Rev. David Holwick S Galatians sermon series
First Baptist Church FATHER'S DAY
Ledgewood, New Jersey
June 18, 2000
Galatians 1:1-10
|
I. You can't please everybody.
A. Trying to please your dad.
1) Can be hard, or almost impossible.
2) Failure can leave some with a sour taste their whole life.
B. Whom should we try to please?
1) In Galatians, the apostle Paul faced a personality contest.
a) His motives were challenged.
b) His message was criticized.
2) In the end, only one thing matters: God's approval.
II. The context of Paul's letter to the Galatians.
A. On his first missionary journey the second stop was Galatia.
1) Today it is in Turkey.
2) He preached a lot, got beat up a lot.
3) But a few small churches were established.
B. Troublemakers move in.
1) Apparently they were tied in with Jerusalem Christians.
a) Jewish slant on Christianity.
b) Legalistic.
2) They saw Paul as a watered-down compromiser.
a) He made salvation too easy.
b) They tried to convert the churches to their views.
C. Paul responds from long-distance.
1) If letter is intended for southern Galatia, it is his first.
2) No matter the destination, it is Paul's most severe letter.
a) Some issues cannot be compromised.
III. Who Paul is.
A. An apostle.
1) Eyewitness of Jesus' ministry and resurrection.
a) This is why we limit apostles to first century.
b) Paul had some explaining to do.
1> He didn't know Jesus or experience his resurrection.
2> However, he did see Jesus in a special vision.
2) An ambassador on a mission.
a) Common term in ancient world.
b) He was representing Jesus wherever he went.
B. Commissioned by God.
1) Their inspiration was different than ours.
a) What an apostle says, God says.
b) (Some modern people think they can improve on Paul)
2) Commissioning was from God and not church. (RCC)
a) Paul strongly emphasizes the action of God here.
b) John Stott:
"The biblical view is that the apostles derived their
authority from God through Christ.
Apostolic authority is divine authority.
It is neither human, nor ecclesiastical.
And because it is divine, we must submit to it."
IV. What Jesus did.
A. Christ died for our sins.
1) "The death of Jesus Christ was primarily neither a
display of love, nor an
example of heroism, but a
sacrifice for sin."
2) We are sinners unable to save ourselves.
a) We cannot trust in our own ability to please God.
B. Christ died to rescue us from this present age. 1:4
1) This is only place where rescue is used metaphorically
of salvation.
2) Christianity is a rescue religion.
Guidepost magazine had this story a while back:
One cold early evening many years ago a man and his wife set
out in their cabin cruiser for a picnic dinner on south
San Francisco Bay.
They waved to a college crew team heading out for a practice row,
then proceeded down the channel toward the San Mateo Bridge.
The choppy water soon turned into huge waves.
At the drawbridge, he signaled to the bridge tender to let them
through.
The tender shook his head, pointing to the whitecaps on the
water ahead.
They were about to take their pitching craft home when, in the
distance near some mud flats, they saw a ruby-colored light
glowing, shimmering in the shape of a cross.
The couple was mesmerized.
They turned their craft in its direction.
It was irresponsible of him -- in shallow muddy water and
engine might suck up mud that can destroy it -- but he felt
compelled to follow the cross.
Now mud was coming from the exhaust pipe, and the temperature
of the engine had risen into the danger zone, but the light
drew them on.
Then they came up to it, only to find that the light was merely
a buoy reflecting the red sunset.
They both felt foolish; they had actually risked their boat to
chase a mirage.
"Look, the water is full of coconuts," his wife said.
But they weren't coconuts at all; they were the men from the
rowing crew, whose shell had crashed into the bridge and sunk.
One by one they pulled the crew aboard.
They had been in the water for over an hour.
Facing death, gulping the icy salt water, they had come to a
point of desperation and had prayed together for rescue.
And that was when the cross began to shine.
#5298
3) We are rescued from "this evil age."
a) Not from "world" (KJV) but "age."
b) Conflict between "this age" and "age to come."
V. What the Galatians are doing.
A. They are "deserting" or being turncoats to Jesus. 1:6
The Greek word translated "desert" more accurately means
"defect."
There is a big difference.
When a soldier deserts, he merely runs away.
To defect, however, is to run away and go over to the
enemy's side.
Paul calls those who seek to add anything to the work of
Christ defectors.
They are working for the enemy.
#00
1) Note they are not deserting gospel, but God, "him who
called."
2) They were turning from grace to works.
a) Should human works be added to Christ's work?
1> No, the work of Christ is a finished work.
2> Salvation is by grace alone.
b) To turn from grace is to turn from God.
B. Troublemakers had instigated turmoil in the churches. 1:7
1) Intellectual confusion and warring factions.
a) Council of Jerusalem uses same language. Acts 15:24
2) They were reversing the gospel.
a) "You cannot modify or supplement the gospel
without radically changing its character."
3) Worst troublemakers are not those outside the church
but those inside.
"To tamper with the gospel is to trouble the Church....
Indeed, the Church's greatest troublemakers (now as
then) are not those outside who oppose, ridicule and
persecute it, but those inside who try to change the
gospel...." Stott
C. Paul's reaction. 1:8
1) Utter astonishment.
a) It seems like they have been bewitched. 3:1
2) Indignation.
a) He pronounces a curse on them.
1> Similar to what was done to Achan.
2> He is wishing for God's judgment to come upon them.
b) Crabby outburst?
1> Fathers can be like this!
A> Paul had a strong personality but he is very
methodical here.
2> It is uttered impartially.
A> Note that the curse is universal in its embrace.
1: False teachers, angels, even Paul himself.
B> It is not personal spite or animosity.
3> It is uttered deliberately.
A> He repeats it. 1:9
c) Why he felt so strongly.
1> The glory of Christ is at stake.
A> The cross becomes redundant.
2> The good of men's souls is at stake.
A> It is not something trivial but fundamental.
B> Jesus also pronounced a curse on those who
cause others to stumble.
Paul is expressing the Spirit of Christ, not
contradicting it.
d) If we really care for the glory of Christ, we would
not stand the corruption of the gospel of grace.
VI. People-pleasing.
A. The approval of people is nice but immaterial.
1) Many false groups try to make the gospel more palatable.
B. What does GOD think of you?
1) Do you accept his gospel?
2) Are you committed to his lordship?
=======================================================================
John Stott's commentary, "The Message of Galatians" (IVP) was used
extensively in this sermon.
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 00 "How Satan Attacks The Church," by Jeff VanVonderen, in
Discipleship Journal #81, May-June 1994, page 35.
#5298 "The Cross That Saves," by unknown author, from email submitted
by Rev. Dick Lewis on February 14, 2000; originally from
"Guideposts."
These and 15,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
=======================================================================
John Stott, "The Message of Galatians" IVP
I. Paul's authority. 1:1-2
A. "Apostle" has a narrow meaning.
1) First century only.
B. Commissioned by God.
1) Their inspiration was different than ours.
2) Commissioning was from God and not church. (RCC)
II. Paul's gospel.
A. "grace and peace" have pregnant meaning.
B. The death of Jesus is central.
1) Christ died for our sins.
a) "The death of Jesus Christ was primarily neither a
display of love, nor an example of heroism, but a
sacrifice for sin."
b) We are sinners unable to save ourselves.
1> We cannot trust in ourselves that we are righteous.
2) Christ died to rescue us from this present age.
a) Christianity is a rescue religion.
1> Lightfoot - "The Gospel is a rescue, an emancipation
from a state of bondage."
2> This is only place where rescue is used
metaphorically of salvation.
b) What we are rescued from.
1> Not from "world" (KJV) but "age."
A> We are part of new age, the "age to come."
B> (the two ages overlap right now)
2> The purpose of Christ's death is to bring us
salvation, and that we should live a new life.
3) Christ died according to God's will.
a) Both Father and Son were willing for the Cross to
happen.
III. Summary.
A. God achieved our salvation in history at the cross.
B. He announced it in Scripture through his chosen apostles.
C. He bestows it in experience upon believers today.
IV. False teachers and faithless Galatians. 1:6-10
A. The unfaithfulness of the Galatians.
1) They are "deserting" or being turncoats to Jesus.
a) They were turning from grace to works.
1> Should human works be added to Christ's work?
2> No, the work of Christ is a finished work.
3> Salvation is by grace alone.
b) To turn from grace is to turn from God.
2) Defection was in their experience as well as their theology.
a) Note they are not deserting gospel, but God, "him who
called."
B. The activity of the false teachers.
1) Troublemakers had instigated turmoil in the churches.
a) Intellectual confusion.
b) Warring factions.
c) Council of Jerusalem uses same language. Acts 15:24
2) Trouble was caused by false doctrine.
a) Judaizers were reversing the gospel.
1> "You cannot modify or supplement the gospel
without radically changing its character."
b) Worst troublemakers are not those outside the church
but those inside.
"To tamper with the gospel is to trouble the Church....
Indeed, the Church's greatest troublemakers (now as
then) are not those outside who oppose, ridicule and
persecute it, but those inside who try to change the
gospel.... Conversely, the only way to be a good
churchman is to be a good gospel-man. The best way to
serve the Church is to believe and to preach the
gospel."
C. Paul's reaction.
1) Utter astonishment.
a) It seems like they have been bewitched. 3:1
2) Indignation.
a) He pronounces a curse on them.
1> Similar to what was done to Achan.
2> He is wishing for God's judgment to come upon them.
b) Intemperate outburst?
1> It is uttered impartially.
A> Note that the curse is universal in its embrace.
1: False teachers, angels, even Paul himself.
B> It is not personal spite or animosity.
2> It is uttered deliberately.
A> He repeats it.
B> It is not the language of a man-pleaser.
c) Why he felt so strongly.
1> The glory of Christ is at stake.
A> The cross becomes redundant.
2> The good of men's souls is at stake.
A> It is not something trivial but fundamental.
B> Jesus also pronounced a curse on those who
cause others to stumble.
C> Paul is expressing the Spirit of Christ, not
contradicting it.
d) If we really care for the glory of Christ, we would
not stand the corruption of the gospel of grace.
V. Only one gospel.
A. A changing, adaptable gospel is more popular.
B. How we can recognize the true gospel.
1) The substance of the gospel.
a) It is of grace, God's free and unmerited favor.
b) "Whenever teachers start exalting man, implying that
he can contribute anyting to his salvation by his own
morality, religion, philosophy or respectability, the
gospel of grace is being corrupted."
2) The source of the gospel.
a) The true source is Jesus Christ.
b) The primitive apostolic message is the criterion.
c) Reject the apostolic gospel and you will be rejected.
1> Do not be impressed by fancy teachers.
2> Dr. Alan Cole - "The outward person of the
messenger does not validate his message; rather,
the nature of the message validates the messenger."
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
Created with the Freeware Edition of HelpNDoc: Easily create PDF Help documents