No Other Gospel
Galatians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewThis is the first sermon through the book of Galatians
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
**story about cult heretic podcasters*
“it doesn’t matter if you’re in your sickbed about to die or in a desert with no water anywhere. If you don’t get baptized, you will not go to heaven”
-Now, as crazy and outlandish as that story is, I think it illustrates rather well a tendency in the human heart
-There is a desire within all of us as fallen sinners to make it to heaven on our own
-We want to feel like we’ve earned our way to heaven and to God
-And this is exactly why Paul writes the book of Galatians
-It’s a problem that is often referred to as “legalism”
-Now, we need to know exactly what legalism is
-For the most part today, legalism is a verbal club that we use to hit people over the head who are more conservative than us
“oh, that family doesn’t own a TV? How legalistic”
“Oh, that church requires what for church membership? How legalistic?”
“You think that a Christian ought to read their Bible everyday? How legalistic!”
Actually, none of these things are necessarily legalistic
-Legalism, in the proper sense of the term, means to rely on our own effort to appease God
-It seeks to earn more of God’s love or favor through the things that I do
-In a sense, it seeks to put God in my debt, He owes me, because of the good things that I’m doing
And this was the problem that Paul is combatting in Galatians
Textual Background:
Textual Background:
-You see, Paul had probably founded this church on his first missionary journey
-And the Galatian churches had started out well, seeimg to have received the Gospel and been transformed
-But it seems at some point in the early life of this church, and group of people (either from within the church or from outside of it) had decided that they must also be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in order to achieve or maintain their right standing with God
-Now, I’m sure the church in Galatia probably didn’t think of themselves as legalistic!
-I mean, circumcision and the Law of Moses was in the Bible!
-These things were commanded by God!
-Surely God would want us to keep these commandments!
-So imagine the surprise of these churches, when they get their personal letter from Paul, and he accuses them of deserting Christ for a different Gospel!
-Imagine the shock!
-For many of them, they certainly weren’t trying to desert Christ for a different Gospel!
But brothers and sisters, this is something we must be on guard against today!
-We, as genuine Christians, can quickly fall into patterns of thinking or living where we begin to rely on our own efforts or standards, thinking that somehow God must love us more when we are doing well spiritually, and love us less when we are struggling
-We can imagine how much favor we’ve earned with God after the witnessing opportunity we had or after getting to disciple that person at church, versus how we’re in the doghouse with God after we blew up at our kid or gossiped about our boss at work
-We can often live on the seesaw of our performance, thinking that our standing with God and His favor rests on how we’re doing in our obedience each day
-Or perhaps we’re tempted to not be so firm in our witnessing when we come across others who believe similarly to us, but they are adding their own works to the Gospel, such as Roman Catholics
-We think, “well, they believe most of the same things that I believe! It’s not a big deal that they add a couple extra steps in”
So here’s the main point of our text and sermon this evening, here’s what I want us all to come away with:
Proposition: Because of your sinful tendency to trust in your works for your standing before God, you must understand the glory of the true Gospel
Proposition: Because of your sinful tendency to trust in your works for your standing before God, you must understand the glory of the true Gospel
**read text and pray**
Now, whenever you read any of the Letters of Paul, you always need to pay special attention to the greeting of his letter, because sometimes in his greeting, Paul tips his hand as to what this letter is going to be about
Now, some letters of Paul have more of a standard greeting
I want to just briefly compare this greeting, to the greeting Paul gives in Colosse so that we can use it as a baseline to compare what Paul does and does not say in this particular greeting, and I think this will help us be better exegetes of God’s word
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
From this greeting here in Galatians 1, there are three important observations about the Gospel that Paul wants the readers to see, in order for us to rightly understand and appreciate the Gospel, so that we too don’t fall into the temptation to add to it
1. Because of your sinful tendency to trust in our works for our standing before God, you must understand that Christ is the authority of the Gospel (vs. 1-2)
1. Because of your sinful tendency to trust in our works for our standing before God, you must understand that Christ is the authority of the Gospel (vs. 1-2)
Now, notice the pains Paul takes to establish the source of his Apostolic authority
-Because to attack Paul’s authority is to attack the Gospel that Paul preaches
-As Paul is writing this letter, strongly attacking the false Gospel that is being propagated in the Galatian churches, he knows that some of these people may be sitting there thinking, “well, Paul says this is the Gospel, but these other guys are saying this is the right way. I guess it’s simply a matter of opinion or interpretation.”
And Paul wants to let them know from the get-go: wrong!
Paul derives his Apostolic authority, and therefore, his gospel, not from man, nor through man
Paul’s saying: “I didn’t get my authority from any human being! I didn’t get appointed by Peter, nor John, nor James, nor any other human being! You wanna know who I got my authority, and therefore my gospel from? I’ve been appointed by Jesus Christ Himself, and God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead! That’s where my authority comes from!”
Brothers and sisters, the Gospel doesn’t rest on the authority of your pastors:
-not me
-not my Dad
-The Gospel doesn’t rest on any big Christian figure!
-It’s not true or authoritative because John MacArthur says it is, or John Piper, or Paul Washer, or Voddie Baucham
-The authenticity and authority of the Gospel, doesn’t rest in any significant church history figure
-Church history is an incredible gift, and it’s incredibly important! I think as independent baptists, we often undervalue the significance of church history
-But the Gospel isn’t the Gospel because Martin Luther said it is, or John Calvin, or Charles Spurgeon, or Jonathan Edwards, or Thomas Aquinas, or Augustine, or Chrysostom, or because Polycarp said it is
We believe that the Apostles of our Lord authoritatively taught the pure Gospel and wrote it down for us in the Scriptures, but it’s not the Gospel just because Peter and James and John decided that this is what it is
-Brothers and sisters, the Gospel is what it is because Jesus said it is
Your faith, and my faith, rests not in the word or authority of any man, but in the word and authority of Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead!
-And our God has all authority and His Word is final
**illustration about Ben being in charge
*It’s not that my brother Ben had any authority of his own. He didn’t make up the rules. He was just following the instruction he was given. And if we didn’t obey, we’d have to deal with the ones who gave the instructions, who’s words were final, and who had the authority to wield punishment
-Brothers and sisters, before Paul delivers this stinging rebuke to the Galatians Christians, he’s saying, “I don’t write the mail! I just deliver it.”
-Brothers and sisters, because of our sinful tendency to trust or add our effort to the Gospel, you must understand that Christ is the authority of the Gospel!
One way this can affect us is in our witnessing:
-Maybe you’ve befriended a neighbor or coworker who is a Catholic
-And there may be a tendency, as you get close to them, to not want to offend
-You don’t want to be argumentative or start division
-And so maybe there’s a temptation to downplay the significance of that Catholic trusting in their faith plus their good works they do for the Catholic Church
-And we can begin to think that there may not be that big of a difference between their beliefs and ours
-And we might think, “well, it might just be that we have a difference of opinion on a few things. I don’t want to make a big deal out of my beliefs that may differ some with theirs.”
-Brothers and sisters, the Gospel has been given by the authority of Christ Himself, and we are not permitted to add anything to it!
-In this scenario, this person you’ve befriended is someone who is adding his or her own effort to the saving work of Christ, and we can be tempted to think it’s not a big deal!
Why?? because we have that same sinful tendency in ourselves
-And for sure, we should never be pugnacious or unnecessarily rude
-But brothers and sisters, sitting by and deciding not to take a stand on the true Gospel is not an option for the believer
-The issue is not your beliefs or your interpretation: the issue is what the true Gospel is according to Jesus Christ, who has all authority and all power!
-We must be careful that in our interactions with others, whether Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, People who call themselves Christians but don’t believe that Jesus is the Only Way to God — We must stand on Christ’s word as the authority of the Gospel
So first, because of your sinful tendency to trust in your works for your standing before God, you must understand that Christ is the authority of the Gospel
but second,
2. Because of your sinful tendency to trust in your works for your standing before God, you must understand that the Gospel hinges on Christ’s work (vs. 3-4a)
2. Because of your sinful tendency to trust in your works for your standing before God, you must understand that the Gospel hinges on Christ’s work (vs. 3-4a)
-Notice verses 3 through the first half of 4
-He is praying for grace and peace from God and Jesus for these Christians
-Nothing unusual here necessarily, but notice how he describes Jesus:
He is the one “who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age”
Brothers and sisters, the Gospel is not about you and your effort to pull yourself out of sin! It’s about Christ the rescue operation he performed to miraculously bring you out of sin
**Aron Ralston was hiking alone in 2003 through Bluejohn Canyon in Utah
-While he was descending into a part of the canyon, a boulder dislodged and fell on his arm, trapping it against the canyon wall
-Aron was stuck in that canyon for 127 hours, staying alive by eating and drinking the few provisions that he had
-He knew that more than likely, no one would find him until he was long dead
-So in desperation, Aron Ralston took drastic action and hacked of his own arm with a small pocket knife that he had brought with him.
-After this, he repelled 65 down a rock wall and then hiked 6 miles until he finally came across a family who called for help, and he was saved
Contrast that with the story of Adul Sam-on, who was one of 13 boys on a soccer team in Thailand who decided to go exploring the nearby caves and tunnels one fateful evening.
While in the caves, a monsoon struck, flooding the caves and trapping the team deep in the cave, locked in by the stone walls and rushing waters
-After 9 days, with the help of hundreds of volunteers all over the world, two British cave divers found the team
-After days of trying to pump the water out of the cave, a bold plan was hatched
-Divers would go into the caves, tie up the boys, put scuba gear on them, then knock them out with anesthesia so that they could be transported one by one out of the cave by the divers
Adul survived the experience of being trapped in those caves due to the sacrificial and skilled rescue of those divers and all those working to rescue them
Brothers and sisters, we are not Aron Ralston! We were not saved by our superhuman efforts and will!
-We were not saved because we somehow figured out a way to get to God!
-We weren’t saved by being smart enough to believe in Jesus or holy enough to read our Bible
Brothers and sisters, we are Adul!
There was a rescue operation, not by a team of hundreds, but by the One Triune God
-And Jesus Christ, the God-Man, took on human flesh and came to this very earth
-He perfectly and completely kept the Law of God
-He came and suffered mockery and rejection
-He was beaten and hit and made to bear a cruel cross
-And He went to Calvary and there gave Himself for our sins
-He took upon Himself the punishment and wrath of God that we deserved for our punishment!
-And then He died, and was buried, and then on the third day He rose triumphant over the grave
-And He ascended on high
-And He did this to deliver us from this present evil age!
-Brothers and sisters, we were as helpless as Adul was
-And we are rescued, not by our efforts, but by His effort!
-Brothers and sisters, this was so important for these Galatians to hear
-These false teachers come in and are teaching that yes, believing in Jesus is good, but we’ve also got to be circumcised and keep the Law
-And essentially, whether they were realizing it or not, the Galatian Christians begin to trust their efforts, instead of trusting in the finished work of Christ
Brothers and sisters, this is such an important reminder for us as well
-We can, even as Christians, begin to trust in our efforts of righteousness for our security
-We can begin to place our confidence in our witnessing, in our faithful church attendance, in our devotional time with the Lord, or in our being such a good parent or spouse
-And all of these things are good and necessary things!
-But we can slowly begin to place our confidence and our hope in the good things that we have done or are doing
-We begin to almost have an attitude that “of course God would save me and love me! Look at all these things I’ve done or am doing!”
Or brothers and sisters, maybe you’re on the flip side of this:
-maybe you’ve really been struggling as a parent or a spouse recently
-maybe you feel like an absolute failure as a Christian
-maybe you’ve struggled and failed to be faithful in certain areas of your life
-You can rest in the finished work of Christ, that He loves you as much now as He ever has
-Because if you’re His child, His love for you doesn’t rest on your performance
-It never has!
-If you’re a Christian, you’re accepted and loved because of Christ’s finished work on your behalf
Brothers and sisters, this was a rescue operation by Jesus Christ Himself to rescue wretched sinners from this present age of sin and death and has transferred us into the new age of life and grace
We need this reminder!
So first, because of your sinful tendency to trust your works for your standing before God, you must understand that Christ is the authority of the Gospel
Second, Because of our sinful tendency to trust your works for your standing before God, you must understand that the Gospel hinges on Christ’s work
but finally,
3. Because of your sinful tendency to trust your works for your standing before God, You must understand that God sent the Son and gets the glory (vs. 4b-5)
3. Because of your sinful tendency to trust your works for your standing before God, You must understand that God sent the Son and gets the glory (vs. 4b-5)
Notice the end of 4 and then verse 5
-The saving act of Christ has been done according to the will of the Father, and He deserves all glory
Oftentimes, when people misunderstand the Gospel, they believe that God is somehow violent and bloodthirsty, and Jesus had to step in and protect us from God wanting to kill and destroy us all
-Brothers and sisters, the Father sent the Son to rescue us
-How could His love be more clearly displayed?
And because of this, God receives all the glory for our rescue
We don’t deserve any of the praise or glory for what has happened to us, only God does
Have you ever wondered why it’s such a temptation for us as fallen sinners to add to the finished work of Christ?
-I mean, salvation is free!
-Why don’t people accept it? Why are people insistent on trusting their good works?
-I think one of the biggest reasons is that there is something in us as fallen sinners that so desperately wants to be independent and self-sufficient
-We want to be able to say that we’ve done it ourselves
-It’s why your three year-old kid pushes your hand away when tying their shoe, claiming they can get it done
-It’s why men don’t ask for directions when trying to find something or fix something
-It’s why we get defensive at times when people offer us advice or correction
-We want to be able to say that we did it ourselves
-We don’t want charity
-We want to have earned our own way to God
C.S. Lewis, in his book The Great Divorce, sets the scene as a bus of people from hell are taken up to heaven and shown around. In this scene, a man from hell meets one of the people now in heaven who used to work for him back on earth. The dialogue goes like this:
Look at me, now,” said the [the man from hell], slapping [his] chest. “I gone straight all my life. I don’t say I was a religious man and I don’t say I had no faults, far from it. But I done my best all my life, see? I done my best by everyone, that’s the sort of chap I was. I never asked for anything that wasn’t mine by rights. If I wanted a drink I paid for it and if I took my wages I done my job, see? That’s the sort I was and I don’t care who knows it…You may think you can put me down because you’re dressed up like that (which you weren’t when you worked under me) and I’m only a poor man. But I got to have my rights same as you, see?”
“Oh no. It’s not so bad as that. I haven’t got my rights, or I should not be here. You will not get yours either. You’ll get something far better. Never fear…”
“What do you keep arguing for?... I only want my rights. I’m not asking for anybody’s bleeding charity.”
“Then do. At once. Ask for the Bleeding Charity. Everything is here for the asking and nothing can be bought…”
“I don’t want charity. I’m a decent man and if I had my rights I’d have been here long ago and you can tell them I said so.”
The other shook his head. “You can never do it like that,” he said… “And it isn’t exactly true, you know…”
“What isn’t true?” asked the Ghost sulkily.
“You weren’t a decent man and you didn’t do your best. We none of us were and none of us did…all the men who worked under you felt the same. You made it hard for us, you know. And you made it hard for your wife too and for your children.”
“You mind your own business, young man,” said the Ghost. “None of your lip, see? Because I’m not taking any impudence from you about my private affairs.”
“There are no private affairs,” said the other…
“I’d rather be damned than go along with you. I came here to get my rights, see? Not to go snivelling along on charity tied to your apron-strings…I’ll go home. I didn’t come to be treated like a dog. I’ll go home. That’s what I’ll do. Blast the whole pack of you …”
Brothers and sisters, because of our sinful tendency to add our effort to the Gospel, you must understand that God sent the Son and gets the glory
Paul ends the letter of Galatians by saying:
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
-Maybe this week, you have some great days spiritually
-Maybe you’re seeing some growth in your life
-There are some areas that you’re being more faithful in
-And at that moment, you’re tempted to think that you’re really earning your way as a Christian
-You’re really killing it and God must be thinking that His investment in you has really paid off more than some other Christians you know
-You must understand: God is the One who has rescued us, through no effort of our own, and He alone deserves all the glory
Conclusion
Conclusion
So brothers and sisters, as we look at this text, we have seen the truth that Because of your sinful tendency to add our effort to the Gospel, you must understand the glory of the Gospel
We’ve seen that:
Because of your sinful tendency to add our effort to the Gospel, you must understand that Christ is the authority of the Gospel (vs. 1-2)
Because of your sinful tendency to add our effort to the Gospel, you must understand that Christ sacrificed Himself for our salvation (vs 3-4)
Because of your sinful tendency to add our effort to the Gospel, you must understand that God sent the Son and gets the glory (vs 4-5)
-Notice Paul’s desire for the Galatian believers in verse 3: grace and peace
-These come not from our own efforts, but only through trusting in the finished work of Christ
-Brothers and sisters, rest and trust in the finished work of Christ which has forever given you a loving relationship with your heavenly Father