Galatians: The Gospel that brings Glory to God!

Galatians 1:10-24

Introduction

Intro and recap

Paul’s Gospel of Grace was being questioned and the Galatian believers were in a spiritual crisis. They were troubled by the message of the Judiazers… that faith in Jesus and obediance to the Mosiac Law, specifically circumcision, was required in order to have a right standing with God.

Paul’s Gospel, the Gospel of Grace, is best defined by Ephesians 2:8–9 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This was the Gospel that Paul first preached to the Galatian churches and it is the gospel that they first believed in!

These false teachers came in after Paul preaching a distortion of the this glorious gospel.

tby making accusations against the apostle Paul, these Judiazers were trying to convince the Galatian believers to move beyond Paul and his teachings.

They claimed that Paul was not a genuine apostle

They claimed that Paul’s gospel was incomplete and not authorized

They claimed that Paul had soften the gospel to please the Gentiles

they claimed that Paul’s gospel encouraged sin and lawlessness

In our passage today, Paul continues to addresses these false accusations.

By sharing his own personal testimony, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that the Gospel that he preached was given to him personally by the Lord Jesus when the Lord called him to be an Apostle.

In our time together, as we walk through this passage I want you know that you can trust that the Gospel is from God and that its message has never changed. God’s free gift of salvation is for all who come to faith in Jesus Christ.

There are many misconceptions about God that many of us fall prey to… one of the major misconceptions that I have personally believed growing up and see today is the misconception about how God views people, particularly, people who live a life contrary to His Word. I use to see God as a God of vengeance ready to smite every little fault… so naturally, I avoided church and thought I needed to clean myself up before I came to God…

Did you know that some of the harshest words of judgment from Jesus in the New Testament were not aimed at the moral outcasts, but at those who deemed themselves religious but were hypocrites?

Jesus pronounced judgments on the pharisees who could notice the sin of everyone else but would not acknowledge any fault of their own…

However, to the people that the religious elite wrote off, to the known sinner, the tax collector, the prostitute, Jesus was warm and inviting. He loved them, yes, He still called them to repent of their sins and to trust Him for salvation.Jesus never softened the truth for anyone… But He did it in an inviting way and not in a condemning way.

Why is that? Mark 2:17 “17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.””

The difference between the self-righteous religious elite and the sinners… the sinners know on some level they need the Great Physician. It is the ones who need convincing that Jesus rebuked harshly.

Perhaps you are here today and you believe your sin is too much for God to forgive

or maybe you struggle with the opposite and think that you don’t really have that much for God to forgive…

The Good News of the Gospel is that both of those views are wrong… the truth is we are more sinful that we could ever believe… but what is also true is that anyone who comes to Jesus in faith they can be completely forgiven and have all their sins are washed away… not matter who they are or what they have done … This is truly is Amazing Grace

Why does the Gospel of Grace matter so much? Well, as we walk through our passage today we will see exactly why the Gospel of Grace is so important…

Pray

The Gospel of Grace is God’s message (vv10-12)

10 For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Explain

Paul’s Thesis Statement

This is Paul Main argument. This Gospel that I am preaching is from God

This Gospel of grace by faith is not a man made message… actually, Gods Word has proclaimed the gospel of grace by faith all throughout the OT!

Did you know that faith is only defined in the Bible 1 time.

Hebrews 11:1 “1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 “7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

While the Bible only defines “Faith” 1 time there are hundreds of illustrations and stories of faith.

Hebrews 11 is often titled the Heroes of the Faith…

Major OT reference is Abraham… whom the Jewish people pride themselves in being a child of Abraham…

Genesis 15:6 “6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

This Gospel that Paul preached was the same message God had announced over and over but it was realized in its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ! You could say the Gospel of Grace by faith was in seed form and came into full bloom in Jesus!

This message is not of human origin… its origin is found in God!

Jesus revealed it to Paul, personally! verse 12

Acts 9 recounts what took place when Paul was on the road to Damascus to hunt Christians and thrown them in prison…

The Lord Jesus visited Paul…

Acts 9:20 “20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.””

Press

The gospel is not a man made invention… it is a divine message of Good News to all of humanity… Jesus has paid the price for sin and sinners can receive forgiveness of their sins and eternal life by faith in Jesus!

Paul is not pleasing man he is actually doing the opposite… You see the Judiazers were accusing Paul of preaching a gospel that pleasing to the Gentiles… that is… a gospel that essentially was saying “there is nothing you need to do in order to be right with God”…. but that is not the message Paul was preaching…. the message Paul was preaching is that “there is nothing you can do in order to earn a right standing with God” so therefore you need a Savior… the Lord Jesus Christ

This is God’s Message for the world!

Application

Why is this crucial to understand? well, in a world that seeks to mock God, claim that God and the Bible are just mans invention to subdue people… we can have full-confidence that the message of the Gospel is not man made it is from our Good and Gracious God.

Transition: After giving a thesis statement now Paul begins to tell his story and further his case.

The Gospel of Grace can save the worst of sinners (vv13-16a)

13 For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me,

Explain

Pauls story is a way of reminder to these believers that he has no motivation to lie… (13-14)

In Paul’s former life he was a people pleaser!

Paul was climbing the religious ladder… his mentor was one of the top rabbi’s of the day

Extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors…

He is speaking about the way of life for a pharisee and the traditions that they added over the years…

Because of his zeal … he violently persecuted Christians and tried to destroy the Christian movement

Acts 9 begins by saying that Acts 9:1–2 “1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

“destroy” - was used to describe the burning of villages and towns

Paul, before encountering Jesus, was a religiously motivated violent extremist who believed he was serving God by persecuting Christians… Paul probably saw himself as an Elijah killing the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel

There was not earthly reason for Paul to convert to Christianity

He hated Jesus and those who believed in Him…

(15) But when God…Paul was called and appointed…

Mothers womb

This alludes to the call of Isaiah and Jeremiah

called me by His grace

In no way did Paul deserve God’s grace… he was an enemy…

was pleased to reveal His Son in me

Press

There is no sinner too far from God’s saving grace

I am reminded of how this Gospel changed one of the worst of sinners… In the mid-1700s, there was a young sailer in his early twenties who was already famous among other sailors and his crew… he was not famous for bravery our courage.. he was famous for his mouth.. He blasphemed God so much and cursed God so creatively, that even hardened sailors, being vulgar themselves, they were shocked and taken aback by what he would say about God. This young sailor mocked the very existence of God. He was taught faith as a young boy but after losing his mother, he abandoned every notion about God.

One night out at sea, a violent storm hit. the ship literally began to break apart. the water began to pour into the ship faster than the crew could pump it out. This young sailor was standing at the wheel, certain that the ship was about to go under…. but something happened that had never happened before… this blasphemer, the one who mocked and laughed at the existence of God, cried out for mercy. He never expected an answer… why would God extend grace to a man like him… but God heard his cry… and by the hand of God the ship held… This sailors life was changed by grace… He later became an ordained minister and preached about the God that he used to mock!

Application

There is no person outside of God’s saving reach.

The Gospel of Grace is for all people (vv16b - 20)

so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas,, and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you.

Explain

Paul did not get a crash course from Peter…

The word that Paul uses for know in this passage is a greek verb that was used for sight-seeing… it means to visit for the purpose of coming to know somebody…

Paul was furthering his claim that he did not obtain the Gospel that he preaches from the Jerusalem Apostle… it was from God.

God appointed Paul to preach the Good News to everyone (emphasis among the Gentiles.)

One of the first issues of doctrine in the early church was centered on whether or not the Gentiles are included in the plan of salvation

Has God granted salvation to non-Jews… yes…

The OT proclaimed this reality!

Genesis 12:3 “3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Press

Every tribe tongue and nation will be in heaven worshipping God!

There are some who are called to certain positions like…

But everyone is called to be a witness

Application

The Gospel of Grace is for all people in your life…

The Gospel of Grace brings Glory to God (vv21 - 24)

21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches that are in Christ. 23 They simply kept hearing, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

Explain

God is glorified in the saving of sinners…

God took what was perceived as an enemy and changed his life through Grace!

Press

A saved life brings God great glory

Luke 15:10 “10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.””

Application

text

Conclusion

Look at the movement of this passage:

God’s gospel > God’s grace > God’s mission > God’s glory

The Gospel comes from God - saves sinners - sends the saved - brings glory to God

Why does the Gospel of Grace matter so much? Because it is God's gospel, it saves sinners, it sends them on mission, and ultimately it brings glory to God.

That Sailors name was John Newton and years later he would take his experience of God’s grace in his life and write it into a hymn… we know that hymn today as Amazing Grace.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now Im found, I once was blind, but now I see.

God’s Gospel message of Grace can saved anyone, is for everyone, it is a message of rescue on mission, it it brings great glory to God for it to be proclaimed and believed in!

Pray

If you’re here today and you haven’t… there is no reason to wait…