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Introduction
Introduction
Well as we begin today, I have a number of points that we will be going through in relation to what was going on in Galatia.
Much of what has been discussed so far could be revisited to make a summation of this present passage.
Yet there is so much more to be looked at.
We addressed last week how sin is so engrained upon the hearts of man that we often don’t see the things associated with it in our daily lives.
If you remember the analogy of meat being eaten was given as one of those examples.
Although it’s a joy to share something like a rack of ribs with one another, ultimately the fact that we eat meat is a reflection of the fall.
It’s a reflection of the consequences of sin laid out before us in a very real way.
In order for us to enjoy any type of meat, some animal must die.
Now once again I want to relay that there is nothing wrong with eating meat.
In fact, we’re told right after the flood that meat is to be eaten.
And I for one am glad that at the very least in this depraved way, we have something joyous to eat :)
Yet that doesn’t resolve the fact that it’s a consequence of the fall.
And all of these issues that arise in this life are consequences of the fall.
Whether it’s cancer or some other form of degenerative disease.
They’re all results from the fall.
The fact that we age and our bodies break down and wear down over time is part of that as well.
They are the repercussions of the reality that we live in this present evil age.
This age where man is both inflicted by sin and bound towards an evil bent.
Yet as we addressed last week.
Man is not without hope.
Man is not left in the dumps and deepest depravity of our sins in such a way that we have no prospect of escape.
Those who have been bought by Christ through His death, burial and resurrection have a sure joy awaiting them.
They have the encouragement needed to make it through the day in this age.
Yet they also have the encouragement of the way life shall be in the age to come.
The age where we will stand around the throne of Christ.
The age where the remnant of sin has been completely done away with and we can look upon the Lord with pure joy.
We can look upon the Lord with total satisfaction.
No longer will our hearts cling to the thoughts of my will Lord and not thine.
But instead we will gaze upon the splendor of Christ and profess with absolute honesty, Your will Lord.
We will not have the thoughts in our minds from the day that drag us away from the Lord.
We will not be constantly begging for understanding of why God took someone out of our lives before we felt it was time.
There will be no more confusion about the design of the Lord.
And we beloved, we will the joy of looking at the Lord with no more sorrow.
With no more pain and anguish.
The sorrow in our hearts from the ones we miss shall cease to be.
For the glory of the Lord will overtake your mind and you will finally be free.
Free from every consequence of sin.
Free from the chains of addiction to pornography.
Free from the immoral and unjust thoughts that run through your mind.
Free from the desire to seek after the things that are not holy.
Free to no longer struggle with the besetting sin that has haunted you every day of your life for too many years to count.
Beloved this great joy of being removed from our sin nature and brought into a new age was the entire point of last weeks message.
While you as a Christian may have to live in a double age at the moment, you have a great joy in the morning.
In the blink of an eye when you stand before the Lord, you will know that it was totally worth it.
It was worth it.
Well, now that we’ve had a little moment of recap, would you turn with me to .
I’m going to introduce something a little different today so please don’t be alarmed when I do.
Our goal will be to make it through 4 verses today if at all possible.
I would like us all to stand for the reading of the Word of God.
Read.
Please be seated.
Pray.
We have discussed in abundance many of the details surrounding Paul’s heart and what was meant in his introduction here.
And as we’ve pointed out before, normally with Paul’s letters, you see a beautiful praise.
In Colossians, Paul is so generous in his love towards them in his letter.
He states, “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.
Normally after his greeting, Paul would go on to pray for the body he was writing too.
Instead what we see is no prayer.
No praise.
No thanksgiving.
Paul immediately sets in on addressing the Fickle and unstable nature of the Galatians.
Now the translation laid out in the Authorized Version renders this passage as saying that Paul was astonished that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you...
However, a better translation of that passage would not render it as being removed.
For the Galatians were not removed from the grace of the Gospel.
They were not abandoning the Gospel entirely as one might think when it’s rendered as being removed.
Instead what we find in the passage is not that the Galatians were departing from the faith.
But instead that they are adding to the faith.
Not once in the text does it state that there is a departure.
These people are not any less Christians during this period of time.
Instead what we see is a transferring of ones allegiance.
The same word used here to describe what the Galatians did is used in relation to politicians who change sides.
They are not now politicians merely because they left one political party to head over to another one.
No instead they are still politicians but just in a different setting.
Holding allegiance to a different party.
The same word could be used to describe the actions of Benedict Arnold during the war for Americas freedom.
Arnold did not quit being a soldier but instead he changed his allegiance.
He switched sides and began supporting a side that fought a losing battle.
He became a true “Turncoat.”
That is a word that better defines the actions of the Galatians.
They weren’t necessarily defective in their service to Christ but they were in the middle of turning away.
They were religious turncoats.
Spiritual deserters if you will.
People turning away from Him who had called them into the grace of Christ to embrace another gospel.
This other Gospel could be defined by .
Where there were people who were saying that unless you were circumcised according to the customs of Moses, you cannot be saved.
But before we get to deep into that side of it.
We need to examine something that didn’t happen.
Notice how there is not a place in the text of Scripture that says that the Judiazers denied needing Jesus.
Nowhere in the text would you see a place that states that Jesus was denied.
They didn’t deny the atoning work of Christ.
Not fully anyway.
They did not deny that you must believe in Jesus for salvation.
They never claimed that Christ didn’t pay the ransom on your behalf.
Instead, what we find here is that instead of denying the Gospel, they added to it.
One might hear the Judiazers saying something like this, “no, no. You must believe in Jesus. And also keep the Law and be circumcised.”
There was not a denial of the necessity of belief in Christ.
It was belief in Christ, plus....
Belief in Christ plus circumcision.
Belief in Christ plus keeping the Law.
Belief in Christ plus not wearing mixed fabrics.
Belief in Christ plus keeping the Sabbath.
Belief in Christ plus.
And as crazy as this might sound to us, it’s not real hard for us to fall into this trap.
I mean none of us in here would probably advocate for the keeping of the entire law as an addition to believing in Christ.
None of us in here would tell a new convert that they need to be circumcised after they have believed the Gospel.
No, not us!
Not you!
Not me!
Or would we?
Is it possible that you and I in our own little way do the exact same thing with one another?
I mean surely nobody in here is advocating for someone to be circumcised right?
Well, in our own little ways I would bet we are.
You tell me!
What would your thoughts be if you saw a new convert mowing his lawn on the sabbath?
Would you go by and instruct him that since he’s a Christian he is now commanded to depart from that for he is bound to keep the whole law?
Now I’m not using the as a slam dunk thought here as I realize, many of us in this room have deep convictions concerning the Sabbath.
I’m just trying to stir your hearts and your minds.
Why is it that you have this conviction?
Is it Biblical?
Is it truly coming from the text of Scripture or is it coming from what a man has taught you?
Is it an addition to the Gospel?
Is it believing in Christ plus?
You see, so often our hearts can turn good natured obedience into something that it’s not meant to be.
We can turn what we perceive as being upon our own conscience and we place it upon others.
And we do so in such a way that says that if you do this, we now know that they are saved.
And if they don’t, well it just proves their disobedience...
How can they be saved when they refuse to do...
Fill in the blank with whatever action you want.
The truth of the matter is that we get this idea into our heads so easily.
Not only so easily but also very quickly.
It is so easy for us to make additions to the Gospel.
This beautiful Gospel that is given solely on the basis of God’s grace.
This Gospel that promises complete and total satisfaction.
Yet in our hearts, we, EACH AND EVERYONE OF US begin to add to it.
We transition Phillipians 1:6 into a passage that say we will bring to completion this work that Christ has begun.
For He who began a good work in us, will surely allow you to bring it to completion.
You must finish!
By your obedience to the Law, what Christ has done you must bring to completion.
By your obedience to keeping the Sabbath, what Christ has done you must bring to completion.
By your obedience to (fill in the blank), what Christ has done you must bring it to completion.
You see we each have this ability to presume that we must finish Christ’ unfinished work.
That what Jesus did upon the cross of calvary merely opened the door for us and by our obedience to whatever, we bring it to completion.
We presume many of the same things as the Galatians.
And although we may not neglect the necessity of the Gospel, we so often add to it.
We so often presume upon ourselves that although Christ is a good start, there is more to be done.
Beloved let me ask you this.
While very few in this room would probably readily admit it, where do you stand on this issue?
Laymen, where do you stand on trusting in the entirety of the Gospel?
Laywomen, have you deserted even a fraction of Christ’ Gospel of grace?
Deacons, where do you stand in trusting only in the finished work of Christ?
Elders, have you become a religious turncoat?
Believer, have you been in the process of abandoning the Gospel of grace?
Beloved, oh if we could only see the harm and the devastation that we impose upon one another through this.
By taking this standard of self righteousness that we have created and imposing it upon one another.
It might not feel as though we’ve done this but beloved let me assure you, we have.
I’ve done it.
and each and every single one of us in this room has done it.
We’ve taken this fully completed work and we’ve added to it something of our own efforts.
In our hearts we struggle with this unbelief that tells us that Christ isn’t truly good enough.
Sure we wouldn’t say this out loud.
We wouldn’t dare repeat words such as that.
But by our actions and our addition beloved that’s what we’ve done.
We’ve taken and imposed our own standards upon others.
Standards not set from the text of Scripture.
Not done out of a pure hearts desire.
But out of a heart that seeks after pleasing the external self.
Pleasing those around us.
Appeasing those who rule over us.
We so quickly fail to remember that it is Christ who calls us unto Himself.
It is Christ who bore the punishment that we deserve.
It is Christ who justifies His bride.
This salvation is all of God.
It’s all from Him.
Every last portion that is necessary has been provided.
Beloved there is nothing due to us on the basis of our efforts.
Nothing bestowed upon us because of our works.
There is no merit in you that will allow you to stand before the Lord justified.
IT IS ALL OF CHRIST.
EVERYTHING IN SALVATION IS DUE TO THE GRACE OF GOD!!!
Beloved, that is the only place that a man can find rest.
That is the only place where you are able to fall into the arms of Christ and simply give up.
The keeping of laws or our outward action is not needed.
We merely rest in the arms of Christ as His grace pours over us.
And if the Judiazers in Galatia would have truly been in the Word, they would have known this.
True love for God is what the Lord requires from us.
That’s the reading of .
He desires steadfast love and not burnt offerings.
And steadfast love mandates that you know yourself before the Lord.
It declares that you know yourself in light of the Lord.
You see the works that you can bring and you lay them down.
You lay them down because you recognize that in light of who God is, there is nothing you can offer Him.
That should bring you great joy beloved!
You could technically never do anything external again in your life and if you belong to the Lord, that won’t change!
Your obedience to Him doesn’t add to your salvation.
It doesn’t add to your justification!
Your obedient to Him because you’re His.
Not to be able to offer something to Him.
He has done it all.
Everything that needed to transpire to ransom you from this present evil age is finished.
Beloved I know these things might seem harsh.
But this is the truth.
It’s not true because I’m saying it.
It wasn’t true because Paul was saying it.
It’s true because it comes from God.
That’s why just a few verses down Paul tells the Galatians that even if he or an angels brings them another message, that person is to be cursed.
The problem that we have beloved is this.
We all often find ourselves being dependent upon the teachings of men.
And sadly its so easy to take that teaching and distort it in such a way that it sounds true.
It takes discernment.
It takes having the ability to see the false entangled with the truth.
Spurgeon said it like this, “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.”
The Galatians were being led astray by men who had just enough truth entangled with their deception that it sounded right.
I mean we all have read the book of James and what he says about works right?
Faith without works is dead.
Yet the entire principle rest not upon the works done by the individual but on the faith that produces the works.
The external is the byproduct of regeneration.
Yet when these two get twisted around in the way that the Galatians had them.
It changes into a mandatory effort.
Something that’s additional.
And while the Galatians are not guilty of leading themselves into this.
They are guilty of not checking the teachings they were receiving for deception.
Yet we like the Galatians can so quickly fall into this trap can’t we?
I mean, it really doesn’t take much for us to receive a wrong teaching.
If we let our guard down for one second, we’re opening up ourselves to being deceived.
We’re opening ourselves up to having blinders on as we’re walked along the way.
But here’s the worst part.
It’s really easy to let it happen!
It is.
It literally takes nothing on our end apart from a failure to read, research and offer rebuttal.
I mean it’s no big deal for a false teacher to lead you astray.
You think for one moment that they truly care about you?
No, they care about grabbing power and rising to the top.
They knew that they were leading wrong and yet they did so anyway.
I mean for heavens sake, we have men like Joel Osteen broadcasted into the homes of millions of people every Sunday.
Literally as I stand here this morning, there are people literally being deceived by this man!
Now of course his deception isn’t the same the Galatian Judiazers.
At least they had the decency to tell you that needed Jesus.
Osteen failed to do that on national television when he was interviewed by Larry King Live.
Now to his credit, I will say this, he did go back several weeks later trying to defend the need for Jesus.
But this man claims to be a man of God.
Claims to preach the Bible every week and yet for a moment, he couldn’t tell you if Jesus was the only way to heaven.
Now listen, I am trying to make anyone uncomfortable here by calling out false teachers.
But please understand me, they need to be addressed from the pulpit.
Some of them sound really really good.
They have this smile that leads you into thinking that you can trust them and some of what they say even sounds pretty good.
Yet even a broken clock is wrong twice a day.
So please, know this, I am not going to call anyone in here out from the Pulpit.
But there is a difference in calling out heresy so you as a Body of believers collectively know the danger.
It’s not the same as calling out someone in this congregation for sinning.
So for us today, how are we to recognize these false teachers?
I want to give you 8 ways that you can know if you’re being deceived by a false teacher.
1. Different Source.
2. Different Message.
3. Different Position.
4. Different Character.
5. Different Appeal.
6. Different Fruit.
7. Different End.
8. Don’t be Naive.
Listen, these things are vitally important.
I’m telling you these things because you need to know how to discern Biblical Teacher and Preachers.
I
This isn’t something that we can skip through or shrug off as we go through them.
Number 1.
tells us that we have not followed cunningly devised fables in relation to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This means that message that is brought to us will come from the Word of God.
The source of the truth that we are told is not made up.
It’s not false words coming from the individual but is Biblical truth coming to you from the Word of God.
Number 2.
says that those false teachers who arise will secretly bring in destructive heresies.
Think about this for a moment.
What do you think would have happened if Paul was still there when the Judiazers showed up in Galatia?
In laymans terms, Paul would have ate them alive.
They wouldn’t have stood a chance.
But those false teachers rise up and little by little, begin introducing heresy into the body.
This is where the different message comes in.
Think about the Galatians.
Paul said I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you.
He didn’t say you are deserting me.
He didn’t say how dare you abandon me.
But instead, how dare you desert Him who called you.
The Gospel that was preached at first was the Gospel to be adhered to.
And the message I preach to you should be the same message given to the Ephesians.
To the Corinthians.
To the Phillipians.
To the Disciples!
Number 3.
Where will this teaching leave you?
Will it leave you in a place where you are deeper into your path of sin?
The true believer is constantly escaping sin.
Yet the False teacher is held slave to what has bound them.
Number 4.
As you examine the fruit of this message in the lives of God’s people, what type of people are being produced?
Are these people marked by arrogance?
Are their lives entrenched in arrogance that is constantly pointing out the flaws of others instead of looking within at themselves?
Are they the opposite of Publican or are they living like the publican?
Do they look to the Lord pleading with Him for mercy?
Or do they look at their brethren and thank God they are not like them?
You see the fruit of false teachers can never truly lead you away from the heart issue.
They may lead you away from external sin.
They may guide you to look good on the outside.
Yet you’ll be as white washed tombs.
And you’ll be that way because there is no true spiritual guidance on the heart.
The external gets dealt with but the heart does not.
Number 5.
The true teacher of God’s Word will always appeal to God’s Word.
Even when this causes the man to bend his own views.
His opinions will always be shaped into the form of the Word of the Lord.
He will not appeal to the flesh.
He will not set the authority and the teachings of Scripture to the side for the sake appeal to anyone.
And his appeal to Scripture will be in context to the original audience.
Number 6.
This one looks a lot like number 4 doesn’t it?
Well that’s because the fruit of all work is evidenced by what is produced.
And when what is produced is not true to the Biblical Gospel, the people’s lives are like springs without water.
They will promise much but they will produce very little.
Number 7.
Where does what is being taught lead you?
Is it leading you through this process of sanctification?
Or is it merely changing the external?
Is it bringing you closer to Christ?
A deeper part of that question is this?
If someone sat under that teaching their entire life, would they know the Gospel enough to be redeemed?
Would a heart change ever truly take place?
Now I’m not in any way trying to negate the necessity of regeneration in this process.
But the truth is that God regenerates people after hearing the Word.
He softens their heart and then providentially works in such a way that they will hear the Gospel and be brought to faith.
So the question then really becomes, is there enough Gospel being preached or taught?
Lastly, number 8.
Don’t be naive beloved.
Be well aware and cautious knowing that in the last days many false teachers will arise among you.
Test everything through the Word.
And in order for you to test everything through the Word, you have to be in it.
You have to be praying.
You have to be studying.
Seeking to understand what is beyond just the surface level reading and understanding.
You need to be well aware of what lies in the depths of the Word.
Think of it in the same sense of voting.
No responsible citizen goes to the poll and merely marks one side of the ballot on the basis of what party they claim.
Instead they do thorough research to be informed.
Because informed people have the ability to make informed choices.
In the same way, informed Christians have the ability to spot deceit.
They have the ability to recognize that just because someone claims to have authority, it isn’t always God given.
Think about this in light of how blessed you are beloved.
600 years ago, the average person had to make decisions on the basis of what I would’ve told them.
They had to be able thoroughly trust the man leading them as they didn’t have the ability to read the Bible for themselves.
And the outpouring that came in the 15-1700’s stemmed from the people’s ability to read the Word.
Because great men of the faith like William Tyndale gave up his life so that the boy in the field would know more of the Bible than the Pope.
And yet over time, with this great and wonderful blessing came an urgent issue.
Just because the people today have the ability to read, doesn’t mean we always do.
Often times instead of checking what is told to them as fact, they merely take it as fact.
Listen to me, theres not a soul in this room that knows my heart!
In the same way, I don’t know yours!
How easy would it be for a man to creep his way into a congregation saying all the right things, doing all the right things?
How easy would it be for a congregation to really fall in love with a man who they trust because of his charisma and charm instead of his teachings?
This reality stands out beloved!
Nobody is outside of this category of those being deceived if they never go back to check what is said to them.
If they come in and just barely change the message that was preached by Paul.
Not a lot, but just enough that the people slightly notice but aren’t uncomfortable.
Well, if you aren’t in the Word, you have no way of rebuking them.
You have no way of checking what is being said.
But it doesn’t just fall back onto you.
It falls back onto the Elders.
It goes back to having men who are willing to stand up and call out someone in the pulpit when it’s necessary.
They must have the backbone to be willing to stand up in the midst of being the only one not in agreement and point back to the Word.
Beloved this isn’t a sermon about why we need Elders.
Because as much as I might have earned your trust little by little.
But I believe that’s a good application.
This isn’t merely a sermon telling you to read your Bible more.
This burden falls upon the Elders as well.
However, that’s another good application.
Beloved this sermon is to point us back to the reality of how easy it is to add to the Gospel.
And when it’s as easy as what was laid out earlier, we have a need to be in the Word.
We have a need to be in prayer.
We have a need to not be so affixed upon the externals and worry more about our hearts.
Making sure that we have not become the one’s turning away from Him who called us.
Making sure that the ones teaching us are not leading us away from Him who called us.
A daily reminder of the grace and the mercy found in Christ.
Let us pray.