Good morning. Thankful for the
opportunity to be with you this morning. Traveling alone, Abby sends her
love and wishes she could be here. Our nephew and his wife
are expecting their first, so they've got a baby shower today,
so she's at home, home with them. I ask you to open your Bibles
with me to Galatians chapter one. Galatians chapter 1. We'll begin reading in verse
1 of Galatians 1. an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but
by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead.
Now Paul had no problem attaching his name to this letter to the
Galatians. In the book of Romans, Paul wrote,
he said, I'm not ashamed. of the gospel of Christ. For
it's the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth, to
the Jew first, and also to the Greek. We read Paul, an apostle,
not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father. Paul didn't take this office
upon himself, writing to Timothy, Over in 1 Timothy 1.12, he says,
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that
he hath counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. God puts his men into the ministry. He gives them the message, he
reveals that message to them, and then he enables them to preach
that message to his people. In 1 John 1, 3, that which we
have seen, John said this, that which we've seen and heard, declare
we unto you. So again, God calls his men,
he gives them the message and they declare it to the people. And again, Paul didn't thrust
himself into this office. I remember Henry saying one time,
it takes more to be preacher than a loud voice and an inability
to breathe between sentences. God puts men into the ministry. He gives them the message. Again,
Paul didn't thrust himself in and he didn't run before he was
sent. Back in 2 Samuel, back in the
book of Samuel, 2 Samuel 18. You turn there with me. 2 Samuel
18. When David's son, Absalom, was
slain by Joab, read here in 2 Samuel 18, look beginning with verse
19. Then said Hamaz, the son of Zadok,
let me now run and bear the king's tidings, how that the Lord hath
avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said unto him, thou
shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another
day. But this day thou shalt bear
no tidings, because the king's son is dead. Then said Joab to
Cushi, go tell the king what thou hast seen. Cushi bowed himself
unto Joab, and he ran. Then said Ahimaz, the son of
Zadok, yet again to Joab, but howsoever, let me, I pray thee,
also run after Cushi. And Joab said, wherefore wilt
thou run, my son, seeing thou hast no tidings ready? But howsoever
said he, let me run. And he said unto him, run. And
then Ahimaz ran by the way of the plain, and he overran Cushi. Two men here, we have two men
here. One has the message, and one
sent with it. Kushai was sent. He had the message. Hamas, he says, let me go. Just
let me go. Go send me. And he was warned,
you don't have tidings. You don't have anything to say.
But he persisted. And eventually, he let him run. Joab finally said, just go. Go
chase after him. And we read on here. A high man's goals, but when
he gets to the king, the king says, you have some news for
me. Do you have a message for me?
And this is what he says. He says, I saw a great tumult,
but I don't know what it was. And often men run without a message. They run before God gives the
message. We must be careful. We must be
careful that we don't run, as ministers, that we don't run
before we're sent, and as a congregation, to be aware of that, to be very
aware of that, to not run before we're sent. Cushi came with a
message. Look at verse 21 there, if you
still have it. Joab said to Cushi, go tell the
king what you've seen. what's been revealed to you. And he bowed and he ran. The scriptures say this, how
shall they preach except they be sinned? Let's read on in our
text here in Galatians. Again, verse one, 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. Grace
and peace. Grace, unmerited, unmerited favor. Acceptance with God. Peace. Peace with God. Grace and peace. And here we see the source of
grace and peace. Where does grace and peace come
from? God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the title
of the message here this morning is One Gospel. We have one gospel. Do you have verse four? Here's the first thing we see
about this one gospel. It's concerning Jesus Christ
who gave himself for our sins. He gave himself. This one, this
gospel concerns the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself. Consider this, the Lord Jesus
Christ, God in human flesh, he created this earth and everything
in it. What could he have gave? Everything that He created. But
what does it say here? He gave Himself. He gave Himself. In 1 Peter 1, for as much as
you know, you're not redeemed with corruptible things such
as silver and gold from your vain conversations. Valuable
things. Valuable things like silver and
gold. That's not what redeems us. nor from the vain conversations,
the traditions of your fathers, but with the precious blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. As of a lamb without blemish
and without spot, he gave himself for our sins. Celeste, that's
what you sang. Jesus Christ, the crucified,
he suffered and died in the room instead of his people. In the
book of Hebrews, turn with me to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter nine. Begin with verse 24 of Hebrews
nine. For Christ is not entered into
the holy place made with hands, which are figures of the true,
but into heaven itself now, to appear in the presence of God
for us. The Lord Jesus Christ. Nor yet
should he offer himself often, as the holy priest entereth into
the holy place every year with the blood of others. For then
must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world.
But now, Once in the end of the world, once in the end of the
age, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. He offered, he gave himself a
sacrifice for our sin. Turn over a few pages there to
Hebrews 10. Here we read Hebrews 10, beginning
with verse 12. This man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God from henceforth, expecting till his enemies made his footstool,
for by one offering, the offering of himself, by one offering,
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. One offering
he gave himself. The scriptures declare this,
that he gave his back to the smilers, He gave his cheeks to
them that would pluck out the hair of his beard. He hid not
his face from shame and from spitting. Consider the humiliation
of our Lord Jesus Christ, what he endured when he gave himself. And there on the cross he suffered
and died in the room instead of his people. He gave his body. We read he made his soul an offering
for sin, a sacrifice for sin. He gave himself. In John chapter
10, 18, our Lord said, no man taketh it from me, but I lay
it down. I lay it down myself. I have
power to lay it down. I have power to take it back
up again. This commandment have I received of my Father. The Lord Jesus Christ was the
willing and obedient sacrifice. He was obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. He gave himself for our sins,
a sacrifice for sins. He made reconciliation for our
sins. The remission of sins. Without
the shedding of blood, there is no remission. And not for any sin of his own.
He had no sin. He did no sin. He knew no sin. Yet, the scriptures declare,
he was made sin. He was made to be sin for us
who knew no sin. that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. He gave himself for our sins. Turn back to Galatians. Galatians 1 verse 4. He gave himself for our sins
that he might deliver us from this present evil world. Why? That he might deliver us. Us. His church. We're called his
church. We read that Christ loved the
church and gave himself for it. His elect, we're referred to,
his people are referred to as his elect. Paul wrote, who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect. It's God that justifies,
that he might deliver us, his sheep. Our Lord said, I lay down
my life for the sheep, for my sheep, that he might deliver
us from this present evil world. Back there in the garden, go
all the way back to the garden, Adam disobeyed God. Adam sinned against God. We read, by one man, sin entered
into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned. This, this is the world we live
in, this present evil world. In Genesis 6-5, the scriptures
declare that God saw before he destroyed this world with a flood.
He saw that man's wickedness was great in the earth, that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. The evil of this world, but it
doesn't just stop there, does it? The evil that dwells in each
and every one of us. In Romans 7, 18, we read, I know
that in me, That is, in this flesh dwelleth, maybe a little
bit of good? No. No good thing. No good thing. And he has, listen,
delivered us. To deliver us from this present
evil world. And we read, listen, over and
over in the scriptures, we read of deliverance. Turn with me
to Daniel chapter three. Daniel chapter three. God's deliverance of his people. Now here in Daniel three, we
read of three men. We read of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego. And King Nebuchadnezzar, some
of you familiar with this account, King Nebuchadnezzar, he had made
an image of gold. And that idol was 90 feet tall. He definitely wanted men to see
it, didn't he? And look there in verse 1 of
Daniel 3. It says, Nebuchadnezzar the king
made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits
and the breadth thereof six cubits. And he set it up in the plain
of Dura in the province of Babylon. And then he brought together
his rulers, the princes and the governors, the captains, the
judges, the treasurers, the sheriffs, all the rulers. He brought them
together. And he made this decree. And
he said this, he said, when the music starts to play, look at
verse five of Daniel 3. At what time you hear the sound
of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery,
the dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall down and you
worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar, the king, has
set up. And he said, if you don't, if
you don't, Those who don't will be cast into a fiery furnace. Now that's not deliverance, is
it? That's fear. That's all that
is. So again, the king made this
decree, and from what we read in God's word, everyone bowed
down. Everyone but three men. These
three men. Look at verse 12, again, of Daniel
3. There are certain Jews whom thou
hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, they have
not regarded thee. They serve not thy gods, nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar
in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego And they brought these men before the king. And the king spoke again. And
he said to these men, he said, listen, when the music plays,
you bow down. You bow down, and it'll be well
for you. It'll be good for you. And again,
if you don't, you'll be cast into the oven. And the king said
this. He said, what a foolish man this king
was. He said this, who is that God
that shall deliver you out of my hands? You see that there
at the end of verse 15, who is that God that shall deliver you
out of my hands? Look there in verse 16, Shadrach,
Meshach, And Abednego they answered and they said to the king, O
Nebuchadnezzar, we're not careful to answer thee in this matter.
We don't need time to think about this. If it be so, our God whom
we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace
and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not,
If he chooses not to, it doesn't change anything. Be it known
unto thee, O King, we will not serve thy gods nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up. Our God, our God whom
we serve is able to deliver us. And when King Nebuchadnezzar
heard these words, his visage, his visage was changed. He was
furious. And he has that furnace. He said,
you turn it up seven times hotter than it should be. And then he
had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bound and cast into the fire. And this fire, it was so hot,
it slew the men that cast them into the fire, cast them into
the oven. And I don't know at what point, and I don't know
how, but the king looked in there. He looked in that oven. into
that fiery furnace. And he said, Lo, I see, I see
four men. I see four. Four men. And listen
to this description. He said, They're loose. They're
no longer, they're no longer bound. They're walking in the
midst of the fire. No hurt upon them. No hurt. And the fourth man. He said,
the fourth man is like unto the son of God. What God is able
to deliver? Our God. Our God is able to deliver. And the king spoke and he said,
go forth. And he said, come out of the
fire. And they came forth. And listen, we read that the
fire had no, it had no power on them. Their hair wasn't even
singed. Their clothes weren't burned.
They had a cover. Not even the smell of smoke upon
them. It's impossible. Have you ever
been around a fire and not be able to walk away with the smell
of smoke on you? This isn't a partial deliverance. This is a complete deliverance. And King Nebuchadnezzar said
this in verse 29, he said, there is no other God that can deliver
after this sword. He's able to deliver. He delivered
Daniel. from the mouth of the lions,
didn't he? How about Rahab? Is there any hope for Rahab?
Jericho is going to be, that wicked city is going to be completely
destroyed. And everything in it is going
to be declared accursed. And yet God in his mercy is pleased
to deliver Rahab and her family. Isaac. Isaac was going to be
sacrificed. Remember that God told Abraham,
he said, take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, and offer him
up. And they made that offering. Abraham raised that knife to
slay his son, and God stopped him. Look back there, behold,
in the thicket, a ram. God delivered him. God delivered
him. The children of Israel. out of
Egypt, over and over and over again he delivered them. There
they are up against the Red Sea, the armies of Pharaoh pursuing.
These aren't soldiers, huh? And they cry, and they say, well,
there are not enough graves in Egypt that you brought us out
here? Moses said, stand still, be still. and see the salvation of the
Lord, the deliverance of the Lord. And God parted that Red
Sea on both sides and they walked through on dry ground. Everlast
one of them delivered and the armies of Pharaoh utterly, utterly
destroyed. He delivers his people. Turn with me to John chapter
18. John 18, when those men came with lanterns
and torches and weapons after the Lord, after Judas had betrayed
him. Look, John 18, beginning with
verse four. Jesus, therefore, knowing all
things that should come upon him, he went forth and he said
unto them, unto these men, he said, whom seek ye? And they
answered him and they said, Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus said to
them, I'm he. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, stood with him. And as soon then as they heard
what had been said to them, I am he, they fell backward. He spoke in power. They fell
to the ground and asked he them again, whom seek ye? And they
said, Jesus of Nazareth. And Jesus answered. He said,
I've told you that I'm he. If therefore you seek me, Let
these, let these go their way. That the same might be fulfilled
which he spake of them which thou, of them which thou hast
given me. I have lost none. The Lord Jesus Christ was bound
and taken away, but his people delivered, set free. Now back to, back to our text
here in Galatians. Grace and peace 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
the Father. He who does all things by the
counsel of his own will. Turn with me to John chapter
6. John chapter 6. Look beginning with verse 37. John 6 verse 37. All that the
Father hath given me shall come to me. Him that cometh to me,
I will in no wise cast out. I came down from heaven not to
do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he
hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on
him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the
last day. Here we read, here we read of
the will of God the Father. See those words? All that the
Father hath given me shall come to me. Him that cometh to me
I will no wise cast out. All that the Father hath given
the Son will come to him, shall come to him. He'll never forget
them, he'll never forsake them, He'll never cast them out. Verse
38, I came not to do mine own will, but the will of him that
sent me. He came, Christ came to do the
Father's will. And they're one. His will and
the Father's will, it's the same. This is the Father's will which
has sent me, according to will of God the Father. Christ declares,
this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which
he hath given me, I should lose nothing. but raise it up again
at the last day. Our text there in Galatians,
we read according to the will of God the Father. And here in
John chapter six, we're told this is, this is the Father's
will. All that were elected by God
the Father, all that were redeemed by the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,
all that are called by the Spirit of God, they're gonna be raised
from the grave to eternal glory. And not one, not one shall be
lost. Our salvation, listen, it doesn't
rest upon anything that we have done or anything that we have
not done. Salvation is of the Lord. Look at verse 40. of John 6,
this is the will of him who sent me. Everyone that seeth the son
and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I'll raise
him up at the last day. His sheep, his elect. Everlast one are gonna hear the
gospel. They're gonna see Christ. The
Lord Jesus Christ, our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification,
our redemption, and by faith are gonna believe on him. Now back to our text here again
in Galatians 1. Look at verse 5. To whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. The glory of God. Eternal glory. Here's the question. In all that's said and done,
who gets the glory. Is it man or is it Almighty God? We read this, for by grace are
you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it's the gift
of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. We're quick to brag, aren't we? If it were by works, we would
do what man by nature does. We'd brag about it, wouldn't
we? Look at me. Look at me. No. Paul writing
to the Corinthians, he said, who maketh thee to differ one
from another? And what hast thou that ye did not receive? And
listen, why do you glory? If you received it, Why do you
glory as if you hadn't? It's the gift of God. In just
a few verses here from Galatians 5, we read this, grace and peace
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We've read of the
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,
to whom be glory forever and ever. You know all I see here
as far as our contribution, in the grand scheme of things, we
bring one thing, sin. That's it. That's it. Listen,
and aren't we thankful that he saves his people from their sin,
huh? The work of salvation, from beginning
to end, it's of the Lord. It's completely of Him, to whom
be glory forever and ever. Amen. And quickly, let's look
at just a few more verses here. Paul ends this, we end this lesson
with a warning, with some caution here. Paul says, I marvel Consider
that, consider what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for his
people, what he's revealed to his people. And Paul says this,
I marvel that you're so soon removed from him that called
you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. How soon? How soon removed? I think of the children of Israel.
what they had seen God's deliverance over and over and over again.
But how quickly, how quickly did they resort to that? Why'd
you bring us out here? Were there not enough graves?
Why'd you do this? How soon removed. That word removed,
it means turned. It means to depart from one person
or thing into another. to another, to another gospel.
Verse seven, which is not another gospel. There's only one, only
one gospel. He says, but there be some that
would trouble you and they would pervert the gospel of Christ. Again, a warning. Paul says in
verse eight, he says, though we Though we are an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel than that which we have preached? What did he preach? Grace? Grace
and peace from God the Father, from the Lord Jesus Christ. He
preached Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he
might deliver us from this present evil world. The gospel, this
gospel that's according to the will of God the Father, this
gospel in which God gets all the glory to him. He's not going to share his glory
with another. To him be glory forever and ever. Paul says,
if we, he says, if I stand up here and I say anything other
than what I've said to you, he said, let me be accursed. Let
me be accursed. It's easy to be taken up with
men. I can think of men over time,
but listen, let's not be taken up with men. Let's not be taken
up with angels. He says, though I, was there
any? I have to think Paul was one
of the greatest ministers of all time. And Paul says that. He says, if I were even an angel
of God, preach any other message unto you, than that which we
have preached, let him be, let him be accursed. And look, verse
nine, because we don't always get things the first time, do
we? We have to be told, we have to be told again and again, as we said before, so say I again,
if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which you've
received, Let him be the curse. Aren't we thankful there's just
one gospel? The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. All right. I pray God would bless
his word to our hearts here this morning.