There is this strip along I-65 between Indy and Chicago.
Maybe you've driven it.
When you're driving along, if you're in the right lane,
there is the emergency lane and there is this rumble strip.
Maybe you notice the title of the sermon,
an introductory apostolic rumble strip.
That's what Galatians 1-9 is.
A rumble strip is to snap you out of it
when you're drifting on a road like I-65.
If your tires come and hit that rumble strip,
which is these slats built into the road,
it's going to get loud and it's going to get rumbly really quick.
Not only do you hear it, you feel it.
A rumble strip is a built-in warning system
that you're leaving the safety of a roadway
and that you're approaching danger.
These verses at the beginning of Galatians
is an apostolic rumble strip for Christians.
You can sum up these verses like this.
There is only one true gospel
through which God delivers sinners from beginning to end.
And we must not turn from it.
There's only one gospel
through which God delivers sinners from beginning to end
and we must not turn from it.
There's a lot of other false gospels out there.
A lot of people proclaiming man-centered ways
with false hopes of self-salvation,
but not the one true gospel.
These false gospels distort the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A distorted gospel is no gospel at all.
It doesn't free, it only enslaves.
In Galatians 1, 1-9,
we're going to see a progression.
The apostle Paul in verses 1-2,
he introduces himself
with that word apostle.
We're going to key on that.
And then from there,
he is going to move from introducing himself,
God's gospel man,
to God's gospel message.
In verses 3, 4, and 5,
he lays out for us the gospel,
the details of it.
And then from gospel,
he moves to warning,
the rumble strip.
And that's in verses 6-9,
and that's where you see him say,
I am astonished.
And then he wraps up twice saying,
let him be accursed,
let him be accursed.
God damn him,
is what he's saying.
Strong language.
It's an apostolic rumble strip.
All this movement,
these three moves,
are making a claim.
There is only one gospel
that delivers sinners
from beginning to end,
and we must not turn from us.
Here's what I'm going after this morning.
My aim is that
by the end of this sermon,
you will be leaving
with this sense of,
this sense of weight,
because we have an apostle
writing to us.
Not only just that,
the sense of worthy.
worthy,
is this God
who has called us
by his grace,
and then warning.
The stakes are high.
When the apostle says,
God damn him,
that's getting at something
very serious.
So let's turn to
verses 1 and 2.
The apostle Paul
introduces himself.
Paul,
an apostle.
Who is this gospel man?
Well, from the very get-go,
why Paul is
raising this word apostle
is that he's wanting
to make sure
the Galatian Christians
understand what he means
by the word apostle.
In a general sense,
apostle means
a sent out one.
So for example,
Jenny says,
Mike,
hey Mike,
I'm sending you to festival
to get some toilet paper.
I am the apostle
of my lady.
Sent forth
on a mission.
And what you see
in the New Testament,
what matters
for an apostle
is who sends you.
And so,
we see that played out
at the very beginning.
Paul,
an apostle,
not from man,
nor through man.
It didn't,
my apostleship
didn't originate
with men,
nor was there
some kind of
ordination council
where the group of men
laid hands on me
saying that I'm apostle.
My apostleship
does not come from men.
I was not sent
from just an ordinary man.
He goes on to say,
but through Jesus Christ,
I'm an apostle
through Jesus Christ
in God the Father
who raised him
from the dead.
When you hear
raised him
from the dead,
that is like
game changer,
the resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
It changes everything.
And this God
who raised Jesus
from the dead
through Christ
commissioned Paul
as an apostle.
Sent him out.
And you can read that
in Acts chapter 9.
Paul's on his way
to Damascus.
He's going to Damascus
to persecute the church
and Jesus totally
flips him by his grace,
converted,
commissioned to be
a proclaimer of Jesus
to build the church.
Flipped by the risen Christ.
Sent out as an apostle.
You can talk about
the word apostle
in the New Testament
along these lines.
There's two ways
the word apostle gets used.
There's the small a apostle,
which is like Barnabas
in Acts 13
who was sent out
by the church of Antioch.
That's a small a apostle.
It's kind of like
missionaries today.
But the capital a apostle
are those men
who were sent out
commissioned
by Jesus himself.
And Paul is claiming
to be a capital a apostle
here in verse 1
of Galatians.
He's clearly establishing
his apostolic authority.
Let me try to illustrate this.
My wife and I enjoy watching
a crime and police show
called Blue Bloods.
And one of the
main characters
is a detective,
this hothead
named Danny Reagan.
And when Danny Reagan
shows up to an apartment
in the Bronx
or in Queens
or in Manhattan,
he knocks on the door
and when somebody
looks through the door
to see who he is,
you know what they're looking at?
They're looking at
his gold detective badge.
Legit.
He's there on official
New York City police business.
With the word apostle,
Paul is telling
the Galatians,
these churches in Galatians,
he is writing
on official
Jesus church building business.
And they must heed
what he is about to say
about the gospel.
So when we read these,
this first verse,
Paul an apostle,
not from man,
but through Jesus,
we've got to realize
what he's saying.
This is being written
by a capital A apostle.
It's as authoritative
today in the 21st century
as it was then
in the first century.
So not only were
the Galatians
and the Galatian churches
to heed
what the apostle
was saying,
we must heed
what the apostle
is about to tell us.
In Acts 2.32,
the early Christians,
they devoted themselves
to the apostles' teaching.
So must we.
Paul is writing
as Christ's
apostolic spokesman.
He is God's gospel man
and we are to heed
what he's about to say.
We're to feel the weight
of what he's about to say.
And here's what he's
going to tell us.
There's only one gospel
by which God delivers
sinners from beginning
to end
and we must not turn
from it.
Which brings us to
verses 3-5.
God's gospel message.
Paul has moved from
introducing himself
in verse 1
to the gospel itself
in verses 3-5.
And there's a connection.
When Jesus sent Paul out
as an apostle,
he didn't send him out
to go to festival foods.
He sent him out
to proclaim a message.
The message of a crucified
Messiah raised from the dead
who delivers sinners
from beginning to end.
And so now this apostle
is basically saying
to these churches,
Okay gang,
let's,
just hear me out.
Let's get on the same page.
I want to be clear
on what the gospel is
before we start talking
about what the gospel isn't.
And in verse 3,
Paul speaks these words
of blessing
to the Galatians.
He says,
Grace to you
in peace
from God
our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I don't miss the hour.
Paul believes
that these Christians
in these churches
are actually believers.
At least most of them.
That they have
experienced God's
grace,
responded in faith,
but they're being misled.
The hour.
But I'm going to show you
in a second
how verse 3
relates to verses 4 and 5
because it's very important.
In verses 4 and 5,
Paul actually states
the one true gospel.
He says,
Here it is.
And it consists
of several things.
I'm going to walk you
through it
so that you understand
what the gospel is,
so that you understand
what the gospel isn't.
It begins
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
This gospel,
this announcement
of good news
is good news
about the Lord Jesus Christ
at the end of verse 3.
He is the who
of verse 4.
The Lord Jesus Christ,
the gospel,
is not a message
about us.
It's a message
about Jesus.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
The next thing
I want you to notice,
the gospel is a message
about the Lord Jesus Christ
who gave himself,
verse 4.
Now,
if you're not familiar
with the Bible at all,
that little phrase,
who gave himself,
is a way of talking
about Jesus voluntarily
giving himself up
to die on the cross.
It's shorthand
for talking about
Jesus' death
on the cross.
The gospel,
the announcing
of good news
has to do with Jesus
who died
on a Roman cross,
crucified.
It is a crazy thought
back in the day
that the Messiah
would be crucified
who gave himself.
voluntary.
And let me point out,
it's done.
He gave himself.
He died.
This is an announcement
of something
that's happened
and it changes everything.
So this is a message
about Jesus.
It's about his death
on the cross.
And the next thing
we see is that
who gave himself
for our sins.
Our sins
are a way
in which we rebel
against the triune God
of the universe
and it carries
a capital punishment.
And so what we hear here
is this good news
about Jesus
who gave himself
is his death
is a for our sins death.
Which is another way
of talking about
substitutionary death.
Jesus died on the cross
for our sins.
sins.
The death
that we deserved,
Jesus died for us
so that we could live
a life pleasing to God
that we were incapable
in and of ourselves.
This substitutionary death
of Christ,
it forgives all
who receive it by faith.
It forgives all
of our sin,
past,
present,
future.
It is an amazing,
an amazing announcement.
what God has done
for sinners.
Paul keeps on going.
This Jesus
who died
a substitutionary death
for our sins
forgives us
but it's to deliver us.
To deliver us.
The substitutionary death
of Jesus Christ
on the cross
is not just
a model
for how we are to live
to be nice to people.
The substitutionary death
of Jesus
on the cross
is God's power
to rescue sinners.
That word
deliver
literally means
to pluck out.
To pull out
of a trash can.
His death
that forgives us
also delivers us.
Delivers us
from what?
Well the next phrase
from this present evil age.
The cross
of Jesus Christ
powerfully delivers us
from the world.
This present evil age
Paul uses
a different word
for at the end
of the book of Galatians
in 6.14
he says
far be it for me
to boast
in anything
except
in the cross
of Jesus Christ
by which
the world
has been crucified
to me
and I to the world.
I've been delivered
is what he's saying.
The world
is organized
humanity
against God.
This present evil age
is organized
humanity
living against God
between Jesus
first coming
and his second coming.
The present evil age.
this present evil age
proclaims
gospels
that are man centered
that are trying
are man made
attempts
for self salvation.
We've been delivered
from that
from this present evil age.
Paul continues
in explaining the gospel.
He says
all this deliverance
is according
to the will
of our God
and Father.
There's the hour again.
Our God
and our Father.
That phrase
God and Father
shows up multiple times
in these
just few verses.
Our God
and Father.
Paul is saying
I'm part of this too.
I am a Jewish apostle
sent to the Gentiles
but I've been delivered
by the cross too
out of this present evil age
and into the family
of God.
When you see
that word
will
according to the will
of our God
and Father.
There should be
two words
in your head.
Sovereign grace.
God's sovereign plan
that depended
on nothing
on any of us
would ever do
to deliver us
from sin
and its consequences.
God
in an act
of his
sovereign grace
sent
his son
Jesus
to die
in your place
to pluck you
from this present
evil age
in order to
place you
by his grace
into God's family.
It's good news.
Notice
it's not by your will
God sent Jesus
to die for you.
It's according
to the will
of God
our Father
in grace
God
has pursued
you
brother and
sister.
It wasn't like
he figured out
like two
years ago
that you were
a sinner
and he's like
oh I should
do something
about that.
From before
the foundation
of the world
God
in his grace
set his love
on you
and has been
pursuing you
to pluck you
out of the world
and place you
into his family
by his grace.
His sovereign grace.
This is a gospel
about God
about what
God has done
about what
God is doing
to rescue
to deliver sinners
from beginning
to end
but it doesn't
end there
in verse 5
the result
of this gospel
when we receive
it by faith
because there's
nothing that
you can do
to earn
such a gospel
are you picking
up on that?
This is all
God's grace
from beginning
to end
there's nothing
it's not like
God can I write
you a check
for what Jesus
has done
there's none
of that
the only way
to respond
is to receive
it by faith
and the result
is this
in verse 5
to whom
be the glory
forever and ever
amen
gospel
results
in God's
glory
the one
true gospel
culminates
in the praise
of God
not man
because God
is the
one
who is
acting
through
the gospel
to save
we contribute
absolutely
nothing
to God
saving us
and therefore
there's nothing
to boast
in in and of
ourselves
our boasting
is in
the glory
of God
God
we are saying
worthy is he
who pursued
us this way
and rescued us
this way
and delivered us
this way
worthy
is this
God
and now I want
to show you
the connection
between this
gospel
in 4 and 5
and what
Paul says
in verse 3
verse 3
he says
grace and peace
to you
do you see
the connection
he says
grace and peace
to you
from
God our
Father
and the
Lord Jesus
Christ
gospel
ongoing grace
ongoing well
being
is founded
on
sourced
in the
gospel
we live
out
the gospel
as
Christians
it's
it's not
like we
graduate
from the
gospel
it's not
like the
gospel
is some
kind of
little
snack
before a
meal
and then
you get
to the
real
stuff
the gospel
is the
meal
from
beginning
to end
the
apostle
is
clarifying
for the
Galatians
and us
what the
gospel
is
what the
gospel
that the
risen
Christ
entrusted
to him
to proclaim
is
it's about
Jesus
it's about
his
death
on a
cross
that
was a
substitute
for our
sin
that
plucked
us
out
from
the
world
by
God's
sovereign
grace
and placed
us
in
his
family
all
to
his
glory
and
it's
an
ongoing
source
of
grace
and
peace
for those
who
believe
have you
heard of the
secret
service
maybe when
you hear the
secret
service
you think
about
people
in dark
suits
protecting
the
president
and
limousines
little
known
fact
that
the
secret
service
was
originally
founded
in
1865
to investigate
and suppress
the counterfeiting
of
US
currency
to this
day
the secret
service
is training
its agents
to detect
counterfeit
money
and they
train them
by making
their agents
study
the real
stuff
the thinking
is
if our agents
know with
intimate detail
the true
and genuine
real
US
currency
they will
be able
to detect
fraudulent
currency
by what
it's
not
in
Galatians
1
3
through 5
the
apostle
Paul
in all
of his
risen
Christ
given
authority
lays out
before us
the essential
truths
that define
the one
in true
gospel
to help
us
see
know what
the gospel
is
and to
help us
to see
what
false
gospels
are not
there's
only one
true
gospel
that delivers
us
from beginning
to end
and we
must not
turn from
it
I want
to take a
moment here
and just
point up
a couple
things by way
of application
this gospel
that Paul
has laid out
for us
that's the
same gospel
we preach
here at
Christ the
King
Church
it's the
apostolic
gospel
it hasn't
changed
it's the
only message
that saves
sinners
from beginning
to end
and did you
notice that
he's actually
explaining the
gospel to
Christians
this is a
letter to
Christians
so he's
aware that
Christians
can
can get
confused on
what the
gospel is
this
gospel
message is
for us
brothers and
sisters
not only
did we need
to hear it
to be
saved
we need
to understand
it and
cling to
it to
walk in
the power
of it
this true
gospel
it exposes
counterfeit
gospels
and that's
where we go
to now
God's
gospel
warning
it's the
apostolic
rumble
strip
if
verses
three
through
five
is the
gospel
way
it's
the path
of God's
blessing
in Christ
that not
only
gets us
on the
road
but keeps
us on
the road
verses
six
through
nine
is a
kind
of
apostolic
rumble
strip
but before
we actually
get to
verses
six
through
nine
I got
to point
out
something
that's
MIA
missing
in action
if
if you
looked at
Ephesians
chapter
one
verse
15
and
looked
at
Colossians
1
3
you would
notice
that
in almost
all of
Paul's
letters to
the churches
in the
New Testament
there's always
this section
on thanksgiving
I give
thanks for
you
there's none
in Galatians
there's none
in Galatians
because there
is a clear
and present
danger
facing the
Galatians
that Paul
must
immediately
address
there is a
threat
to the
gospel
and therefore
to salvation
and so
Paul
makes a
pretty dramatic
shift
from verse
five
in which he
is saying
to whom
be the
glory
of God
forever
and ever
and amen
he's like
yes
and then
in verse
six
he goes
I am
astonished
that's a
pretty
significant
change
Paul moves
from talking
about gospel
now to
warning
about a
distortion
of the
gospel
and he's
shocked
by that
so in
verse six
he starts
by saying
I am
astonished
that's a
strong word
I am
astonished
that you're
so quickly
deserting
him
our God
and father
who called
you in the
grace of
Christ
and are
turning to
a different
gospel
it would
be like
this
it would
be like
us
saying
this
I
can't
believe
that you
are
bailing
on our
God
I am
shocked
that it's
you've so
quickly
turned away
from the
one who
has moved
towards you
in grace
it's really
strong
strong language
and the
question is
why
what's the
intensity
all about
well first
let me help
you understand
what that
word
quickly
is getting
at
I'm
astonished
that you
are so
quickly
deserting
him who
called you
in the
grace of
Christ
just a little
historical
background
remember
Paul first
showed up
in the
region of
southern
Galatia
in about
47-48
AD
he was
making his
way through
preaching the
gospel in
like
Lystra
Derbe
Iconium
and he
was proclaiming
that
47-48
AD
in
AD
50
there was
the
council
of
Jerusalem
which is
this big
deal
and most
scholars believe
that this
letter was
written somewhere
in between
that because
Paul makes
no reference
to the
council of
Jerusalem
which would
have been
really helpful
in this
letter
and so
what this
means is
he probably
wrote
Galatians
around
49-80
which means
if he was
just there
in 47-48
we're talking
about a
year
since he
was there
in one
year's time
these believers
who had
received
the true
one true
gospel
and had
been adopted
by God's
grace
into God's
family
they're
now
deserting
or being
tempted
to desert
the one
who had
called him
that word
deserting
is a very
strong word
it means
to turn
from one
for another
it's got
this soft
idolatry
sense
to it
these
Galatian
Christians
Paul is
so concerned
he's
invested
his life
he's
preached
the gospel
he's
seen
many of
them
respond
in
faith
to God's
grace
and now
it looks
like
they're
deserting
the God
who saved
them
Paul's
shocked
astonished
and what
we learn
is that
their
deserting
of their
God
our God
and Father
is
is also
a
turning
to a
different
gospel
and we
learn about
what this
different
gospel
is
in verse
seven
not that
there is
another
one
but there
are
some
who
trouble
you
and want
to
distort
the
gospel
of
Christ
whatever
these
people
were
the
some
who
were
troubling
these
Galatians
whoever
they
were
they
were
distorting
what we
just
talked
about
in verses
three
through
five
they
were
trying
to
tweak
it
they
were
trying
to
revise
it
they
were
trying
to
maybe
redefine
it
a
little
bit
and what
Paul says
when you
do that
it's not
a gospel
anymore
not that
there is
another
one
a distorted
gospel
is no
gospel
at all
a distorted
gospel
is
powerless
to save
a distorted
gospel
is powerless
to change
you
a distorted
gospel
has no
provision
for ongoing
grace
and peace
a distorted
gospel
doesn't
free
it
enslaves
that's
why
Paul
is so
astonished
what are
you guys
thinking
why would
you turn
from this
why are you
settling
for this
trash
gospel
how can
you guys
so quickly
swap out
the one
true
gospel
that will
alone
set you
free
from beginning
to end
to live
for God
why would
you ever
swap
that gospel
out
for this
different
gospel
that's only
going to
enslave
you
shocking
now if you're
wondering what
the different
gospel was
it was a
form of
legalism
these
troublemakers
who were
teaching in
these churches
in Galatia
they were
teaching these
new converts
these Gentile
Christians
they were
teaching that
in order to
be in
right standing
with God
which is
another word
for that
is to be
justified
in order for
them to be
justified
not only do
they have to
believe in
Jesus
but in
addition to
believing in
Jesus
they had to
be circumcised
and that they
had to abide
by Jewish
dietary
restrictions
and that they
had to
observe Jewish
holy days
so what they
were teaching
was Jesus
plus your
obedience
justifies you
before God
and Paul's
like that's
not the
gospel
it's only
going to
enslave you
they were
adding to
the gospel
of grace
and when you
add obedience
to the gospel
of grace
you de-grace
the gospel
it's no
longer
the gospel
distortions
of the gospel
take the
form of
adding
legalism
to the
gospel
but they
it also
takes the
form of
detracting
from the
gospel
maybe you
know of
Thomas Jefferson's
bible
Thomas Jefferson
one of my
founding fathers
he got a
copy of the
new testament
and what he
did is he
took a sharp
scalpel like
instrument and
cut out all
references to
anything miraculous
because of his
enlightened mind
he cut out all
kind of references
to the miraculous
culminating and
cutting out the
resurrection of
Jesus Christ
it's a false
gospel
it's a man
centered gospel
so distortions
of the gospel
take the form
of adding to
it and
distracting
or detracting
from it
but it's all
man done
so in verses
six through
seven
Paul is
voicing his
apostolic
astonishment
by way of
warning and
rebuke
he's saying
this
guys don't
do this
I am your
rumble strip
turn back
to the gospel
don't cross
over this
rumble strip
I'm speaking
to you
you're only
going to be
enslaved
by this
Paul
above all
wants
God's
gospel
protected
and these
young Christians
living in the
goodness of it
that's why he's
saying what are
you thinking
I'm astonished
but it doesn't
end there
Paul gets
a little bit
more worked
up
in verses
eight he
says
but even
if we
Paul's
including
himself
if I
or my
buddy
Barnabas
or
an angel
Michael
Gabriel
from heaven
should preach
to you a
gospel contrary
to the one
we preached
to you
verses three
through five
let him be
accursed
that word
accursed
means destined
for destruction
God be damned
God damn you
he's saying
he's basically
well I'll be damned
if I preach a different
gospel
and he would be
and he goes
from talking
about
himself
as a
possibility
just imagine
me
Barnabas
Gabriel
Michael
preaching a
different gospel
they would be
damned
if they did
and then in verse
nine he says
if anyone
as we've said
before so now
I say again
it's emphasizing
he's repeating
what's been said
if anyone
and what he's
getting at there
is anyone
anyone in your
midst right now
anyone who's
troubling you
right now
by by preaching
a different
contrary gospel
to the one
we've preached
if anyone
is preaching
to you a gospel
contrary to the
one you received
let him be
damned
that's
Paul that's
pretty strong
language
maybe maybe
Paul's overreacting
a little bit
just maybe
a little bit
Paul's saying
it doesn't matter
your status
or your position
whether you're
a capital A
apostle
a small A
apostle
whether you're
a pastor
whether you're
a mom
whether you're
an archangel
if you preach
a different gospel
than the only
gospel that
saves
you're damned
because you're
damning
those who
hear you
you're
actually
proclaiming
a gospel
that doesn't
save
it only
enslaves
you're
proclaiming
a gospel
that
damns
people
so damn
you
feel the
warning
the stakes
are high
when it
comes to
the gospel
eternity
is at
stake
and this
is a warning
for us
today
because there
are plenty
of false
gospels
out there
there is
only one
true gospel
by which
God
delivers
sinners
from beginning
to end
and we
must turn
from it
or be
damned
maybe you've
had a Mormon
elder come
up to your
door
very nice
looking people
morally
impressive
preach to you
about the
grace of
Jesus
but oh yeah
you need to
obey
to make you
right with
God
it's a
false
gospel
liberal
mainline
Christianity
invites you
to believe
in a new
improved
more palable
gospel of
Jesus Christ
that doesn't
talk about
sin and
makes the
substitutionary
death of
Jesus just
an example
of how to
be a good
neighbor
not the
power of
God to
save people
it's a
false gospel
the prosperity
gospel
in which
God is made
into this
divine
health and
wealth
snack
dispenser
is a
false
gospel
will not
save you
not free
you
it's only
going to
enslave
you
and if
you're in
the room
right now
and you're
thinking that
the way that
you keep
in right
standing with
God is if
you read your
Bible and you
pray and you
share your
faith and you
give and you
show up to
church
that's not
the gospel
through the
blood of
Jesus
God has
made you
right with
him
period
there's nothing
you can do
to add to
that
that's the
glory of the
gospel
this morning
we have
been warned
there are
false gospels
out there that
distort the one
true gospel
so we need to
be clear on
what the one
true gospel
is in order
to recognize
the false
gospels that
are making a
claim on us
and the way
that we
recognize
false gospels
is by studying
and treasuring
delighting in
the one
true gospel
which makes
our hearts
sing
it's about
Jesus
it's about
his death
on the cross
a substitute
for our sin
it delivers us
from the world
and by God's
sovereign grace
places us
into his family
it results
into God's
glory and
ongoing source
of grace
and peace
I hope you're
feeling the
weight of this
these words
of the apostle
but I also
hope you're
feeling the
glory of it
how worthy
our great God
is who
delivered us
by the blood
of his son
on the cross
he's worthy
and I hope
you feel a little
warning too
maybe
maybe your
tires are on
the apostolic
rumble strip
and you need
to say
I need to
steer back
into the
gospel
Christ the
King Church
there's only
one true
gospel
that delivers
from beginning
to end
it's the gospel
of our Lord
Jesus Christ
and we must
not
we must
never
turn from
it
because there's
so much at
stake
let's pray
God in heaven
thank you so
much for the
gospel of Jesus
Christ
thank you for
giving us ears
to hear
our head
was full
of rocks
our heart
was stone
and you
through the
preaching of the
gospel by the
power of the
Holy Spirit
you
enlightened
us
you
awakened
us
and now
Lord Jesus
would you
in your
grace
and your
mercy
and the
power of
the Holy
Spirit
would you
help us
to stand
firm
in the
freedom
which you
purchased
for us
through your
blood
we ask
this in the
name of
Jesus
amen