Introduction to Galatians
Thank you, brother. Thank you Jim
Thank you. Sue for putting up with Jim singing all throughout the week checking the songs or learned about this morning to send these clothes pretty good.
Well, believe it or not. We have finished the Book of John. So we are going to start a new book a new letter and the epistle this morning Galatians the book of Galatians. I think that's a great epistle to examine after we've gone through the Gospel of John and hug John just just has laid out for us that Jesus is the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father except and that by believing that Jesus died for your sin and trusting and his accomplice work alone and receiving that from your head to your heart and trust him in that alone is the means in which God's unmerited love is bestowed upon us, but there's nothing we can do in another ourselves. Earn favor with God John so elegantly demonstrated that to us and demonstrated. His Jesus has power over creation. It demonstrated Jesus being God In the Flesh in that that is the Jesus. We must believe in in the book of Galatians speaks to that as well. It actually is written by the Apostle Paul and to a region of galatia where the church had established begin to accept false teaching about what the gospel is immediately the church the gospel message begins to be attacked by what looks to be people who claim to be Christians and they come into these this region ablation it again to change the gospel message and Paul writes to rebuke them. All rights to correct them And so it's a good letter for us to examine because Here We Stand 2000 years later with many different. False teachings out there attempting to change the definition of what the gospel is that beautiful picture of the Gospel that we found in the Gospel of John. Is changed and perverted to include all these different things that you have to do to add to what Jesus has done in order to have salvation. And so nothing's new. Nothing new is Under the Sun and so this rebuke is correction that Paul gives to the galatian church so that the church is in the glacian region is something that we can hold fast to today. And when you tells us to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints write the book of Galatians is a book that if you and I know we can we can share with others and demonstrate to them that there is no other need other than to receive and believe Jesus a compass work alone for salvation. So we're just going to read the first 10 verses this this morning can introduce you to this letter and kind of give you the historical background. That's a really important as we study God's word that we take the context in which the author is writing the letter and who is writing to and the region they what kind of people they were and what the struggles were all the things are very important for us to to understand and to know when we study a book we never want to just take an ancient historical document like the epistle to the Galatians and then just apply it to our common what we're doing here in 2020. There's application to obviously but we always want to take the context in which it was written and I let their author speaks. It's inspired. It's God breathes right to be believed that the scriptures are inspired by God. And so we desire for the author to to communicate to us what his intention was through the inspiration of the Spirit. Our goal is not to to change the teaching but the to really understand. My Paul is riding. So let's go ahead and get into it. If you're happy Bible this morning Galatians chapter 1 verses 1 through 10 is where we're going to be at. And the word of God says this Paul an apostle not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and 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 the father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. I'm amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Not that there is another gospel, but there are some more troubling you and wanted the store to the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you a curse be upon him. As we have said before I now see again if anyone is preaching to a gospel contrary to what you ever received a curse be upon him. Where am I now trying to persuade people or God or am I striving to please people if I was still striving to please people I would not be a servant of Christ we go to the Lord in prayer with me Father God we come before your throne. Lord so thankful for this opportunity to meet you this morning thankful to have fellowship with one another thankful to be able to sing songs to your your praise your adoration. The Majesty the wonderful Majesty of Christ. We got to sing about this morning were so thankful for the breath that you've given us to be able to do that. And we're grateful Lord for the freedoms that we have in this country to be able to do so and so we just do it on our hearts, especially during this time lord. We just we pray for our country we pray for those are leaders Lord. We pray that you would use your that the leadership of our country for you for good and and for your glory Lord that you would turn them from self-serving principles to do seeking the good of all people for your glory. God. We pray for those who are on the front lines protecting our rights and our freedoms the military their families the police officers the EMT the fire all those Lord who are servants civil servants father were grateful. So grateful for all the freedoms we employ and we we know that those coming to cost and so we just ask that you watch over them protect them Lord be with their families. Father thank you for this opportunity now to open up your word. The freely Proclaim what you have given for us Lord to contend for the faith that was once delivered for the Saints. We just asked if you would meet with each and every one of us this morning. That your spirit would minister to our hearts as we are dealing with the sadness of the losing our sister. Our loss is Heaven's gain father and we're so grateful for the promise of knowing that Myra's in your presence now. And father just be with us ministers to do this this morning as we try to glean these important teachings out of your word and father help us to apply them to our own hearts into our own lies that we might live for you as we've discussed like last week Lord that we would deny ourselves take up our cross daily and Live For Your Glory. We asked it and price precious and Powerful name. Amen. Alright, so we see the first 10 verses hear Paul is riding to the church is so glacias not really a city. It's a region. This is kind of a map. If you can see that and galatia is in wasn't modern-day. What is now modern-day turkey up there. You can see where that's at. And that's that's where Paul went on his first missionary journey and establish these churches and so it's in that area to look cleaner mat for you. And so Paul on his first missionary journey went into the region of the Elation begin to preach the gospel and to call people to repentance and belief in Jesus Christ. And so this is kind of a timeline on what you guys can see that very well either but it's on first Paul's first missionary journey, he goes into this region and this is all recorded in the book of Acts for some so we're going to as we peel back the layers of the letter to the Galatians. We are going to see and refer to the book of Acts often because it record Paul's missionary Journeys. And So Paul goes in establishes a church and establishes beautiful gospel message of of Salvation is by grace through faith alone that Jesus Paid the penalty all those beautiful things people receive that but then we find out in the book of Acts around 49 ad people be called they're called the judaizers and they claim to be Christian, but they begin to teach the teaching that in order for Gentiles to become Christians. They first had to be circumcised first under the Jewish laws and customs and then they could become get get saved and and become baptized and fall after Jesus. And so the begin to introduce that there was a work that needed to be done before they could receive Christ as Messiah. And the council the Jerusalem Council in Acts chapter 15 The Apostles meet together and they begin to discuss these things and they they come to it to all in agreement that no, it is not Brooke added to what rice is done. It is by faith. It is through God's grace. That we are saved and not by works of the law. But this false teaching begins to provide and especially in this region of galatia until Paul hears about this and so he writes this letter to the churches in the galatian region. And again, we reminded hearing versus 6 of why the reason why Paul is writing this. I'm amazed that you're so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.
We see Paul's letters to the last one in the vessel only ins and the church at Ephesus and he he he starts his his letter word with this this greeting Grace and peace to you. And and I I'm so thankful to hear of your faith Thessalonians and how wonderful you're doing how you're in spite of your persecution your urine during for the cause of Christ in your your your face goes before you to everyone in the region knows about you and then getting all these compliments to these churches and and then we see a completely different tone in his letter to the Galatians. I'm amazed that you're so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different cross will not that there is another gospel. There's only one right but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
It's a distortion. We hear the biblical phrase often A little leaven. leaveneth the whole lump not lope. I don't know. What a Lopez.
Right oil and water don't mix but you add oil to water the water becomes contaminated anybody want to drink it. It's no longer pure. And Paul is right in saying look, they're distorting the truth of the gospel. And that gospel that they're teaching is the not the pure gospel. It's changing it. It's making it ineffective.
It's like a counterfeit bill is anyone. I know hopefully no one would answer if I've made counterfeit bills before I believe there's anyone pass counterfeit bills and been called out for it. No one's willing to raise her hand.
Right. What happens is it does that does that bill look like the original or like the real thing? Hey, my brother was a secret service agent and there is a the Department of Treasury and I remember him telling me that he he went into his counterfeit training and and he thought they were going to have all these specialized tools and stuff to be able to determine what the the genuine how you can find a genuine Bill versus the counterfeit Bill and what they did is al pastor gave him a gave everybody a $100 bill needs. They said study the genuine Bill the more, you know, the genuine Bill the easier it is going to be to to find out that the counterfeit. If you know the original if you know everything about the original then you know, you can pick out the counter if it's pretty quickly. And counterfeit bills are passed in and as long as we think they're from the United States government. We have the faith that right. We we all pass this money out. It's that it's a system of faith is it not it's not tired of the gold standard anymore. But we have faith that because our government printed this piece of paper that it's worth something and it's all as long as all of us believe that we're good. What is a system of Faith but as soon as we find out that it wasn't printed from the government that bill is not even worth the paper it was printed on. Because if not coming from the correct source. It's counterfeit. It may look close to the original but it's not the original. And we'll see hear that Paul is riding in and tell him that he's churches. Look this is not something just to be sleight of hand with this is very important.
You can not distort the gospel of Christ because it comes becomes corrupted. It's not a saving gospel as we turn it from the grace of God through faith and turn it into a system of self righteous works or religious Works to add to what Jesus has done.
What did you say? Those are teaching this gospel concert at what we have preached a curse be upon him. It's a very strong language as we have set before I nauseous again. If anyone preaching to your gospel concert at what you've received a curse be upon him. He goes on to say from now to buy am I trying to persuade people or God? He's like, I'm not doing this. I'm not writing this letter to persuade you because I fear of you and my relationship with you. I'm doing it for the for God because I am a servant of Christ and he's contending for this gospel that Jesus purchase for the good news that Jesus Paid It All Until we see the reason why Paul is right in this that people have come in claim to be Christian and he's no through the book of Acts in and reading between the lines here that obviously these were recalled judaizers. They've come in there. They plan to be Christian and there come to this Gentile region. They said look if you want to be of Christ while you first you have to become a Jew you have to be circumcised. You have to follow these rules and laws and the Mosaic customs and all those things and and and it is distorting the good news that Jesus fulfilled all those things.
Will be also see that when they came and begin to teach this and it's a gospel concert at what Paul teaches are also attacking Paul. They're talking Paul's gospel his message that he preached to the church and by doing that they're attacking him and his authority Paul is an apostle. He has been given the authorities and that's what he saying. That's why he starts off his letter to them saying Paul. an apostle He has the authority. Oh Jesus Christ. He says an apostle not from men nor by man. It wasn't some Council of men that says you are now an apostle of Jesus.
It wasn't from a from Peter wasn't any of that but by Jesus Christ. Paul saw the Risen Savior the Risen Savior paired to him to be qualified in this Apostle of Jesus Christ. You had to have seen the Risen Savior. Let me know Paul saw the Risen Savior.
And supposing look these guys are attacking my authority. They're safe to come until Paul is not really an apostle write the 12. He's not part of the 12. We know Judas betrayed but after that the apostles got together and they do lots and they chose Matt Mathis or Matt Mathis. And so they came in and said wolf pause not really an apostle. So you can't listen to him We're from the church of Jerusalem and we say you have to be circumcised first. So they're talking Paul's Authority and why is that important for us today? Because the Paul is truly an apostle of Jesus Christ and it was given the authority of the inspired riding up through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to tell us that salvation is by grace through faith alone and then by distorting the gospel you're changing the gospel.
If that's true for them, it's true for us today because Paul is an apostle. Teach otherwise to teach koncertowa Paul is teaching in. This book is to go against the authority given him by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because there's many teachings out there today. That's a yes you need Jesus, but you also need to be baptized just need to become a member of this church. Are you need to do these rules you have to do enough of the other Ten Commandments long enough. And if you do consistently enough, you might fall short here and there but but you have to do these things in it after all that you can do when baby Jesus will take care of it rest. Adding to the gospel.
Yeah, I know one. I'm not aware of any group that's telling everyone that has to be they have to be circumcised before they became a Christian today. But the spirit of these judaizers is alive and well. today in false teaching Jesus is part of it, but you need to do your part as well when the gospel message is it is by grace through faith alone. Jesus Paid It All Until Paul writes and establish his authority. Like I'm an apostle and I wasn't giving it to buy man. But Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. I am a witness to the to the Jesus Christ. The Risen Savior. He is the one that gave me my apostleship Paul was a Roman. He was a Jew he was the perfect person chosen by God to go to the Gentiles to be the Apostle to the Gentiles because he understood them. He also understood the Jewish traditions and then he understood how Christ fulfilled all the the law. That's all that the law required until he was able to to be the bridge for the Gentile to be able to receive and believe Jesus.
He says in verse to all the brothers are with me to the churches of galatia. Grace to you and peace from God the father and our Lord Jesus Christ misses and often a greeting that you'll see in all of his letters early right Grace and peace to you. You haven't included letters Grace and peace to you. But in this particular instance, I think Paul is take you in and what would be a normal greeting for the typical letter and he's using it as his thesis statement for his letter. Grace to You God's unmerited love and favor be extended to you.
And peace the peace that comes and knowing that no matter what happens in this world that those of us who are in Christ have been rehab been the recipients of God's grace found in Jesus Christ Alone. It doesn't matter what this world can do to us because we know deep down that all is well between ourselves and our God. There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We are at peace with God grace and peace to you.
from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ a typical greeting. But I believe the thesis statement that he's about ready to set out and try to course-correct these churches in the glacian region. It is about God's grace is about the piece that we are given and knowing that all is well between us for reconcile with our God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And how is that done and work for who gave himself for our sins? Voluntarily went to the cross.
Physically punished. Yes, God's Wrath poured upon him for the punishment of sin. Not his sin, but ours he gave himself for our sins that are just God can remain just by punishing sin. But Jesus took that punishment for us. So that God can be we'll just and the justifier.
He gave himself for our sins and what to rescue us from this present evil age. Now when I start doing that this week, is that that phrase right there just gave me so much comfort. He's rescued us from this present evil age.
There's a lot of evil going on out in this world today. And those of us who are in Christ Jesus, we're just pilgrims passing through this is not our home. God has rescued us from this present evil age. He's rescued us from our sin what we truly deserve. It is unmerited. We don't do anything to earn it. He demonstrated his love towards us by sending his son to die for us. And rescue us according to the will of our God and Father from the foundation of the world. This was his intent. To seek and to save those who are lost. To be reconciled to be adopted all those things. This was not plan B. This was God's intention. for us and I love verse 5 here. He'll as Paul's right in the seat. He just has to stop if it's a time and vision it anyway, cuz he's reminded what God has done. He just couldn't help but give him the praise and the glory and the honor that is due him for what he's done. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
To him be the glory.
Forever and ever. Amen. The good news of the Gospel is just amazing. But how quick it is how easy it is for us as humans to distort the gospel. To appeal to The Flash and say where you at you have to do a little too.
And that's what his warning to the churches. I'm amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. And so what a great book for us to examine and to be able to to pull teeth truce out how Paul is going to lay out for us how we can know furnisher tea that it is through the grace of Christ and not by The Works of the law. That we can have a re reconcile relationship with our God.
And the peace that comes in that?
And so has we venture out and going to go through this book. I I hope as we peel back the layers of this of this letter will see just the Glorious gospel freshen a new with our own eyes and her own mind, but also be able to and to be equipped to be able to give it an answer to those. Who is have been taught differently those who are taught differently and believe differently, they're not our enemies. We're here to The Shining Light and shine truth into their lives.
You know what the passing of Myra? I just have been reflecting on the time that I've had with her. I'm so grateful for it. But my prayer to God was I'm just thankful that. We were able to minister and and get true for the last two years that we've been here. Hopefully you're not perfectly. And how important the truth truly is.
So let us contend for the faith. Let us be serious about this letter and let us through the illumination of the spirits, see how important it is to keep the gospel pure. for us for children for those who desperately need Jesus let's pray father. We're so thankful for this opportunity got to come before your throne and and to reopen up your word and to see this preserve word that you've given Forest Lord that we can have an assurance and the confidence and knowing that Jesus Paid It All To you be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Oh God, you're so good to us. Help us to reflect your goodness in your love to those around us. Norby's so desire you would use us in our community to be your light to be your salt to beat Defenders to move with Grace and love to prevent the truth that you've given us in Jesus. To those around us Lord help us on that as we venture through the book of Galatians God become and is we close? We will sing the song and I pray that if there's anyone in the sound of my voice that has not had that personal saving Encounter With Jesus that today would be the day that they would turn from whatever they're walking and embrace and and and believe and receive Jesus as their only means in which they can have relationship with you, but they too can have eternal life.
It is our hearts prayer Lord that those who did not know you will come to a saving knowledge. And so we pray that that you would your spirit would move upon their heart and can victim of their need to receive Jesus today. Thank you Lord for all that you are and all that you will do us in Christ name Amen brother. Jim's going to come for we're having a song of invitation. This is an opportunity for you to interact with what we learn today in prayer with God. And again, if anyone would like to be shown from scripture how you can never save your relationship with Jesus. I'll be honored to do so.