No Other Gospel

Introduction

When we think about Homecoming, we often think about getting back to where we started. (Elaborate)

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In our world, we can look around a see attacks, left and right, on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many times, there are perversions of the gospel that lead people astray. Other times, there are simply attacks on its message.

As the church, we seem fairly aware of the things within the news that are in opposition to the message and spread of the gospel.

How often, though, do we miss the attack on the gospel that comes from within the church? How often do we turn a blind eye to the perversions of the gospel that we sometimes come up with in our own circles?

Perhaps we aren’t always even aware that we are creating perversions to the gospel, and it could be that some of our friends in the church at Galatia didn’t either. Whether they knew they were creating false gospels or not, Paul knew, and he had something to say about it.

Some Context on this Chapter of Galatians

Some Context on this Chapter of Galatians

Galatians is sometimes referred to as an “angry” letter of Paul. While Paul seeks to write to encourage the churches he ministers to, he also reprimands them where necessary.

In this letter to the Galatians, Paul spares no time jumping right in and speaking to what he sees. Notice that Paul gives a salutation, and then opens with “I am astonished.”

Before we start, it is important to note the greeting that Paul offers to the church before he speaks to them.

| Paul immediately moves a focus on himself aside. There were some who believed that Paul was not necessarily a true apostle. He wasn’t one of the original twelve. Paul offers at the very beginning that his calling is from God, not from man. Still, he hadn’t seen Jesus in the same fashion that the other original twelve had.

You might even say he wasn’t what they were used to. Nevertheless, he was called by God to minister to the people in this church with guidance and leadership.

Main Message

| Paul is pointing out immediately what he sees as the wrong within the Galatian church. Paul’s accusation is heavy. Paul’s accusation is stiff. Paul’s accusation is idolatry.

The people have turned to “another gospel,” and Paul is sure to inform them that their new gospel isn’t good news at all. They’ve distorted the message of Christ, and it is harming them and those around them.

[The Christian Church has had an unfortunate history of becoming distracted from its message. Such is the cause for the Reformation in the first place.]

Another gospel does not necessarily have to mean that one turns to a different religious tradition entirely. Paul isn’t accusing these people of turning to Islam or Zen Buddhism. Instead, they’ve offered additions and corrections to a gospel that needs neither of those.

What other gospels have you turned to? Anything that we tarnish the gospel with in effect changes its message.

· Gospel of Prosperity

· Gospel of Personal Preference

· Gospel of Political Affiliations

· Gospel of Social Status

· Even the gospel of personal theological viewpoints.

We have a responsibility to preserve the gospel of Jesus Christ for the sake of those who don’t know it, and for the sake of future generations.

| Paul speaks about the confusion that these false gospels cause. When things are added to the gospel, and when we can’t share it without our personal biases, we confuse those who don’t know the gospel, and we can sometimes confuse those who do.

Certainly, this is something that none of us would want to be guilty of. How unfair to those who don’t know Jesus for us to create a barrier to their hearing of the message of his life, death, and resurrection.

In what ways do our caveats to the gospel confuse people? Sometimes we may turn someone off from the message by adding things to it. Sometimes we harm new believers by making them believe they’ve gotten themselves into something they really hadn’t asked for.

When the message binds us more than it frees us, we’ve gotten something wrong. That distinction is found in how you personally see the message.

| Paul emphasizes, and reemphasizes the importance of preserving and sharing the true gospel.

In speaking regarding angels, Paul offers an example to teach us that absolutely no being has the right or authority to change the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul is using very strong language here, too. He wants the Galatians to understand the gravity of what he sees happening. Even so, Paul is likely aware that his strong language and pointed statements may not make him the most popular among those receiving his message. Paul is serious about the gospel, and he’s not afraid to lose popularity for it.

If we are serious about the gospel of Christ, it will come before all else.

| Paul uses some rhetorical questions to make a point about who ought to receive glory for his work. Paul certainly is not seeking to make everyone angry, but is instead seeking to please God above all else.

Sometimes, things work out such that we can please God and make some people happy. Other times it isn’t so simple.

Ultimately, our goal is to glorify God, not to please all people. Our goal is to be faithful to the gospel.

We can get fairly caught up in our efforts to please others, and that may be a result of the fact that we often receive some glory from pleasing others. There is often a selfish ambition that accompanies those goals.

I can get too busy trying to make everyone happy.

I can get too busy trying to get my own way.

I can get too busy seeking power and influence and status.

I can get too busy forming idols.

I can get too busy worshipping a political party.

I can get too busy trying to check a task of my list.

I can get too busy even DOING GOOD things that I forget about the BEST.

I can get too busy even serving the church that I forget who my service is for.

And when I’ve gotten so busy that any one of these things becomes by focus, I have officially exchanged the gospel for a cheap, worthless version. One that really isn’t a gospel at all.

So how do we fix it? What new attitudes must we have and develop?

| For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…

Salvation for everyone who believes, regardless of where they’ve come from, how they look, how they live, who they vote for, where they work, what they drive, or our silly prejudices or attitudes about them.

If we think the gospel, needs our opinions and preferences added to it, we may in fact be ashamed of it. And when we are ashamed of our gospel as it comes to us, we abandon it.

Judas Example | When thinking about this text, I can’t help but think about our friend Judas. The keeper of the money bag. In , we find out a lot about Judas from our trusty pal John. As Mary anoints Jesus’ feet, Judas is immediately concerned with the cost of perfume. He even uses a smoke screen of sorts and asks why it wasn’t sold and the money given to the poor. Then John tells us that Judas wasn’t really concerned with the poor, because he was a thief and had his hands in the money bag. Judas sold Jesus out far before he ever officially sold him out. We know, though, that Judas would betray our Lord for some silver.

What silver are we betraying our Lord for? We’ve mentioned multiple things this morning. Where are we selling Jesus out? For personal gain?

There is Grace | Even Christ who was crucified asked God to forgive those who were knowingly and willingly nailing him to the cross. Some who shouted Hosanna one day, and “crucify him” the next. If there is grace for those, there is certainly grace and forgiveness for us, even when we’ve sold out our Lord; even when we’ve abandoned the gospel.

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