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0:19 Welcome back to the Daily Blade. 0:21 As I said last time I was on, I'm just going to march through the book of Galatians. 0:25 So we are on Galatians chapter 2. 0:27 We're going to do verses 1 through 3. 0:30 The Bible says, Then after 14 years, I, in the eye, there's Paul, went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 0:39 I went up because of a revelation and set before them, though privately before those who seemed influential, the gospel that I proclaimed among the Gentiles in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 0:54 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 0:59 So just again, in case you missed, two weeks ago, Paul planted the church in Galatia, planted on the gospel. 1:05 He raised up pastors and elders to run the church, and then this group of evildoers that he calls that are called the Judaizers come in, and they begin to preach a false gospel that you first had to be circumcised in order to be saved. 1:16 This is what Paul is writing the letter about. 1:18 Now the thing I want to point out here is the patience of Paul. 1:23 So after 14 years of ministry, Paul goes before, we're going to see, it's like Peter, James, and John and the guys that were running the show down in Jerusalem. 1:33 He goes and submits himself to their authority. 1:36 He lays before them this gospel that he preaches to make sure that he hasn't been running in vain. 1:41 I want you to see the patience of Paul. 1:43 You see, I think when we read the Apostle Paul in his letters in the Bible, we don't necessarily get, like the first impact is not, oh, he was a patient man. 1:53 You see, Paul gets saved on the road to Damascus. 1:56 We discussed that last week. 1:57 He goes into Arabia for three years to be trained. 2:00 It kind of sounds like some sort of supernatural Bible study with Jesus. 2:04 And then he just serves faithfully as a church planner for over a decade, almost a decade and a half. 2:11 What I want to point out here is he's not seeking fame, but he is just seeking faithfulness to what God has called him to do. 2:18 So if you think God has called you to big things, my question would be, well, what are you doing to make disciples right now? 2:26 My encouragement to you would be be faithful with what God has given you, and maybe he'll trust you with more. 2:33 Or let me ask it this way: if you were God, would you trust you with more? 2:36 More money, more influence, more authority, more ministry responsibility. 2:41 Because if you have not been faithful with the little that God has given you, why in the world would God trust you with more? 2:47 Now, this meeting that the Apostle Paul is talking about, you can actually read all about it in Acts chapter 15. 2:54 This is the meeting that he's talking about. 2:55 In Acts chapter 15, it's called the Jerusalem Council. 2:58 The leaders of the church, which would be Peter, James, and John, some of the apostles, James, a brother of Jesus, is a believer at this point because he has experienced the resurrection of his brother Jesus. 3:08 That's what it took for him to put his faith in Jesus. 3:11 And they get together, and the the question that they're dealing with is Is circumcision required for salvation? 3:18 The same thing is being taught in Galatia by the Judaizers. 3:21 This is what Paul is railing against. 3:24 Do you have to be like one of us to believe like us? 3:28 Now, today the same thing happens in many churches, but you just uh trade out circumcision for baptism or tongues or good works. 3:36 And so Paul is going to stand on the gospel, and the Bible says that he has no small debate with the Pharisees that are now part of the church. 3:43 Peter's going to step up, and Peter is going to not only to point to his experience, like leading Cornelius, a Gentile to Christ, and Cornelius is filled with the gospel, filled with the Spirit. 3:53 But he also says that they, meaning the Gentiles, are saved by grace, just like we are. 3:58 And then Paul is going to speak next, and he gives testimony to the Gentiles being saved through his gospel preaching, and it was accompanied with signs and wonders. 4:07 And then what shuts down the whole meeting is James. 4:10 And he asks this very simple question. 4:12 He says, Why would we make it difficult for those who are coming to the Lord? 4:17 And then they make this decision. 4:18 We'll see this later in Galatians 2, that Peter takes Jerusalem. 4:22 He's like, All right, I will, my apostleship will be primarily aimed at those who are circumcised, the Jews. 4:29 And then Paul is going to take the rest of the world. 4:31 Now here's what I want you to see. 4:33 Paul has godly ambition, not selfish ambition. 4:37 Philippians 2 says that we should do nothing out of vain conceit or selfish ambition. 4:41 But godly ambition is a good thing. 4:45 But this is rooted in patience and faithfulness. 4:49 Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. 4:52 You see, as Americans, oftentimes we want more and we want it now. 4:56 But what we see here in Galatians chapter 2 is that Paul set his sights on being faithful to God, and he trusted the fruitfulness up to God. 5:06 You see in Matthew chapter 25, the parable of the talents, the two-talent guy and the five-talent guy, they get the same reward. 5:13 And it is this well done, good and faithful servant. 5:16 Not fruitful. 5:17 Well done, good and faithful servant. 5:19 So, man, let me ask you this question. 5:21 Are you being faithful today with what God has given you? 5:25 And if you are, are you being patient to trust Him to give you more if He decides to? 5:31 See you tomorrow.