Sermon
Putting an End to Pretending
Harris Creek Baptist Church
Speaker: Nate Hilgenkamp
September 22, 2025 · 33 min
Summary
Paul confronts Peter's hypocrisy in Antioch for withdrawing from Gentile believers to gain approval from Jewish leaders. The sermon teaches that fear of human approval enslaves us, while faith in Christ's finished work—not our performance—provides freedom from pretense and the pressure to perform.
Highlights
You and I go from place to place thinking, 'Just act like I belong. Just act like I belong.' And if I just put on the right show, nobody's going to say a thing, and they'll just let me fit in.
When you understand that you are not justified, you're not declared righteous by your performance, but rather Jesus's performance, that changes everything about the way you view your life.
When you have his acceptance, you no longer need their acceptance. When you know that he loves you, it matters far less if anyone else loves you because you have the love of all loves.