Sermon Tone Analysis

The Gospel is God’s idea.

The result—a transformed life

Religion—man’s effort to please God

Gospel—God’s plan to unite man to Him

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Religion

When you hear this word, what is the first thing that pops into your head?

How do you feel when you hear this word?

Is it something that makes you want to turn and run?

Is it a word that makes you feel defensive?

What is religion anyway?

Whatever it is,

Chances are that it is not a word that makes us feel warm and fuzzy.

Generally, it seems like the word has negative connotations for us

Now, religion really isn’t a bad word.

In fact, the apostle James uses this word and describes for us what pure religion is.

James 1:26-27 “26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Good religion is:

Restraining your tongue (watching how you talk)

Visiting those in need (widows and orphans)

Keeping yourself unstained by the world

So, even though Scripture defines for us what good religion is

There is still often a reaction to this word—religion

Many people, when presented with the Gospel message, reject it saying, “I don’t go in for that all that religion stuff”.

Many people have left the Church saying, “I’m done with religion.

I’ve had enough.”

Or maybe you’ve gotten the question as I have: “So…you go to church.

Are you religious?”

How do you answer?

Maybe we aren’t sure how to even define what religion is.

Many people have tried

Karl Marx tried to explain religion:

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation.

It is the opiate of the people

An opiate is something that you take to dull the senses.

If you are in pain, it helps dull the pain.

If your life is in turmoil, it helps dull you to what is going on around you.

Karl Marx thought that religion was something that people took part in to help shut out the pain of the world around them.

or to make sense of the pain in the world around them

As you hear people express their thoughts about religion, there is a consistent theme that comes through:

Religion has to do with what I can do for God to win His approval, or to earn brownie points with him.

OR.

Religion is something that I do to make me feel good.

So religion, even good religion, is about things that we do.

Which as Believers isn’t altogether bad

There certainly is a standard or way of life that is required of us.

The problem is that we as people have a tendency to think this way:

“Well, if God gave us things to do, and those things are good, I’ll bet I can make his list even better if I add to it.

I’ll bet God will be even more pleased with me if I make the list longer, and I bet I can win even more of His favor if I do an even better job of following that list.”

So religion becomes Jesus + my standard

And religion also allows us to compare ourselves with each other.

“Hey, at least I’m doing better than that guy over there.”

“Oh, you didn’t read your bible at all this week?

I read mine every day.”

“Yep, I showed up for church Sunday night, and that guy didn’t.”

And then we are in trouble, because that is when religion becomes man’s idea, and not God’s idea.

Paul knew all about being religious.

I heard one guy say, If there was a pro team of being religious, Paul would have been the quarterback.

He’s not shy about admitting this, here in this passage, and also in Philippians 3.

Hey, I was a better Jew, I was more religious than any of you!

And people knew this about Paul.

His reputation had preceded him.

They knew that he was one of the top Pharisees

They knew that when it came to the law, Paul could out-debate, and out-persuade anyone.

And they knew how the Pharisees loved to invent ways of being religious…ways which put increasing burdens on the people.

But they also knew that there was not much they could do about it if they wanted to keep going to the synagogue and not get into trouble with the religious leaders.

And I have to wonder, if this was something that the Judaizers were using to their advantage.

I wonder if they were saying something to the effect of

“Hey, this new teaching that you received from Paul.

It’s just a new thing that he thought up to keep you under his thumb.

We know how he was trained as a Pharisee.

This is what the Pharisees do…come up with new and different ways of saying this is what you need to do to please God.”

So Paul today is going to set the record straight.

Galatians 1:10–24 (ESV)

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.

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.

12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.

14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.

19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.

20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

24 And they glorified God because of me.

Here’s the overall point of what Paul is saying:

THE GOSPEL IS GOD’S IDEA, NOT MINE!

Paul says, “Look you can say all you want.

You can say that the other apostles got together with me and said, ‘Here’s what you are going to say.”

“You can say this whole thing was a big elaborate plan cooked up by me and the others down in Jerusalem.

“But that’s not it at all”

Paul says, I’m talking about the Gospel here, and I want to show you how the Gospel is different than manmade religion.

The Gospel is about Jesus, not about man.

Paul says, “I am not trying to earn brownie points with man! (verse 10)

Remember I said that part of what religion allows us to do is compare ourselves with each other

Paul is saying, “Look, if the Gospel had been my invention or the invention of one of my friends, I would be trying to work things so that I remain in good standing with mankind

I would be trying hard not to ruffle too many feathers