Galatians chapter 1. Galatians 1, the heading of this
book says, The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians. To the Galatians. And then the
end of verse 2 says, Unto the churches of Galatia. Galatia was a region that had different churches in
it. It was not a city. It was a region. It would be
like saying unto the churches of Tennessee. It was a large
region that had a few assemblies in it, a few congregations in
it. And Paul traveled through Galatia and he preached the gospel. And God called out some believers.
He would go and I, as I was studying this and thinking about this,
I thought about brother Walter Groover. He would go into a place
and he would literally stand in the middle of town and he
had a little projector with him and he would show a film and
then start preaching. And if somebody came and listened,
he'd keep preaching. And if somebody wanted him to
come back, he'd come back. And if not, he'd move on. And
that's what Paul did. He traveled through these, these
regions and these places. And, and as he did that, the
Lord blessed the word and the Lord called out some believers
and they would start assembling together. But Paul was not a
pastor. He was like brother Walter, more
of a missionary. So he constantly moved on. He would preach and then he'd
move on. He might be somewhere for a short while and then he'd
go preach the gospel somewhere else. And those assemblies formed
through his ministry. They needed somebody to preach
to him. Eventually, God would send him
a pastor. Timothy was the pastor at Ephesus. The Ephesians, the church at
Ephesus. I'm almost positive Titus was the pastor in Crete. But the point is, Paul didn't
stay with and pastor the believers that the Lord called out through
his ministry. He didn't stay with them. Other men would come
in. That's the point I'm trying to
make. Other men would come in. In Galatia, the wrong men came
in. And they started mixing works
with grace. That's always the problem. It's always the issue.
They started mixing works with grace. Now there is a work involved
in grace. But God is the doer of it. There
is a work that is involved in grace. All of the works, though,
are the works of God alone. He does them all. He does everything. I was talking with somebody this
morning about how relieving the gospel is. Just how relieving
it is. Every time that the responsibility
falls on us, we get scared. And then we realize, oh yeah,
Christ did that too. Isn't that wonderful? So relieving,
but all of the works are the works of God alone. And when
God works, it's evident. It's evident. Sinners do respond. They really do. When the Lord
says, believe, sinners believe. And I don't know why it shocks
me. I've said this before so many times. I have no idea why
it starts to really shock me. They seem to be believing it. They seem to be receiving it.
They're not rejecting it. Why should that shock me? It's
the truth. But when He says believe, they
believe. Sinners believe. When He says
come, they come. When He says bow, they bow. When He says repent, they repent. They just do. Works are performed. Works are performed. And works
are evidenced in a sinner and through a sinner. God's works
are evidenced through a sinner. But salvation is not by man's
works, is it? Look at chapter 2, verse 21,
Galatians 2, verse 21. He said, I do not frustrate the grace
of God. That's one of my favorite lines.
I don't frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come
by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Christ died in vain. There is one salvation. One. There is only one way of
salvation. One. And there is only one message
of salvation. One. One. But these false prophets
came in and they started preaching to these people that the effect
of salvation was actually the cause. The effect was actually the cause.
They started preaching that these commandments. And these ordinances,
we observe ordinances, don't we? We observed one last Sunday
night. These commandments and these
ordinances, they said they were still necessary, still a necessary
part of salvation. If you're not baptized, you can't
be saved. You don't take that table, you can't be saved. If
you don't obey the Sabbath, you can't be saved, if you don't.
And Paul told them what that produces. He said, he warns them
in this. Let me show you what that produces.
In chapter 2, Galatians 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 may bring us into bondage." That's all it produces. They
preached that salvation was partly by faith. Now these Galatians
had just heard the gospel from Paul. And they were preaching,
yes, partly by faith, and oh yeah, the blood of Christ, yeah,
Christ died on the cross, and that's what's happening today.
They say all the same things we say, partly by faith, but
it's partly through our works too. We've got to add that in
with it. And when some of these Galatians
said, they told these Pharisees, that's not what Paul told us.
These false prophets said, Paul is not a real apostle. He's 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 at the
time of Christ. Christ had already ascended before
Paul even came on the scene. Don't listen to Paul. Don't listen
to Paul. So some of these Galatians heard
that Paul was in prison in Rome. Thank goodness. God in love and
kindness and mercy and graciousness and providence put Paul in prison
in Rome. Because some of these Galatians
went to see him and they asked him about these things. And Paul
answered them and he answered all the churches of Galatia with
this letter right here. Here's what he had to say. Verse
1. Paul, an apostle. Right off the bat, Paul, an apostle,
not of men, 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 the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
this church is in a bad state. They're in a bad way right now.
Paul has heard of their condition, and they have what some people
call backslidden, erred from the truth. They're listening
to liars. But He says, Grace be to you. That's the first thing that comes
out of His mouth to them. Grace be to you and peace from God
the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. What He's telling
them is, you didn't do anything to get yourself in Christ and
you can't do anything to get yourself out. Grace be to you
and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
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. To whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. Now he says in verse 6,
this is where we pick up tonight for our text. He said, I marvel
that you are so soon removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ unto another gospel. He said, I marvel that
you are so soon removed from this absolutely free grace. I mean, absolutely free grace
of Christ unto another gospel, which he says in verse seven,
there's not another one. There's not another one. He said,
I'm shocked. I'm just shocked how, how soon
you're so soon. I was just there. Wasn't there
too long ago. So soon. I'm shocked that after
hearing how free grace truly is. We call this good news. The gospel means good news. Good
is. It's indescribable news. How
free this grace truly is. After hearing how effectual the
work of Christ truly was. After hearing how accomplished
it truly was. How finished it truly is. I mean done finished. He said,
I'm shocked that you would go back to believing that something
still must be done. I'm shocked. Now go back about
two pages to 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 1 says,
would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly and indeed
bear with me. For I am 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 ye have not received, or another gospel, which you
have not accepted, you might well bear with him." There are
a lot of false prophets preaching another Jesus. A lot of them. Another Jesus. There are a lot
of congregations holding to another gospel. And Paul said back in
our text, back in Galatians 1 verse 6, he said, 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. There's just not one. They're
preaching another gospel, but there is not another gospel. There's no other good news. The Lord said, I'm God. There
is none else. There's none else. The gospel is the truth about
Jesus Christ. Sometimes, you know, you ask
the question, what is the gospel? It's hard to put in words sometimes.
It's the truth about Jesus Christ. That's what it is, who he is
and what he's done. That's the gospel. There's only one truth. There's
only one truth to everything. There's only one truth. I don't
care what the situation is. You have a car accident. Police
officer comes on the scene. What happened here? There's only
one truth. There's only one truth. Verse
seven, he said, he went on to say, but there be some that trouble
you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. The gospel is all
about Christ. The gospel is all about Christ.
People try to figure out what is it? What is it? It's all about
Christ. That word pervert means turn around, turn across. What it means is they're mixing
it up. They're mixing it up. They're putting the cart before
the horse. That's what's happening. They're
making the effect, the cause, the evidence, the cause. Look back with me at Romans 11. Romans 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. What that means is, if you earn
it, it's not grace. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. If it's freely given to you,
you didn't earn it. Well, which one is it? Verse 5 again says,
Even so at this present time, also there is a remnant according
to the election of grace. It's grace. Look with me at Colossians
chapter 2. Colossians 2 verse 8 says, Beware lest any man spoil you
through philosophy. And buddy, men love philosophy. They love all that deep, deep
mind stuff. He said, 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. That's just a good verse to describe
religion. Verse 9 says, For in Him, in
Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. What that
means is, what's the answer? People want to talk philosophy.
What would you say the answer is to? What's the answer? Christ. Well, I've got another question.
What's the answer? Christ. Well, what about this? 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." Circumcision was an ordinance
that God gave. They literally cut off a man's
flesh. And it was just a picture of
the circumcision that was made without hands. Christ was cut off for the sin
of His people. That's all that was, alright?
So it says in verse 11, 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, buried
with him in baptism. Baptism is the same thing. It's
just a picture of a baptism that happened without hands. 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, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against us. That means
every sin that was written down, it was all blotted out in His
death, in His blood, which was contrary to us and took it out
of the way, nailing it to His cross. I love the word His right
there. He owned it. That's my cross.
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them in, and I love how my center
reference says, himself. in himself. 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." Don't you love
that? Man, that's so clear, isn't it? It's just so, so clear and
plain. Go with me back over to Galatians
1. Verse 6, he said, 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." Meaning, this word of God. He's not saying us, and this
is not translating to don't listen to anybody but Gabe Stoniker.
He's not saying that. He's saying this word of God. Paul said up to this point, we
have been made apostles. Paul an apostle. We've been made
apostles by God. And the Word that we've preached
and the Word that we've written, we received it directly from
God. This is the only gospel. That's what he's saying. This
is the only truth about Christ. Verse 8, But though we, or an
angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, then that
which we have preached unto you Let him be accursed. That means damned. Damned to
hell. There comes a point when every
pastor must go. If God does not remove him for
some reason, eventually he has to die. He just has to. At some point,
every pastor must go. I'm almost, I was thinking about
our kids, I was thinking about Bethany was the first one I thought
about. I'm almost 40 years older than Bethany and Cooper and Ballard. If the Lord tarries and he allows
them to live to be 70, They will spend the end of their lifetime
listening to another man. Unless the Lord gives me strange
strength, I will not be here at the age of 110 preaching the
gospel. So they will be listening, this
congregation that will hopefully, by God's grace, maybe He'll cause
it to grow and maybe He'll bless it and make it fruitful and our
children will have children and grandchildren. And come the end
of their life, they're going to be listening to another man.
This congregation will be listening to another man. And so it's so
important that we understand if a man comes in and he does
not preach this word, this word. Yes, we have our doctrines. We
have all five points. We have all three R's. That is
this word. But a simple way to say it is
Christ, if he does not preach Christ and him crucified, this
word, word for word, verse for verse, chapter for chapter, every
word of it. Paul told Timothy, when you get
to Ephesus, you preach the word. Get in the word and stay in the
word. Don't get out of it. And if a
man comes in with his own agenda, and you know, he'll find him
one verse, he'll go find one verse that fits his agenda, one
verse that'll open a door for him to rant for an hour on whatever
it is he wants to rant about, you know, his own opinions, his
own traditions. Paul said right here in verse
8, 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. Nobody will be saved under him.
Nobody. Nobody is going to be profited
by him. Nobody. Well, he's close. He's
close. Nobody is going to be profited
by him. Everybody will just end up cursed. Everybody. If the one preaching
it will be cursed, the one believing it will be cursed. If he's preaching
it, that's what he believes. That thing of, oh, he believes
it, he just won't preach it. That's not true. Whatever he
preaches is what he believes. And if he believes it, if he
preaches it, and if somebody hears it and they believe the
same thing, they're going to be cursed too. Now how serious is Paul
about this? Look at verse 9. He said, 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. He said, Let me say this twice.
Let me take up two times the real estate of God's holy word
to say Don't listen to it. Don't listen to it. He said,
verse 10, For do I now persuade men or God? Am I standing before
men or am I standing before God? Am I persuading the things of
men or am I persuading the things of God? He went on to say, Or
do I seek to please men? Are we trying to please men?
I want men and women to be happy. I want them to be happy in Christ.
I want them to rejoice in the gospel. I want them to walk out
of here pleased. But our goal is not to please
men. He said, 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. Never. And if I'm the servant
of man, I cannot be the servant of Christ, just can't. God's
ways are not man's ways, they're just not. But if our aim and
if our goal is to be true to God's Word, if that's all we
want to do, is if we just want to tell people the truth that
God has written in His Word. If our message is the one and
only gospel that He Himself has declared, if we are only repeating
what 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 actually saves. The one and only. 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 falling in with it, what does another
gospel sound like? How will I know if I hear it? The answer is you are hearing
another gospel when you hear something that is contrary to
this word. Have you ever heard a preacher
stand up and from a pulpit say, won't you give your heart to
Jesus? Won't you give him your life?
Won't you give him yourself? Look with me at verse 4. It says, Who gave himself? Wait a minute. Who did what? Who gave himself? The man who
stands up and says that is preaching another gospel. It's another
gospel. I didn't give myself. He gave
himself. That's what he wrote in his Word.
Have you ever heard a man say from a pulpit, he wants to save
you. He's standing and he's waiting. He's done all he can do. He has
no hands but your hands. Look at verse four. Who gave
himself for our sins that he might deliver us. That does not say that he might
try to deliver us. It does not say that he might
hope to deliver us. It does not say he might beg
to deliver us. It says deliver us. Deliver us. The man that stands
up preaching that is preaching another Jesus. That's not this
Jesus of the scripture, Jesus the Christ. Here's what Jesus
Christ said. It is finished. is finished. Father, I have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do. Don't listen to him. That's a
cursed man. If God in mercy does not open
his eyes, cause him to repent, that'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. I think about the current false
preachers of today. God wants you to have all the
good that this world, he wants to bless you with the world. He wants you to be happy in this
world. He wants you to grab the world by the tail and claim what's
rightfully yours. Look at verse four. Who gave
himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present
evil world. That's another gospel. That's
another one. All the TV evangelists of today,
they're preaching another gospel. They're preaching another happiness,
a different good news. Not this one. When I was a kid,
I was young, but I was old enough to remember this. There was a
man who worked with my dad. And he pastored a church out
in the country, a good ways out in the country. And I can only
assume that he was free will. And it was clear that my dad
and him didn't agree. I remember being around the two
of them, listening to their conversations. They didn't agree. But for some
reason, he asked my dad to come preach at his church. I don't
have any idea why. Maybe on a Sunday night or something.
But we all went. Our whole family went out. And
some of the members from our congregation went. And Dad stood up and preached
the gospel. And then when he sat down, that man stood up and
said, The gospel has been preached. Now this is on you. This is up to you. What are you going to do? I remember,
I can visualize him standing there saying that. And it went
on like this for a long time. Now what are you going to do?
This thing is on you. Look at verse 4. 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 ain't
up to you. Every bit of it was according
to the will of God Almighty. Isn't that wonderful? According
to the will of God Almighty. The gospel is all about Jesus
Christ and what he has done and the one and only true gospel. If you want to sum it all up
in one thing, you can say it's a person. The gospel is a person. And may God cause us to be servants
of Christ. We're going to, by God's grace,
preach this person to Kingsport. If He'll let us, if He'll give
us the ability and the grace and the wisdom, we'll preach
a person to Kingsport. And in His grace, Maybe we won't
leave this to another gospel. Maybe he will cause us, we'll
give him all the glory to stay on the grace, the gospel of Christ
alone. All right, let's stand together.