Paul and POVs

We can turn back together to our reading in Galatians chapter 2.

Galatians 2 · chapter mention

! We look together this evening at verse 1 to verse 10.

! Here we find, as you read in verse 1,

after 14 years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas taking Titus along with me.

The Lord has guided Paul back to Jerusalem and it's a report he's giving back there to the church.

In Jerusalem to those in authority in the church there.

We read of James and Cephas and John down in verse 9 there who Paul is reporting back to about his ministry,

about what he's been involved in the gospel ministry.

Perhaps you've looked at the title of this evening's sermon and you're wondering what it means.

Paul and POVs.

POV sometimes stands for point of view.

But that's not what we're considering this evening.

We're not going to be thinking about Paul and his different points of view on different things.

But something slightly different and something that we will be hearing a little bit more of in these coming weeks ahead.

Because as a congregation we are due to have a POV visit from presbytery.

And POV actually stands for, in this context, Presbytery Oversight Visit.

And I just want to think about this that's coming up in the near future.

We'll be hearing more about it in the coming weeks.

But just in a way of preparing ourselves for it.

How should we approach it?

Does it matter?

What does it have to do with the preaching of the gospel?

What's it got to do with the Bible?

And why do we do these kinds of things?

Is it just another exercise to go through that's of no real value?

Well, as you think about, and as we look at this together, a presbytery oversight visit is really grounded in the scriptures.

And that's the kind of thing that we see here with Paul being held accountable as he comes back to Jerusalem.

And we want to think of ourselves and how we are going about our gospel ministry.

And we have times of examination in our own lives.

We think about coming up to another communion season.

And we speak about examining ourselves, where we are in light of our faith and our relationship with the Lord.

And it's important that we do that in light of coming to the Lord's table.

But it's important in a wider perspective as well, as we think of what we're doing as a congregation, as what we're involved in, that we are held accountable in many ways because we are part of a Presbyterian church.

We're not just a congregation by ourselves here.

We are part of the Presbytery of the Western Isles.

We are part of the denomination of the Free Church of Scotland.

And therefore, as part of a bigger body, we have that strength and togetherness, but also that sense of accountability.

And as we look at Galatians chapter 2, we get a little insight as to how Paul is reporting back to the church at Jerusalem and the kinds of things that they are looking at.

Galatians 2 · chapter mention

And there's a sense of encouragement for ourselves here this evening to think about why this took place and what came out of it.

So as we read here in Galatians, you find that there's this big jump between chapter 1 and chapter 2, where 14 years have passed in Paul's experience.

And he then comes back to Jerusalem.

So what has he been doing in these 14 years?

Well, much of what he has been doing, we read throughout his letters in the New Testament.

He has been involved in the gospel ministry.

He has been proclaiming the gospel among the Gentiles, as we are told in verse 2.

So this has been what Paul has been going about.

He has been proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles.

And what kind of ministry did Paul have?

Some people look at Paul as some kind of maverick.

Someone who was just by himself, going out, doing his own thing, ministering in his own way.

Someone who would not listen to anyone else, but thought what he...

If he thought it was right, then it was.

Is that the kind of Paul that we see in Scripture?

Is that the kind of Paul that God would have used in the growth of the church?

Just a lone voice.

Someone going out by himself.

Is that the way God builds his church today?

Just by individuals going out to tell the gospel that they want to tell?

Well, no.

You see, Paul himself is part of the church of Christ.

As you see here, he has Barnabas and Titus with him coming up to Jerusalem.

And he's also appearing before others, before James and Cephas and John.

So he is involved in a wider ministry.

He is ministering to the Gentiles.

Peter is ministering to the Jews.

And so there's a variety of ministries going on here.

And together they are serving to proclaim the gospel far and wide.

And as you read through Paul's letters or the book of Acts,

you see the great things that were happening as the gospel spread

through all of these people, through all the churches, throughout all the lands.

Faithful ministries, fruitful ministries were being seen

throughout many areas in Paul's day, in Peter's day, in John's day.

And the gospel was spreading far and wide.

And so to this day, that is the way that the gospel spreads.

Through faithful ministries, through faithful members in ministry,

through people working together,

through congregations and churches and denominations,

proclaiming the gospel.

The one God who is able to save through one Savior,

who is Christ Jesus,

by one Spirit who leads us to know Him.

And so that's why this section is important for us.

Even as we prepare for a POV ourselves,

a presbytery oversight visit,

we see the need for it in terms of being held accountable,

being challenged in many different ways,

but also to encourage one another

and to strengthen one another

in the midst of all the challenges that we have,

that we remain faithful to the gospel,

that we keep the main thing, the main thing.

And we are all entrusted with this gospel.

We are all part of this congregation here together.

We are all part of the same presbytery,

the same denomination.

We are entrusted with this gospel.

So every aspect of the ministry we are involved in,

whatever we are doing,

we are all workers in the gospel.

And what is our key aim in this work?

Well, it's that God is glorified in all that is done,

that people hear the good news of Jesus Christ,

and that the work goes on day by day,

strengthened in prayer,

encouraged and going on in the strength of the Lord.

And so as we prepare ourselves for a presbytery oversight visit,

it's not something to be afraid of.

It's not something to distrust in any way.

It's not something to think either that it's not important

and has no impact on us.

Done right and done well,

they are there for our strengthening and our encouragement.

And there's three things that I feel we can take from this passage this evening

and apply to the process that we are going to be involved in.

Reminding us of what we are about

and who it is that we are serving.

We are serving our God.

We are making Jesus known.

And we are seeking the Spirit's blessing on all that we do.

And so three things that we see with Paul here

that we can apply to ourselves.

The first thing is accountability.

And especially accountability to being obedient.

The second is examination.

And the third is encouragement.

So the first thing is accountability.

And especially accountability to obedience.

As I say, it's been 14 years, we see here,

since Paul was at Jerusalem.

And now he's coming back to Jerusalem once again.

Again, the Lord met Paul in a great way.

When we read of Paul's conversion,

it's an amazing experience.

Here he was, someone who was persecuting the church.

But the Lord met with him on that Damascus road

and his whole life was changed.

But we don't need a Damascus road experience

for our lives to be changed.

All we need is to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we come to know him by faith,

as we hear of him through his word,

and as we come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,

we have the same Lord on our side as Paul did then.

And so our same desires should be changed as well.

Paul's life had been completely transformed.

As he says in the letter to the Philippians,

what things were gained to me.

All that he had in his life,

his attainments in Jewish religion.

He says, those I counted loss for the sake of Christ.

So his life has been transformed.

He was zealous for the traditions of his fathers before him.

But now he is zealous for Christ and his kingdom.

That is what matters.

That is what counts.

So that instead of trying to destroy the Christian faith,

he is now seeking to proclaim the gospel.

So the Christian faith will be strengthened.

And so there's been this transformation in his life.

And it comes about from obedience.

He has been obedient to his calling.

He has been obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And it's not just for a short time.

But down through all of these years,

you could say for these 14 years,

he's gone on in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so there's the challenge for ourselves as a people.

Are we being obedient?

Are we being obedient in our ministry?

Are we being obedient to our Lord Jesus Christ

in how we serve him?

In how we honor him?

In all that we do.

As you see Paul here coming to Jerusalem,

what was the purpose in it?

What's the purpose of a paraispatri oversight visit,

a committee coming to our congregation?

Is it to ask,

are we obedient to them?

Is that what Paul is encountering here?

Is he being challenged?

Is he obedient to Peter or James,

Cephas or John?

Is that the ones he is being accounted to

as being obedient to them?

No, it's,

is he obedient to God?

And that's what this visit will be about

for ourselves as well.

Are we being obedient to the Lord

in all that we are doing?

Every aspect of Paul's life was given

over to serving him.

It had not wavered.

It had not wavered through challenges,

through ups and downs,

through every experience that he went through.

He was still there to proclaim the gospel

among the Gentiles.

And so as he appears here in Jerusalem,

as it says in verse 2,

that I proclaim among the Gentiles

in order to make sure I was not running

or had not run in vain.

So his appearing here is to show

that the gospel that he was proclaiming

was the right gospel,

that it was being done well

and everything was in order.

And so that's what we are being challenged

about as well.

Are we being obedient in this way?

It was Thomas Kempis who once said,

instant obedience is the only kind of obedience

there is.

Delayed obedience is disobedience.

Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience

withdraws from grace.

We could apply that in so many ways

into our lives individually and collectively.

Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience

there is.

Are we being obedient in the work of the gospel?

If we withdraw from it,

whoever strives to withdraw from obedience

withdraws from grace.

So if we pull back,

if we're not obedient,

we are losing out on the grace that God gives.

Because grace is given in obedience.

Disobedience.

We can apply that individually.

Are we obedient individually

to the call of God in our lives?

To following him?

Because if we're saying we'll put it off,

that is disobedience.

And you miss out on grace.

And so it's first and foremost,

are we putting our faith and our trust

in the Lord Jesus Christ?

But then collectively too,

are we being obedient?

Are we being faithful

in the gospel ministry

that the Lord has given to us?

Because if we are pulling back,

if we are disobedient in it,

we are missing out on the grace

and the provision that God is able to give.

And so as Paul is appearing here in Jerusalem,

he is appearing as one

who has been obedient.

One who has known the grace

of our Lord Jesus Christ with him.

What Paul is preaching throughout this letter,

as we see as you read on in this chapter,

he is preaching all about Christ crucified.

It's not about works, as he says,

but it's about the grace of God.

In verse 21,

I do not nullify the grace of God,

for if justification were through the law,

then Christ died for no purpose.

It's all about the grace of the Lord

and faith in him.

And where do we see the greatest obedience of all?

It is through Christ and Christ crucified.

You think of how he went to the cross for our sins

and how he bore our sins there,

but before he came to the cross,

as he was in the garden of Gethsemane,

what did he say as he prayed to his father?

In Matthew 26, verse 39,

Matthew 26:39

there it says,

There is the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not as I will,

but as you will.

And is that our prayer?

When things are difficult,

when things are hard,

we might say,

oh, just leave it just now.

Let this pass by for this moment,

instead of seeking the will of God

for the gospel flourishing here.

God entrusts the work of the gospel to his church,

the proclaiming of the gospel,

the church that has been purchased

at such a great price

that God gave his own son.

And so therefore,

are we obedient to our calling

to be a gospel church?

That's the purpose of this Presbytery visit.

Not so much are we obedient to them,

but are we obedient to the Lord our God

in the work of the gospel?

It's a question for us all.

Are we a people who are obedient?

And is our greatest desire obedience

to the Lord Jesus Christ?

Are we a faithful people?

So let us ask ourselves that as we prepare,

as we think of preparing for the Lord's table,

as we think of preparing

for the coming of this Presbytery Oversight visit,

are we obedient?

Are we faithful?

Are we committed to the Lord Jesus Christ?

The second thing we see here is that Paul was examined.

And that is part of the process

that we will go through as well.

We will be examined by those who come.

Examined in so many aspects of our congregational work.

Individually, I meet with our committee,

the Kirk Session, the Deacons Court,

members and adherents.

There are various meetings

that will take place with this committee,

so everyone will have a chance

to come under examination from them,

but also to examine the work

that we are doing ourselves as well.

And so it's important to see just who it is

that we're being examined by

and how we're being examined.

When Paul arrived here in Jerusalem,

he found himself under examination.

But there was two kinds of examination

that he became under.

One was public and one was private.

And you find the public one

was more to condemn his ministry.

In verse 4,

yet because of the false brothers

secretly brought in,

who slipped in to spy out our freedom

that we have in Christ

so that they might bring us into slavery.

You see there,

they were there to condemn his ministry,

to bring him back out of the preaching

the gospel to preaching

what is not the gospel.

And so that's not the kind of examination

that we will come under,

but it's the kind of examination

that we can come under

in a public way as well,

where people will tell us

that the gospel doesn't matter,

that the gospel is not true.

The world will condemn us.

When you say that there is only one Savior

and one way to salvation,

that that is faith in Jesus Christ.

There are people who will tell us

that we are wrong,

but we don't change the gospel.

Because the gospel as we have it,

as it is passed down,

is the way of God to salvation.

And therefore,

we don't just allow the world

to examine us and to guide us.

But what you find here with Paul

is it wasn't those who came in secretly

that he allowed to examine him.

They didn't count.

But those who did examine him

and who examined him privately in many ways,

who he met with,

as he met with James and Cephas and John,

they were the ones who he truly allowed

to examine him,

to search him,

to ask him questions.

Because as they were examining him,

they were examining him in the Lord.

And you find that there are these bonds

between them,

gospel bonds between them.

And so what mattered to Paul

was being examined in regards

to the gospel that he preached.

And it wasn't about putting people

on pedestals,

as you see in verse 6.

For from those who seem to be influential,

what they were makes no difference to me

because God shows no partiality.

Or as it says further down

when he's speaking about

those who seem like James and Cephas and John,

who seem to be pillars,

he's not there putting them on a pedestal.

But it's more together,

examining the gospel

that they are proclaiming

and how they are proclaiming it.

And so as we get examined,

it is not about who has done good

and who hasn't,

or all of these things,

putting anybody on a pedestal.

But being examined into,

are we doing the things

that we need to be doing,

the things that we should be doing,

and what you notice here

is that Paul,

Barnabas,

and Titus,

they have their ministry going on.

They are ministering to the Gentiles.

James and Cephas and John,

they are ministering to the Jews.

And it could easily have been

an area of conflict,

an area where they could have come together

and said one is more important

than the other.

But they didn't.

They saw that both were important.

And that is the key to gospel ministry.

That there are various kinds of ministry

that we are involved in.

Various different people

that we are engaged with.

That at the heart of it all

is that the gospel

is being proclaimed.

that the gospel

is being made known

to all around us.

And so examination

is an important part.

They will come in

and examine

what we are doing

and how we are doing it.

And we will all have

different ideas

about areas of improvement,

things we can do better.

They will always be there.

And it will be a great time

to get feedback

and to discuss

all of these things.

How can we do things better?

How can we be strengthened?

How can we be more effective?

What can we stop doing?

What should we start doing?

All of these things.

It's a time of examination.

But it's not a thing

to be avoided.

It's not a thing

to be afraid of.

You think of your car.

It needs to be examined

on a yearly basis

to make sure

that everything is running in order.

It has to go through

an MOT.

Well, in many ways

we could look at this

as an MOT for ourselves

as a church

to see if there's anything

that needs fixed,

anything that needs improved

or anything that's just working

as it should.

So examination

is important.

And it's important

that we do look at ourselves

honestly,

openly,

and not to be afraid

of what that means.

Examination

is important.

But when you look

at the third thing

we see here,

we see that examination

is important

in light of what we want

the outcome

to be.

And what we see

the outcome to be here

with Paul

is he was

encouraged.

encouraged.

And we ourselves

as we come through

this examination

we would want

to come out of it

encouraged.

And encouraged

in different ways.

Encouraged

among each other.

And encouraged

by those

who come

to visit.

When you look

at Paul

and

James

and Cephas

and John

here

in verse 9

onwards

what you see

is that there

was this

togetherness.

They seemed

like pillars.

Let me just

read the verse 9.

When James

and Cephas

and John

who seemed

to be pillars

perceived

the grace

that was given

to me

they gave

the right

hand of fellowship

to Barnabas

and me

that we should

go to the Gentiles

and they

to the circumcised.

there was

this sense

of encouragement

and oneness

together.

And what you

see here

is that sense

of the humility

of the gospel.

It humbles

us

when we see

that it's

about serving

people.

That the gospel

is about reaching

out to all.

And here you

see it quite

clearly

the Gentiles

are to be reached

and the circumcised

the Jews

are to be reached.

That the gospel

goes out

to all.

But there's

encouragement

and that's

what we should

take from this

as well.

That we would

encourage

one another.

That as we

examine ourselves

we do so

in the right

way.

We do so

seeking

the good

of each other.

The easiest

thing in the world

to do

is to criticise

and to find

fault.

And there's

no doubt

that in any

examination

that takes

place

and as

this POV

takes place

there will

be areas

that there

will be

maybe

criticism.

And areas

where we

need to

improve.

Rightly so.

But what we

want is it

to be done

in a right

spirit.

Where collectively

we are thinking

what is the

greater good

in this?

And how

can Jesus

be made

known

through us

as a

congregation?

Today I was

over in

Ness this

morning and

as Ewan

was here

I was driving

over to

Ness and

you're driving

on the roads

and you're

thinking to

yourself there's

some pretty

poor condition

roads here.

So many

places that

need repair

or improvement.

So one

reaction could

be I'm

going to

start complaining

to someone

about this.

That something

gets done.

The other

way to react

was to see

the places

where work

is being

done.

Where there

are many

areas of

the road

that are

being worked

on just

now or

have been

worked on

and have

been improved

and that

improvements

are being

made.

That work

is going

on with

the means

that are

available.

There are

two different

ways of

looking at

things and

we could do

that with

church.

We can

look at

the things

that we

think that

needs improving,

that needs

done better and

we can start

complaining about

it.

Or we could

look at it

the other

way and

say well

it's great

that these

things are

happening.

It's great

that there's

encouragement,

that there's

so much

being done

with the

means that

we have

available.

We all

want things

to be

better.

We all

want things

to improve.

believe,

but let

us do

it in a

way where

we're

encouraging

one another

and seeing

the gospel

flourishing

in our

midst.

When you

see Paul

here being

encouraged,

he was

encouraged by

the right

hand of

fellowship.

There was

this

togetherness.

They were

encouraged and

they encouraged

one another

in the gospel

because they

had a great

gospel to

proclaim.

And you

also see

that he

was encouraged

in verse

10,

that together

they saw

a great

need to

help the

poor.

Only,

it says in

verse 10,

they asked

us to

remember the

poor,

the very

thing I

was eager

to do.

So there

was various

aspects of

this ministry

that they

were involved

in.

But it

was all

about

people.

It was

all about

people in

various

situations

and to

various

degrees.

The gospel

being made

known and

people being

encouraged and

helped and

strengthened in

every kind of

need that

they have.

But they

were encouraged

to keep

going.

And so let

us be

encouraged as

we approach

this time of

examination,

encouraged in

what we're

doing,

encouraged in

the gospel

that we

have,

be encouraged

as we meet

together to

do everything

in the

right spirit

for the

greater good

of the

cause of

Christ here.

So we

go forward

encouraged,

encouraged with

the gospel

that we

have to

make it

known to

many around

us that

the glory

of Christ

would be

seen.

Somebody

once said

this,

flatter me

and I may

not believe

me,

believe you,

criticize me

and I may

not like

you,

ignore me

and I may

not forgive

you,

encourage me

and I will

never forget

you.

There are

many around

us who

need

encouragement.

Many of

us, we

need

encouragement

and so let

us encourage

one another

in the

gospel.

So as we

come to

this time

of

presbytery

oversight

visit,

may it

be a

time when

we ask

ourselves,

are we

obedient

in the

gospel?

Are we

a people

who are

being

obedient

to our

Lord

Jesus

Christ?

Are we

being

faithful

to him?

Are we

being

faithful

to one

another?

Let us

approach it

in three

ways.

Prayerfully,

because we

need prayer

in all

that we

do.

Humbly,

thinking

more of

others

than

ourselves

and

graciously,

thankful

for the

grace of

the Lord

Jesus

Christ that

we have

through the

gospel.

That Christ

is who

we serve

because he

served us

and gave

himself

for us.

So let us

approach this

time in

these ways,

seeking the

goodness of

God and

the grace

of God

in our

midst and

in all

that we

do.

Let us

pray.

Lord,

our

gracious

God,

we do

thank you

for your

church.

We thank

you to

be part

of it.

And we

ask that

you will

indeed build

up your

church here,

that you

will build

us up as

your people,

that you

will help

us to

obedience,

that you

will help

us as

we are

examined,

to be

examined in

light of

the gospel

of your

son,

Christ

Jesus,

but also

to be

encouraged,

encouraged by

all that we

have through

faith in

Christ,

and to

all that we

have to

share with

one another

and to

those around

us,

that encouragement

and strengthening

would be what

we come away

from all of

these things

with.

So,

Lord,

hear our

prayers,

continue with

us,

pardon our

sin,

as we ask

all in

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

We're

going to

conclude by

singing to

God's

praise in

Psalm 117,

the Sing

Psalms version,

Psalm 117,

page 155.

It's a

short

psalm,

just the

two verses

marked here,

but a

psalm reminds

us of how

great a

God we

have.

Praise the

Lord,

O all you

nations,

all you

people,

sing his

praise.

For his

love is

great towards

us,

his

commitment

lasts

always.

He is

faithful now

and ever.

Hallelujah.

Praise the

Lord.

The tune is

Regent's

Square,

and we'll

sing it

through

twice.

We stand

to sing

to God's

praise.

Praise the

Lord,

O all

you

nations,

all you

people,

sing

his

praise.

For his

love is

great towards

us,

his

commitment

lasts

always.

He is

faithful now

and ever.

Hallelujah.

Praise the

Lord.

Praise the

Lord,

Lord.

O all

you

nations,

all you

people,

sing his

praise.

For his

love is

great towards

us,

his

commitment

lasts

always.

He is

faithful now,

love and

ever.

Hallelujah.

Praise the

Lord.

After the

benediction, I'll

go to the door to

my left.

We'll close with

the benediction.

Now may grace,

mercy, and peace

from God,

Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit

rest upon

and abide with

you all now and

forevermore.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.