The Unchanging Gospel

I. Welcome & Opening Prayer

**Turn to Galatians Ch. 1…**

!! Open in Prayer !!

----------------------------------------

II. Introduction: Unimprovable 🚫🔧

I’M SURE WE’VE ALL HEARD the QUOTE: “IF IT AIN’T BROKE.... DON’T FIX IT.”

Relate: ANYONE ELSE GET NERVOUS W/ “UPDATES?”

👉 FIND OFTENTIMES THESE CAN RUIN PROGRAMS… SLOW THEM DOWN, ETC.

New Cars: RECALLS— OLD MODEL WAS FINE

TOYOTA’S v8—WHY WOULD YOU CHANGE IT??

Conclusion: SOME THINGS = HARD to IMPROVE ON—LEAVE THEM BE...

------

Focus: TODAY—WE’LL BE LOOKING @ SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE IMPROVED UPON.

************

Transition: LOOK W/ ME @ PASSAGE…

READ: V1-9

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 37 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

III. Passage Reading:

Galatians 1:1–9 (ESV)

1 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 brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Church, this is God’s Word for us this morning.

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 35 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

IV. Background: Setting the Stage 📍

Author: Uniformly accepted as the APOSTLE PAUL

resurrection).

Date: Approximately 48 A.D. (within 15 years of Christ’s

-------------------

Recipients: WRITTEN to GROUP of CHURCHES (ROMAN PROVINCE of GALATIA)

((PAUL STARTED on 1ST MISSIONARY JOURNEY—Acts 13-14))

**SEE P.P. PIC**

-------------------

The Problem: Judaizers. A GROUP of AGITATORS distorting the gospel by adding extra requirements to salvation (especially circumcision). 🗡️

The Tone: Paul’s MOST CRITICAL LETTER... in the entire New Testament.

The Solution: RETURNING to GOSPEL of GRACE

************

Transition: LET’S DIVE IN…

LOOK FIRST @ PAUL’S PEDIGREE…

VS. 1-2

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 33 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

V. Passage Exposition

A. Paul’s Pedigree (v. 1-2) 🎖️

Galatians 1:1–2 (ESV)

1 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 brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

Focus: SEEMS PAUL’S AUTHORITY WAS in QUESTION

-------------------

An Apostle:

✨Apostle = ONE WHO is SENT ((CHOSEN MESSENGER))

COMES from GK: APOSTOLOS

**SPECIAL COMMISSION DIRECTLY FROM CHRIST—FOUNDATION of CHURCH**

NO “APOSTLES” in THIS SENSE TODAY (ALTHOUGH MISSIONARIES STILL APPLY)

-------------------

Apostleship Not Through Man:

Focus: MOST IMPORTANT—PAUL WASN’T COMMISSIONED BY MAN.

“SENT” NOT BY MAN—BUT GOD.

Answer: PAUL GOT HIS AUTHORITY from HEAVENLY CALL.

**Background: ACTS 9— SAUL’S CONVERSION **

**NOTE the MAJOR TURNAROUND in PAUL’S LIFE**

HEAVENLY CALL

CHRIST

⚡GOD (the DEAD-RAISING GOD!)⚡

-------------------

Exhort:

PERSECUTOR—NOW PREACHER

ADVERSARY—TURNED APOSTLE.

TEARING DOWN (CHURCH)—TO BUILDING IT

-------------------

Focus: PAUL = CALLED BY GOD—

& (v2) HE HAS BROTHERS W/ HIM

AUTHORITY NOT FROM MAN—BUT NOT INDEPENDENT ALTOGETHER

************

Transition: PAUL WRITING to CHURCHES of GALATIA…

OPEN W/ BRIEF BLESSING/PRAYER…

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 3-5

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 29 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

B. Paul’s Greeting and the Core Message (v. 3-5) 🕊️

Galatians 1:3–5 (ESV)

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

PAUL FOLLOWED STANDARD LETTER CONVENTIONS

INTRODUCTION of AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION of RECIPIENTS

BRIEF PRAYER/GREETING

-------------------

Unique: GRACE & PEACE

NOT GENERIC BLESSING— grace & peace...COME from GOD the FATHER & J.C. our LORD!

Grace: GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOR & BLESSING

PEACE: TYING INTO O.T. CONCEPT of SHALOM/ WHOLENESS—SPECIFICALLY ROOTED in PEACE W/ GOD.

GOD’S PEACE = RESULT of GOD’S GRACE

GRACE EXTENDS INVITATION to PEACE.

-------------------

Teaser: CHRIST…WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS…

B4 LETTER BODY—THEOLOGY ALREADY on the SCENE

CORE DOCTRINE— HE GAVE HIMSELF… FOR//ON BEHALF of … OUR SINS.

Louw-Nidea: Greek Word: “a marker of a participant who is benefited by an event or on whose behalf an event takes place”

PREFACE to GOSPEL MESSAGE HE WILL DEFEND—CHRIST GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS...

-------------------

Relate: LIVE in DAY of THEOLOGICAL LIBERALISM— HATES SACRIFICE

“JESUS DIED as an EXAMPLE of SUFFERING”

Qualifier: JESUS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE— EVEN of SUFFERING—BUT HE’S SO MUCH MORE.

-------------------

HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS… SO THAT (PURPOSE CLAUSE) HE MIGHT DELIVER US.

**WE MUST READ the BIBLE FOR WHAT IT SAYS**

PAUL = MASTER WRITER

EVEN MORE—GOD-BREATHED SCRIPTURE.

=> HE DIDN’T DIE to SHOW US HOW to SUFFER

=> HE DIED for US.

-------------------

PURPOSE: IN ORDER to DELIVER US from PRESENT EVIL AGE.

Focus: IN CHRIST— A NEW AGE HAS DAWNED…

Background: JUDAISM BELIEVED in an “AGE to COME”

W/ CROSS & RESURRECTION—NEW AGE HAS BROKEN INTO PRESENT ONE

PRESENT AGE—STAINED W/ SIN & SUFFERING…

BUT RESURRECTION BRINGS HOPE to HOPELESS.

************

Transition: WE NEEDED RESCUED…

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 22 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

C. Gospel Presentation

WE WEREN’T JUST UP a CREEK… WE WERE OUT in SEA of SIN WITHOUT a PADDLE…WITHOUT HOPE… 🆘

SOMEONE in NEED of RESCUE … CANNOT RESCUE THEMSELVES…

-------------------

Good News: WHEN WE WERE HOPELESS—GOD MADE a WAY

CHRIST CAME to DELIVER US—ACCORDING to DEFINITE PLAN & FOREKNOWLEDGE of GOD (<<Acts 2>>)

Romans 5:6–8 (ESV)

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

JESUS DIED for the MOST MESSED-UP YOU—

TO RANSOM YOU from THIS EVIL AGE as GOD’S POSSESSION.

SIN PAYS DEATH

GOD GIVES LIFE

-------------------

WE MERELY RESPOND to GOD’S GRACIOUS GIFT in CHRIST—BY TRUSTING in CHRIST…

BELIEVING HE DIED for OUR SINS

WAS RAISED to LIFE AGAIN

&& BY MEANS of HIS PERFECT BLOOD WE ARE MADE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD.

THIS = GOSPEL PAUL WILL CONTEND FOR

***

Invitation: & IF YOU HAVEN’T PUT YOUR TRUST in CHRIST—YOU NEED RESCUED—WHETHER YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT…

CHRIST’S ATONING DEATH for SINNERS = OUR ONLY HOPE...

************

Transition:THIS in MIND—PAUL HAS an ISSUE W/ the GALATIANS…

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 6-7

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 17 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

D. Thought 3: Astonishment—No Other Gospel (v. 6-7) 😲

Galatians 1:6–7 (ESV)

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

PAUL BRIEFLY CLARIFIED GOSPEL MESSAGE @ OUTSET…

NOW—SHOCK—GALATIANS QUICKLY FELL AWAY from TRUTH

Focus: FOLLOWING OTHER “GOSPELS” = = DESERTING GOD!

-------------------

Plain Truth: THERE is NO OTHER GOSPEL

Definition: GOSPEL = GOOD NEWS

THERE’S NO OTHER NEWS THAT COMPARES…

C.C.: DAY & AGE WHERE BAD NEWS SELLS—THANKFUL for GOOD NEWS.

GOSPEL = = ALWAYS GOOD

= = ALWAYS TIMELY/NEVER OLD

-------------------

(v7) Problem: There are TROUBLERS

Background: JUDAIZERS—ADDING JEWISH REQUIREMENTS to GOSPEL of GRACE

Focus: AS SOON as YOU ADD WORKS—IT’S NO LONGER GRACE!!

-------------------

Exhort: SOMETIMES GRACE = HARD to ACCEPT,,

BECAUSE WE GET NO CREDIT

Ill.: Group Projects

EVER HAVE a GROUP PROJECT in SCHOOL & DO ALL the WORK??

BUMMER—did ALL the WORK—received PART of the CREDIT

-----

Applying to Gospel:

SALVATION = NOT a GROUP PROJECT

IT’S NOT 50/50

75/25

80/20

90/10

or EVEN 99/1

OUR SALVATION = 100 PERCENT GOD’S WORK & 0% OURS…

WHOLLY DUE to the GRACIOUS INITIATIVE & SAVING PLAN of GOD…

Quote, Paul Washer: WE CONTRIBUTE NOTHING to OUR SALVATION EXCEPT the SIN THAT MADE IT NECESSARY.

IF WE CONTRIBUTED IT WOULDN’T BE GRACE

GRACE = TOTALLY UNMERITED.

-------------------

✝️MY ONLY HOPE is CHRIST-CRUCIFIED —& NOTHING I BRING to the TABLE… ✝️

EVERYTHING I BRING HURTS MY CASE

EVEN MY BEST WORKS HAVE MIXED MOTIVES

CERTAINLY I’M MORE SINFUL THAN I EVEN REALIZE😬

-------------------

GRACE = GOOD NEWS — BECAUSE I DON’T DESERVE ANYTHING GOOD in MY LIFE

GOOD NEWS—BUT HUMBLING NEWS TOO…

ANYTHING ADDED to GRACE = DISTORTION of the GOSPEL.

************

Transition: W/ GOOD NEWS in MIND—PAUL OFFERS a CLOSING WARNING,, TODAY’S TEXT.

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 8-9

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 10 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

E. Thought 4: Paul’s Warning (v. 8-9) ⚠️

Galatians 1:8–9 (ESV)

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

THERE’S NO “NEW REVELATION”

THE GOSPEL = UN-IMPROVABLE.

YOU CAN’T UPGRADE GRACE

GOD DOESN’T CHANGE HIS MIND—THERE’S NO “NEW GOSPEL”

-------------------

Challenge: IN CHURCH— MESSAGE MATTERS MORE THAN the MESSENGER

Testimony: LEAVING CHURCH SERVICE—HERESY of ADOPTIONISM (HE HAD POWERFUL TESTIMONY THOUGH!)

NO MATTER HOW “QUALIFIED” // SPECIAL a MESSENGER IS—

— WHAT MATTERS MOST is THE TRUTH of the MESSAGE.

-------------------

PAUL SAYS THOSE PREACHING DIFFERENT GOSPEL— “LET HIM BE ACCURSED”

Background: ANATHEMA— GK. VERSION of HEREM (the BAN)

OUTSIDE of COVENANT—DEVOTED to DESTRUCTION.

-------------------

GOSPEL-TRUTH = HILL to DIE ON...

**Relate: BUT IS THIS STILL REALLY an ISSUE TODAY....?**

Modern False Gospels:

MORALISM—GOOD PEOPLE GO to HEAVEN

DO ENOUGH GOOD

BE GOOD ENOUGH

GOD WILL ACCEPT YOU.

IF THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY—CHRIST WOULDN’T HAVE HAD to DIE...

**Recap, Gethsemane: IF THERE BE ANY OTHER WAY—LET THIS CUP PASS**

CROSS = ONLY MEANS of RECONCILIATION BETWEEN GOD & MAN.

2. PROSPERITY GOSPEL—💰 HEALTHY, WEALTHY, PROSPEROUS💰

JESUS DIDN’T DIE to SECURE BLESSINGS ...

.... THAT DOCTORS or BANKERS COULD HANDLE.

HE DIED to RESCUE US…

SOME BLESSINGS of AGE to COME ARE AWAITED…

3. SOCIAL GOSPEL— GOSPEL = ALL ABOUT MORAL/SOCIAL REFORM.

***GOSPEL DOES HAVE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS ***

FOCUS = RECONCILIATION BETWEEN MAN & HIS CREATOR.

4. UNIVERSALISM— SAVED WITH or WITHOUT CHRIST

WHY the JUDGMENT PASSAGES??

-------------------

THOSE PRESENTING FALSE GOSPEL—UNDER GOD’S CURSE—

=> SEPARATE from HIM—DEVOTED to DESTRUCTION.

=> GOSPEL HAS ETERNAL RAMIFICATIONS—

— WE CANNOT GET THIS WRONG!!

FALSE “GOOD NEWS” = ACTUALLY REALLY BAD NEWS…

************

Transition: ALL in ALL—I BELIEVE THIS PASSAGE TEACHES US…

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢 --- 3 minutes left---🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

VI. Application: A Hill to Die On ⛰️

Passage Idea: The heaven-sent gospel message of Christ-crucified is unchanging.

& GOSPEL TRUTH = NONEGOTIABLE

**WARNING ABOUT HILL-DYING BECOMING HOBBY**

BUT a HILL CALLED CALVARY = HILL I WILL DIE on EVERY TIME—

FOR IT WAS THERE that MY SAVIOR DIED for ME.

-------------------

WE CAN DISAGREE on SECONDARY DOCTRINES—BUT the GOSPEL = NONNEGOTIABLE.

**BACK to INTRO** SOME THINGS AREN’T IMPROVABLE—GOSPEL = ONE.

NO 21ST CENTURY GOSPEL

CHRIST = ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL-TIME SACRIFICE for OUR SINS

FOR US.

TO RESCUE US from PRESENT EVIL AGE.

-------------------

Modern Day:

CROSS = SEEN as BARBARIC

“COSMIC CHILD ABUSE”

SACRIFICE = OFFENSIVE

=> EVEN MORE, NO CREDIT for ME = UNPOPULAR.

Takeaway: OUR GOAL SHOULD ALWAYS BE GOSPEL-FIDELITY BEFORE POPULARITY. 🎯

-------------------

W/ PRESSURES of PLURALISM/RELATIVISM, LIBERAL THEOLOGY…

… WILL WE STAND FAST & CONTEND for the TRUTH of the GOSPEL??

************

Conclusion:

CHURCH...TO DESERT the GOSPEL is to DESERT GOD.

THERE is BUT ONE WAY to the FATHER—JESUS CHRIST & HIM CRUCIFIED.

IN THAT TRUTH WE MUST HOLD FAST. AMEN?

!! Close in Prayer !!