And one of the joys of being a slightly larger church is being able to help other churches and Ruben has done a great shift preaching in Headington and Salisbury and Chris Craddock is serving as moderator and lots of the elders are helping out in different ways and so I'm away quite a bit this next month I'm in the Isle of Harris next Sunday and then I'm in Alabama at the end of the month is a tough life isn't it
but someone's got to do it Ruben gets Headington and Salisbury I get Isle of Harris in Alabama you know so Ruben's going to preach through 1 Corinthians which will be great and then Andrew's going to go back to doing a series in Genesis and so we come to the end of Galatians and I confess I always get a bit sentimental when we finish a book in the Bible I put my Galatians commentaries back in their place on the shelf this morning
part of it is nostalgia but I have found Galatians challenging and yet I've been wonderfully fed myself and I've learned a great deal going through Galatians and part of it is regret I think this morning that I've just squeezed the first little bit of juice out of the orange and in some ways I wish I could go back next week to chapter 1 and verse 1 we're not going to do that there
and so here we go with the last eight verses and they really are astounding and they bring together all the big themes that the apostle has been laying before us in the book of Galatians
Galatians and he says as you stand back he says Galatians is about one thing he wants you to grasp at one thing it's about one thing and that one thing is the absolute centrality and transforming power of the cross of Jesus Christ that's what Galatians is about
and did you notice when Andrew read it there are two references to the cross in verse 13
even those who receive circumcision they don't keep the law they desire to view circumstance that they may glory in the flesh and the end of verse 12 is
that they don't want to be persecuted for the cross of Christ that's what they don't want but Paul contrasting in verse 14 says far be it from me
to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ he says the main thing which is the main thing is the cross of Jesus Christ
at the heart and center of our faith at the heart and center of our relationship with God at the heart and center of the Bible
is the cross of Jesus Christ and I want to find out an illustrate a way to illustrate that from elsewhere in the Bible
so let me ask you this question how important do you think the miracles and teaching of Jesus are
you think to yourself are they very important
never in history have such words or deeds been achieved but when you look at the gospels
the gospel writers tell us that though the miracles and the teaching of Jesus are important
the death of Jesus is far more important
in fact without the death of Jesus his words and his miracles are powerless
so if you look at Mark's gospel and you stand back over a third of the gospel is devoted to Jesus' death
take John's gospel and over half the gospel is devoted to Jesus' death
and so you mustn't say to people oh well this is the kind of biography of the Lord Jesus
no biography has one third on the death
or one half on the death
in fact at the end of John's gospel he gives us this tantalizing statement doesn't he
he says Jesus did a whole bunch of other things
and if you wrote them down
they would have filled up all the books from the world
and a lot of us want to say well just give us some of them tell us a bit more
but he didn't why didn't John put all those details in his book
because he wanted you and I to focus on the death of Jesus Christ
what is vitally important you see to the gospel writers
is not so much how you and I live
but what you and I believe about the cross
some people say to us don't they they say well it doesn't matter what you believe
it matters how you live
and so let's not get caught up on doctrinal disputes
let's not get het up about the incarnation or the resurrection or the miracles
let's all live by the golden rule
and it doesn't matter no matter what you believe
what matters is how you live
let's go for peace
but if that's true
then you've got to go back to correct the gospels on their emphasis
and if that is true
you've got to go back and help Paul to correct his emphasis
and tell him
Paul you need to glory in a lot of other things
other than the cross of Jesus
you see
the very shape of the gospel tells us
that what matters
is not so much what Jesus tells us to do
but what Jesus has come to do for us
what he's come to do for you
the world does not need
another moral teacher
they are all saying
basically the same thing
I'm not putting Jesus in this category
but Buddha says isn't it
love for one another
Allah says
obey and submit
the secular commentator
the Instagram influencer
says be kind
but the problem is we can't do it
and what we really need
is not so much someone to come and tell us what to do
we need someone who will come
and take our hearts
and make them into something
that we cannot be on our own
we need someone from God
who will create us
and make us into new creations
and that is what marks the true church
always
what marks the true church
is not kind of institutional conformity
to anything external
or circumcision
the true church is marked
by being a community
that is centered
on the cross of Jesus Christ
you can always tell
a true Christian church
will not sit
in slavery
to some central authority
to some rituals
to rules
it won't sit
under the influence
of one teacher
or one great leader
inspirational
though they may be
a true church
will be one that sits
under the Bible
and that recognizes
Jesus Christ
and him crucified
as it's life and hope
and I think that is why
Paul finishes
the letter
with these words
just look at the last verse
the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with your spirit
brothers
and so two questions
this morning
what is this grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the second question
how do we get it
to be with our spirits
so first then
what is the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ
now in these verses
verses 11 to 18
there are two sides
to the grace
of the Lord Jesus
one is objective
and one is
and it's external
and it's outside of us
and the other is
internal
subjective
experiential
inside of us
now this is going to be tricky
we found this again and again
of me in Galatians
you've got to think hard
we've got to work hard
together at this
so it's a bit like a marriage
I now pronounce you
husband and wife
there's an objective side to it
you
sign the document
you get the certificate
you are
a married couple
there's a new family
created
objectively
but that's not all there is
to a marriage
is it
there's a subjective side
there is the quality
of the relationship
and so in verse 14
we get both these sides together
if you look down
far be it from me
to glory
except in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ
and now he says
the objective side
by which
the world has been
crucified to me
that's the objective
and then the subjective side
is
I to the world
so let's take the objective
side first
I think this is the only place
in the whole of the New Testament
where we are told
that through the cross
the world
is crucified to us
we usually
are
familiar I think
with the idea
that we're crucified
to the world
but the emphasis here
is that the world
is crucified to me
so what does that mean
verse 15
well neither circumcision
counts for anything
nor uncircumcision
but a new creation
what it means is this
that in the death
of Jesus Christ
it's not just the death
of one man
it's not just the death
of the Son of God
it's not just the point
of our faith
but in the death
of Jesus Christ
the world itself
is crucified
what happened
on the cross
is that we get
a glimpse
of this new creation
that God has begun
the cross is like
the sentence
from God
on this world
what this means
is that
everything external
circumcision
uncircumcision
doesn't really matter
let me read to you
from John Brown
and this is the best
commentary I think
on Galatians
by a guy called
John Brown
it's published
in the 19th century
and this is what he writes
speaking about these verses
he says this
the great principle
taught here
by the apostle
according to the wisdom
given him
is that true Christianity
does not consist
in anything
merely external
but in the state
of the hidden man
of the mind
and heart
nothing
merely
external
can make a man
a Christian
so here we go
he may be baptized
but the washing
of water
is not the washing
of regeneration
and the renewal
of the Holy Spirit
he may observe
the Lord's Supper
but eating bread
and drinking wine
and not discerning
the Lord's body
is not the communion
of the body
and blood of Christ
he may attend
the public services
of religion
but all this
may be only bodily service
he may give much arms
he might put his money
in the collection pot
and say many prayers
but all this may be
to be seen by men
he may do many things
commended by Jesus
but his motives
may be dangerously defective
or fatally wrong
nothing will suffice
but the new creation
the mind
and the heart
transformed
by divine truth
regarding
the cross
of Christ
it's lamentable
to think how often
religion is placed
in what has nothing
to do with true Christianity
counting beads
doing penance
going on a pilgrimage
wearing a particular dress
speaking a peculiar dialect
and so these things
when it comes
to salvation
are a matter
of indifference
because the world
has been crucified
to us
you see the law
belongs to the world
human religion
belongs to this world
but in the cross
of Jesus Christ
God has begun
a new creation
he's begun
to make us alive
by his Holy Spirit
and this is the first side
of the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ
I wonder if you
understand this
you see
it means that
we have a different
relationship
to the world
put it this way
the world
if we move
through the cross
the world
no longer
has a controlling
influence
in my life
and thinking
it's been crucified
to me
it's as if
God has
taken the world
and he's nailed
it to the cross
the world
is dying
this world
is passing away
and so you
and I
as Christians
we are no longer
slaves to the
basic structures
of this world
let me give you
an example
I think non-Christians
people who are not
Christians
often look at
Christians
true Christians
and think they're
just weird
and often
we would have to say
well we agree with them
but there are
sometimes
aren't there
there are good
reasons for us
looking weird
you see
some Christians
are very
successful
but they do
not care
whether they are
or they aren't
other Christians
look like
failures
but they don't
care whether
they are
or they aren't
this week
I hear of a man
in the United States
who has made
an absolute
fortune
on the internet
millions
upon millions
probably near billions
he has come to
faith in Jesus
Christ
and he is now
investing
literally
hundreds of
millions of
dollars
in seeing
churches
planted across
the world
in places
where Christ
is not known
you would look
at that guy
wouldn't you
and you would
say that's
a very weird
priority
I have another
friend in London
who's refused
promotions
with huge
salary increases
and bonuses
so that he can
continue serving
his local church
and be an elder
there
and he can
continue to
spend time
with his
family
and you look
at that
and you think
that's so weird
the world
has been
crucified to them
we live in
this world
we use
this world
some of us
marry and raise
families in this
world
we have money
but we know
that there is
something far
more important
than money
do you know
that
we want our
children to do
well
but we know
don't we
that the
cross of
Jesus Christ
is far
more important
to our
children
than anything
and any
success
this world
can offer
the best
that this
world can
offer
has been
crucified
to us
all the
principles
of living
a happy
successful
balanced
life
of accumulating
lots of
possessions
and wealth
of keeping
your objectives
of being
focused
of having
purpose
of living
in a successful
manner
it's glorying
in the flesh
and it is all
completely
impotent
to move you
one step
closer to the
Lord Jesus
Christ
because that
only comes
through his
grace
before
we saw
the cross
as beautiful
before we
saw Jesus
Christ
and him
crucified
and understood
it
we were
deeply
anxious
to be in
favour with
the world
what the
world thought
of us
was really
really
important
I think
that's one
of the
signs of
whether
somebody's
a believer
how desperate
they are
for the
world
to think
well
of them
but now
we know
don't we
that the
best
that the
world
has to
offer
us
cannot
promote
our
life
in
Christ
that's
the
objective
side
but the
subjective
side
as well
the
internal
side
when we
place
our
faith
in the
death
of
Jesus
it's
like
moving
through
a door
to the
other
side
of
the
cross
and so
now
we look
back
on the
world
and our
relationship
with the
world
is forever
changed
because
we've
been
crucified
we now
relate to
we now
view
we now
see the
world
differently
and one
of the
most important
things that
the book
of Galatians
does for
us is it
brings
together
the cross
of Jesus
Christ
and you
and your
and my
daily
experience
of the
Holy Spirit
in our
lives
there is
no
separate
gospel
of the
Holy Spirit
don't let
anyone teach
you that
it is
not as
though
there's
a basic
gospel
of the
forgiveness
of sins
through the
cross
and then
there's
a subsequent
gospel
of getting
the spirit
somehow
they belong
together
so let me
show you
this
look at
chapter 4
in verse 4
for a moment
when the
fullness of
time had
come
God sent
forth his
son born
of a
woman born
under the
law to
redeem those
who are under
the law so
that we might
receive adoption
of sons and
because you are
sons God has
sent the spirit
of his son
into our
hearts crying
Abba
father
and so it
is through the
redeeming work of
Jesus Christ on
the cross that
we first receive
the Holy Spirit
and it is through
the redeeming work of
Jesus on the cross
that we continue
to receive the
spirit I wonder
if you believe
that look at
chapter 3
in verse 1
you foolish
Galatians
who's bewitched
you it was
before your
eyes that
Jesus Christ
was publicly
portrayed as
crucified
Paul says I
preach Jesus
Christ as
crucified verse 2
of chapter 3
let me ask you
this did you
receive the spirit
by works of
the law or
by hearing
with faith
how did you
receive the
spirit
it was
hearing by
faith that
Jesus Christ
is crucified
verse 5
does he who
supplies the
spirit to you
and works
miracles among
you do so
by works of
the law or
by hearing
with faith
so how does
God continue
to supply his
Holy Spirit
to us
it is by
hearing of
Jesus Christ
and him
crucified
and so the
cross of
Jesus Christ
is not one
simplistic
message
growing up
I used to
listen to a
minister who
used to come
and preach
in our church
and he would
finish his
sermons the
same way
every week
it was the
same
and you'd
sit in the
congregation
and you could
see where he
was going
and you'd
get to the
end of the
sermon
and you'd
hear the
same words
and everybody's
head would
go like this
and people
knew what
was coming
there's another
minister in
Wales and
he used to
cry and
he used to
cry at about
five past
twelve every
Sunday
you'd get
really emotional
they called him
waterworks
so cruel
isn't it
and he was
saying the
same thing
every week
loses effect
doesn't it
but can you
see that we
can never
exhaust the
glory of
the riches
of all the
treasure and
knowledge and
wisdom that
are hidden in
Jesus Christ
and what we
really need to
be taught is
the full extent
of the gospel
isn't it
if you go
back to chapter
six the false
teachers were
saying the real
action in the
Christian life is
not the cross of
Christ it's in
your outward
external religious
observance and
they said that the
way that you grow
in the spirit the
way that you move
on in your
Christian life is
outward external
observance it is
not hearing Jesus
Christ and him
crucified and I
think that is a
constant danger for
churches like us
particularly for us
I love living in
London it's it is
isn't it one of the
most beautiful cities
in the world and
there is art which
is glorious there is
theatre there is all
sorts of things and
we live in a culture
that is obsessed with
externals and it is
almost impossible for
you and I to avoid
this temptation and so
you go on to social
media you go on to
Instagram and I
young people what are
you obsessed what do
you see you see
externals externals
and they make the
external essentially
important and it's
easy to do that in
church life to take
things which are good
in and of themselves
like circumcision as
these guys did or
communion or baptism
or Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism or
anything you like and
you can take those
distinctives and put
them right at the
center and make them
fundamentals and every
church I know
struggles with this
and so we can look
at other churches
can't be the relevant
style the great sound
system the videos
the building but
actually it's a lot
closer to home with
us isn't it
we can put sound
orthodox preaching
correct liturgy
church government
none of those things
are wrong in
themselves the
problem is if you
take any of those
things and you
elevate those things
and you look to
them apart from the
cross of Christ
when we do that we
empty the grace of
our Lord Jesus
Christ
and so brothers and
sisters I don't know
how to say this any
clearer than this
in the cross we
commit cultural
social personal
suicide to the world
that is very shocking
but I say it
deliberately
in the cross we
commit cultural
social personal
suicide to the world
it is a graphic and a
perfect way to describe
our relationship to this
world and that's what
the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ is all
about
well secondly let me ask
you just briefly Paul
wants this grace to come
into our hearts
into our spirits
how does that happen
well I think the simple
answer from these verses
is this it's everything
depends on what we boast
in
and what we glory in
so look at verse 13
and what do the false
teachers glory in
they glory in
they boast in your flesh
in the flesh
look at verse 14
what does Paul boast in
Paul boasts in the cross
what I glory in
is my true joy
it's what I trust in
it's what I base my life
on
it's the centre of my
personality
the field of my dreams
the thing that I think
about as I go to sleep
at night
the thing in my life
which I need
and if I don't have it
I just cannot go on
that's your glory
and if we boast in the
cross of Jesus Christ
Paul says this world
has no power
over us
we are free people
turn that around
if there's something
that has power
over you
if there's something
apart from Jesus Christ
that you cannot
do without
it means terrifyingly
that you are not
glorying in the cross
but that you are
glorying in the flesh
you see
if I'm embittered
and I just can't
get past it
if I'm controlled
by boredom
or fear
or something else
I may not be
glorying in the cross
in chapter 6 verse 1
I want to say
that we need each other
to help each other
to glory in the cross
can you look at
chapter 6 verse 1
I think
some of us
are blocked
in our Christian life
because of huge wounds
that we bear
and those wounds
stop us
boasting in the cross
so look at the beginning
of this chapter
brothers and sisters
verse 1
if anyone is overtaken
if anyone is
caught up
if anyone is captured
in any trespass
I don't reflect on that
I don't think it necessarily
means that
it is the person
who sinned
it does mean that
but it doesn't just
mean that
he's saying
if anyone sins
but if somebody's
overt
he's not saying
if someone sins
he's saying
if someone is overtaken
you are spiritual
restore them
in a spirit
of gentleness
and look to yourself
lest you too
be tempted
bear one another's burdens
it is isn't it
it's such a burden
to help each other
it's going to take
some sort of sacrifice
it's going to be
a huge waste
of your very important time
you see
what lies
at the heart of Galatians
is two diametrically
opposed views
of the cross
of Jesus Christ
the apostle
looks at the cross
and he sees it all
in its beauty
and his glory
and his honour
and his joy
and the false teacher
looks at the cross
and they're offended
by it
and they don't want
to have anything
to do with it
and they especially
will not suffer
for the cross
they will not put
themselves out
for the cross
but you see
there's only one way
for you and I
to receive
the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ
into our hearts
and spirits
and that is
to go through
the offence
of the cross
and it's when
you do that
you go through
the offence
of the cross
that the sweetness
of the grace
of God
is on the other side
put it this way
if you've never been
offended by the cross
you've not understood it
it's not until
we come to grips
with the offence
of the cross
that it becomes
a transforming power
in our lives
in the first century
and today
people never hear
the message
of the cross
for the first time
and say
oh that's just fantastic
why?
because
when you understand
what the cross is about
it says something
about you
and when you see
the cross
and you understand it
it says some very
uncomplimentary
things about you
it says
that we are not
good people
and it says
that we cannot
find our way
to God
and it says
that we're lost
it says
and if you look
at the world
and what's wrong
with the world
that the curse
of God
lies on the world
and that's our fault
and that we are
impotent
to save ourselves
and that nothing
short of the death
of Jesus
God's son
will rescue us
and you ask yourself
the question
why did Jesus die?
well and your friend
or your neighbour
comes to you
and says
look
I love you so much
I want to show you
how much I love you
I'm going to show you
how much I love you
and to do that
they run off
into the forest
and they get eaten
by a wolf
how does that show
their love for you?
and what would you say
at the funeral
about that person?
but if you discover
that one of the children
of the church
was pinned to the ground
by the wolf
and that your friend
rescued the child
and gave his own life
to save that child
well then it's rescue
isn't it?
or if a friend
comes to you
and says
I'm going to lay
my life down for you
and I'm going to show you
how much I love you
and they run out
into the traffic
on the Xbridge Road
and they're flattened
it doesn't show love
it just shows they're silly
but if your father
is in traffic
and your friend
pushes them out of the way
and is killed
in the process
then that rescue
then that's love
it is terribly offensive
isn't it
for you and I
to be told
that we're rebels
against God
and we're spiritually impotent
and that there's only
one place of rescue
and that one place
of rescue
is in the death
of his only son
it's very offensive
to be told
that it doesn't really matter
whether you've lived
an upright life
whether you've paid
all your taxes
whether you've been
a gentle and kind person
in your family
or you might have been
somebody who's lived
an immoral and selfish
and abusive life
because each of us
stand equally in need
of the forgiveness of God
we have no power
to help ourselves
there is no health
in us
and that is why
that the true Christian church
always centres
on the cross
of Jesus Christ
and that is why
the true Christian church
will always suffer
because the cross
is offensive
and I need to finish
but I don't want to finish
without skipping over
verse 17
I want to read
verse 17 to you
Paul says this
he says
from now on
let no one
cause me trouble
for I bear on my body
the marks
of Jesus
the whole of the book
of Galatians
has been about scars
it's been about marks
what is circumcision?
it is a scar
it is a mark
and Paul says
you want to talk about scars?
let me talk to you about scars
let me show you scars
a number of them
he got when he preached
the gospel in Galatia
do you remember
he was stoned
and left for dead
in a gutter in Lystra
he had countless
beatings
five times
he received
39 lashes
and they were proud
of their scars
but Paul says
I bear in my body
the scars
the marks
of Jesus Christ
Amy Carmichael wrote
this beautiful poem
it's well known
isn't it?
Hast thou no scar
no hidden scar on foot
or side
or hand
I hear thee sung
as mighty
in the land
I hear them hail
thy bright ascendant star
hast thou no scar?
hast thou no wound
yet I was wounded
by that archer's spent
leaned me against the tree
to die and rent
by ravening beasts
that compass me
I swooned
hast thou no wound
no wound
no scar
yet as the master
shall the servant be
and pierced
are the feet
that follow me
but thine a hole
can he have followed far
who has no wound
nor scar
the apostle Paul
finishes by telling
you and I
that this gospel
of Jesus Christ
is worth
suffering for
it is worth
bearing scars
for
come with me
to chapter 1
verses 3 to 5
let's read these
verses together
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 the glory
forever and ever
Amen
Christ lives in us
and that is all
of grace
and it is a grace
that has brought us
this far
and it is a grace
that will lead us
home
the grace
of the Lord
Jesus Christ
be with your
spirit
Amen
let's pray
Amen