Paul's Apostleship Galatians 1:1-9

In order to defend the gospel of "grace through faith" without works, Paul has to defend his authority as an Apostle of Jesus Christ.  Come along as we uncover the main characters in the fight for the true faith. 

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speaker 0:   0:00
Well, good morning to everybody again. Today we're continuing with our study in the Book of Galatians Chapter one, verses one through nine. So if you want to find your Bibles and turn to that passage with me.   

speaker 0:   0:14
"Paul, an apostle, not from men or through man, but through Jesus Christ and God, the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren 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 that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I marvel that you're turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel which is not another. But there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you let him be accursed, as we have said before. So now I say again, If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, Let him be accursed."

speaker 0:   1:15
Well, this morning, as I prepared this sermon for you, I thought it was appropriate to quote to you from Alice in Wonderland, seeing how we all seem to be there, in Wonderland, during this Corona virus. This is a conversation that Alice had with the caterpillar, and the caterpillar says to Alice, Who are you? Said the caterpillar The book goes on .... "This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation, Alice replied rather shyly. I I hardly know, sir. Just at present. At least I know who I was when I got up this morning. But I think I must have been changed several times since then. What do you mean by that? Said the caterpillar sternly Explain yourself. I can't can explain myself. I'm afraid, sir, said Alice, Because I am not myself.  

speaker 0:   2:12
That passage comes from Chapter five,  "Advice from a caterpillar." Well, I think many of us may feel like Alice at this point during the day. Our identity seems to change as the day unfolds and news announcements come and during the day as well. You sometimes lose a sense of who you are. If I have, for an example, nowhere to go or nowhere to be, during this virus shutdown. Who am I? as a pastor,  As a teacher? Every day the news brought some new revelation about what I was going to be doing for the next seven weeks. At first I thought I would be back in the school building, and now it appears that I'm gonna be remote teaching from my computer and we're still up in the air as to how all that's going to work. I'm in limbo and I find myself in Wonderland. If I don't have students, am I a teacher? And if you find yourself in Wonderland, where up is down and North South and it feels like all you're doing is shopping for groceries and trying to retain your sanity, you may begin asking the question. Who am I?  

speaker 0:   3:35
Well, if you're a Christian, the answer remains constant. Regardless of circumstances, you are number one, A child of God. In John 1 12 tells us that those who believe in Jesus Christ have the right to be called the Sons of God. You are one with Christ, according to first Corinthians 6 17 You are called to be a light to the world and one of my favorite passages of Scripture. Describing the identity of the person in Christ is first Peter 29 where it says, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Now don't jump over that last phrase quickly you were given the titles of chosen people, royal priesthood, a holy nation and God's special Possession that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. In other words, you still have a purpose, and your purpose has not changed, despite the fact that you may be locked down. Your purpose is the declaration and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. Now I may take a little time and effort to find people to declare that to maybe some special effort that you have to put in in order to connect with people in these strange times. Or maybe  you have to dedicate yourself to prayer and preparation more than you have before, but you still have a purpose.  

speaker 0:   5:38
Well, this message continues as we open our study of Paul's epistle to the Galatians, and we're discovering here what Paul says his purpose is. We found last time that this was Paul's letter to a people who were questioning who he Was, and his answer was an emphatic "I am a preacher of the truth." This book is divided into three parts, and really all of them can be centered around personal identity. You think about Paul in this first section, standing up for his apostle ship. That is his identity. The second section describes the Christian as saved by grace. That's their identity, and the third section of the book describes the Christian as living by grace, that is their identity in Christ. So before we jump into the book, Let's go to the Lord in Prayer, Heavenly Father, we thank you again so much for this time that we can open up the word of God. And even though we may be doing so in a different way than we have experienced in the past, we pray that you help us to understand it and Lord God, I pray you give us direction guidance as to how we continue to identify as the church. How do we continue to be a people if we are separated? We pray all this in Jesus name. Amen.  

speaker 0:   7:14
Well, this morning, as we open up the this passage of Scripture, we're gonna find Paul standing up for his apostle ship and decided to illustrate the passage of Scripture by describing it as a boxing match. In any boxing match, you principally have three characters. You have the contenders. And this occasion, the first contender in this corner is Paul the Apostle and the other corner. You have the Judaizers and the audience to the about are the churches of Galatia. And that's kind of how we're going to look at it this morning. Three individuals or groups. So as we start, let's look first at Paul. Paul here, in this passage is standing up for his apostle ship, and this is a fight. In the one corner of the ring is, as he describes himself, Paul an apostle, not from men nor through men, but through Jesus Christ and God, the father. Now in Some sense this is still an introductory sermon for the Book of Galatians. So we need to ask the questions questions about who are the individuals that are described in this epistle. And the first of those individuals is Paul. So what we're gonna do is just take a brief look at his life. His conversion, his calling and his authority. First off Paul's life. We know from the epistle to the Galatians and other places in Scripture that Paul, who was formerly called Saul, was very, very devoted to Judaism. Galatians, 1 14 says, "I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions." Well, then you go back to Verse 13 and he says, I used to persecute the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. He was so zealous for Judaism and his brand of Judaism, that he went out searching for those who he would call blasphemers to bring them to trial and ultimately either imprison them or have them put to death.  

speaker 0:   9:57
Now that's Paul's previous life, But he changed. He became a different person. We know he became a different person because our New Testament has 13 letters in it that were penned by Paul. He is now the chief advocate for Christianity next to Jesus Christ. He is the one who has had the most influence over Christianity in the history of the church. So he was converted, and that was an unbelievable miracle. He was a man who is an adult. This was not a child influenced by parents or family, but adult who was such an extreme Faris e so advanced in his religion that he murdered Christians. And in one period of three days, he now becomes a preacher of the gospel of the very one he hated and persecuted my friends. That's the transforming power of God. This is the Paul that we're talking about. Now let's look for a moment at his calling because is calling really lets us know how this radical change took place. He is called an apostle. That's what he says in the very first verse in this epistle. Paul an apostle now India, backtrack for just a moment because we need to understand what that word apostle means. Apostle in the general sense in the Greek language is one who is sent off. It is a messenger or an ambassador. It's a very familiar term not only for Jewish people but also for gentiles. And when you referred to was somebody who was specially chosen by a monarch or king or the government as a representative with legal authority to go to another country on behalf of that government or that king. Well, Paul was not a representative of any government. So what does he mean when he calls himself an apostle? Well, in order for us to understand that we need to go to the scripture to see how this word is used and how Paul uses it in the Bible, there really two categories of meaning. The first of them would be what I would call an impossible with a little A. And the second is an apostle with a capital a apostle. Little a just means a sent one, someone who is sent, and in one respect, all Christians are sent ones. I immediately thought of the passage of Scripture in second Corinthians 5 20 that says about Christians that we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were pleading through us in other words, we are sent into the world. The Scripture says Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the Gospel. Now we are not officially apostles. Just like another title. For example, the title of Deacon that were deacon in Greek means servant and we are all called to be servants. But some are given the title. Some in Scripture were given that title in order to meet a particular need. So all Christians are sent ones. Some may even get specific directions. For example, go to Africa or I want you to be a sent one to the Boeing Aircraft Company. You're going to be a witness there. Others air scent in their own home. You are going to be a mother. You're going to be sent to these Children and to be an influencer in their school wherever the context is. That's the first kind of Apostle Small A. But there is a second type that is the principle type of the New Testament that is the apostle capital A. And here's the truth about that. There are no more capital A apostles. I want to be clear about that statement because there are people running around today, calling themselves Apostle. Now I'm not at all offended by the title, but it's the authority they seem to take on themselves. That offends me because there are no more apostles with Capital A, the Apostles Capital A were the original 12 apostles and Paul. They were individuals who were sent out as well as other Christians are. But there's something that sets them apart. What is that? Something We know that there's something that distinguishes them from every other Christian because Paul spends a good portion of this letter to the Galatians defending the fact that he is one of them. So it has to be some sort of special category. Well, let's look to see what sets them apart. The apostles were the original 12 and Paul, So let's look to the original 12. What distinguished them from every other Christian acts. 1 15 describes it for us. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples. You remember this was just after Jesus had risen from the dead and then ascended up to glory, and they were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is after Judas had committed suicide after he had betrayed Jesus and Peter was telling them that we've got a piece of business that we have to address, and that piece of business was that Judas had to be replaced. Why did he have to be replaced? Because, he said, Scripture says, Let another take his office. The passage of Scripture he is referring to is Psalm 109 versus seven through nine. Say this when he is judged, let him be found guilty and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few and let another take his office, let his Children be fatherless and his wife a widow, prophetically, what that meant was Judas, the betrayer of the Messiah. The Christ was going to be judged and that all these things would happen to him and another person would take his office. The key word there trying to get their is the word office that indicates this is an official position. It's not just some general calling to Christians to be a evangelistic. So Peter ended. Other apostles are going to replace Judas. But who are they going to get? Are they going to just put any believer into that position? no. In that passage of Scripture, they set out the qualifications. 21 says They're four of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when he was taken up from us. One of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. And it says they proposed to Joseph called Barsa Bus and Matthias. They prayed. They asked their Lord to distinguish between the two said you, O Lord, who know the hearts of all show which of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry. An Apostle Shipp, from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place. And then they cast their lots and the lot fell on Matthias and he was numbered with the 11 apostles. So what are the qualifications for an apostle capital? A number one. They had to be a witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And then the second qualification is that they had to be chosen by the Lord himself. Each of the original 12 were chosen, and now that they're replacing Judas they air leaving the decision up to their Lord. That's why they cast lots. So in this sense, when we look at Paul, we can determine that Paul was an apostle Capital A. He was a witness to the resurrection, and he was chosen by the Lord himself. And that is the whole Damascus road experience. If you remember that story, all was going on the road to Damascus to continue the persecution of Christians and a light shone around him. And a voice said, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And then Jesus went on to say to him, I am choosing you to be my messenger, my apostle. So what that means for us is there are no more of these. There may be Christians who are sent to particular regions of the world. We call them missionaries. But nobody alive today is a personal witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nobody is being chosen to fill the capital a apostle ship role. And so that's what Paul is defending about himself, that he is a capital a apostle. From the very start of the epistle, he's defending his apostle ship, and the reason is the Judy Eisner's were challenging his apostle ship. Now we can imagine what they were saying. They might have said, Well, you're not one of the original 12. Your name was not even in the hat to replace Judas. In fact, at the time that Judas was being replaced, you were still part of the Faris ease. We're trying to stamp out Christianity, deny the resurrection. You ended up persecuting the church. You were nowhere around during the three year Ministry of Jesus. And he wasn't as far as we know, is one of those mysteries that we could spend a great deal of time studying the answer to the question. Where was Paul during the Ministry of Jesus? Well, we know that he was likely coming and going in and out of the nation of Israel. He was born outside of Israel in a city of Tarsus, which is a city in Southern what would be Southern Turkey today. But we know as well that he was a part of the Jerusalem elite. Highly educated, he was educated under a man named Emilio. X, 22 3 says, I am indeed a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia and brought up in this city at the feet of D'Amelio. The city is referring to his Jerusalem taught according to the strictness of our fathers law and was zealous toward God, as you all are today. Now who's game? A Leo, Probably the most famous account of Gmail. Eel in Scripture comes from acts Chapter five, Verse 33 through 35 where the Jewish Council. I'm trying to decide what to do with the apostles because they are spreading the news of Jesus resurrection throughout the Jewish world, and many are converting and coming to faith, and they are trying to determine whether or not they had to kill the apostles as well. Just as they put Jesus to death and Emilio speaks up, he's called a Faris. He named Emilio a teacher of the law, held in respect by all the people and commanded them to put the apostles outside for the while. And he said to them, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men, May Leo goes on, then to say to them that they need to consider that putting them to death may not be the wisest course. of action. Well, I'm a Leo in history, holds a reputation in the mission. Ah, it's Ah, Jewish Elaboration of law is regarded as being one of the greatest teachers and all the annals of Judaism, one individual wrote. Since Robin Gamay Leo the elder died, there has been no more reverence for the law and purity and piety died out at the same time. He was highly regarded as a great teacher and very devout. So Paul was taught by this man at MIT. He would have been in and out of Jerusalem quite frequently, and probably they're a good part of his childhood. We Noah's well, that Paul was likely in Jerusalem at least three times during the Ministry of Jesus and that they may have crossed paths during that time. Those three times would be the three pass overs that took place during Jesus Ministry. Every devout Jew would have been in Jerusalem at that time to celebrate the feast of the Passover. We know Jesus was there as well. So Paul may have been part of those nameless Faris ease, who opposed Jesus, sought to trip him up with questions, conspired to destroy him during his ministry. Some believe that he may have been a witness to the crucifixion. We don't know. All we know is that later on as an adult, the first time he comes into the story is in acts. Chapter seven, Verse 58 through 60 When they were stoning Stephen to death, this would have been about 36 a. D. Three years after Jesus, death and resurrection. It says that they laid their clothes the feet of a young man named Saul, and they stone Stephen as he called on God. Paul himself refers to this incident in acts Chapter 22 Verse 20 when he says, And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death and guarding the close of those who were killing him. So we know he was in Jerusalem at that time. But Paul never mentions or gives a personal anecdote about hearing or meeting Jesus. That may be because he was ashamed of that time of his life. It may be because he had family outside of the country, and it's likely he travelled home. He may have been a chief teacher in a Jewish setting in his own home region or seminar place. But he was a witness to the resurrection. First Corinthians, 15 7 through nine. Paula's listing those who were witnesses to Jesus, Resurrection for seven says. After that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles, then last of all, he was seen by me also as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles who I'm not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God. So he saw the resurrection. He's a witness to the resurrection, which was very important. That was when the chief functions of an apostle was to go out and bear witness to the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The second qualification is that he be personally chosen by Christ, and he waas on that Damascus road experience. Jesus Christ personally chose Paul, not only for salvation, but for apostle ship. Now these very questions were likely used to challenge Paul's apostle ship. So Paul is defending his apostle ship and the Judy eyes Er's are challenging that apostle ship. So from the very start of this epistle, Paul has to say I am an apostle. You might wonder why. What does it matter whether they believe he's an apostle or not? It was very important because the spiritual fate of these Galatians churches rest on their believing the gospel, the gospel that you're saved by grace through faith and not of works. And my friends, Paul is the only one delivering that message to the Gentiles. It's not as though they could go down to the local Christian bookstore and pick up some book that describes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They can't go on the Web and find thousands, if not millions, of voices describing the gospel and you're saved by grace through faith. Paul was it. So it's very important that he defend himself in his authority as an apostle. So he says, Paul an apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God, the father who raised him from the dead, not from men nor through man. In other words, I wasn't chosen by men. I was personally chosen by Jesus Christ and God, the father, Galatians, 1 15 Paul says. God set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through his grace was pleased to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles. He also says I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood. I didn't even go to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me. I went to Arabia. What he is saying from the very start of this letter is that his authority comes from Jesus Christ himself. He didn't get his commission from the other disciples, the other apostles. He didn't go before some committee. He didn't get his ordination papers through some seminary he got is commissioning directly from Jesus Christ. Well, that's the first contender. Uh, the second contender in this passage of Scripture are the Judy eyes, er's. They are described in those first verses as preachers of a different gospel verse eight says, But even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed, as we have said before. So now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. So who are the Judy eyes? Er's Well, they are number one preachers of a different gospel. They are individuals who claim to be Christian. They also claim authority. We know as well that they were persuasive because many of the Galatians came to believe them. But we're told that they are damned because of their preaching, something contrary to the truth. Now we're calling them here. Judy eyes er's And that word is not in the Bible. It is just a label that has been placed on this group of people when talking about them. Who are they? Judy Izer is claimed to be Christians. That's how they had access to the churches. They came in saying We believe in Jesus. Well, we have come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies. Now they want to make gentiles into Jews. That's what the word Judy Isar means. Someone who wants to take a gentile and have them attack on all of the things that distinguish the Jewish people from the rest of the world like circumcision and following the mosaic law, become Jewish. Pross alights, and there seems to be a very influential group of them in the early church acts Chapter 15. We talked about the Jerusalem Council previous to this, the whole thing that precipitated the Jerusalem Council were these individuals who were running around saying, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. They were going to the relation churches and other gentile churches and saying that Verse five of the next chapter goes on to say that there were Faris ease in the church who had believed and they rose up, saying it is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. We encounter them again in Galatians Chapter two, Verse 11 when Paul has a confrontation with Peter says that in the Church of Antioch that Peter himself was swayed by these that are called the circumcision. They were separating themselves from gentiles because gentiles did not do all the things that made them Jews. And so Jews want to be separate from them. So that's what a Judy Izer is, and we know as well that they claimed authority. Verse 13 of Chapter one, Paul says these are false apostles and verse four of Chapter two, and this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in, who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage. These are the people that showed up in the churches of DeLay Sha and this group really could be found throughout the New Testament. In practically every letter that Paul wrote, there are examples of Judy Eyes, Er's and their influence. Philippians Chapter three, Verse two. Paul writes to that church in Philippi, eyes saying, Watch out for dogs. Watch out for evil workers. Watch out for those who mutilate the flesh, it's referring to people who want gentiles to be circumcised. So they're all over the place and they are very influential. The question that arises then, is why are they doing this? I mean, personally, I can't think of anything that I would want to do less not to be crass, but if you think about it, these Judy eyes er's were not sending gentiles down to the local hospital or clinic to be circumcised. They had to do that themselves. Why were they doing it? Well, we get a little clue about that in verse 13 of Chapter six regulations it says there. Those who are circumcised don't even keep the law themselves. But they desire to have you circumcised so they may boast in your flesh. In other words, what they wanted to do was a rack up a list of converts say, Aren't we wonderful? We've got all these people to become Jews, and in verse 12 he says something else about them, He says. Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised. And then he says, so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. What does that mean? Well, this is what that means. There was this early persecution of the church, and the church was principally Jewish For quite a while, we've already described how Stephen was stoned to death around 36 a. D. There was a severe persecution that broke out against the church in Jerusalem. At that time. It says that all the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria directly After that, Paul called Saul at the time, decided he was going to go out and pursue those individuals who were taking the gospel throughout the Nation of Israel describes him as ravaging the church, literally entering house after house, dragging off men and women and putting them into prison. Now that was just a couple years after Jesus, crucifixion as resurrection and ascension. But then the persecution stopped. For the most part, Why did it stop? Well, because Saul is converted shortly after Stephen stoning, it says in Chapter nine of Acts 1st 31 So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers. Things began to settle down. But then Paul starts actively preaching to the gentiles he converted. He goes off to Arabia for a few years, but he began to actively preach to the Gentiles, and he preached to them that they could know God through faith in Jesus, apart from the law and without being circumcised. And now devout Jews in the gentile world were getting stirred up again. We've already read about that in the book of acts. Let me remind you acts 13 42. It describes Hall and Barnum. It's going to a particular synagogue and telling them about Jesus Christ. After the service was dismissed, it says, many of the Jews and devout Pross alights. It would be gentiles who were God. Fears followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them, persuading them to continue in the grace of God. Then it says, one week later, the following Sabbath, the whole town assembled to hear the message that Lord, that means not only were there Jews who would be a normal part of the synagogue service, not only were there gentile pross alights who weren't fully Jewish but who believed in the law and so forth who were present. But now the entire city gathered together to hear Paul and Barnabas, and it says the Jews seeing the crowds were filled with jealousy and began to oppose what Paul was saying by insulting them. So what happened was the Jewish people in that community stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from that district. The same thing happened in I coni, um, another relation city. They entered the synagogue. A great number of Jews and gentiles believed, and the Jews who refused to believe stirred up in poisoned mind to the Gentiles against the brothers. And so they are driven out of these cities, sometimes assaulted and stoned. They went to list run Derby, and they kept evangelizing. And everywhere they went, they met the same opposition. So back to the question was the motive for these Judy eyes Er's asking gentiles to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses. Well, they're trying to avoid persecution. As Paul wrote, those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Their motivation is they want to compromise in order to avoid persecution. I want to say, basically, you know, we believe in Jesus, but you're upsetting our Jewish friends and family by preaching that gentiles could come to God without mosaic law. And we're being branded guilty by association. You know, we already have trouble enough that we've converted to Christ among our family and friends. But now you're adding to that that our sect are group wants to bring all these gentiles in and give them a gospel that requires nothing of them. No adherence to the law. No morality, no standard of living. And so they're Jewish friends, or at least those that they identify with as fellow Jews are persecuting the church because of Paul's preaching. So they might say, Well, if we can just get these gentiles to become Jews, the Jews won't be offended, and our lives will be more peaceful. In other words, they wanted to go along to get along. People have been doing that throughout the entire history of the church. Well, how in the world did the Galatians fall for that? You know, they knew the gospel that Paul had given them. Well, we know that the Judy eyes has had to have been very persuasive. That's another attribute of the Judy Eisner's. We have a clue to that in the verse where Paul says. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached you a curse beyond him, what does that mean? That means that even if something that is majestic and glorious and beautiful and persuasive and mellowed, ius comes and preaches another gospel. Don't believe them, and there's a curse on them. So you get the impression that these people who came and try to get the Gentiles to become Jews were likely very persuasive because terms of outward appearance they were very nice people. They were very religious. They acted very religious. They were devoted, and they sounded very caring and loving concerning the Gentiles. And so we're very persuasive and Paul essentially saying I don't care who they are I don't care if an angel comes to you the most beautiful creature and all of the universe. I didn't care if we ourselves came back to you preaching a different gospel, Let them be damned Whoever perverts the gospel is damned. And that really is the last attributes of these Judy eyes. Er's They are anathema. That's the word used here, damned or cursed and repeats. It twice means this is very intense word against the Judy Eisner's. The word anathema means devoted to God for destruction. Now that's pretty harsh. Why so harsh? Because the gospel is the good news about salvation. We're holding the eternity of individuals in our hands, and anyone who distorts the good news about salvation is to be cursed because they are preventing individuals from entering into God's glory. This is a harsh as the word of God ever gets, and in essence, it pronounces a damning double curse on anyone who distorts or alters the gospel. Why double curse? Well, because in first, Corinthians 16 20 to all those who do not love the Lord are already accursed. They're not Christian, so their accursed. But now, because they're preaching a different gospel, they have another curse on them because they are not only preventing themselves from entering into the kingdom but preventing others as well. They're doubly cursed. The Gospel of Christ is, in a nutshell, all about what Jesus did for you in the 20th verse of the second chapter. It says. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. Think about that for a moment. What is essentially saying is that the moment of your conversion you were crucified along with Christ, you died. And now the thing that lives on and us believer is Jesus Christ, It's not. It's not even you. You see, that's what happens. Christ dies, and by a divine miracle, we die in him. Our sins are taken care of, and then he comes to live in us. Has nothing to do with what we've done for him that saves us. We're not even living anymore. Spiritually speaking, so circumcision has nothing to do with salvation. Getting baptized doesn't have anything to do with it. Taking communion, going to penance, saying your prayers doing good deeds. Christ Death is the final sent offering to God a ransom paid to God to rescue centres to provide for the forgiveness of those sins. It is atonement in full. That's the nature of what it iss. That's the gospel, so you can't add anything to it now. That's the second contender in this about now. We come to the audience to the match. The audience are those who are part of the churches of Malaysia, and frankly, some of them don't know who to root for. They don't know whether or not they ought to be hoping that Paul wins or the Judy eyes Er's they are confused. They're described in verse six, The churches of Galatians. I'm marvel that you're turning away so soon from him, who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel which is not another. But there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Gospel of Christ. Now we're told that there from Malaysia. So who are they in terms of a region? And how is it that they're deserting this gospel of Paul or a different gospel will delay. Sha, as I've said, is a region, not a town. It's not like ethicists or Colossi or Phillippi, which were the names of letters, letter to the Philippians, the letter to the Ephesians to a particular city. But this is a region. It's a region that's approximately 175 miles by 250 miles. If you were gonna find it today, you'd find it in Southern Turkey and it had several cities in it. Glacial, by the way, comes from the ancient term goal. You might remember in history that Gallic wars And so we learn about some of the cities in this region. In the book of acts. You remember that in acts Paul and Barnabas take the gospel to Antioch to I coni um and list Ra and Derby. This is their first missionary journey. They preach the gospel. They established the church, and so these people became very dear to them. They also went on their second missionary journey back to the same region of Galicia and on their third missionary journey. Everywhere they went they were taking the gospel to Jews and Gentiles. And everywhere they went, the Jews became furious, persecuted them, even stoned all. On one occasion they met incredible opposition. But that was their basic strategy. Everywhere they went into these gentile cities that would go first to the synagogue, the Jewish meeting place. On our Saturday they were sit down in those times of teaching and fellowship, and they would talk to the Jewish people about Jesus. And then there would be some gentiles who were also present who were God fear er's. They would not be mingled in with the Jews because they remained separate. Some of the Jews would believe some of the God fears would believe. And then, as they continued, their persecution would break out, and they sometimes will be forced to move on to a new place. But they would sit down with these new believers and share with them the story of Jesus, the meaning behind the crucifixion. The relationship of these Jewish people and these gentiles to the law that they were now living in Christ. There, the new law put in their hearts and that they would not be bound by circumcision and and all the mosaic laws that had to do with rituals and traditions and the way you ate or what you wore. But what happened was when they went back to these places, they found that many of these gentiles had deserted. That truth is what it says here in this passes. They deserted. I'm marveled at you so quickly have deserted the truth. By the way, the word deserting here is in the middle, reflexive in the Greek language. But that basically means to you is that they have not completely deserted the gospel. They are in the process of doing that, but they started down the wrong direction. Considering that question that comes to my mind is, are these people that all is exhorting? Are they really Christians if they're deserting? We know that first John Chapter two, verse 18 to 19 says that they went out from us because they were not of us. If they had been of us, they would have remained with us, but they went out from us that we might know that they were not of us. The thing is, though, these people had not defected yet. So what Paul is doing is he's exhorting them toe. Hang on, don't let go. Don't turn away from the truth that we gave you. They are believers. We know they're believers because, Paul says in Chapter three, Verse two. This is the only thing I want to find out from you, Paul says. I got one question for you. Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing with faith? He's saying, When you received the Holy Spirit of God, when you were filled with that holy spirit of God at your conversion, did you receive that spirit because you kept the law perfectly? Or did you get that spirit because you heard the gospel preached and you had faith and God saved you? So here's the point. They are believers. If they were not believers, they would not have received the Holy Spirit. And as believers, they can't lose their salvation, is it? Well, then why is Paul making such a big deal here. It's not like they're gonna be lost. But here's the big deal. They will not themselves lose their salvation, but they can lose their effectiveness. You see, my friends of water down gospel is a worthless gospel. We are to stand for the truth and a truth. Lis Gospel is a toothless gospel. It can't save you know what? That's why it always baffles me when Christians talk about their kids. After they're grown, they get married. Maybe they marry. Somebody outside of Protestant church will use that broad category. They start going to a church that teaches work salvation because that's where their new mate goes. And I've heard people in my church is say, Well, at least they're going to church. No, you know your child may be saved, but the grand kids aren't the great grand kids aren't your child's neighbors and friends aren't and so abandoning them to a church that doesn't teach the truth of the gospel that you're saved by grace through faith alone, not of works. Plus nothing abandons them to non effectiveness. They have watered down the gospel, and so you may lose the next generation in your family. May lose. All of those who might have come to faith through your child have been the truth for a different gospel. Well, it's the conclusion that's the audience to the about. The conclusion is this. Today we are the Galatians, where the audience to the about and the Galatians found themselves in a precarious position. They were saved, but they were adding rituals. They were adding works to salvation in order to get along in the world. I think that's where American Christians are today. They're saved by grace through faith. They believe all the right things. But we begun to take on the trappings of legalism in order to blend in with the quote unquote church at large. You know, I was amazed when my wife and I went off to seminary in Kansas City. I went to work in a Southern Baptist church in the vicinity as a custodian, and that church was practicing all the trappings of Roman Catholicism's. I mean, they were using the language of Roman Catholicism's. They were talking about celebrating lint instead of the Lord's Table. Lord's supper. They're calling it you. Crist and they were participating in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church all the different times of the year and Scripture readings and so forth, you say, Well, why were they doing that? I was told by the pastor there that they were doing it because they wanted to be able to say to Roman Catholic, See, we're just like you. So come join us. I would have to ask if you as a church are just like them. Why should I leave this other church to join you? You know, we're very concerned in our society today as Christians, about getting along in the Christian community. And even if we do not take on the trappings of legalism, very few of us are willing to condemn it. But we ourselves are in a fight just like all waas me conclude with this passage of Scripture in first Corinthians Chapter nine. This is a call to believers. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run? But one receives the prize run in such a way that you may obtain it? And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown. But we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus not with uncertainty. Thus I fight not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection. Lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. May God richly bless the reading and teaching of his word.