January 9, 2022 - One Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
· What is the gospel?
· Might seem like a “borderline – silly” question to ask in THIS setting…
· YET – no doubt – this QUESTION - is one of the most important questions one can ask in this life
· If you were with us last week – you know that we began making our way through the book of Galatians..
o Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia…
· And what we found out was that Paul WROTE this letter – BECAUSE false teachers (or JUDAIZERS as Paul would call them) had come…And were SWAYING people to a new way of thinking…
· And this NEW WAY of thinking was having a major impact on the Galatians…
· And the IMPACT – pertained to our Question….What is the gospel…
· And so - Let’s get to our text for today…
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.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
· If you remember, last week Paul started out by GREETING the Galatians, and in doing so – he focused on 1 main aspect of Christianity…
o The Authority of Jesus Christ
· The first thing Paul did was DEFEND his own Apostleship…
o He pointed to the reality that he was - SENT BY GOD…
o And so in doing so – he elevated the Authority of Christ in UPHOLDING his message…
And part of our text today will give us a window into WHAT was being said about Paul at this time…
· To see this, we’re gonna have to look RIGHT HERE - in our last verse for today… v10.
What does Paul say?
(read verse)
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
· Paul here – is ATTACKING the idea that Paul’s MESSAGE is merely an attempt to PLEASE MAN…
· NOW – outside of the context of this book, our understanding of this verse would REMAIN surface level…
· But knowing the context – we can decipher WHY Paul would say this…
· The Galatian church was – 95% - if not higher – Gentile…
· Mostly Gentile in demographic…
· And so – think about this verse in light of that truth!
What would be a way that Paul’s MESSAGE – could be viewed as – PLEASING to MAN….?
Well – to help us with that…let’s jump ahead a bit in this book…
3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.
· This verse here points to the ISSUE within the Galatian churches…
· False Teachers (the Judaizers) had come in…
· And started TEACHING…
One must be CIRCUMCISED in order to be – a Christian – Saved!
That one must ADHERE to (or CONFORM) to the Mosaic law.
And so WHO would this claim had been DIRECTED towards?
The GENTILES in the church....right?
The uncircumcised!
And we ALREADY KNOW - how the Gentiles were responding to this claim....
They were EMBRACING the claim!
That’s WHY Paul wrote this book!
Back to verse 6...
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—
NOW WE CAN SEE - what was being said ABOUT PAUL!
The FALSE Teachers had come in and DECLARED - that Paul’s message...
that Gentiles DIDN’T HAVE to be circumcised...
was just Paul’s way of - PLEASING the Gentiles...
APPEASING them...
The false teachers had come in and said - PAUL just didn’t want to UPSET you…and SO...
HE TOLD YOU that you didn’t need to be circumcised!
But that’s NOT TRUE!
The False Teachers tried to claim that PAUL was simply - trying to PLEASE MAN - instead of God!
And they USED circumcision to do it!
NOW - Let’s look at how Circumcision fits in with the Gospel… (the Good News of Jesus)
AND SEE maybe why circumcision wouldn’t have been such a HARD sell to the Gentiles...
PAUL was astonished that the Gentiles were EMBRACING circumcision - - FOR salvation...
Paul had ALREADY preached the Gospel TO the Galatians...
In establishing the churches there...
So WHAT could the False Teachers had pointed to - to so easily persuade the Gentiles that they needed to be circumcised?
9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,
13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.
14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
NOW - I have NO DOUBT that the false teachers would have brought the Gentile Galatians to this passage...
This here is God - COMMANDING that every Jewish male - be CIRCUMCISED...
And it would be a SIGN of the COVENANT!!
NOW - WE read this and think - Ok, we know ENOUGH of biblical Christianity to KNOW that circumcision isn’t a MEANS of salvation....
OR PART of our justification!!
BUT - 1st century Gentile believers?
No New Testament...
They had Paul’s words....in their memories...
And they had the Torah!
this passage...
Think about it - there are groups of people - TODAY - labeled “Christians” - who believe that water baptism is NECESSARY for salvation!
2000 years later…27 New Testament books....
25,000 manuscripts OF those New Testament books - and we....
STILL miss the mark...
The TRUTH of the Gospel - was BEING attacked!!
The Galatians were EMBRACING the enemy....
And the apostle PAUL - was ...
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—
This word ASTONISHED here - is the same greek word used to describe -
…WHAT people felt when they SAW the MIRACLES of Jesus!
Paul was THAT surprised!
And how does Paul describe what’s happening here?
“I’m astonished that you are SO QUICKLY - - DESERTING Him”… who called you...
Couple things...
This HIM - here - the one here being DESERTED - is NOT Paul...
We know based on a later verse....
This HIM here is - GOD...
So Paul here - EQUATES - turning from the TRUE GOSPEL - to a FALSE gospel....AS...
TURNING from God...
Deserting God...
LEAVING God...
*R.C. Sproul:
The great theologian R.C. Sproul - died on December 14, 2017 at the age of 78.
And at his funeral service…John MacArthur spoke.
And in part of that talk - MacArthur explains that in 1995, he, James Kennedy, and R.C. Sproul would find themselves in a private room in Florida…DEFENDING the gospel...
Against 3 other men
Evangelicals and Catholics Together - had come out the year before...
And R.C. Sproul was profoundly disappointed because the man who was BEHIND that had said that R.C. Sproul was his mentor...
And so James Kennedy, John MacArthur, and R.C. Sproul were there, locked in a private room… for 7 hours...
Defending the true gospel....
Against - Bill Bright, Charles Colson, and J.I. Packer...
…Who wanted to ACCOMMODATE Romes Gospel… Catholicism...
And John MacArthur explains that - the POWER in the room for those 7 hours...
…was unmistakebly R.C. Sproul...
And John MacArthur says - “I’m the last man standing (from that meeting), and I will tell you this - R.C. was, without question, the force in that room - for the truth...
And R.C. actually got - on the table - UP on the table…pointed a finger at an adversary, and said “I don’t think you GET IT…this is about whether you’re SAVED OR NOT!”
PAUL here - says - If you EMBRACE another GOSPEL…you are TURNING from GOD...
“This is about WHETHER YOU’RE SAVED or NOT!”
· Paul KNEW this!
· He KNEW the importance of this matter
· The IMPORTANCE of THE GOSPEL…
And in our text – we see – this...
SLIDE: The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Exclusive
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
We SEE - the EXCLUSIVITY of the Gospel…
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 says – Not that there is another gospel!
· There is NO OTHER source of – ETERNAL good news!
· We MUST – get this right!
· The Gospel of Christ – is the GOOD NEWS of Christ…
ALL mankind is in rebellion against God.
· DEAD in SIN
· NOT ALIVE – Spiritually – in SIN
· Not Able to please God
· Not ABLE to understand spiritual things…
· SO Jesus Christ…empties Himself – and takes on the form of a servant…
· Jesus lived a PERFECT life…
· NEVER sinned
· Shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins…
· Was crucified, DIED, was buried…
· And on the 3rd day – ROSE from the dead…
· He’s ALIVE today…
And the Bible says –
15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
· [point to verse] – The Gospel is SALVATION to everyone who believes – the Gospel
And so AGAIN - It’s EXCLUSIVE…there is NO OTHER
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
· And BECAUSE this VERSE is TRUE….
· THIS is also true
SLIDE: The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Judges All Men
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
· Because there IS NO OTHER Gospel – that means the ONE TRUE Gospel will judge ALL MEN!
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.
· The STANDARD has been SET!
· “Even if WE – See PAUL lays himself on the table...
Even if I - begin preaching ANOTHER gospel from what we ALREADY preached - LET ME be accursed!
But Paul wasn’t done...
Even if WE - or WHO?
· An angel – from WHERE? - - HEAVEN
· Should preach to you ANOTHER GOSPEL…
Let him be – ACCURSED!!
· Even ANGELS in HEAVEN are WEIGHED on the scales of – THE GOSPEL of Christ!
Which means – ALL MEN will fall under its judgment
If a Jehovah’s Witness Pastor - preaches another gospel - let him be accursed...
WELL - what do Jehovah's Witnesses teach:
• Yes - they believe in Jesus......but as what?
• They believe IN JESUS as - a CREATED being...
• They believe in Jesus as - Michael the Arch Angel
• They believe in the INSUFFICIENCY of Jesus' work on the cross...
• they believe salvation is obtained through a combination of faith, Good works, and obedience.
• AND SO - We CONCLUDE - they believe in a FALSE Christ...one that cannot save....
Let him be accursed!
If a Mormon Pastor preaches ANOTHER gospel - let him be accursed!!
WELL - what do Mormons teach?
• Mormons BELIEVE in Jesus...but as what?
• They believe in Jesus as - a created being...a created being thru NATURAL sexual relations between God and Mary.
• They believe in Jesus as - Lucifer's brother
• They believe in the INSUFFICIENCY of Christ's work on the cross...
• Because they believe that you can EARN heaven thru obedience...
They believe that you can become a GOD one day...
• THEREFORE - They believe in a FALSE Christ....
They preach a FALSE Gospel!!
• THEIR truth is THEIR own....and as such....FALSE.
Let him be accursed!!
If a Catholic Priest preaches ANOTHER gospel - let him be accursed!!
WELL - what does Catholicism teach?
• Catholics believe in Jesus....but as what?
• They believe in Jesus as - INSUFFICIENT...
• THEY DON'T BELIEVE that Christ's work on the cross was sufficient…for your salvation
• You must WORK in the Catholic faith, IN ORDER to TRY and earn heaven...
AND if you don’t make it - AT FIRST...
you can SUFFER for it - in purgatory - in order to EARN your way to God through your own SUFFERING…!
• Listen to how Roman Catholicism treats Mary....
According to Roman Catholicism, Mary is "the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, hereafter referred to as "CCC" 721), the "Queen over all things" (CCC 966), our "Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix" (CCC 969), who is "full of grace" (CCC 722), the "Mother of God and our mother" (CCC 2677), the "new Eve" (CCC 726), and the "seat of wisdom" (CCC 721). She had no original sin (CCC 508), and never committed sin (CCC 493). She is second only to her Son" (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, par. 66) and sits "on the right hand of the majesty on high" (Pope Pius X, Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum, 14). In fact, "no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother" (Pope Leo 13th, Octobri Mense). It was Mary who "crushed the poisonous head of the most cruel serpent and brought salvation to the world" (Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus). It is she who "delivers our souls from death" (CCC 966), and "continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation" (CCC 969). "Mary, by her spiritual entering into the sacrifice of her divine son for men, made atonement for the sins of man," (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma4, Ott, page 213). Therefore, we can "entrust all our cares and petitions to her" (CCC 2677), "give ourselves over to her now" (CCC 2677), "pray to her" (CCC 2679), and have devotion to her (CCC 971). She was "taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven" (CCC 974). When speaking of the Church, "we can find no better way to conclude than by looking to Mary," (CCC 972). In her, the church is holy (CCC 867). "Mary is the Church's model of faith and charity" (CCC 967). Finally, in paradise the church gathers "around Jesus and Mary" (CCC 1053).
• And in rendering Mary this way - Roman Catholicism renders Jesus Christ - INSUFFICIENT!
• One must work - adhering to the ordinances and sacraments so that one MIGHT make it to heaven..
• All of it renders Jesus Christ - INSUFFICIENT...
• Catholicism believes in a Jesus who answers to Mary - and THEREFORE - they believe in a FALSE Christ… who cannot save...
Roman Catholicism preaches a FALSE Gospel...
The Pope himself will be weighed on the scales of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
And he will be found - WANTING!
Paul says - Let him be accursed!
Paul HERE - standing on the TABLE - looking at all these RELIGIONS of the world…and declaring...
“I don’t think you GET IT, THIS is about whether you’re SAVED or NOT!!”
The Gospel of Jesus Christ - Judges ALL Men...
And so I say to you - IF I ever begin to preach a gospel CONTRARY to the one delivered to the saints in the text of Scripture - may i be accursed...
And I SAY THAT - as Paul did - because we SHARE the same motive, and hopefully always will...
What motive?
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.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
We need to know...
SLIDE: The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Offensive to Man, Pleasing to God
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
back to v10
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
· Here’s what Paul knows = To the lost, unregenerate soul…the gospel IS – OFFENSIVE.
· WHICH MEANS – if you’re not preaching THAT WHICH IS offensive to the lost soul…then you’re not preaching the gospel!
· Paul OBVIOUSLY wasn’t concerned about OFFENDING people…offending them ENOUGH where they want to STONE him…
· NOW – STAYING in context, let’s look at the 2 sides in our TEXT today (Judaizer – and Gentile)
and let’s see how THE GOSPEL offends each side...
SLIDE: Question 1: How does the Gospel of Christ offend a Judaizer?
How does the Gospel of Christ offend a Judaizer?
o Judaizers were those in the early church era who believed in order to be right with God – you must adhere to the Mosaic Law.
o The word Judaizer means – “to live according to Jewish Customs”
AND SO - A Judaizer was someone who believed that Salvation was found through – external acts of obedience.
A Judaizer would have had THIS mindset…
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
· This is the mind of a Judaizer…
Now HOW DOES the gospel – offend this mindset?
· The Pharisees had the same mindset as the Judaizers…(we just read it)
· Well how did THEY ATTACK Jesus…?
· If you remember – at one point – they ATTACK Jesus for “violating” the sabbath…
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”
· They were – OFFENDED…!
· THEY believed the LAW was – violated.
· And of course – Jesus CORRECTS this thinking of theirs…
3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:
4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?
6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
They also attacked Jesus for – HEALING on the sabbath.
· They were OFFENDED -
· And Christ CORRECTED that thinking as well!
· When GOOD works are your IDOL – your WAY to God – you WILL be OFFENDED – when Jesus comes along and says…
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
· When the Gospel of Christ DECLARES that your GOOD DEEDS are – Equivalent to FILTHY RAGS…
· You WILL be offended.
The Gospel of Christ – OFFENDS the judaizer…
NOW – Question 2
SLIDE: How does the Gospel of Christ offend a lost Gentile?
How does the Gospel of Christ offend an unbelieving Gentile?
· The OFFENSIVENESS of the Gospel toward a lost Gentile is different than it is toward a Judaizer…or a religious person
· The OFFENSE toward a lost Gentile rests in – Authority…
· What is the Mindset of an unbelieving Gentile?
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
Unbelieving Gentiles LOVE the evil inside of them...
Couple THAT truth with this truth...
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
The Gospel is FOOLISHNESS to unbelieving Gentiles...
Try to tell an unbelieving Gentile - that Jesus Christ (RIGHT NOW) reigns and that HE is the ultimate Authority in their life!
Be prepared to be - LAUGHED AT!!
It’s OFFENSIVE to them - that’s WHY they laugh!
Try to tell an unbelieving Gentile that God HATES - their sinful lifestyle...
You might get in a fight…be ready....it’s OFFENSIVE!
And so do we see how the GOSPEL of CHRIST - OFFENDS both Judaizer (religious person) and Greek?
In a nutshell - the Gospel of Christ - OFFENDS mankind...
Paul KNEW this...
He had the SCARS to prove it!
As did Christ!!
SUMMARY
And so when it comes to - THE GOSPEL...
We MUST KNOW...
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Exclusive
Judges All Men
Offensive to Man, Pleasing to God
My prayer is that each of us will BRING everyone WE KNOW -
gather everyone we know - to be WEIGHED on the scales of the Gospel of Christ...
Everlasting Joy is found for all those who bow the knee to Jesus and His authority...
Let’s pray