I've entitled the message for
tonight, Narrow-Minded? With a question mark after it. Narrow-Minded? I don't really care for people
who are narrow-minded, do you? That they have this real little
world view and they can't think outside of that. and they're
closed-minded, and they seem very self-righteous, and if you
don't think like they think, you're wrong. All of us have
been around narrow-minded people. And I want to be open-minded.
I want to be open-minded to the truth. I don't want to close
off the truth from my narrow mind. Now, Paul uses language,
in verse 8 and 9 particularly, But though we or an angel from
heaven preach any other gospel unto you, if we deviate it, deviate
from it at all, let him be accursed. Let him be damned is what that
means. Let him be sent to hell. Verse nine, once again, as we
said before, so say now again, if any man preach any other gospel
unto you than that which you've received, If it's different,
if it's a deviation, let him be accursed. Let him be damned. That's strong language. And here's
a question I'm asking. Is Paul being narrow-minded and
difficult? Is he being uncooperative and
harsh and judgmental and unloving? When we read those words, if
somebody does not preach my gospel, let him be damned. Really, Paul? Do you really mean that? You
know, when I say something that's, I guess, kind of ridiculous,
Lynn says, really? Do you really expect me to believe
that? Do you expect me to, really? Was Paul taking this too far?
Well, first, the way I'd like to answer that is to think of
the way the Lord reveals himself in the scripture. The Lord Jesus
Christ was called the friend of publicans and sinners. What
a name. His enemies derided him for this. They said, behold, a gluttonous
man, a winebibber, the friend of publicans and sinners. I sure am glad he is. This man receiveth sinners and
eateth with them. The morally bankrupt wanted to
be around him and hear him. Then drew near all the publicans
and sinners for to hear him. And I love thinking about this.
These people, these publicans and sinners felt comfortable
around the Lord. They felt comfortable. They didn't
feel threatened. They didn't feel condemned. They didn't feel
judged. When they came into his presence
to hear him, they did so because they felt comfortable with him. The Lord didn't hold them at
an arm's length. Now, we want to be like our master,
don't we? I don't want somebody to feel
judged or threatened or kept at a distance from me because
they don't measure up to me or what I think I measure up to.
I don't ever want to treat someone that way. How tenderly our Lord
was toward the sinful. How tender He treated them. How
tender He was toward the sick. Don't you want to be like Him? but how harshly he treated religious
people. He didn't have anything kind
to say to them at all. Now, these are the words of Scripture.
I would challenge you, read Matthew chapter 23, and this is that
chapter where he gives all those woes against the Pharisees, woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. He says that seven
times during the midst of that chapter, and he ended up by saying,
you serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape
the damnation of hell." Now, that's strong language, isn't
it? And those are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I
have no doubt Paul was like his master. And when he made this
statement, inspired by the Spirit of God, if any man preach any
other gospel, let him be accursed, sent to hell. He had a reason
for saying that. You know, it was the Lord who
said, think not that I've come to send peace on the earth. I
didn't come to get men to get along. I came not to send peace,
but division. I came to set a man at variance,
even in his own home. Those are the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Paul said this inspired by his
master. He said in verse six, I marvel,
we considered this a couple of weeks ago or last week, I can't
remember when, I marvel that you're so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel,
a gospel with a different message. But look what he says in verse
seven, this other gospel is not another, but there'd be some
that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. It's not
another in that it's not a different emphasis which still has salvation
in it, is what he's saying. You know, there are some people
who think, well, I was saved when I heard Bill Graham preach,
and I heard the Arminian message, and I was saved then, and after
that, I learned grace. No, no. That's a denial of what
grace is. You know, the gospel you really
believe is the gospel you believe you were saved by. If you believe
you were saved by that message, you prove you really believe
in works. What he's saying is, he says, this is not another
gospel. It's not a gospel that has salvation
in it with a different emphasis, but it's an altogether different
message. It's a perversion of the gospel. The word pervert means to transform
into something of an opposite character. It's not another, but there be
some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
These men had come into the churches of Galatia troubling them with
this false doctrine. Look over in Galatians chapter
five, beginning in verse seven. He says to the Galatians, you
did run well, Who did hinder you that you should not obey
the truth? This persuasion, this belief that you're starting to
espouse, it cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven
leavens the whole lump. You put one work in salvation,
you make the whole thing's my work. I have confidence in you
through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded. But
he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer
persecution? Then is the offense of the cross
ceased. I would that they were even cut off which trouble you."
These men were saying, you need to be circumcised. Paul says,
I'd like them to be emasculated. And he says that under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. He wasn't being mean. He wasn't
being cruel. He was telling the truth. Back to our text in Galatians
1. Now, as I said, that word pervert
means to change something to an opposite character. James
used the word when he said, let your laughter be turned to joy. It's the same word turned. Let
your laughter be changed to sorrow. Let your laughter be turned to
mourning. Let your joy to heaviness. Now,
what is the character of the gospel of Christ? What do you
call it? He says in verse six, I marvel
that you're so soon removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ. Now that's the character of the
gospel, grace. I marvel that you're so soon
removed from him that called you to the grace of Christ. And these men that were coming
in their midst were seeking to change the character of the gospel
to works. Now they would continue to use
the word grace, but they give a different meaning That's what
they were doing. Oh, we use words like grace and
faith and blood and Christ, but they were changing the meaning
of it. Grace is God's willingness to
save you if you'll accept him, but he can't do it if you reject
him. That's not grace. Grace isn't an offer on God's
part. Grace is what God does. Grace
saves. It doesn't make a man savable.
That won't do me any good. I need grace that saves me. That's the character of the gospel,
the saving grace of God. Now, what I want to do for the
next few minutes is just look at the way the gospel is used
just in the book of Galatians, and we can see what Paul meant
when he was speaking of the grace of Christ. Well, in verse six,
he called it, he said, I'm marveled that you're so soon removed from
him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel. Now, the good news is the grace
of Christ. That's gospel. That's good news.
That salvation is all together by grace. I've never heard any
better news than that. That's why I find all my hope
is that salvation is all of grace. Let me show you what that means.
Turn with me to Genesis chapter 6. Now, if you want to know what grace
means, here it is. We're going to look at three
different verses in this sixth chapter of Genesis. Verse 5, And God saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. What a stark testimony. Everything that goes through
my mind and your mind and my heart and your heart, here's
God's testimony. It's only evil non-stop. That's God's testimony. Now look
in verse 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Noah was just as bad as anybody
else. The thoughts of his heart was
only evil non-stop. But Noah found grace. He found free favor in the eyes
of the Lord. And here's what happens to somebody
when they find grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations
of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect
in his generations. and Noah walked with God. Look
in chapter 7 verse 1. And the Lord said unto Noah,
Come down all thy house into the ark, for thee have I seen
righteous before me in this generation. And how God sees things is the
way they really are. If God sees you as righteous,
there's only one reason, because you really are righteous. Now
how can that be if I'm in that group described in verse 5? The
imaginations of the thoughts of my heart, only evil continually. How can I be seen as righteous?
Grace. That's the grace of God. He gives
the righteousness of his son to you and it's yours. Now that's
good news, isn't it? That is the gospel. The gospel of God's grace. Now, the second time it's used,
look in verse 11. of chapter 1, but I certify you,
brethren, I assure you that the gospel which was preached of
me is not after man. It's not derived from any human
source. Now that's the kind of gospel
I want to hear, a gospel that man has nothing to do with. It's
the gospel of God. It's It's from Him. It's about Him. He's the author
of it. He's the subject of it. He's
the object of it. It's the gospel of Christ. It's
the gospel of God. It's not derived from any human
source. The only thing human about God's
gospel is Christ taking on flesh. but it's not derived from any
human source. It's not the invention of men.
Thirdly, look in Galatians 2 too. And I went up by revelation and
communicated unto them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles. Now there's two things that I
would notice about that verse. The gospel is to be communicated.
It's to be set forth. It's a particular message with
a definite content. It's to be communicated and set
forth. And notice how Paul says, I communicated
to them the gospel which I preached among the Gentiles. You see,
the gospel is the same for everybody. We all need the exact same message. There's not one message for one
demographic and another message for another. No, everybody needs
the same pill. They need the gospel of God's
grace. Now look in chapter 2 verses
3 through 5, but when Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was
compelled to be circumcised, they said, we can't listen to
him preach. He's not being circumcised. How did Paul respond? And that
because of false brethren, unawares, brought in, who came in privily
to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that
they might bring us into bondage, to whom we gave place by subjection,
no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue
unto you. Now, this gospel, is a thing
that will not bow to bondage. If you put any work in salvation
anywhere where my salvation's dependent upon me doing something,
I don't care if it's the first, my free will, I don't care if
it's in the middle, me making myself more holy by my acts of
obedience, I don't care if it's at the end, where I earn a higher
reward in heaven by my own works and character and conduct, You
brought me into bondage, and I won't have it. Paul said in
Galatians 5, 1, Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of
bondage. Salvation by law, salvation by
works. The gospel will not give in to
bondage. Look in Galatians chapter 2,
verse 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood
him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that
certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles. But when
they were come, he withdrew himself and separated himself, fearing
them which are of the circumcision. And likewise other Jews dissembled
likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away
with their dissimulation, or their hypocrisy. But when I saw
that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the
gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou being a Jew
livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews,
why compelst thou the Gentiles to livest as do the Jews? Now
all Peter did, without saying a word, Without saying a word,
all he did was get up from one table and move over to another.
And by that statement, he was saying, yes, the Gentiles are
saved, but we can be more pleasing to God if we're over here with
the Jews and observe their laws. Paul said, I confronted Peter
over that, that the truth of the gospel might remain. If you
could add one thing to the gospel that makes you more acceptable
to God, the truth of the gospel has been taken away. Do you believe
that? Paul actually rebuked Peter over
this, that the truth of the gospel might remain. You see, the truth
of the gospel is that all that God requires of me I have in
His Son. I can't make myself any more
pleasing to God. I can't get any more saved than
I am. I can't get any more accepted than I am because I'm accepted
in the Beloved. Oh, isn't that glorious? And
I don't, oh, to add something to that, to take some kind of
work and say you can make yourself more accepted, higher than that,
no, sir. No, sir. that the truth of the
gospel might remain with you. Now, look in Galatians chapter
3, verse 8, and the scripture For seeing that God would justify
the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham,
saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Now, I love the way
it says the scripture preached the gospel. I just love that.
That gives us some idea of the authority, the power of the scripture.
When God said, In thee shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed, it was the scripture who said it. When the scripture
says it, God says it. Now, the gospel is the gospel
of the scriptures. It's the Gospel of the Scriptures. I hope you
can see that I'm not coming up with anything I've said on just
my opinion or my thought. This is what God's Word actually
says. The Gospel is the Gospel of the
Scriptures, the Holy Scriptures. That's where we get all of our
information, all of our belief. It's from God's Holy Word. And
notice the way it says this in verse 8. And the Scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before
the gospel unto Abraham saying, in thee shall all nations be
blessed. Not they will if they do something,
they shall. It's God's sovereign decree.
Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people
from their sins. That's the way the scripture
speaks. Not a will if. but a shall." Look in Galatians chapter 4 verse
13. Paul says, you know how through
infirmity of the flesh I preach the gospel unto you at the first. You see, the gospel is preached
by sinful, weak men. in the infirmity of the flesh. Paul said, we have this treasure
in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be
of God and not of us. Now, a perverted gospel is a
gospel that's not all of grace, that's derived from fallen men,
is different for different peoples, It's not necessarily the same.
It brings people into bondage. It has additions and modifications. It's not scriptural, and it's
preached in phoniness, pious phoniness. And that is always
true of a false gospel. Now, Paul called on a curse on
all who would pervert or change the gospel. You see, there is
no salvation in a perverted gospel. It gives God no glory, it gives
man the glory, and the motive in something like that, changing
it, can only be evil. Why would you want to change
that which is perfect? The gospel's perfect! It's the perfect gospel! It absolutely is suited for my
needs, where Christ does everything, and I'm complete in Him. Why
would I want to change that? What if There was a painting
by Van Gogh or Rembrandt or some famous artist, and I stood up
and said, well, it's not going to be finished till I put my
little touch on it. Why, you ought to throw tomatoes at me.
You'd think, how disgusting that you would want to add to that. To seek, to pervert the gospel,
and bring a message that cannot save is a cursable offense. That's what Paul says, under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. A couple of things I want you
to notice about this statement. Look in verse 8 once again. Verses 8 and 9, there are two
things that I notice. He says in verse 8, 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. That first message we preached.
If anybody deviates from that, even if it's us, even if it's
an angel, let them be sent to hell. And then he says in verse
nine, as we've said before, so say I now again, if any man preach
any other gospel unto you, then that which you have received,
that which you've received is gospel. Let him be accursed. Two descriptions of the gospel
which he calls, cursed be anybody who attempts to change it, the
gospel which was preached to you and the gospel which you
received. Now, would you turn with me to
1 Corinthians 15 and while you're turning there, the gospel has
a specific content that must be preached. And if it's not
preached, the gospel is not preached. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15,
Paul says, beginning in verse 1, Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel. Doesn't that make your ears perk
up? What is it? What does he say the gospel is? I want to know. Paul says at
this time, I'm declaring unto you the gospel. What is it, Paul? It's the one
which I preached unto you. It's that first message that
you heard, which also you've received. See, he's using the
same language. It's the gospel you received,
that you found salvation in. Wherein you stand, your acceptance,
your standing is in His grace, by which also you're saved. If
you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you believed
in vain, you've got to persevere in this gospel. You've got to
endure all the way to the end. Verse 3. For I delivered unto
you, first of all, of primary importance, this is what comes
first, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures. You know people always quote
that as the gospel. They say the gospel is that Christ
died for our sins. I beg your pardon, that is not
the gospel. If that's all a preacher says, he did not preach the gospel. It's not Christ died for our
sins. It's how that he died for our
sins according to the scripture, according to the Old Testament
scripture. The thing that always comes to
my mind first is the Passover. If you were in a house with the
blood over the door, how safe were you? Is there any way you
could be destroyed if you were in a house with the blood over
the door? You might have been nervous. I try to put myself
in that position. I would be thinking of all kinds
of sins of the past and I think, what if it gets me anyway? You
might have had someone who had complete confidence. They were
worried about a thing. God said, when I see the blood,
I'll pass over you, and I know he'll do it. I know he'll be
good to his word. You know, that person that had complete confidence
wasn't any more secure than the person who was shaky. The person
who was shaky wasn't less secure than the person who had complete
confidence because their security was in the blood. God said, when
I see the blood, I will pass over you. That's all that's needed.
When I see that, that is how Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures. Successful. There won't be anybody in hell
that Christ shed his precious blood for. Everybody he died
for must be saved. That's how he died for our sins
according to the scriptures. Successfully. Look what he says
in verse 4. "...and that he was buried, and
that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."
I love that Scripture where he says, "...thou shalt not suffer
thy holy ones to see corruption, nor let my soul dwell and go
to hell." It's not going to happen because his death was a successful
death. He didn't see corruption because
he actually justified. He died for. Now when you and
I die, we're going to start decaying. He didn't because he offered
complete satisfaction to God. Now that's how that he died according
to the scriptures. That's how he buried and was
raised again the third day according to the scriptures. Now that is
the gospel. Anything else is not the gospel. And notice also in verse 9, I
mean, go back to our text in Galatians 1, verse 9, it's also
called the gospel you received. Now, beloved, if you don't receive
what I'm saying, it's because he never gave it to you. If he's given you the gospel,
you'll receive it. God never just throws something
out there to see what people will do. No, you will receive
it as the best news you've ever heard. How that Christ died for
our sins, our sins that we can't do anything about. Christ died
for our sins according to the scriptures. You receive it. And
let me tell you this, if you receive it, it does something
to you. What do I mean by that? Everybody
who receives the gospel, let me tell you five things that
they always do. They believe. They repent. They love. They have good works. We are His workmanship created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. We persevere. We persevere all
the way to the end. He that endureth to the end,
the same shall be saved. Now understand this. Anybody
who's ever received the gospel, they're going to believe. They're
going to repent. They're going to love God. They're
going to love their brother. They're going to love men. They're going
to have good works. You can't have the new nature
and not. and they're gonna persevere all the way to the end. That's
the fruit of receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. And the reason
all are cursed who preach or receive any other gospel is because
any other gospel is not really the gospel. It's another gospel. It gives God no glory and men
are not saved. Is it any wonder Paul said, if
any man preach any other gospel, let him be accursed. Now verse
10, let's close with this, verse 10. Now right now, do I now persuade
men or God? And that word persuade can also
mean appease, and I believe that's what he means. He's not trying
to persuade God of anything, but he says, do I now persuade
men or God, or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men,
if men, if the natural man was happy with my message, You know
what that would mean? That would mean I'm not the servant
of God. That's exactly what that means. If a natural man is pleased with
what I'm saying, I've not preached the gospel and I'm not the servant
of God. Now, I've said before, I want
you to be pleased with my preaching. I want everybody in here to rejoice
in what I'm saying. I really do. I want you to be
pleased with my preaching. I want you to be pleased with
what has been said. It doesn't make me happy in any
way to see frowning faces or people who don't believe where
you can see that there's not a reject, when it appears there's
a rejection of the message or not rejoicing in the message.
And I want people to be pleased. I would be lying if I said I
was indifferent about men being pleased. Well, I don't care what
anybody likes. No, I do. I do. I want everybody in here to rejoice
in this message, to be pleased, But if God is pleased with what
I've said concerning his gospel and concerning his son, it's
okay if you're not pleased. It's okay. I'll live. I wish
you would be pleased. but there's really only one person
I'm concerned about being pleased with what I say, and that is
the Lord Himself. And I know this, if you love
Him, if what I'm saying pleases Him, it pleases you too, doesn't
it? You know it does. Now, turn with
me for a second to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. Verse 1, For yourselves, brethren,
know our entrance into you, that it was not in vain. But even
after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated,
as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak
unto you the gospel of God with much contention. There were people
against us, for our exhortation was not a deceit. nor of uncleanness,
nor in guile, but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust
with the gospel, what a sacred trust, even so we speak, not
as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. Neither at
any time use we flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness,
trying to get from you. God is witness. nor of men sought
we glory, neither of you nor yet of others, when we might
have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ, but we were gentle
among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children. So being affectionately
desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted you not the
gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because you were
dear unto us." Paul said, we preach not seeking to please
men, but seeking to please God. Now, if I want to please God,
here's one thing that's absolutely necessary. I have to know what
pleases Him. You can't please God if you do
not know what pleases Him. Let me give you some scriptures. Our God is in the heavens. Psalm
115 3. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did he. Now, God is pleased with all
he does. And I am too. I really am. Matthew chapter 3 verse 17, this
is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. All of God's pleasure
in his son and I'm pleased with that too, aren't you? Colossians 1 19 says, it pleased
the father that in him should all fullness dwell. You know what? That pleases me
too. I'm pleased with the same thing
the Lord God is pleased with. I'm pleased that all fullness
dwells in the Son, that in all things he might have the preeminence. Isaiah 53 10 says it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. I'm so thankful the Lord gave
him to die on the cross, aren't you? I'm pleased by that. I know
that's the only way I can be saved. And I'm glad it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. And I'm pleased with that too.
1 Samuel 12, 22 says, it pleased the Lord to make you his people. That shows just how much salvation
is by grace. And I'm pleased with that too.
I'm pleased to be made his people, where he does it all. Isaiah
42, 21 says, He is well pleased for His righteousness sake. And
you know, I'm real well pleased with His righteousness too. I'm
just plumb satisfied to be saved by the righteousness of Christ
without having anything else. Are you? I'm pleased by that.
And then Galatians 1, 15 says, When it pleased God, who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace to reveal
His Son in me, I'm so pleased to have Christ
in me, for Him to reveal His Son in me. If all He did was
reveal Himself to me, it wouldn't be enough, because I'd forget.
I'd lose that. Somehow I'd mess it up. But thank
God He has revealed His Son in me. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 21
says it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. By the foolishness of what's
going on right now, this is how God is pleased to save them that
believe. You mean God speaks through a
fool like you, and that's God speaking, and that's all I do
is sit here and hear? You know, hearing is the most
passive thing in the world, isn't it? Faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them to believe, pleases us too, doesn't
it? 1 Corinthians 12 18 says, God has set the members of the
body as it has pleased Him. You're right where God is pleased. I'm right where God is pleased
for me to be. That's a pleasing thought, isn't
it? I don't want anything else to you. I want to be where He
is pleased to put me. In Hebrews chapter 13 verse 16,
The writer says, to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices, God
is well pleased. Now, I don't want to be a man pleaser.
I want to please God. May the Lord put that in the
heart of everybody here. Thank God for the gospel. And understand this, a gospel
that we can surrender, a gospel that we can allow to be modified
or changed in any way, will not save and it shows we don't really
have any faith in the gospel. Now remember this, it's Romans 1.16, it's the gospel,
the gospel I'm preaching, that's the power of God unto salvation. And I believe that so much that
I'm willing to just preach the gospel and leave you alone with
God. I'm not going to try to do anything
to you. I'm not trying to talk you into anything. I'm not trying
to convince you. I'm to declare the gospel and leave you alone
with God. I pray that that's what's taking
place tonight. Let's pray. Lord, we come into your presence
in Christ's name and how we thank you for the gospel of your grace. Lord, we're so weak, we're so
sinful that we would be guilty of perverting your gospel if
you don't keep us from it. Lord, we ask that you would deliver
us from that and that you'd enable us to simply believe and simply
declare Lord, bless this message for your glory and for our good. In Christ's blessed name we pray,
amen. You got Dwayne? Day by day. $2.99, day by day. We'll stand
and sing.