Titus 2.11 says, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Of course, speaking of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that grace is a theme not just of our song service now, but also the teaching from God's word. I would invite you to turn with me and your copy of the New Testament scripture to Paul's epistle to the Galatians, Galatians chapter number two, as was read just a few moments ago, Galatians two. You may remember that in the first part of Galatians chapter 1, Paul defended the message of the gospel of grace. The message of the gospel of grace is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15. The message of the gospel of grace is the faith once for all delivered to the saints, Jude 3. The message of the gospel is the good news of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That's all there in the first part of Galatians chapter one, as Paul defends the message of the gospel of grace. But then in the latter part of Galatians chapter one, Paul defended himself as the messenger of the gospel of grace. And the conversion of Paul was a work of God's grace in that Paul was saved from his own sin, chapter 1 verse 13, and Paul was saved from his own righteousness, chapter 1 verse number 14, Paul was called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ and was given revelation from Jesus Christ. Now then, after 14 years of preaching the gospel of grace, the message of grace had begun to resonate far and wide, but that message didn't sit well with everyone, specifically the Judaizers, who taught that the law was necessary for salvation and sanctification. And so the agents of this legalism distorted the gospel. Chapter 1 verse 7, there are some who trouble you, Paul wrote, and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. So in defense of the gospel of grace, Paul wrote this epistle, this letter, to the Galatian churches, specifically now in chapter 2 verses 1 through 10. He wrote of a private meeting that he had, when he went to Jerusalem bringing aid to the Judean believers. From Galatians 2, verses 1 through 10, I prepared a message I'm calling The Preaching and the Practice of Grace this morning. Let's pause for prayer. God in heaven, as we come to your holy word now, we pray for the aid of your spirit to illumine the text to us, to give us insight and understanding of its teaching. Lord, we want to be Bereans just now to search the Scriptures diligently. We want to be diligent, to study, to prove ourselves approved to you as workmen, as students of the Scripture that do not need to be ashamed. Lord, we want to clarify and confirm and celebrate the gospel of grace as you have brought it to us. And we want to rejoice in that. I pray that you'll help us toward this end. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. You have your Bibles open before you to Galatians chapter two, verse number one. Then after 14 years, Paul says, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and also took Titus with me. Stop there. Before we can continue in the text, we need to do some homework here this morning. There is a debate regarding this trip that the Apostle Paul took to Jerusalem with Barnabas, a Jewish believer, and Titus, a Gentile believer. And the point of debate is this, was Paul's visit to Jerusalem in Galatians 2, verse number one, his second visit to Jerusalem, or his third visit to Jerusalem? You can turn your outlines over there, I've copied for you. Five trips that Paul took to Jerusalem, as recorded in the book of Acts. The first was after his conversion on the road to Damascus, after three years of revelation in Arabia. This first trip is cited for us in Galatians 1, verse 18. Then after three years, Galatians 1, 18, I went up to Jerusalem. But then there was a second trip, a second visit that Paul made to Jerusalem was what some call the famine visit. He brought financial aid to the Judean believers. Of course, Judea was the region surrounding the city of Jerusalem. The third visit was to attend the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. A delegation was sent from the church in Antioch to Jerusalem to settle the question of whether circumcision was necessary for salvation. And of course the answer was a resounding no. Salvation is by grace alone apart from any works of the law. Paul then went a fourth time to Jerusalem at the end of his second missionary journey, and then the fifth visit was at the end of his third missionary journey that resulted in his Caesarean imprisonment and his deportation to Rome. All right, now follow this. I believe that Paul's visit to Jerusalem that's referenced here in chapter two, verse number one, was in conjunction with his second visit The famine visit you might highlight or circle or underscore number two. Paul's first visit was cited in Galatians 1.18. Paul's second visit now recorded in Galatians 2 verse number one. You all are carrying study Bibles this morning from Charles Ryrie or maybe John MacArthur or maybe the ESV study Bible notes or the NAV study Bible. David Jeremiah's got a study Bible. Of course, the good old Schofield reference Bible, Thompson Chain reference Bible. You all have other tools at your disposal and you may find that your study Bible takes an alternative view Your study Bible notes may claim that Paul's visit in Galatians 2 was in conjunction with his third visit to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem council. I see that everybody right now is looking at your study Bible, seeing if it agrees with Pastor Matt. And let me give you the reason why I believe this is his second visit, not his third visit to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Council. And here are some reasons. The themes addressed in the book of Galatians are the same themes addressed at the Jerusalem Council, issues of legalism and the law. However, I believe that Paul's visit in Galatians 2 was his second visit and not his third visit for these four reasons, and they're not in your notes, but I'll give them to you quickly. Even though the themes in the book of Galatians are the same as that occurred on his third visit to Jerusalem, Paul made no mention of the Jerusalem Council anywhere in the book of Galatians. And for Paul not to mention the Jerusalem Council doesn't make sense because the conclusion of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 would have been a supporting, even a concluding, authoritative argument for Paul in writing this letter. Paul could have simply said, at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, this is what was clarified, and he could have put that in this letter, but he didn't do that. And I believe the reason he didn't do that is because the Jerusalem Council hadn't happened yet. as he wrote this letter to the Galatians. Secondly, when Paul went to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Council, this is the third visit, when Paul went in Acts 15 for the third time to Jerusalem, it was because of the revelation of Agabus in Acts 11. regarding the financial need of the Judean believers. So look at Galatians 2 verse 2, you have it there before you. And I went up by revelation or because of revelation, Paul claims in Galatians 2 verse number 2, that is the revelation of Agabus in Acts 11. giving him revelation regarding the financial need in Jerusalem. The third reason is the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, which I'm claiming was Paul's third visit to Jerusalem, was a public gathering. However, Paul's second visits I'm claiming in Galatians 2, was a private gathering. Look at verse 2 again. And I went up by revelation and communicated to them the gospel which I preached among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation. And so this was a private visit that Paul made in this case. And then Galatians 2 verse 10, if you look there, it makes reference to the needs of the poor. The very reason for Paul's second visit, the famine visit to Jerusalem, according to Acts 11 and Acts 12, Galatians 2 verse 10, they desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I was also eager to do. You say, Pastor Matt, that is way too much information. Does it really matter if this was Paul's second or third visit to Jerusalem? Okay, it doesn't really matter. No, no, that's not true. It matters. Context always matters in aiding us with our understanding and our interpretation. There is no major doctrine that is at dispute in this question of whether it was second or third visit. However, because Paul's second visit to Jerusalem was to bring famine relief to the believers in Judea after his first missionary journey, before the Jerusalem Council, that will influence our understanding of about what we're gonna study here yet this morning. And I want you to keep all this in mind, because we're gonna come full circle back to it in just a few moments, okay? So let's look again at the text, Galatians 2 verse 1. Then after 14 years, I went up again. I'm contending the second time to Jerusalem with Barnabas. the Jew, and also took Titus, the Gentile, with me. And I went up by revelation, according to revelation, because of revelation I believe Agabus in Acts 11, and communicated to them that gospel which I preached among the Gentiles, but I did this privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run or had run in vain. Number one in your notes, the private consultation about grace. the private consultation about grace. This visit to Jerusalem was to bring financial help from the Gentile brethren to the Judean brethren. However, while Paul was there in Jerusalem, Paul had a private consultation with those of reputation in verse number two, that is the influencers we might call them today. They were the leadership, the apostles in Jerusalem. In fact, verse number nine names James and Cephas or Peter and John, he calls them pillars of the church. And the private consultation that Paul had with these influencers, these pillars of the church, were about the preaching and the practice of grace. And Paul was consulting with them, he was inquiring of them, he was consulting with them as to whether or not the apostles in Jerusalem were preaching and teaching and practicing the very same gospel of grace that Paul was preaching and practicing. If not, they were hindering, or really rendering of no effect, Paul's efforts and Paul's message of grace. If the Jerusalem leaders insisted on keeping the requirements of the law for one's salvation and one's sanctification, then Paul's labor or his running, you see it there at the end of verse number two, his running was like spinning his wheels. All right, let me illustrate this matter in this way. Over the years, there were times, I remember back over the years when the kids were young, we're rushing out the door as a family, and invariably, one of my children would ask, Daddy, do I have to wear my coat? To which, of course, I would answer, no, it's not that cold outside, let's go. On other occasions, my children were young, it was late, and we were trying to get the kids into bed, and one of the children would ask me, Daddy, do I have to brush my teeth? To which I would say, no, it won't hurt this one time, just hurry up and get into bed. And upon these occasions, my dear wife would want to have a private consultation with me. And she would say to me, she would say, Matt, the kids have to wear their coats when we go out. It's January, right? Or the kids have to brush their teeth. Their teeth will rot if they don't brush their teeth. You are undermining what I'm trying to teach them. Yes, dear, right? and we were competing and conflicting with each other in the raising of our children. The apostle Paul wanted to have a private consultation with the leadership in Jerusalem regarding the preaching and the practice of grace, verse number two, for Paul knew that he had it right. For he received it through the revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter one, verse 12. He was teaching the right thing, but he would be swimming upstream if the leaders of Jerusalem were not preaching and practicing the same gospel of grace that he was preaching and practicing. And so just as it makes strategic sense for a mom and a dad to be on the same page with parenting, it was important that the apostles be on the same page regarding their preaching and their practicing. And what was coming out of Jerusalem needed to be in harmony with what Paul was preaching and practicing all around Asia Minor among the churches of Galatia. So then as an example or as a test case, or an illustration to prove that Gentile salvation and sanctification was by grace alone, apart from the law, Paul brought Titus along, verse number three. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, being a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised. So when we went to Jerusalem for this private consultation about the matter of legalism and law and grace, they didn't even compel Titus to be circumcised. This is the personal illustration of grace here in verses 3 through 5. Titus was exhibit A. of Paul's preaching and practice. And Titus was a Gentile believer who had never been circumcised according to the law of Moses. And Paul brought Titus with him to that private meeting in Jerusalem. And the test was this. Would the apostles in Jerusalem, would the influencers, the pillars of the church, Demand that Titus be circumcised. How would they respond to a Gentile believer who had not adhered to the Mosaic law? And the good news is they did not compel Titus to be circumcised. And so if the Jewish apostles in Jerusalem did not demand the practice of circumcision for salvation or sanctification, then it should be clear to the Galatian churches that the law was not a part of the gospel of grace. And the whole reason this whole issue had arisen in the first place is explained that in verses four and five. Look at verses four and five. And this occurred, this whole situation occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage. To whom we did not yield submission even for an hour. that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. False brethren had come in stealth, verse number four. We might call them stealth bombers, all right? The stealth bombers had come in. Can you imagine, can you imagine people coming to Fourth Baptist Church to spy out what's being taught in this place, what's being practiced in this place, to accuse us of celebrating the gospel of grace, Paul would not submit to them for a moment. No tolerance for a moment, verse number five, that the truth of the gospel might continue with the Galatian churches. And folks, there is something at stake here. It is a preservation of the gospel of grace. And I assure you that in every period of time since then, in every place on this planet since then, the gospel of grace has been under attack. And for that reason, we are called upon to earnestly contend for the faith. Folks, you don't know this, but there have been a few, just a few, but a few occasions in which your pastors have disinvited some people to be here at Fourth Baptist. Because their attendance was the stealth bomber to come from within to pervert and pollute the gospel message and the truth of God's word. And we have had the unenviable responsibility to confront them and say, if that is what you're here for, if that's your purpose in coming to our church, you're not welcome here. And maybe you're scandalized by that. How unloving, how unkind. No, it's pastoral protection of the gospel and the church. And that's what's happening here. The message of the gospel is by God's grace alone, through faith alone, and Christ alone, apart from works. Verse number six. But from those who seem to be something, Whatever they were, it makes no difference to me. God shows personal favoritism to no man. For those who seem to be something, they added nothing to me. Now, verse six is a little bit cumbersome to read, so let's work through it. Paul starts out by saying, those who seem to be something, meaning those who are of reputation, verse number two, those who are the apostles, the leaders, the pillars in the Jerusalem church, the influencers, we would say today, Then Paul interrupted himself. You see it there in your text in verse number six. Obviously he's full of emotion and he says he doesn't care about the who's who. And neither does God. You see, Paul's critics were claiming that he was a no-namer. Paul was a nobody. Paul's critics claimed that it was the big names in the big city in Jerusalem who were the authority on these matters. But Paul says, those of you who think you are something, you added nothing to me. The big names in Jerusalem could not add to the requirements of the law to my preaching and practice of grace. In fact, the opposite is true, verse number seven, but on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, that is the Gentiles, as the gospel for the circumcised was committed to Peter, that is to the Jews, verse eight, for he who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles. And when James, Cephas, or Peter, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. When the pillars of the church heard my preaching and practice, and witnessed my preaching and practice of grace, they They confirmed what I was saying and doing is Paul's report. This is the public confirmation of grace. The public confirmation of grace. And here there is a one, two, three confirmation in these verses. First, letter A would be the confirmation of the gospel. The message of the gospel is the same singular message for everyone everywhere. It's a message of grace alone apart from any works of the law. Now, you know that well, I know that well. I don't mean to be condescending or insult your intelligence by my repetition there, but I do want to qualify this lest there be any confusion. Does the gospel of grace, my salvation and my sanctification by grace alone, praise God for that, does it negate my responsibility for godly living? Does the gospel of grace eliminate my responsibility for good works? No. Turn with me to the book of Titus. Go with me to Titus. Now, the book of Titus is a letter that Paul would write to who? To Titus. The very same young man who was with Paul on this visit to Jerusalem. Remember, it's the one that Paul is referencing in Galatians chapter two. And the book of Titus is the letter that Paul would later write to this very same man who was with him for this private consultation in Galatians two. And I want you to notice the themes. Paul is writing to Titus about God's grace and man's works. He doesn't abandon the practice of good works, but he repeats the truth that good works don't save or sanctify. So, Titus 2 verse 11, it's in fact how he began just a few moments ago. Titus, I'm in Timothy, I'm sorry. Titus 2 verse 11, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify himself. his own special people, zealous for good works, speak these things, exhort, rebuke with all authority, let no one despise you. Here are some of the specific things, chapter three, verse one, Titus three, remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want to affirm constantly, that those who believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. You can turn back to Galatians chapter two. There is one gospel and constantly confirming with clarity the gospel message is Paul's burden here in this case as he also writes to Timothy. But then there is not just a confirmation of one gospel, there's a confirmation of two callings. In Galatians 2, verses seven and eight, there were two callings. Paul was sent to the Gentiles. Peter was sent to the Jews. Paul was sent to the uncircumcised. Peter was sent to the circumcised. And this is a big deal because to compare and confirm and affirm the ministry of Paul with the ministry of Peter, You know what that's like? That's like saying Pastor Matt and Charles Spurgeon are equal. They just preach on different sides of the ocean. This is a very big deal. That's impressive. Paul is doing the same thing as Peter is? Peter. I mean, Peter is a special case. But Paul's doing the very same thing, just in another place. It's the same message. There was a confirmation of two callings, and then there was confirmation from three pillars. If Paul's Galatian readers were looking for an endorsement from the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem, here it is. The three pillars gave Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship. Verse number nine, and when James, Cephas, or Peter, And John, this is Peter, James, and John, who seemed to be pillars, influencers, leaders, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the Gentiles and they would go to the circumcised. The right hand of fellowship is more than a handshake. We shake hands with our right hand as a gesture of friendship or a social greeting, but the word fellowship here, the right hand of fellowship, it's the word koinonia, it means partnership, and for this reason, we even have a practice, a custom here, upon the receiving of new members at Fourth Baptist Church, I shake their hands and I extend to them the right hand of fellowship. Welcome to the fellowship, the partnership as a member of Fourth Baptist Church. Then we all go downstairs to the gymnasium. And what I have done symbolically here, we all greet our new members and we welcome them into the fellowship and the partnership of our assembly. It's a public gesture in this place. And that's what's happening here, the confirmation. Peter, James, and John are saying to the Apostle Paul, we accept you, we welcome you, we're preaching and practicing the same gospel. And I also, just an insight, verse number nine there, it reminds me that the New Testament is not a hodgepodge of conflicting personalities or theologies, the theology of Paul, the theology of James, the theology of John or Peter. These men and their canonical writing under inspiration of the Spirit of God is preserved for us in the Holy Scripture is in agreement. First, of course, because it's from the Holy Spirit, the divine author, but secondly, because of their mutual partnership. And do you realize that no less than 21 out of the 27 books in the New Testament are penned by these men right here. 21 out of 27 books of the New Testament. And here they are, partnering together in the preaching and the practicing of the gospel of grace. Some people think that James was teaching a works salvation. After all, he wrote in the book of James, faith without works is dead, but James was not teaching works salvation, for James was part of this meeting where salvation by grace alone was affirmed, as well as Paul's next visit, I believe, to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Or what about Peter? Maybe Peter. Did he preach repentance as a necessary work for salvation? Is that something different than this? No, these are the same thing confirming that salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Repentance is a part of that and good works is a part of that. You see what's happening here? This can become confusing. Oh, I think I heard Pastor Matt saying the good work of repentance is a work for salvation But these things can get confused and we can pit Peter against Paul and James against Paul and Peter against James. But I'm submitting to you that any confusion that exists is in our misunderstanding or redefining some of these things as they labor together. They are in complete harmony. Verse number 10. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I was eager to do. So I've come full circle back now. I believe that Paul was in Jerusalem for the second time, I won't die for that opinion, but I'll teach it this morning, the second time to deliver money to the poor believers in the region of Judea. And the money was a generous expression of love from the Gentile Christians to the Jewish Christians. And this is what I'm gonna call number four, the practical demonstration of grace. The practical demonstration of grace. And I need you to turn with me in your Bibles one more time. In this case, let's go to 2 Corinthians 9. It's just a few pages back. 2 Corinthians 9. 2 Corinthians 9 verse number 1, now concerning the ministering to the saints, Superfluous for me to write this to you, for I know your willingness. So it's not even necessary, I'm not rebuking you. I know your willingness, 2 Corinthians 9 verse five. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be a matter of generosity, not as a grudging obligation. Paul has the foresight to prepare the people for the collection. Verse number six, but this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will reap bountifully, so let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all, what? All grace abound towards you. There's our theme, that you always, having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. Jump to verse number 12, for the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but is also abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while through the proof of this ministry they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel, for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Corinthian church, your collection, your offering, your giving to the Judean believers in the region surrounding Jerusalem was God's grace being exercised, being practiced. Verse 15, 2 Corinthians 9 verse 15, thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. And folks, I submit to you that giving is a practical demonstration of God, of God's grace in our lives. So, since COVID, we no longer pass an offering plate around here. We seldom mention giving in our services. We have giving boxes that are stationed there in the foyer for you to give. Of course, many of you give online, electronically. What compels you to give? I hope it's not a legalistic duty that you owe Fourth Baptist Church some dues I hope because of God's indescribable gift, the grace of God that has appeared to all men, Jesus Christ, I hope that because of the gospel that you are motivated to give and you do that in that way for our free will grace giving is a picture of God's grace giving to us. In my first message in this series, I told you that for Paul, the gospel of grace was not just a message which, if believed, granted salvation, and it does that. The gospel of grace was the guiding principle that would govern the believer's lives. And to Paul, the gospel of grace was not just an invitation to unbelievers, which it is that. If you were an unbeliever here this morning, I want you to know that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And I would want nothing more than to explain that further to you and have you call on the name of the Lord for your salvation. But for the large majority of believers, this has implications for us. And I would put it like this. Our preaching of grace is God's giving to us. Folks, the message of the scripture, the message of this pulpit is God has given us salvation through Jesus Christ. But what about our practice? Our practice of grace is our giving to others. It's more than just giving money. It's giving forgiveness. It's giving the benefit of the doubt. It's giving our love, it's giving our prayer, it's giving our kindness, it's giving our support and our commitment to others who don't deserve it, you see. That's what grace is. Our giving to others who don't deserve it. That's grace giving, that's grace living. There is more than just the preaching of grace. There is the practice of grace apart from the law. And I would exhort us as a church to not only preach the grace of God, but to practice the grace of God toward one another. Let's pray. God in heaven, we thank you for your grace toward us, given in the person of Jesus Christ. Lord, we repent. We turn from unbelief to belief, from sin to the Savior, from ourselves to the only one, who can secure our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we then are motivated for good works, not to merit our salvation, but because of our salvation. Lord, I pray that these truths might be clear in our minds and our hearts, and that we might practice them, put them into practice. As we freely receive, may we freely give, I pray in Jesus' name.