"The Foundation of the Mission" | Galatians 1:1–5

Take your Bibles and turn me this morning to the book of Galatians.

We are beginning. a new series We're going to walk through this this shorter book little bit shorter than the Book of Matthew won't take us quite as long maybe today. We are going to begin that I failed to mention earlier next week. I will be absent will be moving Aubrey into college. So Shane's going to common share it with you next week cuz he's going to preach in my place. So we all pray for him as he prepares that I'd also want to mention as we begin this new series for you note takers out there though. There is a a resource is relatively new. But if you're you may be familiar with LifeWay is now for actually cross away and get them at Lifeway is producing these little booklets. They have one for each book of the Bible New Testament right now. They're working on the Old Testament, but it's simply a notebook that has the the text of the Bible on one side and then a page on the other side. If you take notes, so just want to mention that to you for those no takers who like neat little nice-looking books. And if you talk to my wife also, make a prettier one just like this and she's she's she ordered is not here yet. So she can't take notes today, but there is whoops. If you're interested in maybe five nine nine a piece and it really doesn't they're all the same Matthew maybe four times of stick, but it's still the same price for each one, but you can order those on Amazon or get a mid-life way if you're interested in something like that. Just want to mention it. Some of you may recall or have seen a fairly popular movie from 1995 entitled or titled Braveheart was pretty much pretty popular movie about a man by the name of William Wallace who sought to lead Scotland into freedom freedom from tyranny and part of that movie and end up in a portion that movie there's a a scene there that has a conversation that goes on between William Wallace and the crowds in front of him as he's trying to motivate them towards this fight read some of that fun for you. William says, I'm William Wallace and I see a whole Army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny. You come to fight as Freeman and Freeman you are what will you do with with that freedom? Will you fight? In response once his fight against that know we will run and we will live I fight you may fight and you may die run and you live at least a while and dying in your beds many years from now. Would you be willing to trade all the days from this to that for one chance just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom now. I realize it doesn't come across quite the same without the accent but most of you remember that scene in the in the in that movie if you seen that movie or at the end of the movie with that that cry remaining the same for freedom This is something that resonates in most our hearts. We think about the idea of freedom. I mean, our country itself is founded on this principle of Freedom. We we we pursue freedom in all kinds of ways and this is a a central idea in our lives that we that within us that we long for this this concept of Freedom. Only question is what do we mean when we say freedom went when we talk about Freedom what exactly is it that we are getting at? Because if you ask a crowd of people you might get a few different responses depending upon one's immediate or past experiences their way of of articulating this concert the freedom might sound a little different for instance William Wallace and and that clay and I did would be the absence of Oppression or tyranny in a in a government idea. Others might simply go further than just a government entity and say absolutely my life. Freedom means no rules. Well, that might sound good but the other side of that you might want to word it a little bit differently some others might say what freedom is the ability to do whatever you want. But then you might need to go look at further than that because even if you had the ability and in yourselves to do what you want resources might be a problem and so others might Express and even sew-in in our current ERA more so freedom in in respect to equal opportunity. And then even beyond that as it becomes even more popular in the concept of freedom in our current age their freedom would involve Army in the absence of ridicule probably touched on all these in some aspects and and maybe goes deeper than that, but then we talked about freedom and that that I did it Wells up within a within us even when we watch a movie like Braveheart and we hear that that great speech and it affects us emotionally. There's something within us that that resonates with the idea. What is it that ultimately our hearts are striving for or getting at nothing. Good answer that would be to look at that what the biblical idea of freedom is. What is it? We read about freedom in the Bible. What is that ultimately getting at is that trying merely to get it no rules or I'll be able to do what you want or equal opportunity or the absence of ridicule and I would say maybe at times in some ways those might hint upon that in some way. But ultimately I think a good way to see Freedom as the Bible presented implies it or even explicit explicitly talks about it. Is this the desire and the power to live according to your design. this is ultimately what Biblical freedom is the desire and the power to live according to your design and I might add to that apart from external requirements the one to within us to live according to our design and not only the want to but then the ability the power to then act upon that that's what ultimate biblical freedom is all about it as we begin this this walk to the center of this book is this this reality of Freedom that's going to be expressed in a particular way at a particular circumstance in in light of the church that Paul to churches that Paul was riding to the principle Remains the Same if acted towards the latter part of the book we find probably a thematic statement that that hints on this and Galatians 5:1 Paul says Church there for Freedom Christ has set us free. So as for the purpose of of Freedom this very thing that deep down within we long for its for this this that Christ has indeed set us free that is Christ saves us so that we can rightly and joyfully serve God, this is real Freedom regardless what we might think it looks or feels like ultimate freedom is the desire and the power to live according to our design and that is by God's design build power or the desire and the power to live. Joyfully in Passionate service to him. This is real Freedom living the way we were created to live John expresses it to us in another way it in the words of Christ and John 8 when he says in and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. And then a little bit later. He says Jesus says so if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed. So freedom is ultimately the the heart of what Paul is is driving at in the book of Galatians, but not freedom. As an end itself. Because connected to this this this drive that Paul has in this book is a serious concern because if one is going to experience real Freedom, which is the desire and the power to live in accordance to God's glory God's design for us. I just to serve joyfully him.

The message that strives to get us there that is what we call the gospel the good news about Jesus matters because it is only the gospel that is going to enable anyone to experience real Freedom biblical freedom freedom. As God designed only the gospel and if that's the case message about good news, if that is the only Avenue by which anyone will ever experience this freedom for which Christ strives to set us free. Then that message itself the gospel. matters and so pulse concern in this book at the onset is that there are some slight or we might say subtle departures from the biblical message of the Gospel. There are some some some little changes that have happened in the midst of these Believers lives that is altering that message. And so therefore Paul would argue is going to challenge the outcome that is real freedom So I guess to bridge the gap because maybe the issue that Paul is only going to raise in Galatians may not be an issue particularly in our culture and our context the principles remain in the principles that they're there are seemingly subtle departures from the biblical gospel that have more than subtle consequences. There are subtle departures with what seems to be subtle departures from the biblical message of the Gospel that have more than subtle consequences and can ultimately challenge this ideal of real true lasting Eternal biblical. God granted freedom. The theme of Galatians can be stated in many ways, but I'm going to stay this way. The gospel of grace alone by faith alone gives birth to him a new multi ethic Global family who are continually transformed by the spirit of God. The three parts there and the Book of Galatians really breaks down that way in chapters 1 & 2 focus on this gospel of grace by faith faith alone. That gives birth to chapters 3 and 4 this new multi epic Global family that has been gathered together into one new family. And then 5 and 6 that are continually being transformed From the Inside by the spirit of God. This is Paul's message to the churches in Galatians ultimately to us today. I want us to focus on merely the introduction to this message. So if you'll look with me in in chapter 1 verses 1 through 5 will read that together and then I will make a few points concerning Paul's introduction.

Paul an apostle not from man or through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brothers who are with me to the churches of galatia grace to you and peace from God our father in the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to Deliver Us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom do the glory forever and ever. Amen my father in these few moments help us to the game from even these few words that Paul has Left To Us by the power and means of the spirit of God proves that would help us as we pursue gospel faithfulness in our own lives and in the life of our church, so we pray in these moments that you will give us eyes to see and ears to ear and Minds understanding and then ultimately hearts that would gladly embrace the truth that we find Within. The Timeless scriptures that you have left to us in Jesus name we pray. Amen. This is a simple introduction. This is is common in the letters that Paul writes to the the many different churches. Now there is a little bit different about this introduction that that highlights a couple things and and and I want to belabor the point that I have but I want to make a couple points as we look at this introduction. Now if I were to try to simplify what Paul says or if I would read without some of the descriptive content that Paul's added to this introduction it would sound something like this Paul an apostle. And all the brothers who were with me to the church's the glacier grace to you and peace from God our father in the Lord Jesus Christ whom be glory forever and ever amen as a little shorter cuz I left out some stuff. I left out the descriptive stuff that that is that is unique to this particular introduction. I in Galatians much of the terminology is is common the letters but let's be careful not to assume. It's just a general generic introduction because there is a point in this introduction the factors points and what are is here. And what's not hear what you will find is not here in this introduction that is common in men is the letters that Paul right is the the encouragement. What are the things that Paul would say to the Philippians or or or to the Colossians or to the Ephesians in the positive aspect about the things that are going on in the miss their life call Skip's all over all that because he has a concern and it runs much deeper. In fact that concern is it something that will pick up in the in the in the next few passages and that comes up in in in Galatians 1 7 because this is the the point at which Paul helps us see what is the concern about this Freedom that he's going to be talkin about the concern about the message that leads to that freedom because 170 and plus Ivory says speaking of the Gospel in verse 6 or 70 says not that there is another one. So there is no other good news. There is no other gospel. This is his immediate concern is hope all is actually concerned about the state of the churches that exist in this area called galatia concerning the gospel messaging and that the outcome of that that concern would be that it would lead them to something other than the freedom for which Christ has set us free and Paul seeks to set that right and so he does he introduces this this letter very particularly and it's these three things that I just kind of red and skipping through and then those two intervening parts that I skipped over that fit kind of outline for us this introduction. Let me give you a summary of the first five verses Spell this is for you note takers. Here's a summary of these first 5 versus the mission of the message and the messenger is inextricably linked to the authority of God over life and death. The sacrifice of the Savior for the rescue centers and extension of gospel Grace and peace to the nation's through the church for the eternal glory of God. Now what I just said is what Paul just said just in my works. All right, let me state that again the message or the mission of the message and the messenger that is The mission in Apostle is sent one of the message and the messenger that is Paul is it is streak of an inexplicably linked to the authority of God. This is the god who raised Jesus from the dead. I just God's authority over life and death. The sacrifice of the savior is Paul says in his doctor who gave himself for the rescue of sinners. An extension of gospel Grace and peace to the nation's through the church for the eternal glory of God. Now five things from that summer, you're from this introduction that I just want to highlight this morning when caught five foundations necessary to Faithfully maintain the biblical gospel because at the end of the day, this becomes very concerning Because we we can easily get careless about this message that we Proclaim it becomes old hat. And so we get messy we we we might differ in our opinions about what just what is Central what is not in so argue about maybe things that don't need to be arguing about and so lose the centrality of the message of the Gospel. So it's it behooves us to give attention to how do we Faithfully maintain the biblical gospel because it is the biblical gospel because there is no other gospel that is going to lead to real freedom and that freedom consists of the Salvation of Sinners and not only the salvation of Sinners, but they continued sanctification by the spirit of God in our own lives and our experience of Freedom as we walk through this this current age.

As Paul says this present evil age Civ 5 foundations necessary to Faithfully maintain the biblical gospel. Number one genuine Authority common. This is a common introduction you identify himself as possible. Now, we need to understand a little bit about what it means to be an apostle the word simply means they sent one when an emissary sit out by another with their message. So conveying a message. What Apostle is at the least one who is conveying the message of another in this case Paul the Apostle of Jesus. The message is not his own but he's convinced that mess so he's he's carrying this message, but he knows specifically that his apostleship is not just a generic idea of a simple but there's something significant in this idea of apostle is so we asked you that not from men North through a man. So Paul wants us to understand that what he's getting ready to say to the churches in to us doesn't have its source. Its origin in some Council some group of people who've sat down and deliberated on their over their opinions. And then Dad made a decision. It is origin in a group of people nor is it something that became his mission because one man passed it onto another man who pass it onto another man, ultimately pass it on to him. But instead of having a origin or even a means of authority through somehow through man, his apostleship was something that was outside. men At all cuz he says it's not from men or through a man. But instead it's through Jesus Christ and and I'm going to insert an implication here this not here. I'm Jose and has its source. So it's means it's through Jesus Christ that has a source in God the father. So here's a genuine Authority a bit the biblical gospel requires a genuine Authority that rest outside of a a council or group of people or any single person. No matter how popular are celebrated. They maybe is Authority must be in God and God Alone. The Wii today many years later we argue this or we should be argue for this very same Authority, but we need to understand that that Authority is convey to us directly from God and God hasn't appeared to me at any point instead Randy. Here's the message. I want you to preach the rather. He's left it to us in the words of scripture. So this is not to undermine the ultimate authority of God, cuz God is the ultimate genuine Authority but he's medians at 4 if he's through Christ and then through inspired scripture. So this is important for a service. They want Paul to say when he says an apostle not from man or through a man but through Christ and God the Father. This is the ultimate Authority. This is the ultimate source of his apostleship which then Means for us it is the basis of which we understand what we're reading even in this book to be authoritative because he was an apostle. He wasn't just a generic one. But God in his sovereignty appointed some not off to a particular kind of position. In this case. It's title for us the apostles. I don't believe there any apostles today that is still used in some circles that have a Apostolic Ministry those things but in this since there are no more Apostles it was through the apostles that God established the ultimate Revelation. That's why we will find the books are largely written by Apostles or those who were closely associated with an apostle recording probably most likely what they learn from them such as Mark repeater So forth. So this Apostolic Ministry is the basis of authority of God mediated to you and I so therefore because Paul is an apostle not derive from any Council appointing that waiter or passed down through a lineage to himself a rather directly through Christ on the authority of God the father than what he's about to say can be established to be a fart. This is a genuine Authority without a general Authority that is not based on man. But rather comes from God through his appointed means Then truth can be whatever we decide we want it to be. So for the biblical gospel be maintained. There must be a genuine Authority that rest at the center. It is through the apostleship of mid like Paul that God has given us this ultimate Authority that we know as the scriptures number to not only must there be a general Authority. There must be a gospel centrality of the message of the Gospel to be faithful to the biblical message center must be at the center of it that which the scriptures make the center not what you or I decide is important today. And people can argue about this about a lot of different things surrounding the Gulf of at the very center of the Gospel stands the Cross of Christ and Paul mentions as much he says and grace to you and peace from God our Father Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to Deliver Us from the present evil age according to the will of God of our God and Father. So Christ gave himself in order to rescue us. This is the center of the Gospel. There's a lot more that we can talk about. There's a lot more in Christianity in in church life and all the things that that we must at times focus on but we can't ever do it to the dismissing of the center of the Gospel. That is the Cross of Christ. The Cross of Christ must stand at the center the message at all times. We can't allow it to to set up to the side or to grow old the rather. It must continually be brought back to the center no matter what Our experiences or our circumstance our culture deems to be worthy today Christ death as the satisfaction. of sense that which means it God or Jesus in his death satisfied the required just punishment deuce and God's Wrath Jesus satisfied that fully in order to do something about that with that didn't do it just for doing sake that he did it to rescue us people like us to rescue us from this present evil age, which is the marker of the Brokenness of the Sims effects on this world. He's rescuing us from all that sends doing and then it's still our age God through Christ made this possible these price sacrificing the Cross of Christ must always stand at the center. This was Christ mission to come to die. We talked about that recently. They was born to die to die for Sinners Like You Like Me In order to rescue us from the Wrath to come 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 Paul is raising the Thessalonians on the Galatians. He said that he he he he says this the end of chapter one for speaking of those were talking about this headphones. He says for they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception. We had them on you and how you turn the god from items to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead Jesus who delivers us from the Wrath to come. This is a central reality of the Gospel Jesus delivering us from the wrath of God. So there must be gospel centrality number three the rest of the global Extinction. in the midst of God's or Paul's introduction He makes a simple statement. He says that he's riding directly to and noticed the plurality here to the churches of galatia, but I don't know that he's riding as an apostle, but he concludes with that all the brothers who are with him, but he writes to the churches and he says to them grace to you and peace now that may seem very basic like are hey, how you doing? We don't really mean it right this time. It may seem like it cuz I use it regularly, but it ain't all means much more buy it then we often assume when he says Grace and peace to you because of the very heart of the Gospel the message of the Gospel are these two realities then there are bound up in the authority of God as he's mediated this the Salvation through Christ satisfying the debt that sold send it is based on this grace and peace in this is what we are extending to not just a few but the entire to the world God's desire, is that his Fame extend throughout the entire Earth? Not just Stanley North Carolina not just North America, but to the ends of the Earth and his means to extend that same. And is wondering is all is his grace which is as you've learned in Sunday school God's unmerited favor. You don't deserve it. That's his grace and his peace which we talked about several weeks ago in the Angels message. Peace on Earth the Shalom that is to be completely whole and right which only in this case of the Gospel means to be right with God to be able to live in accordance to your design grace to you to the church is to the the people of Glacier. The grace of God is bound up in the centrality of the Gospel Christ death burial and resurrection and then the ultimate result of that, which is peace. In Romans when it falls great Treatise on salvation. After dealing with this this reality of of Jesus dying for our sins and by faith reconciling Us in chapter 5 verse 1, he says therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So Grace and peace for Paul was not just words. How you doing? they had deep meaning that they were an extension of God's grace in Christ to Those whom he was riding to or ministering to and he's extending died of reconciliation with God from whom we've been separated by our sense of Grace and peace to use extension of the gospel and so for us to be to maintain Faithfully maintaining biblical gospel must be a continual Global extension of Grace and peace to all as we reach this message. It's sitting around the Cross of Christ based on the authority of the word of God given to us. let's it's built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles.

We must extend this to all around us number for it must be there's a gathered implication. That's kind of a bad to get allergy where they're gathered implication. That's the church. Justice, as Paul declared that his authority didn't come from a men this group of men. He doesn't deny. The reality that there is something about the corporate people of God. The gospel must have a a gathered implication at the center of the biblical message of the Gospel stands. The reality that God is saving people to a community of Believers. This is what we're going to see in chapter 3 and 4 is as he's producing from this gospel message a new multi ethic Global family. Now, that's the global perspective but it's it's born out through local churches as we see Paul riding specifically to the churches in galatia, which we can extend out to the Day to all the churches in cries all the local bodies. There's a gathering implication. God designed it this way that that. The incubation of the Gospel, I guess you can say in some sense that might break down really bad but happens in the local gather body of Believers as we've been together extend the gospel to the world around us. If active all right, sir, Timothy reminds Timothy of the significance of this this gathered implications. He says if I delay you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the Living God a pillar and buttress of the truth. This is the church the local assembly the church is the pillar and bunches of tooth in Saint Paul's riding to the glacian churches because if they miss it for the world does have a chance if they don't get the message, right if they don't labor over faithfulness of the biblical gospel than the world's not going to hear it. So it's got to be right in the churches and there's there's always going to be a gathering invocation as we were at the conference this week. One of the things that just thrilled me because I've always had what I consider to be a high view of the local church, but listening to Speaker after speaker breakout leader time and time again remind these 18 to 25 year old in light of the the perspective of missions for the short-term and long-term. Where is lady in the world always reminding them that if you feel like God might be leading you into this kind of area then go home get in the church and get involved. That was their answer. And then one said in a meeting, I was in fine. He's him cuz we don't need Church us missionaries. It's not the center of the call of God. They placed the The Faceless to the local church because reality is we've had a generation of Churchill's missionaries about you young people who were were excited as Lone Ranger's out there. Hopefully preaching good news, but still missing one of the foundations of Faith verses biblical gospel that is connection to a local body. Believers will stand with you and for you and hold you to the truth. There must be a gathered implication as you think about faithfulness is biblical message and finally, a glorifying goal Paul rounds It Up by saying to whom be glory forever and ever amen we must always remind ourselves because it's easy to get away from this that salvation of lost people and even experience of joy and peace in our lives is not the ultimate goal. Your happiness is not the goal your ease of life is not the goal God's glory is now I believe it all my heart that bound up and God's glory will be our joy and our peace and contentment and all those things that we can never make those things our goal for us that might be articulated in other ways for church like it might mean that I mean we want to see our church grow, but that's not our ultimate goal. I know how do you parse all this? It's hard at times but we have to remind ourselves that whatever it is that's happening in the circumstances around us in our individual life. When are corporate life of the church or in the life of the church Universal as Believers around the world regardless of the circumstance. None of that ever changes. The ultimate goal in the ultimate goal is God's glory that it be glorified weather through life or through death, whether through rich riches or poverty weather through our ease or are tribulation let God be glorified and he can and he is glorified in all those things. our greatest joy and freedom that we are desired it down because it's placed there in our design is inseparably linked to God's glory. And so we must always remind ourselves that it's not my pleasure is not my contentment is not my wishes that are at the front. It's not even yours. It's not ours. It's God's glory. Celebrity repeat in conclusion the five foundations and again drawn leaves from this introduction necessary to Faithfully maintain the biblical gospel that Paul is now going to take us on an adventure of considering through this book. A genuine Authority through God not man a gospel centrality the Savior who gave himself a global Extinction that is Grace and peace to you. I gathered implication to and through the churches. And a glorifying goal to him be glory forever and ever it's my prayer for all of us that we would pursue. biblical faithfulness the gospel message and be very careful. Because subtle departures from that gospel from be good news have more than subtle consequences in our lives individually in our lives corporately and ultimately so how we take part in the amassing glory among the Nations for God. So may God find us Facebook Our Father. We thank you this morning this week. I have read your word and considered it and ask that you would use it in our hearts and our lives to convict us to challenge us forward. For the sake of the Gospel reminding us Lord that this very thing that we are are seeking to Proclaim this messages. Is not always easily maintained that in the world which we live in this present evil age. We are constantly deter door.

deceived we're tempted to compromise in some way or another so father I pray that we would stand on the biblical gospel trusting that the proclamation of that message changes everything. Father continue remind us that you alone are the source of this gospel. It wasn't made up along the way but it was. planned before the foundation of the world and that you've been busy bringing about this message and writing this message from creation even to now father help us to be faithful to this this message help us to be faithful to extend it to all people your grace and your peace and not just those were like us or but rather to any and everyone that we would have the opportunity to extend that to Father may we do all that we do.

To bring honor and glory to you and not to ourselves these moments as we respond to the simple song of response as we seen the gospel. I pray that you would over on my heart's with this great story. Father for anyone who is living contrary to the gospel. I pray that your spirit would overwhelm them and bring convictions in our lives and bring them into an experience of real Freedom by the power of the spirit at work within them the father have your way and how we respond in these few moments and will give you the glory in Jesus name we pray. Amen.