Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I want to invite you to turn
with me to Galatians chapter 1. This morning I want to specifically
look at verses 6 through 10. And I want to begin with a little
background on the writing of this letter and the people of
Galatia. The heading of the book says,
The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians. And at the end of verse two,
he said, unto the churches of Galatia. Galatia was a region
that had different churches in it. I'm in the state of Tennessee,
it would be like saying unto the churches of Tennessee. A
larger region that had a few different assemblies in it. And
Paul traveled through Galatia and he preached the gospel. And God called out some believers
and they started assembling together. But Paul was not a pastor, he
was more of a missionary. And he constantly moved on, he
would preach the gospel in a certain location for a given period of
time and then God would move him somewhere else. And those
assemblies that formed through his ministry, God would eventually
provide them with a pastor. Timothy was the pastor at Ephesus.
Titus was the pastor in Crete. The point is, other men would
come in. Paul didn't stay with and he
did not pastor each group that God converted under his ministry.
Other men would come in. And in Galatia, the wrong men
came in and they started mixing works with grace. They started mixing the message
of works with the message of grace. Now there is a work involved
in grace, but God is the doer of it. All
of the works are the works of God alone. And when God works, It is evidenced. It is. The work of God in a sinner
is evidenced. Sinners do respond. When God
says believe, they believe. When He says come, they come. When He says bow and repent,
they bow and they repent. Works are performed. and works are evidenced in a
sinner and through a sinner. But salvation is not by man's
works. Sinners are not saved through
their own works. Look with me at Galatians 2 verse
21. The apostle said, I do not frustrate
the grace of God. For if righteousness come by
the law, then Christ is dead in vain. If righteousness comes by our
obedience to this law, then Christ died in vain. There is one salvation. There is one way of salvation. There is only one message of
salvation. But these false prophets came
in and they started preaching to these people and their message
was that the effect that God produces in a sinner,
the effect of salvation, the evidence of God's work, they
were preaching that it was actually the cause. Not the evidence,
but the cause. Not the evidence of salvation,
but the cause of salvation. They started preaching that the
commandments and the ceremonies and the ordinances, they were
still a necessary part of salvation. And Paul told them what that
produces. When a man comes in and preaches
that, he told them what it produces. In chapter 2, verse 4, He said,
and that because of false brethren unawares brought in who came
in privately to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus,
that they might bring us into bondage. They came in and started preaching
contrary to the liberty that we have in Christ, that they
might bring us into bondage. They preached that salvation
was partly through faith and partly through their own works. And when some of these Galatians
said, that's not what Paul taught us. These false prophets said, Paul
is not a real apostle. He does not speak on the authority
of God. An apostle had to witness his
resurrection. An apostle had to hear the gospel
from the mouth of Christ himself. He was not even around during
the time of the Lord. The Lord had already ascended
by the time Paul came along. Don't listen to Paul, that's
what they were telling him. Don't listen to Paul. So some of the Galatians heard
that Paul was in prison in Rome, and they went to see him. And
they asked him about these things. And Paul answered them and all
the churches of Galatia with this letter. And this is what
he had to say. Verse one says, Paul, an apostle. An apostle. Not by man, neither
by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him
from the dead. and all the brethren which are
with me unto the churches of Galatia, grace be to you and
peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
Now they're in a bad state right now. They are confused. They have what some would call
backslidden, erred from the truth. But he said to them, grace be
unto you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus
Christ. What he's telling them is, you
didn't do anything to get yourselves into Christ, and you can't do
anything to get yourselves out. Isn't that wonderful news? Grace
be to you. And peace, if God put you in
Christ, you're gonna stay there. If God did it, it's forever. Verse four, he said, who gave
himself for our sins that he might deliver us according to
the will of God and our father, to whom be glory forever and
ever, amen. And now he says in verse six,
I marvel that you are so soon removed. from this absolutely free grace,
the free grace of Christ, I marvel that you are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel, which he said in verse seven, there's not another one.
There is not another gospel. He said, I'm shocked that after
hearing how free grace truly is, and after hearing how effectual
the work of Christ truly was, how accomplishing it truly was,
how finished it truly is, he said, I'm shocked that you would
go back to believing that something still must be done on man's part. Back in 2 Corinthians chapter
11, he said in verse 1, would to God you could bear with me
a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me, for I'm jealous
over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through
his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth
another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive another
spirit which you have not received, or another gospel which you have
not accepted, you might bear with him. you might well bear
with him." There are a lot of false prophets out there preaching
another Jesus. There are a lot of congregations
out there holding on to another gospel. And Paul said back in
Galatians 1 verse 6, I marvel that you are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel which is not another. There's not another. They're
preaching another Jesus, but there's not another Jesus. They're
preaching another gospel, but there's not another gospel. The gospel is the truth about
Jesus Christ, who he is, what he has done, and there's only
one truth. There's only one truth about
who he is and what he has done. Verse seven, he said, but there
be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. The word pervert means turn around,
turn across. What he's saying is they're getting
it mixed up. They're putting the cart before
the horse. They're making the effect the cause. They're making the effect of
God's word, God's work, the cause. Back in Romans 11, if you'll
turn with me back to Romans chapter 11, verse 5 says, even so then
at this present time also there is a remnant according to the
election of grace. And if by grace then it is no
more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be
of works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more
work. Well, which one is it? Again,
verse five said, even so then at this present time, there is
a remnant according to the election of grace. Grace. Turn with me over to Colossians
chapter two. Colossians 2 verse 8 says, beware
lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after
the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not
after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him, which is
the head of all principality and power. in whom also you are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands. In putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ, he was cut off for his people. Buried with him in baptism,
wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. and you being
dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together with him, with Christ, having forgiven you all trespasses,
blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against
us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing
it to his cross. And having spoiled principalities
and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them in it. Let no man therefore judge you
in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new
moon or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things
to come. But the body is of Christ. That's wonderful, isn't it? That's
clear, isn't it? We are complete in Him. Everything
that was against us, Christ nailed it to His cross, and we're forgiven,
and salvation is complete. Back in Galatians 1, verse 6
says, I marvel, that you are so soon removed from Him that
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which
is not another. But there be some that trouble
you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an
angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Meaning
this Word of God right here, Paul said, we have been made
apostles by God. And the Word that we have preached
and written, we received it directly from God. This Word is the only
gospel that there is. This word that has been written
by the Spirit of God Almighty is the only truth about Christ
that there is. And he said, though we or an
angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Let him be cursed. That's strong
language, isn't it? If the message he's preaching
is not the true message of Scripture, if it is not the God-given message
of forgiveness of sin in the blood of Christ alone, if that's
not his message, God said, let him be cursed. Let him be cursed. Paul told Timothy, When you get
to Ephesus, you preach the word. That was his commandment to Timothy.
Preach the word. In season, out of season. Get
in the word and stay in it. Stay in it. If any man comes
in with his own agenda, trying to make his own disciples, you
know how they do. They come in and read one verse.
They'll go find one verse that opens the door for them to rant,
give their own opinions, preach their own traditions. Verse eight says, though we or
an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be cursed. Nobody is gonna be saved under
him. Nobody is gonna be profited by him. Everybody will just end
up cursed. If the one preaching it will
be cursed, then the one hearing it will be cursed. If the one
preaching it, if that's what he believes, and whatever men
preach, that's what they believe. In the same way, the one hearing
it, if that's what he believes, if they believe the same thing,
the hearer is gonna be cursed too. How serious is Paul about
this? How serious is he about this?
Look at verse nine. As we said before, so say I now
again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that
you have received, let him be accursed. Verse 10, for do I now persuade
men or God? Am I persuading the things of
men or the things of God? Or do I seek to please men? For
if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
If my aim is to please men, I'll never please God. If God opens
a sinner's eyes to his truth, if God puts faith in his heart,
he will be so pleased by the message of God's servant that
gives all the honor and glory to Christ. But if my aim is to
just please men at any expense, I'll never please God. If I'm
the servant of man, I cannot be the servant of Christ. God's
ways are not man's ways. But if our aim and our goal is
to be true to the word of God, if he has caused that to be the
burning foundation of our message, if our message is the one and
only gospel that he himself has declared, then we are the servants
of Christ. We are, and there's no condemnation
in Him. And we hold the one and only
gospel that saves. Now let me ask this question.
What does another gospel sound like? What does another gospel sound
like if we need to guard against it? If our eternal souls depend
on our not believing it and not falling in with it, what does
another gospel sound like? How will I know if I'm listening
to another gospel? How will I know it when I hear
it? The answer is, You are hearing another gospel when you hear
something that is contrary to this word. Contrary to this word. If you hear a man stand up and
preach something and then you open up God's word and it says
the exact opposite of what that man said, don't be fooled by
him trying to tell you that God's word does not say exactly what
it means. God has said what God means in
God's Word. And if God's Word is contrary
to what I'm hearing, don't listen to that man anymore. He's preaching
another gospel. Have you ever heard a preacher
say from a pulpit, won't you give your heart to
Jesus? Won't you give your life to Him? Won't you give yourself
to Him? Look with me at verse four. It's
talking about Christ. It says, who gave himself. Christ gave himself. Nowhere does our God ask us to
give ourself. Christ took us. God grabbed us
and put us in Christ. He's not waiting on us to give
ourself. Christ is the one who gave himself. The man who stands up and says
that is preaching another gospel, not the one that was delivered
from God to his apostles. Have you ever heard a man say
from a pulpit, now he wants to save you, He's standing and waiting. He's done all that he can do.
He has no hands but your hands. You ever heard a man say that?
Look with me at verse four. Who gave himself for our sins
that he might deliver us. That does not say try to deliver
us. That does not say hope to deliver
us. It sure doesn't say beg to deliver
us. It says deliver us. The man who says that is preaching
another Jesus. That is not Jesus the Christ. Do you know what Jesus the Christ
said? He said, it is finished. Father, I have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do." Don't listen to that man who
preaches that other Jesus. He's a cursed man. Have you ever
heard a man say from the pulpit, God wants you to have all the
good of this world. God wants to bless you with this
world. He wants you to be happy in this
world. He wants you to grab this world by the tail and take what's
rightfully yours. You ever heard that? Verse four
says, who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us
from this present evil world. Most of the TV evangelists today
are preaching another gospel. another gospel. When I was a
young child, I heard a man stand up in a pulpit, it was not the
church he pastored, he was invited to go there, and he stood up
and preached the gospel. And then the pastor who invited
the man to come, after the man sat down, the pastor stood up
in the pulpit and he said, now the gospel has been preached.
Now it's up to you. This thing is on you. What are
you gonna do? Look at verse four with me. Who
gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this
present evil world according to the will of God and our Father. You know what the one and only
gospel says? It's not on you. This thing is
not up to you. Every bit of it was according
to the will of God Almighty. The gospel is all about Jesus
Christ and what He has already finished. The gospel, the only
true gospel, is all about Jesus Christ and what he has already
finished. The one and only true gospel
is all about the accomplishment of a person. The accomplishment
of a person. Salvation, the gospel, the good
news of salvation is not, it isn't finished yet. There's still
something for you to do. There's no good news in that.
The only gospel there is is the gospel of a finished work. That's the only good news there
is. That's the only good news that
gives a helpless, hopeless, defiled, filthy, dead sinner any hope. Christ did something and it was
successful. The Gospels are all about a person,
all about the God-man, Jesus Christ. May God cause us to be
servants of Christ, servants of Christ, not servants of men,
not servants of ourselves, not servants of the flesh, not giving praise to this flesh. God's waiting on me to do something
and I'm about to do it for him. No, no, no. God did something,
and it's forever settled in heaven. May He forever allow us to preach
and believe the one and only gospel there is, the gospel of
the grace of Christ, the free gift through the blood of Jesus
Christ. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His word to our hearts. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m. and 6 o'clock p.m.,
Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.