Sunday Sermon: Remember the True Gospel (Galatians 1:1-24)

The Call to Remember the True Gospel

You are listening to the teaching ministry of Gabriel Hughes, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on this podcast, we feature 20 minutes of Bible study through a New Testament book.

On Thursday is our Old Testament study, and then we answer questions from listeners on Friday. Each Sunday we are pleased to share our sermon series, presently going through the letters to the Corinthians.

This is the sermon that was preached last week from our pulpit. Here's Pastor Gabe.

It is my privilege to introduce to you one of our other pastors, Dwight Keptot, who is going to be delivering the sermon from Galatians 1, verses 1 -24. Dwight is a native of the island of Palau, located in the western Pacific just to the east of the Philippines.

It's a small sovereign nation with a population of just over 20 ,000 people. That makes it a little smaller than our own town of Junction City with a population of about 25 ,000. But it just so happens there's a small community of Palauans that live here in Junction City.

A couple of years ago, some of those Palauans visited our church and asked if First Southern Baptist was a safe place for them to attend. Would they hear the gospel in our church, and would our congregation receive them, even though they were of a different ethnicity and not all of them spoke clear English?

Well, our church is very eclectic anyway because of the influence of Fort Riley, and so I told them yes, they would be welcome in our church, and yes, they would hear the gospel. It was about a year later before they came back.

They had been growing a church in a basement room but had outgrown their meeting place and were ready to merge with First Southern Baptist. On January 1, 2017, our two churches met together and partook of the Lord's Supper.

Their pastor, Dwight, became part of our staff. He lives in the parsonage with his wife and kids and has been meeting with our elders on Monday evening. But we are not two church congregations. We are one, one in the Spirit and in the Lord, of one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all, Ephesians 4, verses 4 -6.

Though we might speak a couple of different languages, we are one church, with English services on Sunday morning and then Palauan Bible studies that meet during the week. Pastor Dwight has been a pastor for a number of years and served in several countries.

He speaks a couple of different languages, but English is not his native tongue, so you'll notice that his English is a little bit broken, but I do believe that you'll be edified by this sermon from Galatians 1.

Here is my friend, Dwight Keptot.

The Gospel Received from Christ, Not from Man

There's a lot of things that God is dealing with me in my own life when I start to attend this church. Something that, you know, I knew that I heard this, you know, teaching before, but it's something that I didn't really know how to see it closely or to understand, you know, about the message, especially this book of 1 Corinthians that we already on chapter 15.

And sometimes my wife and I, we talk about things that we, when we come to church, we heard from pastor preaching out of book of 1 Corinthians. I remember one time I told my wife that, you know, the struggle that I'm going to face, you know, in the future, it's a struggle that is not like what we struggle today.

It's a struggle that, you know, when we face our friends, our old friends, people that we know before, that we used to receive the same teaching, but, you know, we apply it in different ways. And God is challenging us now to take the message, the truth of his word, and go and share with them and tell them, hey, look, this is what the scripture is talking about.

So that's the thing that, you know, when I think about it, it's hard for me to bring back the message that we used to receive with my friends, my people that I know before. And it didn't really touch my heart or, you know, convict me during that time.

When I think of going back and try to explain to them, this is the really meaning of this verse or this, you know, text. They might turn around and say, what are you talking about? They might hate us.

They might start to ignoring us because the truth of, you know, out of the word of God is sometimes people hate you. You know, sometimes your own friends or your own family start to hate you because you're telling them the truth, what the Bible is teaching.

And, you know, I've been so blessed to be part of this church. I don't know about you guys, but, you know, I've been so blessed to be part of this church. I know that this is the place, right place for my family and I to be.

And I believe that God is preparing us for something that we don't know yet. Yeah. And so before we reach that, you know, that whatever God's plan has for us, he brought us here to prepare us for that plan that we don't know yet.

And so, you know, on behalf of my family, I want to thank God for his grace, his mercy and his love for us, who brought us here. And as I said already, I've been spoiled, you know, as a pastor sitting, you know, under the teaching of another pastor for, you know, many times.

And God has been convicted me through his word. And I want to thank him because of his goodness and his love for me and my own life. If you have a Bible with you, which I believe we all have Bible, turn your Bible with me to Galatians chapter one, book of Galatians chapter one.

Chapter one, I'm going to read from verse one all the way to verse 23, 24, the end of the chapter. It says, Paul, an apostle, not from man nor drew men, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, and all the brothers who are with me to the churches of Galatia.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen. Amen. I'm astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to different gospel. Not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you receive, let him be accursed.

For I am now seeking the approval of man or of God, or I am trying to please man. If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Verse 11. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.

For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you know, you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.

And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people. So extremely jealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to rebuild his son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia and returned again to Damascus.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to visit Caiaphas and remained with him 15 days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. In what I am writing to you before God, I do not lie.

Then I went into regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it say, he who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.

And they glorify God because of me. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word this morning. Thank you, Lord God, for this opportunity that we can be here. I ask God that your Holy Spirit will help us to open our minds, our hearts to you, and you speak to us through your word.

Lord, you know each and everyone who are here in this building. You know where we're at before you. I pray, God, that your word will help us to see the areas of our lives. Maybe there's something, God, that you want to speak to us or to show us through your word.

I do not know. You know. Even me, Lord God, you know who I am. There's nothing I can hide from you. You know everything. I commit the rest of this time to you, and again, we ask your Holy Spirit to take control of our thoughts, our hearts, and help us, Lord God, to understand and receive your word this morning.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. You know, I think we've been receiving from our pastor. It's something that, you know, it's good to repeat, repeat, repeat in order for us to really receive it. And so my sharing this morning out of the text I just read is something that it's to remind us of the gospel that we have received.

It's to remind us that, you know, when we receive this gospel, we did not receive it from any man. You know, it's easy for us to know or to think that, oh, I became a Christian because of so and so. I became a Christian because, you know, I was invited to come to church, and then I heard the message, and then I gave my life to Christ.

Or I came to, I became a Christian, you know, through a crusade. I heard the message from this person who preached, and then they gave out the article, and I went and gave my life to Christ. You know, we always think of that, but I think we need to really sit down and, you know, evaluate our lives and say, when I gave my life to Christ, you know, whose Christ that I gave my life to?

Is it the Christ that the Bible speaks of? Or not? Or something that I gave my life to? If we really gave our life to Christ and believe that we are saved, you know, the gospel that you receive is true gospel.

This is Paul telling these people, Christians in Galatia, the church of Galatia, because these people, they receive the gospel. They receive this true gospel through Paul and others who preach the gospel to them.

And they receive it with joy, with, you know, good heart. Because, you know, what Romans says, Paul says also in Romans, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Why? Because it's the power of God to change lives.

And so these people, when they receive the gospel, the first time, they feel something changed them. They feel something touched them. And so when these people turn away from this true gospel to other gospels, it concerns Paul.

It troubles Paul's heart and mind. Why they turn away from this gospel, this true gospel, turn away to the one that is not true gospel. And so he wrote his letter to these Christians. By Christian, when we read first verse, it says, Paul, an apostle not from man, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead.

He tried to make it clear to them that the calling for me as an apostle of Christ is not from man. I did not receive this calling from anybody else. I did not come to know God through man. And I believe that he was trying to make it clear to them that even you guys, the gospel that we receive, change your lives, is not from anybody else.

It's from Christ. It's from God. It's the gospel, true gospel, that you receive. And so he continued to say, it's not through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead.

All the brothers who are with me to the churches of Galatia. Verse three says, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of God the Father.

Even what Paul says here that Christ came to deliver us from the evil one in this evil age, it's God's will. According to God's will. According to God's will we are saved. Christ came to save us from our sins.

It's not that we decide, okay God, we are sinners, so you send your son to come and save us. No. It was God's decision. It was God's will to send his son to die on the cross to take our sins upon him to die on the cross on our behalf.

So, no one can claim this. That's why in Ephesians chapter two it talks about where you are saved by the grace of God through faith. This is not by works or through what you have done. It's by God's grace.

Come down to verse six. Paul says, I'm astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. I'm astonished. I'm surprised. Which to you the truth went away?

Maybe not that long. Others went and preached the wrong gospel and they received it. And this is the thing that also troubles me because what I just said in the beginning that we become a Christian because so and so.

You know, when I think about this, it troubles me because some people, they're struggling. I know they're struggling with this area, trying to do this to please this person because he's the one who leads me to the Lord.

And I don't, you know, I think that's not the way things are supposed to be. You know, I'm not pleasing Pastor K because he's a pastor of this church and I'm working under him as a senior pastor. I'm not pleasing Dave and Chris because they are elders of the church.

No. Of course, you know, we show respect to one another. But the real thing is your life, you don't, you're not owe anybody. What you owe to is you owe Christ because he's the one who died on the cross to save you.

He's the one who gave his life to save you and not anybody else. And so Paul here, he says, I'm astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to different gospel.

A lot of people, you know, nowadays, they go to church because they want to hear the pastor preaching. They go to church because they, someone there that say good things, they want to hear what they want.

And when they start to hear something that it talks about their lives or, you know, God used that to convict them, they don't want to come to church. And they start to blame, you know, why, why, why you talk about those things.

They want just to receive what they want to hear. They forgot why they are saved, why they are Christians. They forgot that Christ, the reason why Christ died on the cross is for their sins. Their sins has been paid.

It's been washed away with the blood of the lamb, with the blood of Christ. Their sins has been forgiven, and they forgot that. Now, Paul continued to make it clear to them that you're turning to the other gospel, not that there is another one.

There is no other gospel, really. There is only one gospel. But there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Brothers and sisters, we always know and we need to know that the enemy, this is what he wants to do.

He wants to destroy the work of God that has been, you know, started in your life. He wants to take away the confidence that you have in this true gospel when you put your trust and faith in Christ Jesus.

He wants to take that away. He wants to bring things into your minds to make you doubt about the salvation that you have, salvation that you receive through your faith in Christ. That's what the enemy wants to do.

And Paul is writing his letter to help these people who believe in Christ, but the gospel that they receive, that's the gospel they need. There's no other gospel. And he goes on to say, but even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be a curse.

This is a strong thing. If anyone or us or angel preach another gospel beside what we preached to you, let him be a curse. But these people who went among these people and tried to share with them different gospel, these are the people we know are Jews, call themselves they know the gospel, they know the truth.

But they try to bring these people to follow the law, their law, law of Moses. They try to bring them to follow their tradition. And they said, yes, when we read the book of Colossians, it talks similar about this.

They said that person, yes, they're Christian already, but you must follow the law came from Moses in order for you to be a good Christian. So what Paul says to them? No. To make a person to be righteous and justify before God is to believe, to put his trust in Christ Jesus alone.

That's the gospel. That's why Paul, again, in Ephesians chapter 2 he says, you've been saved through faith, by grace through faith. And this is the gift of God. Salvation is not something that you work for or you deserve it.

It's by grace. It's God's give it to you without cost you anything. What you need to do is to accept it. We just celebrate Christmas. And the present that we put under the tree is something that, you know, from the heart to make it there so that person can receive it freely with joy.

It's not something that, you know, oh, I'm receiving this gift so I have to do something in return. That's not really, you know, gift. But nowadays, you know, we're doing that, you know. Oh, somebody gave me this.

I have to do something in return. But when we look at God's love, what God did for us, it's different. God gave it all through his son Jesus Christ to save us, his people. Of course, you know, after when you become Christian, after you love God, you want to do things for him.

You want to give your offering. You want to give your tithe for him. Not because, you know, you have to, but out of your love. You want to do that for God. You do the service. You do ministry. It's not out of obligation, but you do it out of your love.

Because you want to be Christian. You want this gospel to be spreading all over the place, others to know Christ. And so, Paul says something that is very strong here. In verse 8, again, he says, But even if we are answered from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

As we, verse 9, as we have said before, so now I say again, repeat the same thing. If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now searching, seeking the approval of man or of God?

Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. And we know Paul's story, his life. Before he became a Christian, before he gave his life to Christ, before he became apostle, he did all what he can try to destroy the church of God.

And that's something that he think, oh, what I'm doing is good, it's pleasing God. All his power and everything that he had, that's what he did, try to destroy the church of God. But on his way to Damascus, God met him in the middle of the road.

That's turning point of his life. That was turning point of his life. And so his life now is not to please man, but to please God. And he share this with these people for them to understand his life. Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus.

He's apostle because he wants to please God. He wants this gospel continue to spread out. For I would have, you know, brothers, that the gospel that I was preached by me is not man's gospel. I'm on verse 11.

For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but receive it through revelation of Jesus Christ. And this is what I've already mentioned. His way to Damascus. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently, tried to destroy it.

This is, you know, the life of Paul before. He's trying to share his life testimony. To try to help them to understand that Paul was like that before. Now he's different person. He was trying to destroy the church of God.

Now he's preaching the gospel. This Jesus that he was against, now he's preaching about him everywhere. He wants people to know that the only way for people to be saved is through Jesus Christ, the son of God.

Without us to come before God and confess our sins and receive the forgiveness of God through the blood of Jesus. Without that, there is no salvation. You cannot be saved without confessing your sin and put your trust in Christ alone.

I still kind of remember what Pastor Gabe shared with us about those five things of Protestant. And one of it is grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone, Christ alone, for God's glory alone. Amen. God, he's the one that's supposed to receive all praise and glory and honor.

Not us. Not us. Let's pray and ask God to help us to take our minds away from when we do things and not try to get attention from people. Let's do things and try and see people if they can bring glory and honor to God.

Because he's the one worthy to receive all praise and honor. Glory belongs to him. Not us. See, Paul, even Paul here, he's sharing his testimony trying to bring people's attention back to Christ. He's the one.

The calling that I have as an apostle for Christ is not from men. It's not me. It's from God. And so the gospel I'm preaching to you is not something that I just grab it somewhere. Or something that, you know, I went to school for to learn and then come and try to teach you.

No, it's from God through his spirit. Changed my life. And so now this gospel has a power to change even your life. That's why, you know, in Romans 1, 16, it says I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Because it's a power of God for those who believe.

For Jews first and the Gentiles. Brothers and sisters, that's what I feel to share with us this morning. And again, God has been blessed us with a lot of good things through the message that we receive every Sunday.

And I would like to encourage us. Let's continue to come. Because when we come, you know, every Sunday, God will bless you through his word. But when you don't come, you miss God's blessing. So I would like to encourage us.

Let's continue to come. And not only Sunday, there's Sunday school Bible studies. I did not come because, you know, I was preparing myself for this morning. So, brother Dave, I'm not coming. It's kind of like, you know, my first time to say, let me skip this one so I can get myself ready for service.

But, you know, I enjoy my time with, you know, his Bible study. You know, I know that they notice that, you know, I'm saying much things. I'm a person that I don't really say much. Even during our meeting time, I say very few words.

But I'm listening a lot. And so that's who I am. Even, you know, in my family, we talk around the table. We eat. You know, my children, they talk a lot. I'm just quiet. But I'm listening. And so sometimes my wife and I, we start to argue.

And he said, how come you're just quiet? I said, you say all the things. Let me just hear what you say. And so that's who I am. But, you know, I enjoy my time with Bible study with brother Dave. I'm looking forward to also join with brother Chris because, you know, he's more in Old Testament.

And I think, you know, it's also a bless to, you know, to learn those books in the Old Testament. Again, I'm glad and I thank the Lord for my family and I to be part of this church. That's all I have to say.

And God bless you. Let's all pray. Let's all stand. And when I finish praying, remain standing. And Pastor Gabe, come and give us the benediction. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this beautiful day.

Thank you, Lord God, for allowing us to be in your presence. We all know, Lord God, that we're not worthy of coming before you. But through Christ Jesus, our faith in him, Lord God, you accept us as your sons and daughters.

I pray, God, that you continue, Lord God, to help us as we serve you and walk with you every day. Knowing, Lord God, in our hearts that we are saved because of our faith in Christ. And, Lord, in things that come to our way or the enemies try to bring doubts into our minds, I pray, God, in the name of Jesus, that your Holy Spirit, God, through your words, remind us of what you have done 2 ,000 years ago on the cross for us to save our lives.

Thank you. I pray, God, that you continue to bless this church, bless the ministries, all the ministries, bless all the leaders, deacons and the elders of this church. And especially, Lord God, my prayer for pastor as a shepherd of this church, I pray, God, for your protection over him and guidance of your Holy Spirit as he leads your sheep.

Thank you. I ask all these things in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

The Conclusion of Galatians and the Call to Do Good

You know, I actually had planned on attending another church this morning, but I'm glad I came. It was a reminder to me of just how eclectic we are. This was wonderful, and I thank you, brothers and sisters, for receiving me as a guest this morning.

As Paul brings to a conclusion his letter to the Galatians, he says in Galatians 6, verses 6 through 10, Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived.

God is not mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Go and do likewise. Amen.

Thank you for listening to our weekly sermon presented by First Southern Baptist Church of Junction City, Kansas. For more information about our church, visit fsbcjc .org. On behalf of our church family, my name is Becky, inviting you to join us again this week, Growing Together in Christ, when we understand the text.