Get The Gospel Right

Text

Gal 1:1-9.

Introduction

This year we aim to reclaim our missional identity

The churches of Christ has done an amazing job in always prioritizing the truth. Holding firm to it, and proclaiming it

Now more than ever, in the milieu of mindsets that exists and the infestation of injurious ideologies that threaten the spiritual life of the Christian, we need to hold up the gospel

It is the power of God unto salvation unto everyone that beleives

It is the thing that was entrusted to earthen vessels that turned the world on its head

It is the thing that informs man of who God is and who he is, relation to God

It is what informs man of how to get right with God and live right with God

The true power in the Gospel is not my prowess in its preaching or my expertise in my exposition

The true power in the gospel is that it declares there is salvation in Jesus Christ and in Him alone - There is salvation in no other name.

If there is to be a revival in the churches, it starts with the gospel

If there is to be a realignment of the soul, it starts with the gospel

If there is to be a redemption of the lost, it starts with the gospel

At it’s core is the work of Jesus Christ on Calvary, His victory over sin, death and Satan, and what I must do in response to that

The gospel is real and raw power

Having responded to that power, Paul proclaims that we are free in Jesus Christ

Free from the shackles of sin and systems of man that fail in transforming us into true disciples of Jesus

Free from judgment and wrath from God

Free from the one that holds the power over death

Free from the things that had us in bondage to live a life without shame for our Lord

Recognizing the power of the gospel is one thing, trusting in the working of that power is another

There is the temptation to attempt to add to a product that needs nothing (that is the gospel)

There is the temptation to attempt to perfect your righteous walk by adding rules, regulations and requirements

We need to resist that temptation, and simply allow the unadulterated gospel to penetrate our hearts and minds

To that we are encouraged, “Get The Gospel Right”

The way the gospel is explained in Galatians, it highlights to us that salvation is being justified through the righteousness of Jesus Christ (ch. 3-4)

This is powerful because we cannot earn or merit the righteousness of God. Instead God looks to Jesus and His righteousness and credits our account based on what He did

There is no work, plan, mechanism from human ingenuity or imagination that is good enough to make us worthy in God’s eye

Being good, is not good enough!

On your best day, you are still unworthy

Romans 3:10 “10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one;”

Isaiah 64:6 “6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

Ecclesiastes 7:20 “20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.”

This is what it means to be totally depraved - If man is left to himself he will eventually choose what is evil

Jeremeiah put it well

Jeremiah 17:9 “9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”

Psalm 143:2 “2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous.”

Job was spot on when he asked,

Job 9:2 “2 “In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?”

The gospel says you can be made righteous and you don’t have to work for it.

What you you did not need work to gain, you don’t need work to keep! [Ephesians]

God says, I will give you it on the account of the finished work of Jesus on the cross

This is the message the Juadaizers in the church were undermining with their “Christ +” doctrine

There is freedom in Christ and we must let freedom reign

**Some might have a hard time with that word freedom, because of the multiplicity of means existing today**

#1 - A Strange Introduction

This brings to mind how critical the issue was

This is not the way Paul begins his letters

There is the usual author and addressee. There is the general “grace” greeting

But there is no thanksgiving, no wish of a blessing, there is no prayer offered

This underscores the shock Paul experiences upon learning of what’s happening and it is evident in his writing [ILLUS. it’s like when someone calls you with some shocking news, they don’t greet you the same way on other calls]

The fact that it veers so much from what was customary warranted their attention, thus warranting our attention.

Paul recognizes the threat of the Judaizers to the development of the brethren

But he also recognizes that their teaching threatens the integrity of God’s message, which is paramount.

Reason why this is paramount is, your development as a disciple will not happen if you getting a perverted gospel

ILLUS. If a baby doesn’t eat the right food it will fail in its development. All food is not good food. (Big Foot, Ice Cream, Kiss Cakes are all food items, that does not make them good food) - A baby can eat all those things but it will not develop the way it can with the right food

Paul wants them to get the right food, The Gospel in its purity

The right food makes you act right, and talk right, and think right and love right, and forgive right and serve right

Paul states as a result of adding systems, policies, standards of righteousness OUTSIDE of Jesus, you make them the satndard resulting in folks biting and devouring each other (Gal 5:13-15)

Paul is saying a perverted gospel played a part in that

You are following the “Christ plus” and the “plus” became more important than the “Christ” now you’re so focused on the “plus” that you no longer walk toward the “Christ”

You’ve made your form, regulation, policy, methodology, ritual, ceremony so important that you will fight somebody else just to keep it

If someone doesn’t keep your form, your worship is disturbed, the church is slipping down the slope, someone becomes a heretic all of this because of the plus.

They were keeping people out of heaven because a rule they made up

Paul argues that a perverted gospel will not do that!

The problem Paul is addressing is not just a correctness in teaching issue

He is not just going to argue (in the book) “you must hold the truth” [That’s important!]

But. . .

The truth is not something we put on a pedastle and just say, “we have the truth”

The truth is not simply something to enshrine and worship

The truth is not just something to have in your hands but.....

You should have it in your heart

When the truth is in your heart, you can be transformed

Many of us have it in our hands, we know how to spot when it’s missing in our neighbour but we can’t see when it’s missing from our lives

Many of us can assess if its missing in a sermon or in a church but can’t seem to see if it has first arrested us

Quick to call someone a false teacher, but slow to call yourself a false believer and false disciple. John 8:31 “31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;”

Do you know if you are a false disciple? Or are you to prideful and arrogant to even entertain the thought that you are flawed or that you are wrong?

Certainly, God wants us to pay attention to what He says to this church

Galatians is believed by some to be the earliest letter we have available - and this is what He wants the church to get right

There are many other important issues: the nature of the Kingdom, nature of God, sanctification etc.

But the Spirit wanted to start us of with something simple, yet profound: “Get The Gospel Right”

#2 - A Startling Realization

This brings to mind how much Paul cares about the issue

Galatians 1:6–7 “6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

Paul says, “I am amazed” [marvel, astonished, surprised, in wonder]

Context demands that the amazement Paul feels gives him an attitude of criticism and rejection.

Being an apsotle, there are things that will stir him to criticize and reject; perverting the gospel is not one of them

Let’s be honest, we have a lot of tradition and practices and belief systems that were handed down to us. There’s nothing inherently wring in having them.

We need to understand however, if someone doesn’t agree with it, or doesn’t like it does not mean they are perverting the gospel

For Paul, it was compelling Jewish beliefs and practices on other people is what led to a perversion - Paul was saying Christ alone, they were saying Christ +.

Galatians 2:4–5 “4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. 5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.”

Galatians 3:3 “3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

Galatians 5:1 “1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

“I am amazed that we are deserting Him”

Paul considers this so egregious that he equates submission to the Jewish influence to “deserting Him”

“who called you into the grace of Christ” - this is really a powerful statement when I consider where I was before Christ saved me

It is grace that saved all of us, because we weren’t good enough

It was Christ, and Christ alone

For someone to step in and say Christ +, is to dismiss, discredit, devalue the grace of this relationship

All of us needed grace. It’s a trajedy for a christian to walk around with mindset that they don’t need grace

#3 - A Strong Conclusion

This brings to mind the great caution Paul gives on this issue

Galatians 1:8–9 “8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

What is immediately noticed here is the enduring nature of the word of God (Even the apostles and angels don’t have the authority to change it)

Paul makes it clear that this travesty will be met with the judgement and wrath of God. In this ‘tolerance-driven world’ we live in that’s a tough statement.

But we have been all put on notice that the gospel must remain unchanged

We need to: Get The Gospel Right!

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