them and to us. 2 Peter three, starting in verse
10. But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night. in which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
a fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein
shall be burned up. God make that happen today. Somebody
said, I used to hear an old preacher, or not preacher, an old Baptist,
hell, he's Baptist, an old deacon one time, every time he'd get
up and pray, Lord, thank you for leaving us here on earth
one more day. Even when I was young and dumb, I thought, why?
I thought going to heaven with Jesus was supposed to be the
great thing. But he prayed that. Seeing then that all these things
shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in
all holy way of life? That is, conversation and godliness. Don't tell me how we conduct
ourselves don't matter. Looking for and hastening unto
the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on
fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with the
fervent heat. Oh God, bring it on. Right? Break it. As John the Apostle summed up
that book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, even so come Lord
Jesus. Even though, Ellen, all of these
really bad troubles have to come, when that's gonna take place,
huh? Look at it. Nevertheless, we, according to
his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
what? Righteousness. And that includes us. Because
if God left me like I am for eternity, it'd be miserable.
I'm getting tired of putting up with it for these 62 and a
half years. Can you imagine forever? Aren't
you glad God's gonna change you? If you die, he's gonna raise
you up and give you a new body, and if you're living when he
comes, he's gonna change it like that. Wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that
you look for such things, do we? Do we? Be diligent that you may be found
of him in peace without spot and blameless. This is that same
old Peter that had to be rebuked publicly back there, huh? See,
you never look, you never, forgetting those things that are what? Behind. Pressing forward. You can't change
what's behind. Thank God he's dealt with that.
but he's dealt with our present and our future as well. But look,
now, spot, without spot and blameless, now look. Look at these amazing
words. Here's a man that had Peter withstand
him to the face and rebuke him before everybody. You know that
was not a pleasant experience to go through, now was it? Huh? Well, but you gotta remember,
he's that old. It's Pharisee. You see Peter now? Is that what
Peter does? An account that the long-suffering
of our Lord is salvation. Even as our beloved brother Paul. I don't have to read any further.
That's my point. He's not holding grudges, is
he? I remember what he did to me
way back, y'all. After all, I'm the Pope of the church. Now I'm
not saying, I'm being facetious now. Peter never thought himself
to be the Pope of the church. But some people do, right? They
say he's the first Pope. Doesn't matter, the first Pope
got rebuked severely. If he were one, Ellen, and he's
angry about it after all these years, he thanks God for it.
Because God was long suffering to him when he got up from that
one table God's not long-suffering you
to wipe Peter out and send him to hell. The long-suffering of
the Lord is salvation. Even as our beloved brother Paul
also according to the wisdom given, he bragging about what
God's done for this man now, right? Now, I'm sure Paul didn't
feel that way, or Peter didn't feel that way about Paul right
at Antioch when it all happened, hmm? I'm sure he was figuring
out the best way he could to try to make things look in the
best light he could. But you know what? Because Peter
was one of God's, he couldn't do it. I'm sure the more he tried,
the more this book, Jack, brought him down. And here he's calling
all these years, our beloved brother, Paul. That's what God
does in such matters like this. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad
God don't kick his crippled children out? Aren't you glad God don't
kick his stupid children out? Aren't you glad God don't kick
his rebellious children out? Now turn to Proverbs and we'll
end with that. Proverbs chapter nine. Proverbs chapter nine. Proverbs chapter nine, verse
eight and nine. Reprove not a scorner, okay? In other words, if you got somebody
ranting and raving about something, don't get up in their face and
say, well, you're just wrong. Leave them alone. Leave them
alone, okay? Look at it. Reprove, let me find
my, reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee. Rebuke a wise man. He'll love you. You see it. If he's truly got wisdom from
God, as a gift of God through the purchase price of Jesus Christ's
blood, you rebuke, no he may not, she may not feel it right
now. But if they are really a wise person, they will love you for
it. Look at it. Give instruction to a wise man
and he will be yet wiser. Teach a just man and he will
increase not in his justice, not in his being justified, but
just increase in learning. See, you don't get better and
better, but you do learn more. Don't you? You see it? That's
what the book says. See it? Teach a just man. What's
a just man? I thought he's right. Because
there's not a just man upon the face of the earth that doeth
good and sinneth not. Now, there are just men who do
good. because God works in us, both
the will and the do of his good pleasure, but even when we do,
we still sin. So we must say thank God, the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge
of the holy is understanding. Heavenly Father, such profound
things on such common, guilty, depraved, corrupt creatures.
But we thank you for your grace and your mercy. And we know,
Lord, that that's only through the majestic person and work
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us because of him. In Christ's name, amen.