Paul's Greeting to the Galatians

All right, so today we're going to be in Galatians, chapter 1?

Galatians chapter number one. Couldn't open a copy of God's words.

Starting a brand new series.

Hopefully, the wind doesn't blow me away.

Galatians chapter 1, it says Paul an apostle. Not sent from men nor through, man. But through Jesus Christ in God, the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brothers who are with me to the churches of galatia, grace to you and peace from God. Our father in the Lord, Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins so that he might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Listen go to the Lord in prayer, Our Father in heaven. We are thankful for the time that we have that we can come together to meet in this place and it this time lord how thankful we are for the beauty of the Golden Isles were thankful for the for the good weather boards for the for the Beach in the in the ocean Lord, for these things that we often take for granted living here. Lord. We thank you that we have freedom that we can do this sort of thing. Your father, I pray that your people be strengthened, and edified and Lord. If it's in your will that others would come to know you as their savior Lord, to be added to your church? Lord, I pray that it would be a good testimony to you in this world that we live in. I pray that you will forgive us of our sins which in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

So that is the beginning of the of the book of Galatians. And when you look at it, when you look at that, this is what we're going to consider this evening. We're going to look at Paul's greeting here in this epistle. Is the mission last week in the introduction for those who are there for you, who may have missed it. This epistle has been called the Magna Carta of Christian Liberty, or the Christians, Declaration of Independence, and it's easy to see why in this letter, we find it, God's people. War wants in slavery, we want some bondage and slave to the things of this world and enslave to seeing. And now we're in Christ.

The Bible teaches much about the Liberties that we have in Jesus and freedom that we have since we've been saved. In fact if you remember, it wasn't that long ago that I that I preached a message on a series of sermons on Liberty and discovering some of the things that that are having to do with Christian Liberty, taking for my text Romans chapter 14. Dealing with it that time primarily the subject of Christmas. But the reality is that in Christ, we are free. And there are a number of things that we are in Liberty with when it comes to being in Jesus, you're with me, if you will to John chapter 8, John chapter 8, verses 31 and 32.

John's gospel chapter 8, verses 31 and 32 assists. Who Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him. If you abide in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

We are. Free in Jesus, there's no real Liberty to be found in sin. There's no real Liberty to be found in the things of this world. Although Don't people saying, can they search some of them their whole lives Looking For Freedom and looking for Liberty? They go from one end to another sin-1. One thing to another thing. And they never find happiness. They never find peace. They never find true Freedom. The only way that you can find Freedom in this life beloved is in Jesus Christ and his word and that's what is so wonderful about this book that she pistol. Do the Galatians, the churches there we're having trouble from the legalists.

They were being told that it was Jesus, plus the old laws, Jesus plus circumcision. They were being told that this is the way the life and there was no real There was no real freedom in that sand. This book is a good book. For the lost a good book for the saved. It's a good book for the Pharisee. It's a good book beloved for the recovering Pharisee, it's a good book for all. People have gone to consider being that it was addressed to the churches of galatia, it is applicable to our church today. As one commentator put it, he said Galatians is a litter for recovering Pharisees, the Pharisees who lived during and after the time of Christ were very religious, they were regular in their worship, Orthodox in their Theology and moral in their conduct yet. Something was missing although God was in their minds and in their actions, he was not in their hearts. There for their religion was little more than hypocrisy. The Pharisees were Hypocrites because they thought they would God would do for them defending, it depended on what they should do for God. So they read their blind, big parade, the time and they kept. The Sabbath is if their salvation depended on it. What they seem to understand is that God's grace cannot be earned. It only comes free, there is a way out of pharisaism that way out. Is the gospel. It is the good news. The Cheese's Christ has already done everything necessary for our Salvation. If we trust him, he will make this right with God, by giving us the free gift of Grace. When we reject our own righteousness to receive the righteousness of Christ, we become former Pharisees. The author goes on to say most former Pharisees have a problem. However, it's hard for them to leave their legalism behind. Although they initially receive God's grace for free, they keep trying to put a surcharge on it, they believe they've gone loves them, but secretly, they suspect that his love is conditional that it depends on how they are doing in the Christian Life. They end up with a performance-based Christianity, that denies the grace of God, to put it in theological terms. They want to base their justification on their sanctification. That means that most former Pharisees indeed, most Christians are still in recovery. There is something about something of an old legalist in all of us. Although we have been saved by grace, we do not know how to live by Grace. The gospel, is this something we received in some time past But not something we live in. Brings Galatians was written for people like us. And that really hit home for me because nnn reality and in a lot of circles. And indeed, even in some of the circles that we've been in, and we've known there is This fight and I don't mean pissed. I don't mean you know what battle? But there is a fight for the truth. Of the pure grace is gone. It's not Grace, plus works, it's not, it's not Jesus, plus this, this, and this, and whatever this is,

That's not what saves you? That's not what you saying.

We look there, it's the introduction of the god of the Thistle and we seen Paul right away begins to address this as he writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He says Paul an apostle not sent from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ in God, the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brothers who are with me to the churches of galatia. Song of Tarsus now riding as Paul. The Apostle, he knew something about the grace of God, didn't he? He knew something about how they God's grace can take. Even the most Unworthy of Sinners and indeed Paul. Before he was saved, he was quite the Pharisee. He was one who worked, very hard to be what he was into to live up to the code if you will.

His name. Is named, by the way, you find it through the Bible sometimes. So sometimes Paul just understand something. So, it was his Jewish name and Paul with his Gentile name, So he knew as he minister to these people, he ministered to both Jews and gentiles. He knew some things about what needed to be said and how it needed to be said. And he knew how that God's grace had fallen and come on, not only the Jews but also the Gentiles and we studied and we looked at those things in the book of Acts Indeed he knew that even though the Jews had their circumcision and even though the Jews, had the laws that were given in the Old Testament, certain dietary laws and customs and certain dates that they needed to keep an all of that. He knew that those Gentiles, they didn't need to hold on to those things. Indeed the Gentiles needed. The same thing that the Jews did and that is Jesus Christ, that's what they needed. This churches of galatia. They did not need to add in and incorporate Those Old Testament laws and those extra rules and regulations they needed. Jesus is so here in this letter, he starts it out. Of course, he starts out with a strong emphasis on the fact that his apostalic authority comes from God. And not from man, nor through, man. I'm not spending a lot of time here, I'll but some, but there are no apostles today. There, there are men who claim to be Apostles but the time of the Apostles is done

Call the Apostle. He was the last man to be called as an apostle, we considered from the old from the New Testament from acts. When we were studying, the book of Acts, we can sit her down. Outlet for the scripture, someone had to be an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ to be an apostle. To be called by Jesus himself know where do we find the disk? This office has continued on. Indeed, there are qualifications listed for the office of Pastor, the office of deacon. There's nothing being listed in the scriptures to tell us, what are the qualifications for an apostle? For any kind of a continuation of that office. and so, so, with that being said, as he wrote to the churches of galatia, he emphasized, this bank that he had been, he had been called of God, that his apostleship had come from gone and it was just scriptural office, not a man-made office. This is Butch through Jesus Christ in God, the Father who raised him from the dead. Not only was this an emphasis of calling he is preaching. as we saw in in in, in our, in our reading through and preaching through the book of Acts, but also in his riding, And she wrote and as he visited, other churches, the emphasis that Paul had was an emphasis on the desk, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus. It was an emphasis on the gospel, Jesus had the premium in it in his life and in his Outreach. This was what his life was about, then. So I asked you today, if you're safe today, is that your emphasis is that mine? we all have something that we Something in our lives that will get us to talk in something to get our blood pumping. So metal guitar tones of wagon. If you will something that gets us excited that we can talk Hours, if need be a favorite hobby, maybe a favorite vacation spot, or our hometown or whatever it is, maybe a car, something that really gets us excited.

But what about Jesus? Do we talk about him? I are we excited about Jesus this hour. Is emphasis wasn't on?

Is it is it making? Although that was important. He was a tentmaker. He certainly did some good work, no doubt about it. His emphasis wasn't on the places that he had visited, although he did talk about those. Sometimes he is emphasis was not even on the fact that he had been a Parisienne a Jew. Although he sometimes talked about those things, his emphasis beloved wasn't even that he was a church member, although that's a fact, he was, but he had been sent from the church in Antioch, that's a fact, but that's not what he was talking about when he went out. Places is emphasis wasn't on scriptural baptism, that's important, but that was not his emphasis is emphasis. The thing that he spoke about consistently, when he went from town to town, we went from synagogue. To do the from the Jews to the Greeks and whoever he went to was on. Jesus, was it about the signs in the Wonders? That wasn't about anything. Primarily about Jesus. Look with me. If you will the 1st Corinthians chapter 1. Verse 17.

When he wrote to the church at Corinth, he said to them, he said for Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel, not in wisdom of word. So that the Cross of Christ will not be made empty. He said I I didn't I wasn't sent to baptize y'all, he said he said I was I was sent to proclaim the gospel, not in the wisdom of words so that the Cross of Christ will not be made empty. He was willing even to give up his own rights, for the sake of the Gospel, you go over, the First Corinthians chapter 9.

1st Corinthians chapter 9. Beginning verse 19. just here for though, I am free from all I have made myself a slave to all

so that I may win more.

So check this out, Paul is free. He has great Liberty as a as one of the Lord's creatures as a missionary. As a child of God, he's free with week. I've already brought that up yet.

He says though, I am free from all. I've made myself a slave to all so that I may win more. So we could say will technically I'm not a slave to this world. I'm free and Christ will. The reality is that were either a slave to this world, a slave to sin or were slaves to Jesus. Believe in Jesus, as our Master, there's great Liberty. This great freedom.

Call sis. I'm free from all I'm not. I'm not a slave to any of these people. But he says, I have made myself a slave to all so that I may win more into the Jews. I became as a Jew. So then I'm like, Wednesday to those who are under the wall is under the wall. Not being myself under the law so that I might win those who are under the law, to those who are without long as with Outlaw, do not being with Outlaw to God but under the loft of Christ. So that I might win those who are without law to the wink. I became weight that I might win the wink. I have become all things to all men, so that I made by all means save some. So I do all things for the sake of the Gospel that I may become a fellow partaker of it. So, this was an example of Paul that she and she worked with these churches in SE. As he met with them and have seen minister to them, this should be our attitude as well. Back to our texts during Galatians chapter 1.

Galatians chapter 1.

He's riding to the churches that are glacian. This epistle is different from any of, the Paul's other officials insofar as that. This is the only one that he wrote to multiple churches. He didn't write it to one church. This was written to multiple churches. During our Lord's Earthly Ministry. Of course, he started a church in Jerusalem. Jesus did in from there that church spread out to other places in the world are churches that were started. We know from studying church history from studying the book of Acts that many of those churches that we read about in the New Testament, were started by Paul. Some of the places they're in there in galatia you'll be familiar with. I mentioned them Wednesday last week but the place just like Antioch. I told him lystra and Derby. We looked at the map last last week so you can look at the map in the back of your Bible. Cfalls Journeys there through collation in those places as well pieces.

He says, also in this, and I meant to mention this as well. He says in all the brothers who are with me, all the brothers Shore with me in each one of Paul's letters Dimensions, somebody who's with him a lot of time, she mentions name Luke others. Here, he doesn't mention to is with him, he just mentions brothers that are with him mentioning this year to beginning of the letter would have indicated to the churches of galatia that there were other believers with him. Who would have encouraged call, who would believe by Kim Who would have thought you might say put their stamp of approval on what he was writing that Paul was not standing alone on these things. They had, we have something that they did not end in the end up. We have the completed word of God. You know we're very blessed today. We've got to several copies of the Bible leather bound. Version of that, we can pick up and hold on. You can pull up your Bible on your phone or tablet in anywhere, except for a very well 66 books, to be perfect, but but they didn't have that, and so, So, here we are today and we're not in the same shape that they were in you and I, we must stand on the word of God. They stood on apostolica Authority, they stood on the Old Testament scriptures that they had. You and I wish stand on the authority of the scripture. All 66 books of the Bible says, we often say that the Bible is, our only rule of faith and practice. The reformers used to say, Sola scriptura, That means that were looking to stand on the scriptures. Scripture alone is our Authority. Even if we stand alone, if need be, we're not looking for consensus. We're not looking for a majority. However, however, I when we think about this, we've got two thousand years of church history behind us. And so, just like Paul had brothers who were standing with him, we also have brothers who stand with us and even in those times where it seems like we're standing alone, we can look through the pages of the Bible. We can look through pages of History. We can find folks who stood where we stand,

it is telling though, if somebody comes up and they come up with something new, Some new doctrine, some new, something new to talk about, from the Bible, beware of that because we have the Bible and we have two thousand years of History to go off of. And all of that being said, if we hold the something new, we ought to rethink and to re-examine our belief, in the beware of those who would bring up new weekend, stand on the scriptures. And we can have other brothers who are with us. Just like Paul did. And one in the encouragement, Thaddeus verses 3 through 5.

This is Grace to You and peace from God. Our father in the Lord, Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins so that he might rescue us from this evil age according to the will of God and Father to whom be glory to him, be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Right away in this greeting. We seen that Paul is hitting the legalist. Head on what is Grace? Grace is the unmerited favor of God something that we that we get from gone but we don't deserve it. Something that we can't possibly work to earn. There's nothing that you could possibly do to Merit John's favorite. Oh, but we have God's grace and he says, Grace and peace. True. Peace, can only come from God. The father in the Lord Jesus Christ and then verse for says, who gave himself for our sins so that he might rescue us from this present. Evil lady to Queen, the will of our God and Father Jesus died on the cross. But he did not die for himself. He did not die because he had committed a crime. He was sinless. He was perfect. Son of God, he gave himself for your sins and for my sins He gave himself for your life for your hatred. Your gossip, my gossip, my hatred. My lies, he died for our sins, you sing sometimes we might think one not so bad. It's so it's, so what we've all broken. Gone long are slander. Our lust are disrespecting of our parents, all of those things. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of his people. Why, why did he do that? Was it, because he thought that you'd be a good addition to Heaven someday, you know, because he thought that we'd be some good Christians, that would be no, no, not any of that. What you say here, according to the will, The Father, the will of the father.

gave himself for our sins so that he might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father We've been saved from the penalty of sin. We've been saying from the bondage of seeing one of these days, one of these days we'll be safe from the presence of sin will be taken out of this. This present evil world. This this present evil age,

It's all about the grace of God, there's nothing. That you were, I can do to get there in fact. In fact, there's nothing I could do. Good enough to keep myself saved and indeed I lose my car keys, I lose my how my wallet I know for sure that if it was up to me, I'd lose myself, a that's just how it is, but it's not up to me and I, thank God for that. Verse by their nieces to whom be the glory forever and ever. Think about this, the crucifixion, the resurrection lacrosse in the empty grave, these are the simple facts of the Gospel. Nothing that we have read in any of this.

Contains a single word about. How good you were on IR?

What we did for gone. All that, who gets the door here, who gets the glory in our salvation. Simply what we find here is what God has done for us through Jesus. And so, all the glory From the beginning, all the way to the ending. Ghost to gone which is why this introduction ends with to whom be glory forever. So on the authority of the scriptures, we preach Do you salvation by grace alone? Through Christ Alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone to the glory of God alone? That's, that's how it's only a story of the scriptures. This is the message of the Bible. This is what we preach.

Indeed, sure many of you. Most everyone here, be familiar with Ephesians 2 89

The begin to wrap this up. He's just for by Grace, you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works so that no one may boast. So, God gets the glory and everything is. So I asked you today. You who are here, you who may be listening on the recording, how is your relationship with Jesus? Have you trusted in him? Are you trusting in Him today? Are you daily walking with him?

He repented of your sins. Believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ, that's the only hope we have. Always pointing his readers that direction. Heavenly Direction. Putting them to Christ. That is the direction that we must Point people today, if we can be of any help to you, please let us know. So let's dismiss him prayer. I'll ask brother, Barry would you please pray for us?