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 invite you to turn with me
this morning to Galatians chapter 1. Galatians chapter one, the
first five verses will be our text this morning. And this is
what they say, 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 our 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. That's the gospel. You know that? That's the gospel. That's our message. In that portion
of scripture right there, there are 10 statements that are made
or 10 questions that are asked. And these 10 statements or questions
declare what believers of the Word of God believe. They point
out what believers of the Word of God believe. This is their testimony. That's
what this is. And these are the 10 statements.
Who I am or who am I. What I am. By whom I am. Who I'm with, to whom this is,
or who is this to, who is this written to? What it is, from whom it comes,
what he did, under whose authority he did it. And what do we have
to say to these things? That's our gospel. That's our testimony. That's our message. Let's listen
to the text one more time. 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 in peace,
from God our 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. Amen. First John 1 5 says this then
is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto
you. This is the message. All right. Let's look at this text and look
at these statements of these questions here. Verse one says
Paul. Paul. Just Paul. Don't you love the humility of
God's people? The humility. In a world full
of pride and vanity, isn't it so refreshing to see the humility
of a believer? That's a character trait of a
believer of the Word of God. Humility. He doesn't say, He does not say, Reverend Paul. The Scripture says, there is
only one who is holy and reverent. Holy and reverend is thy name.
Jesus Christ is the only one who should be called reverend.
So Paul doesn't dare call himself that. He didn't say, Dr. Paul. Although Paul was a studied
man, A learned man. I'm sure Paul had enough education
to be a doctor, but he didn't call himself Dr. Paul. He didn't
call himself Father Paul. Scripture and the Lord himself
told him not to. He said, don't call any man your
father. There's one father that's in heaven. So he didn't call
himself Father Paul. He doesn't even say the Apostle
Paul. He just says Paul. an apostle. He doesn't deny that
he was made an apostle by God. He doesn't deny that. But he
just calls himself Paul. The truth. Understanding the
truth. There was a time when he didn't
know the truth and his name was Saul. And then God opened his
eyes and showed him the truth and said, I'm going to change
your name to Paul. And seeing the truth. And that realization
of sin is gonna keep a man or a woman low. You know that? Low. I'm just Gabe. My name is Gabe. And I'm just Gabe. That's it.
The flesh causes people to say, look at who I am. Don't you know
who I am? Look at what I'm doing for God. I'd like for everybody to see
what I'm doing for God. But when our flesh gets a hold
of the truth, seeing the truth, the truth about sin, the truth
about God, that causes people to say, who am I? Who am I? Paul's brethren, there were two
Johns in the scripture, John the Baptist and John the Apostle. John the Baptist, they ask him,
who art thou? And he said, I'm just a voice. That's all. I'm not even worthy
to say my name. John the Apostle, he's the one
who penned the gospel of John. He wouldn't say his own name
either. All through the book, the Gospel of John, he just called
himself the one whom the Lord loved. He wouldn't even say his
own name either. That's humility. You know that.
Everybody wants their name to be known. That's true humility. Who am I? Let me tell you who
I am. Nobody. Nobody. That's who I am. Nobody. Well,
in verse one, Paul calls himself an apostle. That's our next question. What am I? Who am I? Nobody. What am I? Well, Paul called himself an
apostle, but he's only doing this to state fact. He's only
doing this to give authority to his message. He's only saying
this out of obedience to his master's command. That's the
only reason the Lord has said, if any man speak, let him speak
as the oracles of God. So Paul says, I was called to
be an apostle, but in and of himself, this is what Paul had
to say about himself. Turn with me over to first Timothy
chapter one. 1 Timothy 1, verse 15, let's read
verses 12 to 15, they say, Paul said, I thank Christ Jesus our
Lord who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful,
putting me into the ministry. Who was before a blasphemer,
and a persecutor, and injurious, but I obtained mercy because
I did it ignorantly in unbelief. and the grace of our Lord was
exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners of whom I am chief." Chief. Isn't it amazing how the Lord
raised up Paul from being a murderer to being an apostle? Isn't that
amazing? You know, most people in high
places try to hide their past. You know, a person runs for office
or something like that, and they try to hide their past. Paul
just keeps bringing it up. He won't stop bringing it up.
He said to John the Baptist, so you're the man sent to prepare
the way of the Lord. And he said, I'm not even worthy
to unloose the latches on his shoes. Who am I? I'm nobody. Nobody. What am I? I'll tell you what
I am. Just a sinner. Nothing at all. Jesus Christ is my all and in
all. Heaven is a place full of nothings
and nobodies, who all in total agreement
say, Jesus Christ is everything, Christ is all. But Paul says
here, praise be to God, he's made me an apostle. One taught
directly by the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a requirement of being
an apostle. You had to be taught the gospel
directly from the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And Paul is telling
us right here how great things the Lord has done for him. That's
his testimony and that's ours too. True believers say, in and
of myself, I'm nothing. I'm the lowest of the least.
But in the Lord Jesus Christ, as long as I'm in Him, I can
be called a saint of God. I can be called a child of God. In Christ, I can be called sanctified. I can be called righteous. but
I can only be called that in Him. It has to be in Him. What am I? I am what I am by
the grace of God. That answers our next question. By whom am I? By whom am I? Our text back over
in Galatians 1, verse 1 says Paul, an apostle, not of men,
neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who
raised him from the dead." A true calling is of God. It's of God. A man cannot call
himself and a man cannot call another man. A true calling Verse
11 says, But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached
of me is not after man. For I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ. He's saying Jesus Christ taught
me this. This calling is of God. I met
a man one time who told me he was an apostle. And he was an
apostle in Russia. The man was American, but he
went to Russia for humanitarian work and did a lot of work with
orphanages and a lot of good deeds and things like that. So
as a thank you, the religious community in Russia apostolized
him. Well, that just can't be. There
are no more apostles. Apostles had to be taught directly
by God himself. And a man didn't go in and do
some good deeds and everybody pat him on the back and make
him an apostle. That was not Paul's experience
at all. Look at Acts chapter 9 with me. Acts chapter 9 verse 1 says,
which is Paul's former name, Saul, yet breathing out threatenings
and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high
priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues,
that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or
women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed,
he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him
a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth and
heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me? And he said, who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is
hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling
and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And
the Lord said unto him, arise and go into the city and it shall
be told thee what thou must do. it'll be told thee. A true calling
is of God. A call to salvation, that's of
God. A call to believe, that's of
God. Every true calling is of God,
not of man. So our next question is, who
am I with? If I'm called of God, who am
I with? Verse 2 says, back in Galatians
1, It says, all the brethren which are with me. 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. That means I'm with all the brethren
of like faith, all who are with me, all who believe in and only
in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm with them. That's who I'm
with. Any friend of his is a friend
of mine. Psalm 133 verse 1 says, Behold
how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity. Is that not one of the sweetest
gifts that the Lord God has given to his people? Unity. Unity. What are God's people united
in? Every word that proceeds out
of the mouth of God. That's what they are united in.
The Word of God. They all say, I'm a sinner. I'm with anybody who says, I'm
a sinner. They all say, God chose me. I
didn't choose God. I couldn't. I was dead. But God
chose me. And He didn't have to choose
anybody. You know that? God did not have to choose anybody. Christ didn't have to die for
anybody. But the goodness of God allowed
Him to die for some. And it's God who made it effectual
to me because I would have rejected it and rejected Him. But God
is merciful. And my only hope is in Christ
and in His work and in His salvation. It's not my own. Any believer
who says that based on the Word of God, that's who I'm with.
I'm with you. If you say that from the heart
and believe that from the heart, I'm with you. That's who I want
to be with. Who I am, what I am, by whom
I am, who I'm with, and here's our next statement, to whom this
is. Who is this to? Who is this message
to? Our text in Galatians 1 verse
2 says, and all the brethren which are with me unto the churches
of Galatia. Unto the churches of Galatia.
Paul wrote many letters to the churches. There are many churches
But there's only one church. One church. Although these letters
were written to different places, they all say the same thing.
You know that? All of these letters to the churches,
they all say the same thing. They're all written to the same
people. The church. I want to show you a few of them.
Look at Romans 1, verse 7. It says, To all that be in Rome,
beloved of God, all whom God loves, called To be saints called. Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. To all that be in Rome
who are called saints. Look at 1 Corinthians 1. Verse
2 says, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, the church
of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ. Sanctified in Christ Jesus, called
to be saints with all that in every place call upon the name
of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. In Christ, sanctified
with all that in every place call. That's who this is to. Ephesians 1. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 1
says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to
the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ
Jesus." Sanctified in Christ, faithful in Christ Jesus. Philippians 1, verse 1 says,
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints
in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, with the bishops and
deacons. Colossians 1. Verse 2 says, To the saints and
faithful brethren in Christ, which are at Colossae. We see
a reoccurring theme here. In Christ. In Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1
says, Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the church of the Thessalonians,
which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. in. Who is this message to? It's
to those who are called, chosen by God to be saints, chosen by
God to be sanctified, chosen by God to be faithful. But the
only way any of that's possible is in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's it. How does a person
get in Christ? If you feel there's a possibility
that you might be outside of Christ, and if you really want
to know how to get in Christ, ask Him that. Truly ask, Lord,
I want to be in You. How do I get in You? It's God
which has to put a sinner in Christ. And He said, if you ask,
you'll receive. Well, our text says, Who I am,
what I am, by whom I am, who I'm with, to whom this is, and
what it is. What it is, what is the message? Our text in Galatians 1 verse
3 says, grace be to you and peace. Grace, we preach grace. We're saved by grace. Grace is
the gift of God. Grace means gift. And that gift
is the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you. He is God's
grace. He is our peace. Grace be to
you and peace. The prince of peace. He's the
giver. He's the gift. Paul says, that's
what I want for you. Peace in him. In Christ, we can have peace. You know that? We can have peace
with God because He made peace for us. In Him, we can be at
peace with each other. If God, for Christ's sake, has
forgiven me, why can I not forgive my brother? In Him, we can have
peace within ourselves. And the reason is because He
made peace for us. If my sins are gone, Then I'm
at peace. I'm at peace. How did He do that? How did He make peace for us? Galatians 1 verse 4 says, He
gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this
present evil world. That's how He did it. He gave
Himself. Galatians 2 verse 20 says, I
am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me. Isn't that something? He gave
himself. Why did he do that? You know
why he did that? He loved me. If I'm one of his,
and if you're one of his, if you've been chosen to be put
in Christ, he loved you. That's why he did that. That's
our testimony. That's our testimony unto him
that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. He
gave himself. Under whose authority did he
do that? How can he do that? Under whose authority did he
do that? Well, our text says in verse
4, he did it according to the will of God. That's how he did
it. The will of God. He said, I delight
to do that will, O God. He was obedient unto death. Under whose authority? It says
he did it according to the will of God and our Father. Now notice something with me.
Verse 1 says, Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but
by Jesus Christ and God the Father. But look at verse 4. It says,
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. All authority has been given
unto Christ. You know that? God the Father
said to God the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever. Our Lord said,
If you've seen me, you've seen the Father. He said, I and my
Father are one. We are one. He worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will. That's whose authority
he did it under. This, then, is the message. This is our gospel. This is our
testimony. Who am I? I'm just a sinner.
That's all. What am I? Nothing. Nothing at
all. By whom am I, though? I'm by
the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has done great things
for me. He took me off a dunghill and made me sit among princes.
He's my all and in all. With whom am I? Thanks be to
God, I'm with all of his elect. I'm with all who are adopted
into the family of God. I'm with all who say salvation
is of the Lord. Who is this to? It's to the called
in Christ Jesus. That's who this message is going
out to this morning. If you're listening to this this
morning, This message goes out to the called in Christ Jesus,
called from darkness to light, called from death to life. Can
you say, I'm dead? I'm blind. If you can, this call
is to life, to light. That's what it is. This is a
message of grace and peace. We're saved by grace. I was saved
by grace. I didn't deserve it. He'll save
you by grace. Who does this come from? This
comes from the one who loved his own. That's who it comes
from. What did he do? He washed us
from our sins in his own blood. Under whose authority did he
do it? His own. He has the right, the ability,
the power, His own authority. Here's our last question. What
do we have to say to these things? What does that cause us to say
in response? Verse 5 says, to whom? To Him. Be glory forever and ever. Amen. Jude said, to the only
wise God our Savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and ever. Amen. That's our testimony. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His Word. 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.