9/30/20 - ARE YOU A PEOPLE PLEASER?

“I’m obviously not trying to flatter you or water down my message to be popular with men, but my supreme passion is to please God. For if all I attempt to do is please people, I would not be the true servant of the Messiah.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭TPT‬‬

The apostle Paul was making a distinction between those who were watering down the gospel to win over and influence the young converts to Jesus Christ. He was questioning their willingness to desert the gospel of the grace of Christ to return to legalism. As redeemed children of God, we cannot be people pleasers and servants of Christ at the same time. And Paul has made his choice plain to the Galatian Church. In chapter two we find out why he reacted the way he did. Those who should know better were a major part of the problem.

We need to speak up in the defense of the truth of God’s Word. We can’t be afraid to stand up for what we believe! It creates confusion in young converts and the unsaved alike. I admire the apostle Paul because he went all in after his conversion from Judaism. He had experienced true freedom and he wasn’t about to compromise what he had encountered on the Damascus road. Jesus had done a complete work in him and living a double life was not an option. I respect that he didn’t confer with the so called pillars of the church, but rather went to a desert place to be alone with Jesus. He didn’t seek man’s opinion concerning his assignment. As a matter of fact, the first time he met up with those esteemed leaders, as he put it, was in response to a revelation he had received while in Arabia. He just wanted to know that he was not running his race for Christ in vain. He wanted to be on one accord.

What he found out in chapter 1 of Galatians greatly disturbed him. And he was not afraid to confront one of the pillars of the confusion, people pleaser Peter himself. Let’s read together beginning with verse 6 -well let’s start at verse 4 for effect. He’s still upset that the young believers were being misled.

“I met with them privately and confidentially because false “brothers” had been secretly smuggled into the church meetings. They were sent to spy on the wonderful liberty and freedom that we have in Jesus the Anointed One. Their agenda was to bring us back into the legalistic bondage of religion. But you must know that we did not submit to their religious shackles not even for a moment, so that we might keep the gospel of grace unadulterated for you. Even the most honored and esteemed among the brothers were not able to add anything to my message. Who they are before men makes no difference to me, for God is not impressed by the reputations of men. So they concluded that I was entrusted with taking the gospel to the non-Jewish people just as Peter was entrusted with taking it to the Jews. For the same God who anointed Peter to be an apostle to the Jews also anointed me as an apostle to those who are not Jewish. When they all recognized this grace operating in my ministry, James, Peter, and John, the esteemed followers of Jesus, extended to me the warmth of Christian fellowship and honored my calling to minister to the non-Jewish people. They simply requested one thing of me: that I would remember the poor and needy, which was the burden I was already carrying in my heart. But when Peter visited Antioch, he began to mislead the believers and caused them to stumble over his behavior, so I had to confront him to his face over what he was doing. He enjoyed being with the non-Jewish believers who didn’t keep the Jewish customs, eating his meals with them—up until the time the Jewish friends of James arrived from Jerusalem. When he saw them, he withdrew from his non-Jewish friends and separated himself from them, acting like an orthodox Jew—fearing how it would look to them if he ate with the non-Jewish believers. And so because of Peter’s hypocrisy, many other Jewish believers followed suit, refusing to eat with non-Jewish believers. Even Barnabas was led astray by their poor example and condoned this legalistic, hypocritical behavior! So when I realized they were acting inconsistently with the revelation of grace, I confronted Peter in front of everyone: “You were born a Jew and yet you’ve chosen to disregard Jewish regulations and live like a gentile. Why then do you force those who are not Jews to conform to the regulations of Judaism?”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2:4-14‬ ‭TPT‬‬

We see here the importance of calling out, in public, hypocrisy. What Paul did helped to bolster the confidence of the non Jewish converts who were, though having received salvation by grace alone, being shown a different way by those who were people pleasers. The confusion was causing them to mix law and grace. Whenever we say we’re Christians but act like the world, we nullify and strip down what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. When I came to America and saw what church folks did, I was confused. My mother’s favorite line was “religion doesn’t make you pleasureless.” What that meant was, you could go to dances, clubs whatever, and still maintain your witness for Christ. I couldn’t do both so I backslid. Yup. I did. The church I was attending made backsliding easy. But like Paul said of his conversion in verse 15 of Galatians 1; “But then God called me by his grace; and in love, he chose me from my birth to be His.” Hallelujah! My life has never been the same. I praise Jesus for His grace and mercy!

We can’t please people and be servants of Christ. It won’t and it doesn’t work. It should make you angry when you see compromises in the church. Not angry and gossip or quit, but godly righteous indignation that evokes a response. Jesus did when He turned over the money changers tables, and Paul did when he confronted Peter. Yet it was done in such a way that there was no animosity between them. Truth handled respectfully will bring godly results. Jesus was very clear about the costs of serving Him. If you’re living in open sin and rebellion against the Truth, you’re a poor witness, if you’re watering down the Word of God so as not to offend anyone, you’re a poor witness. Stand up and speak up for what you believe. It may cost you some friends, but friendship with the world or even some in the church who believe, through ignorance, that anything goes, is enmity with God. So choose this day who you will please: People or God. If we compromise on one point, we will eventually compromise on all.

“Every Scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭TPT‬‬

‭‭Father in the Name of Jesus

We humbly approach Your throne. Give us the courage to stand boldly for the Truth of Your Word. May we be willing to challenge if necessary those who for the sake of pleasing others, have twisted their witness to the point of confusing those that are weak in faith. Thank you for always correcting and maturing us as we strive to live the life Christ purchased with His blood for us. In Jesus Name. Amen

“Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:12‬ ‭

Written by permission of the Holy Spirit

W. Tennant