I thank the Lord for each one of you, your faithfulness and being a part of this church family. What a blessing it is for me and I trust for all of us.

If you will, let's open our Bibles once again tonight to Galatians chapter 1. Tonight, let's begin reading in verse 6 and read through verse 10. 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 are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we've said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Last week, most of us were here and we looked at the first five verses, the salutation in this letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia. And in the verses that we're looking at tonight, we can say, humanly speaking, humanly speaking, The primary reason for Paul to write this letter, it all had to do with the gospel. It all had to do with the gospel. And this shows you and I the importance for what could be more important to you, what could be more important to me, what could be more important to anyone. Then the gospel. Think how awful it would be to be in this world, to go through this life and never hearing the gospel. How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without a preacher? Yes, nothing could be more important than the gospel, and that's the primary reason. As I said, humanly speaking, that Paul felt the necessity. I know he was inspired and moved by God the Holy Spirit, and so the letter is inspired. But humanly speaking, it appears to me that this is a reason for this letter.

And as I was sitting there and we were singing those hymns just now, I could not help but think that once again, we see how God can bring good out of evil. Not only how he can, but how he does. And what we see took place here in these churches of Galatia had to be called evil because we've got false teachers who came among them. But God brings good out of it because now for 2,000 years, more or less, we've had this epistle of Galatians. And God's people have benefited and been blessed and been encouraged in the way of truth that's been taught and revealed.

I read one time that Martin Luther, I believe it was, you know, Galatians, his work on Galatians, people have said was his greatest work. You know, he said, Martin Luther said his greatest work, as far as he was concerned, was his work on the bondage of the will. But the commentary he wrote on Galatians is tremendous commentary. But I believe it was he who said that if Romans, the letter of Romans had not been larger, longer than Galatians, then Galatians would have been placed where Romans is at the first of the epistles that he wrote. Men arrange these epistles. I know God directed them. But when he said that, he was emphasizing the truth of what is revealed here in the letter of Galatians about justification by faith.

Now, we learned that even those who heard the gospel, and it's one of the lessons I think that all of us should take to heart tonight. One of the lessons is here are people who heard Paul preach. They didn't hear the gospel from David Pledger or someone like myself. No, they heard the gospel from the apostle Paul. And aside from the Lord Jesus Christ, I believe most people would say Paul had to have been one of the greatest of the preachers down through the ages. And yet, having heard the gospel, received the gospel, confessed the gospel from the words, the mouth, the preaching of the apostle Paul, yet still they were able or enabled Satan was to slyly turn them away from the truth, though it be ever so small.

But as we look at these verses tonight, I have four points I want to make. First of all, the Apostle's wonder. His wonder in verse six, as you see, I marvel his astonishment. He admitted he was astonished at what he recognizes has occurred. I'm sure that word had come to him, but he's astonished that this had taken place among these professed believers.

They removed from him, notice what he said, they removed from him that called them. I'm marveled. I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called them. And this tells us that this letter was written not long after the Apostle Paul had been among them because he uses that word soon. I marvel that how soon you have turned away or removed from him that called you. When he had come among them, preaching the gospel, they received the gospel, they believed the gospel, they confessed the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure they were baptized. The churches were organized there and came together as a body of believers, just like we are here. And yet, now, Paul said, I marvel that this happened so quickly. How quickly? You know, I heard a preacher one time, I think he illustrated this like this. If you left Houston and you were going to Dallas, and I believe if you left Houston, you'd go north, straight north. But if you just started veering just a little towards the east, you know, just a little before long, you'd be over there in Texarkana. You wouldn't be in Dallas.

and just a little veering from the truth. When Paul came among them, look in chapter four, these people here, they respected Paul, they loved him. In fact, he tells them here in chapter four in verses 14 and 15 that they received him like an angel, like an angel of God. Notice that in verse 14. And my temptation, which was in my flesh, you despise not, nor reject it, but receive me as an angel of God, even as Jesus Christ. He was an ambassador of Jesus Christ, and they received him. And notice that next verse, they were even willing to pluck out their eyes if that were possible and give those eyes to the Apostle Paul. The regard that they had for him. And why did they have such regard for this man? His appearance from everything we read wasn't that great. He had no great appearance as a person. And he confessed himself, and I think 1 Corinthians, his speech was contemptible. I mean, he's not known as a great orator or anything like that. And yet, these people loved him so much, they were willing to give him their eyes. Why would they have such love for a man, a stranger, a Jew that came in among these Gentile people? Because he brought them the gospel. Because he had brought them the gospel, that's the reason.

Now, in a short time, a small space of time, they had removed, this is what Paul says, look at the text, they had removed from him that called them. I want to point out three words there in that phrase. They had removed from him that called them. I believe it reads here. You are so soon removed from him that called you. Three words.

First of all, the word called. Him that called you. You know, the call, It's a very important word, isn't it, in the New Testament? I mean, how often do we emphasize the fact that there is a general call that goes out every time the gospel is preached? But there is a particular call, a specific call, when the gospel is preached in the power of God the Holy Spirit and the gospel comes to a person by revelation. And that word call, one writer said it's almost synonymous with calling a person a Christian. If you said, she's a Christian, she's been called. I mean, you could say it either way, because the word called has come to mean, you know, a person's been saved. And rightly so, because like in these verses, and there's many verses, I'll just mention these two, but in 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 14, Paul said, he called you by our gospel. He called you by our gospel.

And then of course, in Romans 8, a familiar verse, moreover whom he did predestinate them. He also called. Who did He call? Them He did predestinate. And them He called, He also did justify. Who did He justify? Them He called. Them He predestinated. And them He justified, He did also glorify. I mean, there's a chain there, right? It cannot be broken. And so this word calling, Paul says, I marvel that you're so soon removed from him that called you.

The second word, him, him that called you, who does that refer to? Well, some people think it refers to Paul, that he was the one that called them, but that can't be so. Because yes, Paul, a preacher calls men to believe, come to Christ, trust in Christ. But no one who only hears the voice of the preacher is ever going to come to Christ, turn to Christ. No, it's going to take a voice that raises men from the grave, the voice of Christ calling Lazarus out of the tomb. Well, then some people say, well, it refers to Christ. Him that called you, Christ called you. No, but look, that must not be so, because even though the Father and the Son, what the Father does, the Son does, I understand that, but it just doesn't seem like it would be right to put down Him that called you into the grace of Christ, Christ who called you into the grace of Christ. So who does that Him refer to? Well, most of the calling, most of the verses of scripture, when it speaks of calling, refer to the father. The father calls his people.

And the third word there is that word removed. Now, you know Paul is not saying that you were saved and now you've lost your salvation or you've apostatized. and you're lost. He's not saying that. We know that because that's just not true. When a person is in one of his sheep, he'll always be one of his sheep, right? No man is able to pluck one of my sheep out of my hand. We know that. Well, literally, from what I've studied, you have removed yourselves. Paul stated, what he's stating here is that they had abandoned the gospel. They had abandoned the message that he had taught them, the message that they had heard and believed. They had abandoned not only the message, but they had abandoned the messenger. Paul was the messenger, but now they've abandoned him and they've gone to these other teachers. who are teaching a different message.

So that's the first thing I would point out, Paul's astonishment, astonishment, that they were so soon removed from him that called them into the grace of Christ. The second thing, the apostles' denial, verse 7, which is not another, which is not another. But there'll be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. Paul denies, emphatically denies, that the message that these men who had come among them and was causing them trouble, that this was the gospel. He denies that. He denies the message that is taught by these false teachers. And it was causing them trouble. Notice that again in verse 7, which is, not another, but there be some that trouble you.

Now what troubled these believers? That word trouble, keep that in mind. Look to Acts 15, just a moment. In Acts chapter 15, we're going to see that word again. But in verses one and two, we realize this is a meeting that the apostles and preachers and members of the church at Jerusalem and some of the other churches had together. And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Now notice down in verse, Verse 19, Acts chapter 15, verse 19. This is the response that James, a consensus they came to about the relationship between believers, Gentile believers especially, and the law of Moses. Wherefore, my sentence is that we trouble. What did cause them trouble? except you be circumcised after the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.

It wasn't just circumcision. You know, circumcision, later in Galatians, Paul tells them, if you be circumcised, then you come under all the law. Not just that one act, but if you are circumcised, As a believer, if you submit to circumcision, then now you are to obey all the law, not just that one act. I mean, the whole law, everything that the mosaic law, the dietary law, everything that's involved in that. And that's what people today, some people that teach what they call progressive sanctification, that's the very same thing that they do

The thought is that you go to Mount Sinai, the law, and get convicted of your sins. Then you go to Calvary to find salvation in Christ. And once you are saved, then back over there to the law and live under the law. But we know that Romans chapter 7, the apostle Paul tells us, we are married to another. that we might bring forth fruit. And that other one that believers are married to, of course, is Christ. We were under the law, bound by the law, but by the death of Christ, we've been made free that we might marry him.

Well, we won't go there to look at that, but that's what had troubled these believers. It was the adding of the law, of teaching these believers that you've got to submit to the law. And Paul makes it clear, there's only one gospel. There's only one gospel. And he denies that the message that those who were teaching them, who had come among them and brought to them, that's not the gospel. If you add anything to this or you subtract anything from this, you don't have the gospel anymore. No. If you contrast these two messages, the gospel says, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. By him, all who believe are justified from all things. from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Here's the contrast, except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses and keep the law, you cannot be saved. It's easy to see the contrast, isn't it? One message is Christ and what he's done, what he's accomplished, and trust in him, faith in him, The other message is, yes, Christ, but also you've got to add your works. You've got to do your part. And think about this, only one of these messages is good news, right? Only one. And that's what the word gospel means. Good news, glad tidings of great joy.

What this, telling a person what he needs to do, There's no good news there. Why? Because we can't do what the law tells us to do. That's why. You know, if you just, the law says thou shalt not covet. Paul said that's what got him, wasn't it? He lived for years as a Pharisee of the Pharisees and Someone asked me one time, do you think that rich young ruler was Saul of Tarsus? And I thought about it, and I said, no, I don't believe it was. But I do believe that Saul could have answered the same way when that rich young ruler told the Lord Jesus Christ, all these things I've kept from my youth up. I believe Paul could have said that, would have said that.

Why? He didn't realize that the law is not just outward acts. The law has to do with the heart. And when the law came to him in power, power of the Holy Spirit, and said, thou shalt not covet, that very beginning of desire to have something that is someone else's or something you don't have, that very first Spring the first blade of that that desire It's not after you've had this desire and then you put it into action No, it's just the very beginning. That's you know, that's why the Lord said the heart is desperately wicked and Deceitful above all things You've heard people say this. Well if I know my heart, well, you don't and I don't either No, we better pray like the psalmist. Search me, O God, and know my heart, and see if there be any wicked way in me. Because by nature, man doesn't know his heart. We believe that.

You know, sometimes it occurs to me how different We really are. When you try to witness to some of these professional people, I mean, you know, they look at you like a calf looking at a new gate. I mean, I told the doctor the other day, I said, we live in a fallen world. He was talking about crime and things. He said, that's a strange way to put it. I said, well, it all goes back to the fall. And he didn't have a clue. He didn't have a clue of what I was talking about. You know, how strange. We must appear to the world, right? That you would come service after service and hear some man stand up and tell us, tell myself and tell you. that by nature we are all sinful, wicked individuals. And the only hope we have is that when Christ died, he died for me. That's it. People, that's strange that people would come and listen to that.

Well, Once a person's heard the truth, that's all he wants to hear. All right, here's the third. The Apostle's Declaration. And we may read between the lines here in verses eight and nine. For though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you. Let him be accursed. 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. I said we may be able to read between the lines when Paul says, though we, in other words, he includes himself, though we come and preach. It is thought that these false teachers maybe were saying, well, Paul, now, he preaches the law, too. He's learned more, and he's preaching the law. He believes just like we do. Well, Paul says, well, it's not gonna happen. It's supposition, but if I came, we, and preached anything different than I preached when I came the first time, let him be accursed. And yea, even if an angel from heaven comes and preaches a different message, let him be accursed.

What Paul had preached was simply, and that singleness, simplicity that is in Christ, that word simplicity means the singleness that is in Christ. that a person is only saved or justified, whichever term you want to use, reconciled unto God only by the person and work of Jesus Christ and that received by faith, by faith.

Even if I, Paul says, even if I or an angel from heaven preach a different message, let him be accursed. And then he repeats that. I like what John Gill, I believe it was, his thought on that was he wanted to show, in case they were to read that letter and they might think, well, Paul just got carried away there. He just got so mad. He said something he regretted saying. No! No! He said it again. And John Gill said, upon thoughtful and mature consideration of this affair. It wasn't in a heat of passion that he said, let that person be a curse, no.

Some of the writers, they think that to be a curse means to treat them as John wrote in his first letter, if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, Receive him not into your house. And I like what I think it was John Brown said, never, listen, never was there a man more disposed to bear with weak brethren. Paul, never was there a man more disposed to bear with weak brethren, but never was there a man more determined to oppose and expose false brethren. Amen.

Here's the fourth and last thing, the apostles' desire. And notice that word yet. This is interesting, I thought. For do I now persuade men of God, or do I seek to please men? For if I yet, if I yet pleased men. There was a time when Paul sought to please men. When he got the letters from the priest to go to Damascus and arrest and bring those Christians, who was he trying to please? He was trying to please man. And Paul said, if that was my purpose, and again, we can see what these false teachers had maybe spoken against Paul by saying that he's trying to gain a following or something like that. No, Paul said, if I yet pleased man, I wouldn't be the servant of Christ.

And he knew, and every preacher that preaches the gospel knows this, that you're going to say some things that are going to offend some people. I've always said this, and most of my pastor friends, we've agreed about this. I don't want anything in my personality or anything about me to offend anyone. But if the gospel offends someone, so be it. I just preach what God's revealed. I pray the Lord bless that to all of us tonight. We're gonna sing this hymn, Revive Us Again.