Sermon – “One Gospel—through Christ—by Grace”

Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. 11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) 21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.

Today we’re going to be in the book of Galatians chapter one. We may hear a little more Galatians later on it may continue at some point probably not to afterEaster. But it may continue. And that we’re going to look at Glacier and Chapter one today I’ve been I’ve been studying think Aleisha ins and I just I just felt theLord speaking to me that some of this stuff was. It’s really good stuff and we just need. We need to hear it. And we will talk in Sabbath school this morning wecan’t hear it enough. We can’t say it too much we can’t hear too much of God’s word in what he has to say. The Sabbath Scotties study. Sabbath school study. Overlap. The sermon. Seems like it does it every week in many ways Glacial is one. Paul had written thisbook to the current bar this letter to the Corinthians. Or the collation church. And he wrote it probably about thirty five a day. He had just gotten back from Mr forhis first missionary Durning. I can’t talk today. And we all know who Paul is. Paul was formally Saul. Saul who had been a fair say. Who had the encounter withJesus on the road to Damascus. This is the same Saul who persecuted the Christians. Even unto death. He didn’t hesitate to persecute Christians. Because hedidn’t think they were being the law of God. This was a Saul that was one the road to Damascus that day going to Damascus. To persecute Christians. And hewas blinded by a light from heaven. And he says that this was a revelation. He refers to it later as a revelation. One of the revelations that took place. And we here it goes back to chapter. X. wherehe refers to it. And he says. You don’t have to turn your base says I heard a voice saying to me. Soul Saul why are you persecuting me. Ronnie pushed on thiscouple weeks ago and Solly answered say. Who are you Lord. And he said. I am Jesus whom you are persecuted. And that just that. Those three words I am Jesus because who is God. He is the I am. It always hits mewhen. When Jesus says. I am Jesus. He could say my name is Jesus. But he says. I am Jesus whom you’re persecuting. So trembling saw answered and said.What do you want me to do and from this point on one soul listens to and believes in Jesus Christ. He knows for certain that he was wrong in this is the all thathe had carried on before the zeal that he had to preserve the laws of God. He thought he was the one will of God but he found out he was wrong. But he thoughthe was right. He thought he was doing the right thing. And how often do we think we are doing the right thing. Only to find out that we’ve been doing the wrongthing. Maybe for all the right reasons we think though the right reasons but we’re doing the wrong thing. He’s thief thought he was really doing the will of God. Buthe was wrong. So here we start we’re going to go into Galatians we’re going to fast forward about fifteen years. Fourteen years something like that where Paulhad. He’s already had his conversion he’s he’s not Saul any longer He’s Paul. He’s been on his first missionary journey. Haney’s come back he was in the area ofthe collations and around that area. And he’s come back. And he’s writing to the church a single ations he was with Barnabas. And while he was there an excuse me I’m having a bit of problem a voice a JewishChristians have followed him they are. And they had been trying to preempt his message in one way maybe as a way to say it they were trying to come in andtell what he was preaching. Tell to the people that he was preaching something completely different. Jesus. Paul was preaching Jesus Christ and the Gospel ofJesus Christ. But the Jewish Christians were coming in and they were preaching the law of God. Is there a difference. There’s a big difference. And we’re going tosee with that is. They accuse Paul of watering down the Gospel. So that the people of collation could accept it easier so it was easier for them to follow God. Youwere gentile believers they weren’t they weren’t Jews. But you got to remember that a lot of these Jews that were coming in they were what they called Jimmieeyes or ears. They were first Jewish. Before they were Christians. They believed in the whole wall and they believed you had to keep the Lall to be saved. So we’re going to read. Engel ations and. It’s the one the screen. In the regular text. So I want you to read that. But I’m going to be reading it out of the amplifiedversion. And I’m going to go a little bit slower. So that. You can read data and hear what I’m saying. Because this is going to amplify what that’s going to tell you.Paul and Apostle. Or a special messenger. Appointed and commissioned and sent out. Not from any body of men nor by or through any main. But by andthrough Jesus Christ the Messiah. And God the father who raised him from among the dead. And to all the brother and her with me in the churches. Of glacier.Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and soul. Piece from God the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah who gave or yielded himself up to atone for oursins. And to save in sanctify us in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked. Age and world order in accordance with the will and purpose andplayin. Of God and Father. To him. Be ascribed all the glory through all the ages of the ages. In the eternity’s of the eternity’s Amen. So be it. I am thus I amsurprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserving him who invited and called you by the grace. The end merited favor of Christ theMessiah. And that you are transferring your allegiance to a different. Even an opposite. Gospel. Not that there is or could be any other genuine gospel. But there are obviously some who are troubling. And disturbing. And the world are in you with a differentkind of teaching which they also as a gospel and want to revert and distort the gospel of Christ the Messiah. Interest on thing which. It absolutely is not. Buteven if we are an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preach to let him be a cursed. Devoted todestruction. Doom to eternal punishment. As we said before so now I say again. If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that whichyou received from us. Let him be a curse to devoted to destruction and due to eternal punishment. Are you see in the differences. It’s not really different. It’s justexpanded on the words. So that you get a deeper understanding of what Paul was trying to tell him. Paul saying that these people are coming in and that they are pervert ing. The Gospel of Christ. They are teaching that to be a Christian you have to followJewish law was Paul was right in these churches these are the same churches he had just been on his journey and was ministering to he was just there talking tothese people. And he say and how quickly your turning away I can’t believe it. He’s explaining that. The Old Testament laws and the Jewish laws could not save them. The Gospel of Christ is salvation through faith. That’s it. Period. Nothingmore. If the blood of Jesus. The blood that was shared on the cross of Calvary. Were any talked about this last week or the other week. About Paul going in andpoll being on the road to Damascus and those of you than been in the bible studies. We know Paul pretty well. We’ve been we’ve been in X. for a year and a half.We know who Paul is we know polls personality we know Paul Don’t beat around the bush. Right. So about fourteen years actors conversion. Paul is the exactopposite of the Paul that he was before in one way. And one way only. He still got a lot is E.O.. He still will tell you what he thinks. And he’ll still go and dowhatever he thinks and he’ll do it with all his heart. But now he knows that the long. Is not what saves us. And not what’s gives us our salvation. And that’s theone thing he’s adamant about the law is not to say was glaciers is a chapter about freedom. And Paul is telling us we have been set free. Paul says in verse six I am astonished around surprised that you are turning away so quickly from Him who called you who called him. Jesus call them. In otherwords. Paul can’t believe that the people would turn from the Gospel of Christ to another teaching. One that is twisted from what they taught. From what theywere given from what Jesus called them to do. One that relied on faith of Jesus Christ in the blood of Christ for tournaments. Of God’s unmerited favor. He can’tbelieve their turn and from that he goes on to say that if any one human or Angel. And I don’t think a angel from God is going to preach something. Alternate tothe cost for Christ. So this angel was referring to. Probably a demonic angel. Because they are in fact fallen angels. If anyone preaches this. Let them be a cursed are doomed to destruction any turn a punishment that’s pretty severe. And as such he means that so much hesaid it twice. He repeated himself. If somebody repeats himself they generally want you to hear it right. They want you to get it. And Paul’s words may seempretty harsh. But he’s trying to save these people from separation from Christ. He wants them to see how danger it is to following the teaching of someone otherthan Jesus. In verse ten. Now I am trying to win the favor of men are God That’s the question now am I trying to win. The favor of men or of God. Do I seek toplease men. If I were still seeking popularity with men. I should not be a bond servant of Christ the Messiah see Judith. So Paul if polls former life of Saul. What did he do. He tried to be popular. He tried to be the best Fair see he could be by attaining favor with the crowd a fair six.He wanted to be seen he wanted to be her. He wanted to please the group of fair seas because they had the power. And yes he really thought he was pleasingGod. But now who does he want to please. He wants to please God and God alone. Care what me and thinks he wants to please God. So what is a bone servant. The Greek word translated as do last for one who have subservient and entirely at the disposer it that disposal of his master. He’s aslave. Several years ago when I was working for the doctor’s office. It was an O.B. G.Y.N. practice. And I went to Florida and I did a class on being a doula now. Doyou are you seeing any resemblance to the word here do Lost do law is the feminine tense of the word DO loss. And a doula is someone who I went in I helpedpregnant women through their pregnancy. I talked to them throughout the pregnancy and I went in with them at delivery. And my job was to ensure that theirdelivery was pain free. As enjoy a bowl as safe. And as quick as it could possibly be. And other words. It was to give the mother and the Father and the baby thebest experience at birth they could have. And in doing that. I was her servant. If I was hungry it didn’t matter I didn’t go to eat if she was in labor. I didn’t go. Nowthis time you was with me if you had to make quick bathroom break and you really hope you didn’t have to do that because Labor can sometimes be hard it cansometimes be quick and it can often be fast. And it can often be not fun. But my job was to make it fun and to do that I was subservient to her. I was a dual law.Or if I would have been a man I would have been a do last. But it was a slave it was somebody that gives everything up to everything of their life. To serve inRoman times a bondservant could refer to one who serve all in terribly. Sometimes to pay a debt but a dead but usually it was one who serve for life. They werethere that was they were slaves they were there for life it was a permanent position of servitude. They were the personal property of the master the Hebrew wordis EBA Ed. And it has a similar meaning. But sometimes in that tense. They could have been serving temporarily. Maybe just long enough to pay off their debt.And then they were free to go but that’s not what Paul was say and that’s not he was talking about. As a bondservant he was saying. It was a lifetime thing. Hewas a servant of Christ he was a bond servant of Christ. His life was devoted to Jesus Christ. He was not in it for the short term he was in it for the long term. Itwas a lifelong commitment. And it was not something that Christ said he had to do in order to receive salvation was something Paul wanted to do. He wanted todo this. It was a choice or impulse part because Jesus has set us free from all bondage so we don’t have to be in bondage to anything or anyone. We are freefrom that. But we are loved by God. And in our love for him we should want to serve him. Amen. Jaysus broke the bondage as sin. That day on the cross of Calvary. Sickness disease depression he broke at all. You know sometimes we say Lord just set mefree from this. But I just want to put this in there. Jesus already set you free. Where already free. What we have to do is accept it. We have to step it to it andwalk in it that we are set free. We are free from this bondage of whatever it is and there are many bondage is on this earth right now and always have been. Butas I said Paul was a servant by choice. Not because he had to being first eleven three sixteen. For I want you to know brother in that the Gospel which was proclaimed Maynard to me is not me. Ansgar spoil a human invention according to or Pat patternedafter any human standard for indeed I did not receive this from the main. Nor was I taught it. But it came to me through or direct revelation. Given by JesusChrist the Messiah. You have heard of my earlier career and former manner of life in the Jewish religion or Judaism. How are persecuted in abuse the Church ofGod seriously and extensively. And with the end of fanatical zeal. Did my best to make havoc of it. And to destroy it. And you have heard now. I am. Many menof my own generation among the people of my race in my advancement and study in observation of the laws of Judaism. So extremely enthusiastic and zealousI was for the traditions of my ancestors. But when he who had chosen and set me apart even before I was born called me by His grace. His undeserved favorand blessing. Sall fit and was pleased to reveal or to unveil and disclose his son within me. So that I’m my crew proclaim him among the Gentiles. The nonJewish world as the glad tidings the gospel. Immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood or I did not consult or console within the frail human being orcommunicate with anyone. What exactly does Revelation mean here is talking about a surprising. A surprising or previously unknown fact. Especially one madeknown a dramatic way to a way to reveal something. Now I know some drama queens. And maybe some of you know some two from these people can bedramatic about anything and everything. But I get the sense that this was a dramatic revelation that came from God that probably many of us will neverexperience. I pray that we do. But not many of us are going to be blinded by a bright light. We’re not going to hear the voice of God calling us all the believe thatother people can hear in. But not know what’s going on one. But Paul did. He had that revelation. And I think. Listening to what he’s saying here there may havebeen another revelation but we never hear what it is. This may be the only one easier for him to but some people think there may have been something else thatwas revealed to Paul. But it’s never been documented. But he wants the people in these churches to hear him and to listen to him. He marvels at how they areturning from the Gospel of Christ that they are turning to a different way. And he wants them to know that believing in Christ as our Savior and Lord is the only way given to us by God to be forgiven of our sins that no one else no othermeans is available. He wants them to know. As I said last week it’s all about Jesus. Paul even go as far as to say the one he teaches anything other than gospelcry should be a cursed. And that if he should follow any other gospel or teaching then he would no longer be a bondservant of Jesus as a said he’s a servant by choice. Paul says thathis teaching did not come from a and or from the words of men. I found that very interesting. But through a revelation of Christ. Paul goes I want to tell he’stelling his credentials he’s tellin who he was and what he did before. He say and that he was a zealous Jewish Fair see he was a son of a fairer see. He pursuedpast all others and knowledge and status as a Jew and his zeal was greater than the other leaders at that time. And verse thirteen is fourteen. He speaks of howyou persecuted the church of Christ and tried to destroy it. But in first fifteen Paul tells us that one dog called him and reveals his son to him that he followedhim. He did not consult with other men. But listen to the voice of God and other words. He let God. Teach him. He didn’t listen to what man was teaching now.Hey listen to God’s teaching. He didn’t want to be bombarded with all the as we talked in Sabbath school. About all the stimuli out there. He didn’t want to bebombarded with other opinions of coming from men. God called Paul. God directed Paul. God taught Paul. And it was all he needed to know. I found it interestingthat that one little sentence is what stuck out to me so much in this chapter that he kept saying. I did not confer with men David I blame that on you becauseyou’re always picking out these little things and and making a slick at them. He said I did not talk to men. And I kept thinking. Why is that so important. But it’s very important. Because he relied on God. He didn’t rely on anything man wassaying he didn’t want to even hear what the other apostles were teachin. He didn’t want to know what they said. Because he was getting it all from the source. Ifyou want to know it right you get it from the horse’s mouth right. Well he was getting it from the source. He was getting it from God the Father from the Holy Spiritof God. You know Paul knew that in this day and age it was really easy for false teachings the command and nothing’s changed. It’s still very easy for falseteachings to come in our church. And they’re do what it. There come in in. It’s easy if they’re if there’s a little bit of truth. Mixed in with the law in there usually isthere has to be a little bit of truth makes them with a lie. For to be believable right. Otherwise you’d ever so farfetched you’d never believe it but if there’s a littlebit of truth in there. It’s really hard to know what’s a lie and what’s the truth. It’s hard to separate the two isn’t it. Paul knew that. That’s why he didn’t want to hearfrom anybody else. He wanted to hear only from God. You lay sions in different parts of the. The book it says that there’s marks of a true Gospel. And there’s marks of a false gospel and glacier the says that all threefourteen explains that all believers have the same Holy Spirit through faith. At the marks of a true Gospel. That’s how we know if it’s true. Three twenty two ortwenty one through twenty two. A true Gospel. Will say that we can’t be saved by keeping lawless salvation is the only salvation is only by faith in Christ. Whichis available to all. That’s the marks of a true Gospel. Glaciers three twenty six to twenty eight. All believers in Christ. Are one in Christ so there can be nodiscrimination. So marks of a true Gospel. Elations five twenty four three twenty five. Proclaims that we are all free from the whole to sin and that the HolySpirit’s parish fills us and God’s us. The marks of a true Gospel. So what’s the marks of a false gospel. Again Galatians is going to tell us into twenty one. Afalse gospel treats Christ’s death. As meaningless. And other words it’s saying that what he did. Is not the important thing. Three twelve says people must obeythe law to be saved. That’s not true. Three twenty twelve it also says that anyone who tries to find God’s favor by observing says certain rituals. Is not it’s. It’s a false gospel that. If you have to of aritual to be say. It’s a false gospel. Not that certain rituals are bad. But if you depend on them for yourself ation then you’re not following the work. And I thought. Council keeping laws to race in that’s and current the for so those are just some things that you can compare to with your ever in doubt I don’t think anybody willbe a. But you know just keep it in your mind and verses eleven and twelve for I want you to know brother that the Gospel which first proclaimed to make knownto me is not me and our human invention according to are patterned after any human standard for indeed I did not receive it from man nor was I taught it. Paul keeps reiterating that phrase that he did not see other possibles he keeps emphasizing this. He keeps saying this I did not talk to other people. And again. It’s because he was commissioned by God he did not learn any of what was preached from men but from what was preached by God. He was tryingto get them to understand that he was teaching what God taught him. And no other man that he was not influenced by men. So again he’s going back he’s likerelying on his credentials now not as a Jewish fair say. But as a Christian. Here’s your lying one of the revelation of God to get people to understand what’s truthand what’s not. He wanted them to understand that he didn’t get the word from man so it could not be corrupt. He had only had he says he has only had a few contacts with men.And I’m sure he had contacts with people but he meant as conferring with other scriptures and debating the religion and talking to other apostles. He’s talkingthat’s what he’s means when he says I didn’t have any contact with men. He didn’t talk with the other Jewish Christians at the time. Other then. Peter and James.And this was the James the brother of Jesus. Versus eighteen to twenty four. Then three years later. I did go up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with this and remain with him for fifteen days this wasPeter. But it did not see any of the other apostles the special messengers of Christ except James the brother of our Lord. Now. Know carefully what I’m tellingyou for it is a truth. I write this as if I were standing before the border of God. I do not lie. Then I went to the districts the centuries regions of Syria and silly Shia. And so far as I was still one known by this site to the Churches of Christ in Judea. Orthe country surrounding Jerusalem. They were only hearing it said. He who used to persecute us is now for claiming the very faith he wants reviled and which heset out to ruin and tried with all his might to destroy. And they glorify God as the author and source of what had taken place in me. That’s another of the thesethese are couple the key phrases. He were a lot on the Word of God and only the Word of God. Do not rely on man and his wisdom. Because God’s Holy Spirit lives in each one of us as His children. He will give us what we need to know. That’s his gift to us. He’s not going leave us alone he’snot going to leave us confident. Comfortless because we have the Holy Spirit. We have the same Holy Spirit that taught Paul. Today is in the days of the earlychurch we are just as susceptible to the lies of the doubt as those that have gone on before us untruths and lies can creep in our churches today. And you knowthere are groups out there that we talked about this downstairs there are groups out there that abuse Grace. They say will go ahead and act first and ask forforgiveness later. Roman six one says. What shall we say then shall we continue to sin that grace may abound. Certainly not. So that’s a that’s not a quote that’snot a good gospel was it. And then there are groups it thinks that there’s works that are going to save you. And we have seen this in the chapter today. The bloodof G.-D. it. The blood of genius. I told you I can’t talk. The blood of Jesus and yes he was a genius and. Only the blood of Jesus can save us. Christ work on thecross of Calvary is all the work that we needed. There is no other work. So yeah. It really is all about Jesus and it. So I urge you guys to. Study whatever way you study best whether it be through listening to Scripture some people. They can’t sit and read they they like to listen to Scripture somepeople will watch. All kinds of things that gives teaching some people like to begin to read in their bibles and their commentaries. And those are probably some ofthe best ways. If you listen to the Scriptures on tape that’s pretty good. But I urge you to dig in and get closer to God in reading immerse yourself in His Wordsee what he has to say to you don’t listen to what this group say enter that group say N Hero what God saying you know. I truly believe that if. If we go to prayerbefore we read or before we study and we ask God to give us the knowledge to help us decipher the scriptures that he give us the wisdom to understand in theability to to spread it on. He will he’ll give us the understanding. You know. Paul was. He was a Jew. First and foremost. Even after he was a Christian he wasstill a Jew. He still went to synagogue he still bade the festivals. He’s not saying there’s anything wrong with any of that. He just knew it didn’t saving. And hedidn’t want anyone come in and try and tell him something different. So he listened to God only. And I think sometimes maybe we make the mistake of we listento too many people. We hear too many voices out there say in this or say in that. And this is what we need to concentrate on what we need to hear God. We need to be God’s hands and feet. He did everything we need on across the calvary. He set us free. That’s. That’s one of the other key things and Galatians is freedom that we’re free from the Lall.We’re free from that he set us free Jesus said is free on the Cross that day. We don’t have to do anything we can’t do anything that would be that we would bedeserving us a validation that have any of you done anything outside of except price. That would make you deserving of salvation. I sure haven’t. It’s Jesus. It’sall about Jesus. And we have to remember that. And we have to listen to him and him alone. We have to listen to those words. So I ask you to go in God’s graceand what is that God’s unmerited favor. I ask you to live in God’s grace. What is that God’s unmerited favor. And I ask you to show God’s grace. What is thatGod’s unmerited favor. And I ask you to do that to last and dying world because there’s plenty out there is ready just said. People out there looking. There’speople out there that want to know Jesus. There’s people out there who want in the church. They want to know what we know. They want to have what we have.We have to be the hands of Jesus Amen amen.