Separate and NOT Equal

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.

What makes a recipe unique?

In episode 15 of the second season of Everybody Loves Raymond, Deborah asks for the recipe to her mother-in-law’s spaghetti and meatballs in order to please her husband. Marie brings over a box of ingredients and coaches Deborah through the whole process, but Raymond notices something is different. Come to find out Marie pastes a fake label and tries to pass of Tarragon as Basil. One little substitution and Deborah’s meatballs were not the same as Marie’s.

I guarantee if you ever receive a recipe from my wife, (except for her Pecan Pie or Peanut Brittle), it will be “nuts optional”.

In today’s text we find that a group of false teachers had messed with the Apostle Paul’s “recipe” and the product that was produced was NOT equal to the original!

Transition: Just as Deborah found that the false ingredient did not produce a product pleasing to her husband, Paul says that a false gospel does not please God. And pleasing God is a matter of eternal life and eternal death.

Uninformed disciples may Desert to a Different Gospel (v.6)

Last week I listed 5 false gospels that some claim belong to the Christian Church (comfort, convenience, currency, controland culture). This week he clarifies that false gospels have consequences for listener, speaker and God Himself.

The desertion can happen quickly. (sometimes it is a slow fade, other times it is abrupt)

Brownies or Banana Bread with nuts may be your preference, but they are NOT Ann’s brownies or Banana Bread. Meatballs with tarragon may be good, but they were not Marie’s meatballs. And a gospel of grace PLUS works is not the True Gospel described in the first 5 verses of this chapter!

3. There may be many reasons to move toward another gospel, but that movement takes you away from the True Gospel that was willed by God and accomplished by Christ.

4. We live in an era where spiritual frequently gets confused with Christian. An “inclusive” or “one of many” gospel is NOT what Christ’s death grants to sinners who repent

When is a “Pizza” no longer a Pizza?

What is the item that people put on pizza that no longer makes it an acceptable pie? Pineapple? Salty fish? In New York they call big flat triangles pizza. In Chicago pizza is 1”-2” thick with the sauce on top and melted cheese that spreads all over your plate when served. For a season my sister sold Pampered Chef products. One of the items was demonstrated by preparing a “fruit pizza”. Don’t get me wrong! I love sugar cookie dough covered in sweetened cream cheese covered by sliced fruit; but it is not pizza.

Paul says that the Galatians had quickly embraced something that is NOT the True Gospel

Transition: How can believers desert to a different “gospel” so quickly? Paul doesn’t only express disappointment in those who desert, but also the...

Fake Evangelists Disturb with Distortions (v.7)

Trouble/Distort (ESV); Disturb/Distort (NASB); Confuse/pervert (NIV); fooled/deliberately twist (NLT); trouble/pervert (KJV).

They cause disequilibrium or doubt by promising something that is a little different than the truth.

Satan did this in conversation with Eve. She began to doubt that God was truly good when the Serpent twisted His instructions to them.

Bad Food/Dirty Kitchen

How many of you have ever had food poisoning?

It is unlikely that the food tasted bad as you were eating, it may have seemed off, but you continued. You first began to feel queasy, then the longer that bacteria was inside of you the more violent your body’s response became.

Eve didn’t spit out the fruit that had been misrepresented, she ever passed it along to Adam.

The distortions by false teachers and false religions may not seem damaging. Especially if labeled as a blessing or tolerance.

Those who serve bad food deserve to be shut down until all the unhealthy stuff (even unseen) can be removed. They have no business continuing with “business as usual” while distributing something unhealthy.

By the same token preachers, televangelists, churches, predatory ministries and false religions fully deserve to be labeled and consumers warned of the harm their product produces.

Maci Harshman and I have had some great discussions as she plans music for the Youth 4:12 outreach. She has increasing discovered that music heard on the radio or at an event may not be biblically sound, or even if a particular song may be truthful, it is performed or produced by a ministry with an unbiblical gospel. It is as if good food is produced in a dirty kitchen.

Transition: So how are we to reckon somebody who tolerates filth in their product or their process?

Fake Evangelists DeserveGod’s Curse (vv.8-9)

1. We become accustomed to dirt and treat it less offensively.

I recall a story of parents and pacifiers. For the first child every drop merits boiling to sanitize. The parent then settles for washing when the 2nd child drops the pacy. The 3rd child is lucky if dad wipes it off or mom blows the loose dirt off.

2. How much can you tolerate?

I don’t know if you’ve ever had a picky eater. Our oldest developed an aversion to mushrooms. Over time it became common practice to tell her to pick them out or eat around them. But in her mind, mushrooms are accursed and the whole dish must be discarded if a mushroom has touched it.

Bad Bacon?

If you are eating at home and a piece of bacon falls off your cheeseburger and falls on your plate, you probably wouldn’t think twice about reclaiming that beautiful piece of smoked goodness.

What if that same piece of bacon missed your plate and fell on the table?

What if it hit the floor and you picked it up in less than 5 seconds?

What if you are at a fast food joint and it hits the floor?

What if you are at a fine restaurant meeting your girlfriends parents for the first time?

Elder Brendan did a great job of introducing theological triage to the Fellowship Hall S.S. class a few months ago. It was the idea of categorizing issues as essential, important, and preferred. I don’t need to break fellowship with a brother or sister who disagrees with my understanding of tattoos or lottery tickets, but if ANY idea imposed that changes the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, it must be disregarded like a piece of bacon on a truck stop bathroom floor!

Transition: verse 10 provides a transition from the preachers of false gospel to those who preach God’s True Gospel. Our Gospel will be shaped by the one we seek to please.

True Apostles/Ambassadors Delight in God’s Approval (v.10)

I can’t promise you that my prayers are going to restore your health, but I proclaim without reservation that God is causing all things to work for HIS definition of your good.

I can’t promise you that all the people who mistreat you will repent and apologize. It never happened that way for Jesus, Peter, Paul or many of the Old Testament prophets.

I can’t promise you that if you place your trust in Christ that you will suddenly get a 6 figure job or the way you vote will always be the majority position.

I can’t promise you that my sermons are going to make you happy, but based upon God’s truth they lead to blessing.

Psalm 1:1–2 ESV:2016

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

5. What I CAN promise is that delighting in God’s Approval is better than striving to please man.

Proverbs 15:16 ESV:2016

16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.

Proverbs 16:8 ESV:2016

8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.

6. I can promise that the offer of Christ is better than any other gospel

Hebrews 8:6 ESV:2016

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

Transition: Paul expresses exasperation with the Galatian believers who had deserted to a lesser non-gospel.

Conclusion:

Calling Cauliflower a steak doesn’t’ make it meat.

Substituting ingredients changes the product.

No matter how good the bacon is, if it’s been on the bathroom floor it is to be appointed for destruction.

No matter how innocent the false teaching appears, if it changes the Gospel it is to be accursed (and never tolerated)

The Gospel we preach is that anyone who believes (trust in or rely upon) and calls upon (admits our need for forgiveness) the Lord will be saved!

Going under water won’t save you. Participating in sacraments won’t save you. The words of a sinner’s prayer won’t save you. Walking down the aisle of a church or revival tent won’t save you.

The Gospel is that God graciously saves any who call upon Him in faith.

Our proclamation that we believe the Gospel is done by ordinances, prayer and public testimony.

Perhaps there are those in attendance today who are being compelled by God’s Spirit to proclaim their belief publicly. You are hearing the Spirit tell you respond by telling this body that you have accepted the Gospel. You hear God telling you that you need to proclaim through the waters of baptism. Or You simply need to come to the altar in public declaration and pray silently for forgiveness of tolerating other “gospels”

As we respond to this message by singing, you are invited to obey the call of God to proclaim the Gospel before men.