back to indexBerean Community Church Wednesday Bible Study Galatians 1:18-24
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Why don't we just take a couple of minutes to prepare your hearts for worship, and then we'll begin. 00:05:42.000 |
Heavenly Father, I thank you for bringing us all here tonight to study your word. 00:05:48.000 |
Lord, I thank you for just the hearts that are here willing to study your word and seek you, Lord. 00:05:56.000 |
And I pray that as we go into this time of praise, Lord, that you would be glorified, that your name would be magnified here tonight, God. 00:06:05.000 |
So I thank you again. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:06:26.000 |
>> Who, oh Lord, could save themselves if their own soul could heal? 00:06:53.000 |
Who, oh Lord, could save themselves if their own soul could heal? 00:07:22.000 |
But you alone can rescue, you alone can save. 00:07:36.000 |
You came down to find us, led us out of death. 00:07:54.000 |
You, oh Lord, have made a way, a great divide you heal. 00:08:07.000 |
For when our hearts were far away, your love went further still. 00:08:26.000 |
But you alone can rescue, you alone can save. 00:08:39.000 |
You came down to find us, led us out of death. 00:09:04.000 |
Lift up her eyes, lift up her eyes, you're the giver of life. 00:09:11.000 |
Lift up her eyes, lift up her eyes, you're the giver of life. 00:09:17.000 |
Lift up her eyes, lift up her eyes, you're the giver of life. 00:09:24.000 |
Lift up her eyes, lift up her eyes, you're the giver of life. 00:09:32.000 |
But you alone can rescue, you alone can save. 00:09:46.000 |
You came down to find us, led us out of death. 00:10:13.000 |
[MUSIC - "SHOULD NOTHING OF OUR EFFORT STAND"] 00:10:39.000 |
no legacy survive unless the Lord does raise the house 00:10:59.000 |
To you who boasts tomorrow's gain, tell me what is your life. 00:11:12.000 |
A mist that vanishes at dawn, all glory be to Christ. 00:11:51.000 |
His will be done, his kingdom come on earth as is above. 00:12:19.000 |
Let living water satisfy the thirsty without price. 00:12:32.000 |
We'll take a cup of kindness yet, all glory be to Christ. 00:13:12.000 |
When on the day the great I am, the faithful and the true, 00:13:28.000 |
the lamb who was for sin his slain is making all things new. 00:13:43.000 |
Behold, our God shall live with us and be our steadfast light. 00:13:57.000 |
And we shall let his people be, all glory be to Christ. 00:15:17.000 |
We are sinners before you with nothing to bring to you that is worthy. 00:15:22.000 |
But you sent your son to die for us on that cross that we might come to you no longer under our sin. 00:15:32.000 |
Lord, no longer under death, but saved, adopted as sons. 00:15:38.000 |
We praise your name, God, and we seek to just give you all of the glory in our lives. 00:15:43.000 |
So, just bless this time of study of the word. 01:17:17.000 |
Upon whom Jesus said I will build my church, right? 01:17:20.360 |
So Paul is saying if we look at the Galatians timeline 01:17:25.360 |
He's only interacted with the Apostles just two times in 01:17:34.720 |
I mean imagine if you only interacted with someone two times in 17 years 01:17:41.800 |
You wouldn't necessarily feel like Oh kindred spirit like that's that's my buddy. That's just this it's very infrequent 01:17:57.880 |
Everywhere and especially I preach to you guys. This was a direct 01:18:11.520 |
Of Jesus Christ, so that's the point. Okay, and 01:18:22.480 |
I assure you before God that I am NOT lying in my mind as I mull over this passage 01:18:39.800 |
Directly given to me and I swear to God. I'm not lying 01:18:48.480 |
How many liars in the history of mankind do you think have ever sworn? I am NOT lying. I swear to God. I'm not lying 01:18:55.040 |
100% of every liar that's ever existed has probably said I promise you I'm not lying. Okay, so Paul is saying this 01:19:08.760 |
Someone like Paul is saying I have a direct message from God 01:19:12.560 |
From Old Testament history all the way to now there has been a way you verify those things 01:19:23.120 |
person how do Christians look at Paul saying I promise I'm not lying and actually 01:19:29.760 |
Find it credible. So we're gonna be looking at a little bit of 01:19:35.160 |
How we can actually trust what Paul is saying, okay, so 2nd Peter 1 20 to 21 01:19:40.960 |
But know this first of all that not no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation 01:19:47.240 |
For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will 01:19:52.240 |
But men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. That's how we have the Old Testament 01:19:58.200 |
That's how we know how the New Testament. Amen 01:20:09.320 |
God after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many 01:20:17.360 |
portions in many ways and these last days have spoken to us in his son 01:20:35.760 |
They had the Old Testament Scriptures now we have old and new 01:20:39.680 |
Okay, and I want to do a little bit of a breakdown of the whole Bible 01:20:43.440 |
There are 66 books of the Bible and hopefully you guys knew this 01:20:58.840 |
40 plus different writers contributed to the writing of the 66 01:21:08.160 |
Okay, and they were not all PhD scholars you have Amos anybody know what Amos did 01:21:26.560 |
Symbol players have you ever heard of a staff? 01:21:29.280 |
He was a praise leader. You know how a staff led praise 01:21:32.600 |
Symbols you got a praise leader write scripture. What was Apostle Peter's trade? 01:21:45.720 |
All kinds of different people with all kinds of different skills from all walks of life 01:21:54.720 |
Writing this book and that was over a course of 1,500 years 01:22:00.920 |
Three different languages Hebrew Aramaic and Greek and 01:22:07.040 |
The consistent message is God will holy holy. Holy 01:22:12.200 |
God will one day reconcile sinful man to himself through the promised Messiah. That is the 01:22:18.480 |
uniting theme throughout the whole of scriptures 01:22:25.360 |
1,500 years three languages all saying the exact same thing because they were speaking on behalf of the exact same 01:22:43.480 |
He's writing a big chunk of the New Testament, right? So he's an author of the scriptures 01:22:49.680 |
And so when Paul says something like now in what now I assure you in what I am writing 01:22:55.720 |
I assure you before God. I am NOT lying you hope that to be credible and 01:23:07.800 |
If they're from God, this is what we can expect 01:23:15.640 |
They're all focused more on the exaltation of the Lamb of God and a lot less on the future of mankind 01:23:27.520 |
If I am receiving a direct revelation from the Lord 01:23:36.400 |
It really is for the exaltation and the supremacy of the Lamb of God 01:23:44.560 |
So that is actually the core element a lot of times with different cults that have popped up over time 01:23:50.240 |
They've actually done away with the Lamb of God or changed him or weakened him 01:23:54.600 |
No, but every genuine prophecy of God that comes through the Holy Spirit 01:24:11.080 |
It's mankind as primarily an object or recipient of the grace of Holy God 01:24:17.400 |
We're those whose names are written in the book of the Lamb of God 01:24:37.440 |
When Paul goes to Galatia, we're gonna look in chapter 2 01:24:40.400 |
It says in chapter 2 verse 2 and I laid out before them the gospel which I preach to the Gentiles 01:24:47.400 |
And I did this in private to the the pillars and they confirmed it 01:24:56.600 |
All revelations that come to man. It's always going to be consistent. What has always been said of the character of God 01:25:06.280 |
Because Jesus Christ God is the same yesterday and today and forever right? God is not going to change his tune 01:25:12.360 |
So any revelation is gonna stay consistent talking about the character of God exalting the Lamb of God Jesus Christ 01:25:25.560 |
Changed and equipped and usually humbled and terrified 01:25:40.080 |
He did receive the direct revelation of God he exalted the gospel of Christ 01:25:48.640 |
It was consistent with what had been been said by all the people that had gone before him and he was left permanently changed 01:25:56.520 |
And equipped for the saving of man equipped for every good work 01:26:01.880 |
Okay, so I want to read Apostle Peter later in chapter 2 Paul 01:26:13.780 |
That's a pretty like that's actually one of the most like emotionally jarring 01:26:18.860 |
sections of scripture is like this is the Apostle the leader of all the Apostles and 01:26:29.060 |
Okay, but Peter he writes at the end of his letter 01:26:32.060 |
Therefore beloved since you look forward to these things be diligent to be found by him in peace 01:26:37.740 |
spotless and blameless and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation 01:26:52.180 |
Also in all his letters speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to understand 01:26:58.540 |
Which the untaught and unstable distort as they do also the rest of the scriptures to their own destruction 01:27:04.660 |
True prophets of God don't distort the scriptures. They stay consistent with it 01:27:10.500 |
Even if it's hard to understand, okay, and Paul writes at the end of his life 01:27:16.020 |
Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse 01:27:19.940 |
Deceiving and being deceived you however Timothy continuing the things you've learned to become convinced of 01:27:25.960 |
Knowing from whom you learn them and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom 01:27:31.920 |
That leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus all 01:27:40.200 |
Profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training and righteousness so that the man of God may be adequate equipped for every good work 01:27:49.840 |
You know who else received a direct revelation from God? 01:27:56.500 |
John and all the five things that I listed you could be said of John, right? 01:28:07.900 |
Autobiography for I would have you know brethren that the gospel which was which was preached by me is not according to man 01:28:13.300 |
For I neither received it from man nor was I taught it but I received it through a revelation of 01:28:23.540 |
That's the main point of the next couple chapters 01:28:26.140 |
So I hopefully answered what makes Paul's direct revelations credible 01:28:32.040 |
Right that was going to be a question. That's kind of lingering 01:28:35.180 |
Did Paul really need no confirmation affirmation from the other apostles? No, he didn't need it and he got it and 01:28:43.380 |
In a few weeks, we're gonna tackle this last one in what ways had Cephas stood condemned 01:28:56.120 |
And this little section of the scriptures how many guys actually looked at Acts 9 01:29:05.000 |
Raise your hand higher. How many looked at Acts 9? 01:29:10.160 |
Keep them up if the events and the details of Acts 9 01:29:16.000 |
Were a little bit difficult to swallow and synchronize with Galatians 01:29:20.120 |
How many you found either one or the other kind of a little bit troubling or unsettling? Hey good 01:29:27.000 |
All right. I want to so for those you guys who didn't look at it. I just want to quickly read it and 01:29:32.120 |
Give your heart a little bit of peace. Okay, so this is Paul and he took food and was strengthened now for several days 01:29:39.360 |
he was with the disciples who were at Damascus and 01:29:42.040 |
Immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogue saying he is a son of God 01:29:45.400 |
all those hearing him continue to be amazed and 01:29:49.200 |
We're saying is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name and those who had come here for the purpose 01:29:55.520 |
of bringing them bound before the chief priests 01:29:57.520 |
But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ 01:30:04.760 |
When many days had elapsed the Jews plotted together to do away with him 01:30:10.160 |
But their plot became known to Saul and they were also watching the gates day and night so they may put him to death 01:30:16.320 |
Okay, Paul doesn't mention this in Galatians. Okay that there was like a death death warrant on him 01:30:25.120 |
Led him down through an opening of the wall lowering him in a large basket 01:30:32.280 |
These other places because people were out for his life 01:30:35.800 |
Galatians doesn't say now in verse 26 when Paul came to Jerusalem 01:30:45.960 |
What's this? What's this happening here, right? He was trying to associate with the disciples 01:30:51.000 |
Okay, doesn't say apostle it says disciples, but they were all afraid of him not believing that he was a disciple 01:30:57.880 |
but Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the Apostles plural and 01:31:05.280 |
Described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road that he had talked to him and how at Damascus 01:31:10.360 |
he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus and 01:31:15.280 |
Now I'm wondering if the them is disciples or the Apostles or both, but he's there 01:31:24.760 |
This sounds very different than Galatians true or false 01:31:32.160 |
It's very difficult because we don't have all the details to piece things together 01:31:36.240 |
But I want to just show you something from my own today's my my wife and mine 16th friend-diversary on Facebook 01:31:43.600 |
It showed me that on Facebook. Okay, so I decided okay. I'll use some of stories with me and my wife. All right, so 01:31:52.160 |
I've lost some weight since then if you guys can't tell right so 2012. This is what Becky would say 01:32:04.380 |
We were missionaries living in China and we took a trip to the Philippines 01:32:09.740 |
We visited churches in Cebu and this was our first ever visit 01:32:15.860 |
I've been to the Philippines only once that's Becky 01:32:20.040 |
She didn't really say that I just put words in her electronic mouth. Okay, that's what I did 01:32:31.620 |
and I was working for compassion international and 01:32:34.540 |
This was when I led my first trip to the Philippines 01:32:38.260 |
We visited churches in Ilo Ilo, which is a completely different island. I eat low. It was actually not an island 01:32:44.300 |
It's a completely different city in a different island 01:32:50.840 |
And then I'll say now and what I am saying to you I am NOT lying I 01:33:14.700 |
Were thinking like the Lord is calling us to China, but what are we gonna do in China? 01:33:18.940 |
But I've been a compassion sponsor since 97 and I have a heart for the orphans in China 01:33:23.380 |
Let's go on a vision trip to the Philippines from China join the Korea team and then just explore it 01:33:29.620 |
So we went together on our like five-year anniversary. So we went that was our first trip together. I 01:33:37.340 |
Got hired by compassion a few months later and 01:33:43.020 |
My first trip was December 2012. And if I said December 2012 is 11 years ago 01:34:03.860 |
I was working for compassion international and we had been missionaries to China and 01:34:09.620 |
This was when I led my first trip to the Philippines 01:34:13.100 |
Wordings a little different now, I'm giving you context and 01:34:24.620 |
We visited churches in Iloilo and I've gone to the Philippines 01:34:29.260 |
34 times I am NOT lying. Both of these are factually true and because I added context you're like, oh 01:34:42.220 |
Luke and was Luke there at Paul's conversion. No, he was not 01:34:51.020 |
Luke is writing details probably from what he's been told by Paul and just writing stuff 01:34:59.620 |
In writing Galatians is detailing accurately, but just with a different bent 01:35:07.260 |
It's just we just don't have access to the context fully 01:35:11.340 |
Not your heads if they're that kind of eases your mind a little bit 01:35:23.260 |
when we see scripture a lot of times Christians do silly things by trying to 01:35:28.220 |
Force things to make it make perfect sense. That's actually very dangerous 01:35:34.940 |
If we come across passages that are hard to fully reconcile 01:35:39.900 |
We don't try to answer them away by human logic 01:35:44.060 |
Just say we don't have access to all the information 01:35:46.860 |
But I trust that all scripture perfectly is God breathed and useful for teaching correction rebuking and training and righteousness 01:35:54.140 |
So that I may be equipped for every good work 01:35:55.620 |
Every word that is from the scriptures is as it should be from the mouth of the Lord. I'm just gonna believe it 01:36:02.020 |
Okay, it doesn't mean that we don't tackle these hard 01:36:05.420 |
Not discrepancies, but just like not sync synchronized things 01:36:11.180 |
We don't discount them, but we don't try to twist it to make it make more sense 01:36:19.100 |
Both of these are perfectly accurate and true 01:36:24.700 |
They seem like they're one of them. They're not the same 01:36:31.020 |
Is that helpful at all? Not sure. I need some kind of feedback y'all. I'm a people pleaser 01:36:35.380 |
So I need and we're in Galatians, so I shouldn't say that but you know, whatever 01:36:42.300 |
This is our passage and I want to just spend my the very bottom here 01:36:48.140 |
But they kept hearing he who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith 01:36:52.140 |
which he once tried to destroy and they were glorifying God because of me and 01:36:56.020 |
the people who are glorifying God because of Paul were probably family members and 01:37:12.100 |
Paul was in Jerusalem putting people in prison dragging away both men and women 01:37:21.140 |
Screaming children hanging on to his legs. Please don't do this and 01:37:24.820 |
Those same people who've been robbed of their friends who've been robbed of their parents are 01:37:31.780 |
Glorifying God because of what God did in Paul's life 01:37:47.180 |
He changes people and he changes people through people 01:37:52.500 |
And I'm gonna just I touch upon that because I'm gonna ask a follow-up discussion question to that but 01:38:03.660 |
I'm gonna kind of stop here and just talk about some announcements. This is always choppy 01:38:09.260 |
I don't exactly know how to like smoothly but whatever. All right, we have communion Sunday prepare your hearts 01:38:22.620 |
Come just to participate in that the new membership class begins this Sunday at 9 o'clock in the next door room. And 01:38:31.500 |
If you are planning to become a member, but you haven't signed up yet 01:38:35.420 |
I think you can still kind of walk in. Okay, we do have some space but if you can please do sign up 01:38:41.860 |
Church cleaning and maintenance day. Is this next Saturday? 01:38:45.820 |
The more people that we have the more thoroughly we can clean and faster 01:38:50.820 |
So if you have it that morning free, please do come in 01:38:54.620 |
Participate in that I will have the QR code just in the next slide and we still need 01:39:03.340 |
We've been calling it trunk formation, but it's actually Reformation night. We still need volunteers and then we still need lots of 01:39:11.580 |
Candies and little donations. So if you guys have those please do drop them off and then 01:39:19.100 |
Thanksgiving's around the corner believe it or not 01:39:30.460 |
A dozen to maybe two dozen people in please do sign up for that, but you do have to be a member 01:39:38.060 |
Signups are also out. So if you have a moment and you haven't done so 01:39:42.620 |
And you want to participate in the cleaning and maintenance day go ahead and do that now. I'm gonna give you about 01:39:51.260 |
All right, no one touched their phone so I'm gonna go to the next one I 01:39:59.380 |
Don't want to clean that's not my spiritual gift 01:40:07.980 |
November 19th. Okay, and then we do have like a synchronized worship time 01:40:14.500 |
Like we did last year. So if you can please sign up for this if you are willing to host 01:40:21.100 |
Okay, nobody touched their phones I will move on 01:40:29.100 |
Okay, so for next week we're looking at chapter 2 verses 1 through 5 01:40:34.300 |
The questions are for Paul. What would qualify as running in vain? 01:40:43.780 |
The word he goes I was afraid I was running in vain. That's a little bit of an interpretation 01:40:49.380 |
So when you tackle that is Paul actually doubting something here, or is he like thinking the Apostles are a waste of time? 01:40:55.900 |
So this is going to be an important question for you to think through and then what exactly is a false brother? 01:41:01.180 |
There's another question you want to think through 01:41:03.860 |
Okay, is that just I mean, it's not really a brother then right? But what is that and what is the truth of the gospel? 01:41:10.540 |
So that the truth of the gospel might remain with you 01:41:16.300 |
We did not yield and subject him to them for one minute so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you 01:41:22.940 |
So for the discussion time, this is what I'd like you guys to discuss 01:41:28.740 |
Central is the Lamb of God to your life. It is the theme of the entire scriptures 01:41:34.060 |
It is a theme of human history the Lamb of God seated on his throne 01:41:38.220 |
How central is that is the Lamb of God to your life? And how does the Lamb of God affect your day-to-day life? 01:41:45.380 |
Now that's gonna cause you to have to reflect 01:41:53.340 |
What is the difference between wanting glory for yourself and wanting to be used to give glory to God? 01:41:58.200 |
Are there people in your life in whom you give God glory? 01:42:01.940 |
There is wrong. That's super annoying. Okay, are there people in your life in whom through whom you give God glory? 01:42:09.780 |
How do you grow and giving glory to God in the lives of the people around you? 01:42:17.620 |
Three how discerning are you of the revelations of God in what ways can you grow in areas of discernment? 01:42:23.900 |
How what's a practical step that you can take to grow that and then number four is as you're sharing your 01:42:31.420 |
one through three prayer requests if they come up share it with your table and 01:42:36.140 |
Vulnerability usually breeds vulnerability. So as you share know that you probably aren't the only one struggling to 01:42:51.940 |
But as you pray for each other as you share may that give you strength 01:42:56.780 |
Okay, let me pray for you pray for us and then we'll 01:43:06.900 |
Help us Lord God to enjoy just the fellowship of believers 01:43:12.020 |
Not primarily for our joy the Lord that in our love for each other that you may be honored that you may be glorified 01:43:19.380 |
So would you do a mighty work in the lives of your people at this church? 01:43:25.660 |
Praised and you may be magnified and exalted in our individual lives and in this church 01:43:31.460 |
We love you Lord. We thank you for our time together in Jesus name we pray