We can turn back together to our reading in Galatians chapter 2.
! 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.
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,
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.
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.
Thank you.