WEBVTT 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:06.759 Father, there's some distractions. For some of us, maybe the stage is a bit of a distraction, 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:11.900 looking like a cluttered study, sort of with a church sort of in the middle of it. For some, 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:17.699 maybe the kids are a bit of a distraction. Father, for some of us, we just brought distractions in. 00:00:18.039 --> 00:00:23.559 We're worried about bills. We're worried about something else. And so, Father, you know our 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:28.879 hearts and you know the state of our distractions. We ask, Father, that you would gently but 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:34.259 powerfully pour out your Holy Spirit upon us at this time. And Father, may you help us to hear 00:00:34.259 --> 00:00:40.039 your word. Father, I ask that people not remember what I say per se, but that they remember your word 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:45.840 and that your word would come and touch the very command center of their lives so that you, 00:00:46.060 --> 00:00:51.460 through your word and the power of the Holy Spirit, will make us disciples of Jesus who are gripped by 00:00:51.460 --> 00:00:57.000 the gospel, learning to live for your glory. And this we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen. 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:06.739 Amen. Please be seated. So, one of the standard problems that people have with Christianity, 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:14.460 I hear it time and time and time again, is Christianity and slavery. In fact, many people 00:01:14.460 --> 00:01:20.900 will tell you that the Bible sort of doesn't do anything against slavery, that Christians sort of 00:01:20.900 --> 00:01:27.040 had to learn to give up slavery from some other types of sources, that the Bible just doesn't 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:32.340 really speak against slavery. It's a very, very, very common accusation made against the Christian 00:01:32.340 --> 00:01:37.480 faith. And, you know, one of the things we need to acknowledge is, it's not always acknowledged, 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:43.740 is that slavery is a human problem. Slavery has existed in pagan cultures, Buddhist cultures, 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:49.939 Hindu cultures, atheist and secular cultures, and in Christian cultures. It's a human problem. 00:01:49.939 --> 00:01:57.939 There seems to be something in human beings that desires to own another human being. In fact, 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:02.980 you could even sort of understand a little bit about in our own culture that is very quick to 00:02:02.980 --> 00:02:08.740 announce slavery. The way often we talk about a woman's relationship to the baby within her womb 00:02:08.740 --> 00:02:14.579 actually sounds a little bit like the way a slave owner used to own a slave. But maybe I've 00:02:14.579 --> 00:02:18.400 distracted you. It's a bit of a topic for another conversation. But there's a lot of very powerful 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:24.760 similarities behind it that would, I mean, maybe when it finally starts to dawn on the cultural 00:02:24.760 --> 00:02:29.439 elites in our culture that we talk about things in that way, it will start to horrify them. Let us pray 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:35.319 that that will come someday. But in fact, slavery is a human problem. I've heard some statistics 00:02:35.319 --> 00:02:41.420 recently. I have no idea whether they're true. But while it's definitely not the case that, I mean, 00:02:41.460 --> 00:02:45.819 there's been other times in history when there's been a very high percentage of slaves in the culture. 00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:51.919 In the Roman Empire, it's estimated at the time of Jesus and the New Testament church that one 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:57.739 third of everybody in the Roman Empire was a slave. That's the estimate. But whether it's true or not, 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:02.299 I don't know. But I've heard the claim lately in quite a few different sources that there's actually 00:03:02.299 --> 00:03:07.400 more people in slavery today than there has been at any other time in history. I don't know if that's 00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:12.400 true. But it's a claim. And in fact, one of the interesting things later on after the offertory, 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:19.819 we're going to have a special time of prayer. And in fact, our guest speaker, Carolyn, had a role in, 00:03:19.920 --> 00:03:26.219 in fact, bringing to the West's attention the scandalous practice of slave markets existing. 00:03:27.480 --> 00:03:34.240 And if you look at her Wikipedia page, she gets a lot of stuff thrown at her because she, in fact, 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:43.040 unveiled this terrible truth of ongoing slavery and actual slave markets in existence. So it's a human 00:03:43.040 --> 00:03:47.820 problem. But here's the thing which is very, very, very, very interesting. Many times when people complain 00:03:47.820 --> 00:03:51.560 about what the Bible says or doesn't say, it's because they've never actually read the Bible. 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:58.560 Sometimes if I'm dealing with a very, very, if I'm feeling very naughty and somebody tells me about all the 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:05.259 things that the Bible says or doesn't say, I give them a Bible and say, could you show me? I only do that when I'm, 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:13.159 it's probably not a good evangelistic technique. Because, you know, I should be trying to build bridges, not show 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:17.959 them up that they don't actually know what they're talking about. But it's very interesting. If you turn to book the 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:24.399 Galatians, most scholars now agree, or maybe not most, yeah, probably most scholars now agree that what, when we read what we 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:30.079 now call Galatians, you're reading the very first bit of the New Testament that was ever written. 00:04:31.819 --> 00:04:40.419 And if that's the case, it was probably written in the year 48, 4-8. Jesus died on the cross either in the 00:04:40.419 --> 00:04:46.259 spring of the year 30 or the spring of the year 33. We don't know for sure, and scholars can come up with 00:04:46.259 --> 00:04:52.599 one of those two numbers. If he died on the cross and rose again in the year 33, when we read the book 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:57.620 of Galatians, we're reading something that was written 15 years after the death and resurrection 00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:05.160 of Jesus. And it's a letter written by a man who, a Jewish man who'd been a violent persecutor of 00:05:05.160 --> 00:05:11.300 Christians, who became a Christian, and he's writing it to a group of churches which are primarily pagans 00:05:11.300 --> 00:05:17.260 who have become Christians in what we now call Turkey. And it's very interesting, in this very, very 00:05:17.259 --> 00:05:24.860 first Christian document that is now part of the New Testament, there is a consistent theme denouncing 00:05:24.860 --> 00:05:33.639 slavery. Because slavery is held up as an image of all that is wrong that Christ has come to deliver 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:40.819 us from. So if you turn with me to Galatians chapter 2, let's look and see what it says. Galatians chapter 2, 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:45.920 verse 1. And what's going on just before this, just so you have the flow, right? Because it's a letter, 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:50.580 it has a beginning, it has an end. And what's going on just before this is Paul has tried to, 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:56.060 has shared with the people that when he preaches the gospel, he didn't think up the gospel himself. 00:05:56.420 --> 00:06:02.920 How did he learn the gospel? Jesus himself taught him the gospel. And when Jesus spoke to Paul and 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:11.379 taught Paul who Jesus is, so Jesus told Paul who he is, and Jesus told Paul what he accomplished on the 00:06:11.379 --> 00:06:18.420 cross. And all Paul is doing is passing on what Jesus taught him himself. That's Paul's claim. And 00:06:18.420 --> 00:06:23.959 what's going on just before this is that Paul is given some historical evidence that helps to validate 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:30.540 that claim. And here's how the letter continues in verse 1. Then after 14 years, I went up again to 00:06:30.540 --> 00:06:37.600 Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. Just pause, time out. I know for many of you, you go, 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:42.340 okay, that's one of the reasons I don't like reading the Bible, George. Barnabas and Titus, 00:06:42.500 --> 00:06:47.060 and I mean, I didn't even know if it was pronounced Titus or Titus. You know, who on earth are they? 00:06:47.140 --> 00:06:51.780 So here's the significant thing. It's very significant in the letter. Barnabas was a very, 00:06:51.879 --> 00:06:57.939 very good Jewish man who'd become a Christian. Titus was a pagan who had become a Christian. 00:06:58.980 --> 00:07:04.120 And so Paul is going with a Jewish man who's become a Christian and a pagan who's become a Christian. 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:12.600 Paul himself is a former violent persecutor who's now become a Christian. And they're going together 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:18.639 all as brothers to talk to the home church, so to speak, in Jerusalem. Verse 2. 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:26.800 I went up because of a revelation and set before them, though privately before those who seemed 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:35.360 influential, the gospel that I proclaim among the pagans in order to make sure I was not running or 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:40.819 had not run in vain. Just a little pause here again so you understand, like, what on earth is 00:07:40.819 --> 00:07:46.120 going on? You know, like, for many of us, our eyes start to glaze over when we read stuff like that. 00:07:46.379 --> 00:07:51.340 So what Paul is saying, it's a very interesting thing. Sometimes people ask me, is Christianity just 00:07:51.339 --> 00:07:57.799 all about being practical or is it mystical? And the answer is yes. It's both. And what's happened 00:07:57.799 --> 00:08:04.279 is Paul has had a word from Jesus that he needs to go to Jerusalem. And at the same time that Paul 00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:09.699 has had a word from Jesus that he needs to go to Jerusalem, at the same time, something in his gut 00:08:09.699 --> 00:08:16.099 was bothering him as he just observed what was going on as the gospel was being shared. 00:08:16.100 --> 00:08:22.879 And when Paul says that he was worried about, you know, having run in vain, he wasn't worried that 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:28.879 he was preaching the wrong thing. What he was worried about was he just saw these trends that 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:35.420 were bothering him. Because, you see, it's possible for somebody to very accurately share who Jesus is 00:08:35.420 --> 00:08:41.379 and what he did for us on the cross. But somehow in the whole process of doing that, well, we all know 00:08:41.379 --> 00:08:46.279 the problem, right? Don't you sometimes look at maybe a very, very big church or a big ministry 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:52.460 and you think it's all about that guy's ego? Or can't you go and you see something else and it 00:08:52.460 --> 00:08:57.439 looks like it's been, the gospel's been communicated in such a way that they believe that they're the 00:08:57.439 --> 00:09:02.139 only Christians in the city. And you see, there's different ways that you can preach the gospel 00:09:02.139 --> 00:09:10.659 accurately, but the consequences are futile. They're vain. They're not what God wants. And Paul just has 00:09:10.659 --> 00:09:17.519 this sense in his gut, right? It's a sense in his gut and a word from the Lord that, okay, the gospel's 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:23.879 being proclaimed correctly, but there's something that's just not right. And so Paul is saying, 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:31.319 I didn't get called in by the principal to come and clarify things. I went to the people who were, 00:09:31.740 --> 00:09:36.000 but he says, you know, sort of seem to be important. What he's saying is, I didn't just sort of go and 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:40.439 talk to, I went to talk to people who can actually make decisions that matter. 00:09:40.659 --> 00:09:47.419 Because I want to try to clear this up. And now, and you can't communicate this when it's 00:09:47.419 --> 00:09:55.199 translated into English, verses three to five. In the original language, this is what happens in 00:09:55.199 --> 00:10:03.659 verses three and five. The grammar is crappy. It's missing verbs. It's missing subjects. 00:10:03.659 --> 00:10:12.139 And what translators say, and in English, you have to smooth it up. But you know how some of us, 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:19.339 we've gotten an email maybe, and the grammar's really bad. But you can just tell that the person 00:10:19.339 --> 00:10:27.379 is overcome with emotion. And they've become so overcome with emotion that they're not just writing 00:10:27.379 --> 00:10:32.259 really clearly. It's just like, they just got to get it out. And it's just, their heart is breaking. 00:10:32.419 --> 00:10:35.960 They're so anxious and concerned about it. And that's what's happening in the original language 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:42.519 in verses three to five. It's like Paul goes off on an aside, and it's because his heart is breaking 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:48.220 over what's happening. And that's why some of you, verses three to five, your translations might be a 00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:52.399 little bit different. Because translators try to smooth it over in English, and they're trying to smooth 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:57.480 over the fact that the grammar is poor. But what's, that the heart of the matter is communicated very 00:10:57.480 --> 00:11:01.740 well in the original language, and probably in most of your English versions. Just listen to what 00:11:01.740 --> 00:11:07.819 happens. Verse three, but even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised. I'm going to 00:11:07.819 --> 00:11:12.600 talk about that in a moment, though he was a pagan. Actually, I'll say something about that right now. 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:19.179 I'll say something about that right now. Here's the first thing, if you don't know anything about the 00:11:19.179 --> 00:11:29.579 Bible. The Bible never teaches circumcision of women. It's not dressed, it is indirectly addressed in the 00:11:29.579 --> 00:11:39.879 Bible, and the Bible would find it to be a terrible practice. The circumcision of women is done as a way to 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:45.839 remove any sense of sexual pleasure, and it's specifically a technique to make them chattel. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:57.360 And the Bible exalts in sexual pleasure. It would forbid female circumcision. So if you're just wondering, 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:01.300 because you're coming at it from the outside, and you think that just all religions are the same, this is one 00:12:01.300 --> 00:12:07.460 thing, when you hear this, it's talking about a Jewish right just for men that does not affect sexual pleasure, 00:12:07.460 --> 00:12:13.300 which is a sign of the covenant, that they're part of, that they belong to the covenant people, that they're part of 00:12:13.299 --> 00:12:19.099 God's people. And this whole language of circumcision is going to, I'm going to explain a little bit more 00:12:19.099 --> 00:12:23.899 in a moment about what it sort of symbolizes and why it's actually relevant to us. But you need to 00:12:23.899 --> 00:12:29.659 understand that about the Bible, that it's talking about a particular type of thing, and it's definitely 00:12:29.659 --> 00:12:36.159 not talking about something else, which is in the news off and on in our country and in many other 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:39.019 first world countries. So go back to verse three again. 00:12:39.019 --> 00:12:44.799 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a pagan, a Greek. 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:52.399 Greek and Gentile, in both cases, it basically means non-Jews. It means, in that context, pagans. 00:12:53.539 --> 00:12:59.919 Yet, because of false brothers secretly brought in, this sentence is the worst in maybe one of the 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:04.299 worst grammatical sentences. It's the worst grammatical sentence in the book of Galatians, 00:13:04.299 --> 00:13:11.579 one of the worst in the New Testament. It's just a, it's where his emotion just overwhelms his ability 00:13:11.579 --> 00:13:17.259 to write. Yet, because of false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom 00:13:17.259 --> 00:13:23.139 that we have in Christ Jesus so that they might bring us into slavery, to them we did not yield 00:13:23.139 --> 00:13:29.299 in submission even for a moment so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 00:13:29.299 --> 00:13:37.379 So what, what, actually could you put up the first point, Andrew? 00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:43.639 The one gospel from the one Savior frees us from slavery. 00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:51.679 First book written in the New Testament, 15 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:56.819 It's going to be repeated time and time again in this gospel, in this, in this letter. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:00.879 The one gospel from the one Savior frees us from slavery. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:05.500 Lamentably and regrettably, it took Christians a long time for them to realize that. 00:14:06.959 --> 00:14:12.239 But when Christians led the way in abolishing slavery, it wasn't because they had to learn 00:14:12.239 --> 00:14:16.399 about humanism. It wasn't because they had to learn from secular philosophers. 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:20.379 It was because they finally learned to listen to the Bible. 00:14:23.860 --> 00:14:28.059 They finally learned to listen to the word of God. 00:14:28.819 --> 00:14:32.179 The one gospel from the one Savior frees us from slavery. 00:14:32.620 --> 00:14:36.019 What's all this stuff about false brothers and all of this type of stuff? 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:40.139 If you just turn back, I don't have to turn back, it's on the page. 00:14:40.299 --> 00:14:44.360 If you look at chapter 1, verse 7, some of you might remember that we, those of you who are here, 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:48.659 might remember, if you look at chapter 1, verse 7, it says this, 00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:52.740 not that there is another one, that's another gospel, but there are some who trouble you 00:14:52.740 --> 00:14:56.100 and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 00:14:56.300 --> 00:15:00.899 And some of you might remember how I explained what the, the, the distorts a very, very good word. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:08.800 But the, the, in the original language, the, the original word has a very, very powerful image. 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:13.699 And the image is this, that you take something that's supposed to be at the beginning. 00:15:15.339 --> 00:15:17.339 I love preaching to screaming. 00:15:17.799 --> 00:15:18.759 Isn't it so wonderful? 00:15:19.199 --> 00:15:21.159 Anyway, that poor little kid, eh? 00:15:21.199 --> 00:15:22.439 Whatever's breaking their heart. 00:15:24.479 --> 00:15:25.159 Excuse me. 00:15:26.439 --> 00:15:32.359 Maybe he's thinking that is, he's going to have to get circumcised when he's older to be a Christian. 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:36.860 Listen, I mean, every guy here should be so glad about this letter. 00:15:37.060 --> 00:15:41.539 Let me just tell you, if your parents didn't deal with it when you were eight days old, 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:45.340 this is spectacular news for the guys in the room. 00:15:46.539 --> 00:15:48.279 The little kid, you don't have to cry. 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:51.419 It's not going to happen when you're 12 or 20 or something like that. 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:53.240 Anyway, if you look at, so in verse 7, 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:59.320 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 00:15:59.320 --> 00:16:04.780 So the image of distort there is that you take what's supposed to be the beginning and you put it at the end. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:08.480 And you take what's supposed to be the end and you put it at the beginning. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:14.840 And I was born in Montreal and I've lived in Ottawa most of my life, so I am not an expert in horses. 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:19.640 But I do know that if you want a horse to move a cart, 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:25.480 you put the horse in front of the cart and hook up the cart to the horse. 00:16:25.680 --> 00:16:28.400 You don't put the horse behind the cart. 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:31.940 And that's the way it's supposed to be. 00:16:32.920 --> 00:16:34.940 And so what the false brothers are doing, 00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:40.840 what Paul is saying is they take the gospel and they reverse the order. 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:45.920 And when they reverse the order, it means it's no longer the gospel. 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:49.440 It will just lead you into, it will keep you in slavery. 00:16:50.740 --> 00:16:52.700 Because, you see, here's the thing, I'll explain it in a moment. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:54.760 But here's the thing you need to understand. 00:16:54.759 --> 00:16:57.700 And this is actually really shocking for us Canadians. 00:16:58.620 --> 00:17:02.899 Time and time and time again, the people I talk to regularly about the Christian faith, 00:17:03.539 --> 00:17:06.119 there'll be a time up when they say, oh, I'm just reading this book. 00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:07.200 Oh, you would like this book. 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:08.460 It's, what do they say? 00:17:08.819 --> 00:17:09.700 It's religious. 00:17:09.700 --> 00:17:12.700 Or it's spiritual. 00:17:14.460 --> 00:17:18.340 And I just, about a couple of weeks ago, somebody said that to me. 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.279 They were talking about some books that they just bought. 00:17:20.360 --> 00:17:22.819 And then they literally paused and said, oh, you'd like it. 00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:24.019 It's spiritual and religious. 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:29.880 And I said, did you know that the Bible teaches that Jesus came to deliver us from religion? 00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:36.120 And the conversation didn't go anywhere. 00:17:36.220 --> 00:17:38.780 I mean, they just looked like that was a shocking idea to them. 00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:44.420 You see, we're very used to the idea that we meet somebody who's caught up in drug addiction. 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:48.220 They come to receive the gospel and God, Jesus delivers them. 00:17:48.280 --> 00:17:50.920 The gospel delivers them from addiction. 00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:55.340 Or we meet somebody who's maybe caught up entirely with making money. 00:17:55.339 --> 00:18:01.959 And their quest to make lots of money, it's ruined their family, it's in their marriage, their family, their kids, their friendships. 00:18:02.259 --> 00:18:06.759 And that they hear the gospel and they start to have freedom and they're delivered from greed. 00:18:07.439 --> 00:18:09.679 And we're very familiar with that. 00:18:09.779 --> 00:18:14.299 But the fact of the matter is, is that the gospel came to deliver us from religion. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:19.859 It came to deliver us from spirituality, which was just religion for hip people. 00:18:20.399 --> 00:18:22.259 That's all spirituality is in Canada. 00:18:22.259 --> 00:18:25.500 It's just religion for hip people or those who want to be hip. 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:31.500 In case you haven't figured it out, I'm closer to hip replacement than hip. 00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:37.879 So that boat left a long time for me. 00:18:38.460 --> 00:18:44.920 But so what Paul is saying here, so here's how all religion and all spirituality works. 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:47.440 All religion and all spirituality works. 00:18:47.940 --> 00:19:04.100 That if you have maybe the right genealogy or the right genes, but you follow the right rules and you follow the right rituals and you're in the right clubs or you're in the right organizations or the right church and you do all of the right things and then God will accept you. 00:19:05.480 --> 00:19:07.740 That's how all religion and spirituality works. 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:12.759 And what the gospel says is no amount of rule keeping will ever make you right with God. 00:19:12.859 --> 00:19:15.640 It's a completely and utterly hopeless task. 00:19:16.220 --> 00:19:21.799 And what the gospel comes and tells you is that you can't possibly ever keep the rules. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:25.779 You can't always, you can never possibly do the right rituals. 00:19:25.779 --> 00:19:37.500 That what the gospel is about is that God sends his son and God's son, he does everything to make you right with God. 00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:41.139 Absolutely everything with nothing left out. 00:19:41.619 --> 00:19:50.859 No religion, no spirituality, no accomplishment of mine, nothing about my race or my education or how special and unique I am. 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:52.420 Nothing about me. 00:19:52.420 --> 00:19:57.660 Everything completely and utterly is done by Jesus. 00:19:57.980 --> 00:20:04.259 And all we can do is accept it and receive it by faith, doing nothing in our own part. 00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:11.600 That nothing I can do next week will make God love me more or make me more saved. 00:20:11.740 --> 00:20:20.420 Nothing that I will do in 10 years, nothing that I'll accomplish in my life will make me more reconciled to God than what I receive when I put my faith and trust in Jesus. 00:20:20.420 --> 00:20:26.460 And the entire Christian life, the gospel reverses religion and spirituality. 00:20:26.980 --> 00:20:36.800 Because what it says is that once we are grasped by the fact that from the moment of our conception in our mother's womb to the moment of our death and everything in between, 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.460 that when we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we are completely accepted with God. 00:20:41.539 --> 00:20:43.140 We are completely made right with God. 00:20:43.140 --> 00:20:45.540 Jesus does absolutely everything. 00:20:46.100 --> 00:20:50.460 And then when we start to live a new life, it comes out of gratitude. 00:20:51.220 --> 00:20:52.620 It comes out of love. 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:54.759 It comes out of security. 00:20:55.640 --> 00:20:57.500 It comes out of peace with God. 00:20:57.500 --> 00:21:02.559 So why is Paul so upset with the false brothers? 00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:05.980 Why is he so upset with this issue of circumcision? 00:21:07.539 --> 00:21:11.400 Because what these people are doing is saying, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:21:11.579 --> 00:21:12.019 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:21:12.039 --> 00:21:12.599 Jesus saved. 00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:13.680 Yes, he died on the cross. 00:21:13.779 --> 00:21:14.779 Yes, he rose from the dead. 00:21:14.859 --> 00:21:15.200 Yes. 00:21:16.220 --> 00:21:17.220 You got to keep kosher. 00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:33.039 If you keep kosher, if you do the sacrifices, if you follow the Jewish holy days, if you're circumcised, if you do all of these things and you accept Jesus, then you're right with God. 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:48.399 And what Paul is saying is that whenever you put what should be coming out of gratitude and love and security and make up the grounds by which God will accept you, you put the cart before the horse. 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:49.980 It doesn't work. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:51.879 It's no longer the gospel. 00:21:52.139 --> 00:21:53.779 It might sound like the gospel. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:57.200 It might sound smarter than the gospel, but it doesn't work. 00:21:57.399 --> 00:21:59.059 It will leave you in slavery. 00:21:59.059 --> 00:22:03.339 It will leave you in slavery. 00:22:05.919 --> 00:22:09.200 Just turn in your Bible, still in Galatians, to chapter 5, verse 1. 00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:16.079 We're going to be looking at the theme of slavery quite a bit because it comes up about 10 times, 12 times in the book of Galatians. 00:22:16.440 --> 00:22:17.139 But look at this. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:19.879 This is a verse that every Christian should memorize. 00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:25.539 For freedom, Christ has set us free. 00:22:25.539 --> 00:22:41.299 Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:44.000 That's the gospel. 00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:47.879 The one gospel from the one Savior frees us from slavery. 00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:54.100 Slavery is painted an image of all that keeps us from God and all of our life apart from God. 00:22:54.580 --> 00:23:00.420 And as that is read and as that is understood, it becomes more and more and more clear that the human institution of slavery, 00:23:00.620 --> 00:23:04.580 which is used as a sign of man's rebellion and human beings' rebellion against God, 00:23:04.980 --> 00:23:08.000 a sign that human beings are fallen and far from God, 00:23:08.320 --> 00:23:11.740 cannot possibly be an acceptable social structure. 00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:16.400 That it is to be eradicated from the earth. 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:20.900 Christians are always to be on the side of the slaves. 00:23:21.620 --> 00:23:22.560 No exceptions. 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:25.460 No exceptions. 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:39.340 One of the wonderful things, some of you know that I had the great privilege to go to Angola. 00:23:39.560 --> 00:23:42.000 I have to sort of wrap this up now in a couple of minutes. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:46.220 I had the great privilege to be able to go to Angola and spend 15 days. 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:53.319 And one of the things which was so, I mean, we just take it for granted. 00:23:54.420 --> 00:23:56.200 But it's a very powerful thing. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:59.880 If my Jewish friends went to a synagogue in Angola, 00:24:00.700 --> 00:24:02.759 when the Bible was read, it would be in Hebrew. 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:07.119 It would be read in Hebrew. 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:11.359 If a Muslim goes to Angola to a mosque, 00:24:11.819 --> 00:24:14.419 if they read the Koran or any of the other writings, 00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:17.619 it will be in 7th century Aramaic. 00:24:18.979 --> 00:24:23.599 When I went to Angola and I was in an urban church in Angola, 00:24:23.779 --> 00:24:28.119 I was also in an area that was with semi-nomadic tribes. 00:24:28.119 --> 00:24:32.639 And I was also in an area where there was a church plant, 00:24:32.859 --> 00:24:35.939 where in some ways it was as if it was still the year 1500. 00:24:37.799 --> 00:24:40.759 Did I hear the Bible read in English or in Greek? 00:24:40.879 --> 00:24:41.199 No. 00:24:42.639 --> 00:24:45.179 In fact, if I went there and heard the Bible read in English, 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:46.139 I'd go, what? 00:24:48.639 --> 00:24:49.039 What? 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:54.480 If you don't know, Angola, Portuguese is a European language, 00:24:54.599 --> 00:24:56.220 and there's like 70 tribal languages. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:00.099 Like virtually nobody and very few people in Angola speak English. 00:25:01.259 --> 00:25:02.539 What's going on there? 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:05.639 Why is it that if we went to a church in Angola, 00:25:05.859 --> 00:25:08.559 we would not expect the Bible to be read in English? 00:25:08.659 --> 00:25:11.639 We would expect that the whole service took place in Portuguese 00:25:11.639 --> 00:25:12.839 or one of the tribal languages. 00:25:13.159 --> 00:25:16.720 It's precisely what's being seen here right at the start of the Christian faith. 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:18.759 Look at verses 6 to 9. 00:25:19.500 --> 00:25:20.620 We try to wrap this up. 00:25:21.380 --> 00:25:22.240 And from those... 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:24.880 So Paul now, he's gotten his emotional thing out of the way. 00:25:25.779 --> 00:25:28.059 The grammar starts to more or less be correct. 00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:32.140 He goes back to the fact that he'd gone to Jerusalem to see the bigwigs. 00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:32.960 And here's what he says. 00:25:33.299 --> 00:25:35.039 And from those who seem to be influential, 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:36.900 what they were makes no difference to me. 00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:38.559 God shows no partiality. 00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:42.500 Those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:43.799 On the contrary, 00:25:43.799 --> 00:25:48.519 when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, 00:25:48.579 --> 00:25:49.579 that's to pagans, 00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:53.519 just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised, 00:25:53.619 --> 00:25:55.599 in other words, primarily to Jewish people, 00:25:56.259 --> 00:26:01.359 for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised, 00:26:01.419 --> 00:26:02.519 that is to Jewish people, 00:26:02.980 --> 00:26:05.980 worked also through me for mine to the pagans. 00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:10.759 And when James and Cephas is what Jesus renamed Peter, 00:26:11.460 --> 00:26:12.720 James and Peter and John, 00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:14.559 who seemed to be the pillars of the church, 00:26:14.680 --> 00:26:16.539 perceived the grace that was given to me, 00:26:16.620 --> 00:26:19.779 they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:22.299 that we should go to the Gentiles, 00:26:22.660 --> 00:26:24.599 and they to the circumcised. 00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:26.440 Very, very powerful thing. 00:26:27.500 --> 00:26:28.759 Very, very, very powerful. 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:30.200 You could put up the next point, Andrew. 00:26:30.299 --> 00:26:32.640 We're probably going to go through these relatively quickly. 00:26:32.640 --> 00:26:37.920 The one gospel from the one Savior is to be shared with every people group. 00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:43.180 If you could put up the next point, and I'll explain them, 00:26:43.280 --> 00:26:45.220 because I'm conscious of my time here. 00:26:45.780 --> 00:26:47.800 The gospel from the one Savior, 00:26:48.420 --> 00:26:54.300 the one gospel from the one Savior does not smother human diversity. 00:26:55.620 --> 00:27:00.060 It causes human diversity to blossom and flourish. 00:27:00.860 --> 00:27:01.560 I mean, we all know, 00:27:01.559 --> 00:27:04.359 those of you who know anything about Christianity know that there was this long, 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:07.519 dark period where all of a sudden the Bible could only be read in Latin 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:09.899 if you were in the West, and Greek if you were in the East. 00:27:10.500 --> 00:27:12.220 But do you know one of the interesting things? 00:27:12.919 --> 00:27:15.819 There was a really foolish article in the National Post this week 00:27:15.819 --> 00:27:18.720 about something to do with a Bible translation and little notes. 00:27:19.819 --> 00:27:23.940 It's people who know nothing about manuscript history get caught up in that. 00:27:24.399 --> 00:27:27.039 All it does is show the ignorance of the writers. 00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:29.240 Talk to me about it in coffee time. 00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:34.200 One of the things that's so interesting is the original Christians 00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:39.640 almost immediately began to translate the Old and New Testament into other languages. 00:27:40.420 --> 00:27:41.480 Almost immediately. 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:46.019 And what Paul is saying here is there's only one gospel. 00:27:46.420 --> 00:27:50.359 There's not a Muslim gospel and a Buddhist gospel and a Christian gospel. 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:55.200 There's not a gospel for gay people and for transgendered and for heterosexual people. 00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:58.279 There's not a gospel for rich people and a gospel for poor people. 00:27:58.360 --> 00:28:01.279 There's not a gospel for white people and a gospel for black people. 00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:02.819 There's only one gospel. 00:28:03.380 --> 00:28:06.180 And we're to bring that one gospel to every people group. 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:07.200 And it has to be made... 00:28:07.880 --> 00:28:09.759 We have to figure out how to communicate it, 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:12.120 but we can't change it. 00:28:13.640 --> 00:28:16.039 When I had this great privilege to be in Angola, 00:28:16.039 --> 00:28:22.599 when I had this great privilege to preach the gospel to this semi-nomadic tribal group, 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:26.599 and there had to be two translators, one in Portuguese and one in the tribal language. 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:30.299 And so for one of the issues in that, because I was talking to the missionaries beforehand, 00:28:30.420 --> 00:28:34.500 one of the big issues for the semi-nomadic people in terms of hearing the gospel 00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:37.019 is that they believe the world is filled with spirits. 00:28:37.139 --> 00:28:40.220 In fact, one of the problems with translating the Bible into their language 00:28:40.220 --> 00:28:43.880 is they have like, I think it's 20 or 24 different words for spirit, 00:28:44.120 --> 00:28:46.079 but they're all what we would call demons. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:49.980 So in fact, when we can just say the phrase, 00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:53.440 the Holy Spirit or the Spirit from God, they can't do that. 00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:56.200 They actually have to say several paragraphs to say, 00:28:56.360 --> 00:28:59.000 this is not an evil spirit, but there's a spirit, 00:28:59.100 --> 00:29:01.860 which is not like all the other evil spirits that you know. 00:29:02.019 --> 00:29:04.180 They don't use the word evil, but all the spirits, you know, 00:29:04.180 --> 00:29:07.240 there's this new spirit that you've never heard of that comes from God. 00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:10.779 They have to actually talk like in two paragraphs to say, 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:12.319 well, we can just say in two words. 00:29:13.299 --> 00:29:14.680 And you see, for the gospel, for them, 00:29:14.859 --> 00:29:17.519 when you believe that the world is filled with different spirits 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:19.779 that make you sick or give you prosperity, 00:29:20.180 --> 00:29:21.579 that even as you start to hear the gospel, 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:23.440 you still want to maybe go to the witch doctor, 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:26.019 but it creates a profound sense of fatalism. 00:29:26.140 --> 00:29:27.259 Why am I not getting better? 00:29:27.900 --> 00:29:31.039 Well, it's not because I'm not drinking clean drinking water 00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:32.079 and not practicing hygiene. 00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:33.620 It's just the demons made me sick. 00:29:34.120 --> 00:29:36.180 There's this profound sense of fatalism. 00:29:37.240 --> 00:29:39.400 And so when you share the gospel there, 00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:44.039 you have to sort of emphasize that by Jesus's death upon the cross, 00:29:44.099 --> 00:29:46.599 there's this triumph over all these spiritual forces. 00:29:46.859 --> 00:29:47.900 Whereas in our culture, 00:29:47.980 --> 00:29:49.839 that's maybe not as much of a thing to emphasize, 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.700 but it's the same fundamental basic gospel 00:29:52.700 --> 00:29:54.819 translated in different contexts 00:29:54.819 --> 00:29:56.319 where we have different cultures 00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:59.220 in rebellion against the gospel in different ways, 00:29:59.299 --> 00:30:00.519 but there's the same message. 00:30:00.519 --> 00:30:04.839 And, you know, one of the things which was so wonderful 00:30:04.839 --> 00:30:06.619 while I was at the missions conference, 00:30:06.619 --> 00:30:08.779 which was taking place right in the midst 00:30:08.779 --> 00:30:10.579 of these semi-nomadic tribal people, 00:30:11.139 --> 00:30:12.599 one of the missionaries who was there 00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:14.599 had spent the last 10 years of her life 00:30:14.599 --> 00:30:18.480 giving them their language in writing. 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:23.180 She didn't say, 00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:25.259 you foolish people, 00:30:25.339 --> 00:30:26.960 if you want to be really good Christians, 00:30:27.059 --> 00:30:28.420 you should speak American. 00:30:30.019 --> 00:30:30.779 She said, 00:30:30.940 --> 00:30:31.420 I've made, 00:30:31.980 --> 00:30:33.059 and she didn't say this to them, 00:30:33.420 --> 00:30:35.480 I've sacrificed my life and my career 00:30:35.480 --> 00:30:36.519 to come here 00:30:36.519 --> 00:30:38.579 to take your language, 00:30:38.700 --> 00:30:40.140 which is not written down, 00:30:40.339 --> 00:30:42.420 and give you an alphabet and a language 00:30:42.420 --> 00:30:45.740 and put the gospel in a language 00:30:45.740 --> 00:30:47.360 and I will teach you to read. 00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:50.840 That is what Christians do. 00:30:54.259 --> 00:30:55.779 And we see it right here. 00:30:57.360 --> 00:30:58.560 There's one gospel. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:01.600 Peter's going to share it with Jewish people. 00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:06.200 Paul's going to go to all the different types of pagans, 00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:08.640 but they both share the same gospel. 00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:12.560 Next slide. 00:31:14.259 --> 00:31:16.259 And my time is up. 00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:17.759 Look at verse 10. 00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:20.680 Actually, look at verses 9 and 10 in closing. 00:31:21.420 --> 00:31:22.940 And when James and Cephas and John, 00:31:23.040 --> 00:31:23.960 who seemed to be pillars, 00:31:24.100 --> 00:31:26.300 perceived the grace that was given to me, 00:31:26.660 --> 00:31:28.020 they gave the right hand of fellowship. 00:31:28.140 --> 00:31:29.860 That's in Greek the word koinonia, 00:31:30.560 --> 00:31:32.759 which is more than just having good feelings 00:31:32.759 --> 00:31:33.480 about each other. 00:31:33.600 --> 00:31:36.060 It talks about a profound spiritual unity 00:31:36.060 --> 00:31:37.880 to Barnabas and me 00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:39.920 that we should go to the Gentiles 00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:41.560 or the pagans and they to the circumcised. 00:31:41.700 --> 00:31:43.940 Only they asked us to remember the poor, 00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:46.180 the very thing I was eager to do. 00:31:47.120 --> 00:31:48.860 You see, this means that Paul understands 00:31:48.860 --> 00:31:50.180 that when the gospel comes, 00:31:51.120 --> 00:31:52.540 Christians are to care for the poor 00:31:52.540 --> 00:31:54.200 in their congregation and outside, 00:31:55.040 --> 00:31:58.420 but it's also to have practical consequences 00:31:58.420 --> 00:31:59.680 to brothers and sisters 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:01.400 outside of the local congregation. 00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:03.800 That's exactly what the point is being made. 00:32:03.799 --> 00:32:08.000 The church in Jerusalem is 15 years old. 00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:12.500 Many of the Jewish people have become Christians. 00:32:13.099 --> 00:32:15.079 They've now been severed from their families, 00:32:15.299 --> 00:32:16.480 severed from their livelihood. 00:32:16.740 --> 00:32:17.700 They've been disowned. 00:32:18.680 --> 00:32:20.500 They've lost their livelihood and they're poor. 00:32:22.759 --> 00:32:24.119 And Paul is acknowledging, 00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:26.759 yet when I convert pagans 00:32:26.759 --> 00:32:29.519 in what we now call central Turkey, 00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:31.900 I understand that we have not only an obligation 00:32:31.900 --> 00:32:32.940 for the poor on our own, 00:32:33.019 --> 00:32:34.819 but we have an obligation to send money 00:32:34.819 --> 00:32:39.440 to our Jewish brothers and sisters 00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:41.359 in the Jewish homeland 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:42.940 to help them out. 00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:46.680 Could you all stand? 00:32:46.839 --> 00:32:48.139 Could you put up the final point, Andrew? 00:32:52.220 --> 00:32:53.359 We didn't say it in this creed, 00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:54.460 but when you say the Nicene Creed, 00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:56.420 some people get really bothered by this, 00:32:56.500 --> 00:32:56.960 but you know what? 00:32:57.019 --> 00:32:57.900 All this I've just said, 00:32:57.900 --> 00:32:59.380 this is just this creedal thing. 00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:01.680 What does Paul say in the Bible? 00:33:01.780 --> 00:33:02.980 There's only one church 00:33:02.980 --> 00:33:05.380 because there's only one gospel. 00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:06.680 What does Paul say? 00:33:06.740 --> 00:33:07.920 The one true church, 00:33:08.019 --> 00:33:09.360 the invisible church is holy. 00:33:09.460 --> 00:33:10.140 Why is it holy? 00:33:10.259 --> 00:33:11.820 Because Jesus has made us holy. 00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:14.160 Why is it apostolic? 00:33:14.280 --> 00:33:16.240 Because it comes from the apostolic gospel. 00:33:16.380 --> 00:33:17.600 It comes, it's a New Testament. 00:33:17.759 --> 00:33:18.780 It comes from the New Testament. 00:33:19.120 --> 00:33:19.900 Why is it Catholic? 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:20.940 What does Catholic mean? 00:33:21.759 --> 00:33:23.080 Catholic doesn't mean Roman Catholic. 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:23.980 It means universal. 00:33:24.140 --> 00:33:24.860 You know what else it means 00:33:24.860 --> 00:33:25.740 besides universal? 00:33:25.740 --> 00:33:27.839 It means varied. 00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:30.620 And different. 00:33:31.400 --> 00:33:32.380 If I said to somebody, 00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:34.259 you have a Catholic taste in music, 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:35.079 you know what it means? 00:33:35.559 --> 00:33:37.859 It means they're listening to a Bach fugue, 00:33:38.599 --> 00:33:41.660 and they're listening to hip-hop, 00:33:42.220 --> 00:33:45.740 and they're listening to maybe some music from Ghana 00:33:45.740 --> 00:33:47.019 involving drumming, 00:33:47.099 --> 00:33:49.259 and they're listening to throat singers from Inuit. 00:33:49.620 --> 00:33:52.380 They have Catholic taste, varied taste. 00:33:52.380 --> 00:33:56.740 In Galatians, we see why the creed says what it says. 00:33:57.040 --> 00:33:59.040 The true church is one. 00:33:59.520 --> 00:34:00.180 It's holy. 00:34:00.500 --> 00:34:03.080 It's based on the apostolic gospel. 00:34:03.480 --> 00:34:05.500 And it doesn't want to make us all alike. 00:34:07.600 --> 00:34:09.740 It wants to make us more unique. 00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:12.380 It wants Angolans to worship like Angolans, 00:34:13.220 --> 00:34:15.579 and Otowans to worship like Otowans. 00:34:15.579 --> 00:34:20.019 It wants us to eat Ottawa food and Angolan food 00:34:20.019 --> 00:34:21.900 and whatever food we happen to feel like eating. 00:34:23.299 --> 00:34:27.519 I believe in one holy, Catholic, and apostolic church. 00:34:27.599 --> 00:34:28.440 That's what it means. 00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:29.860 Let's bow our heads in prayer. 00:34:29.860 --> 00:34:33.740 Father, we thank you so much that your son 00:34:33.740 --> 00:34:37.559 died the death of a slave 00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:41.039 when he died on the cross 00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:45.760 so that all who put their faith and trust in him 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:51.240 might become your son or daughter by adoption and grace. 00:34:51.420 --> 00:34:55.039 Father, we thank you for that substitution and exchange 00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:57.200 that he would die a slave's death, 00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:00.299 that when we put our faith and trust in him, 00:35:00.699 --> 00:35:04.460 you adopt us by grace. 00:35:05.299 --> 00:35:07.259 Father, make us disciples of Jesus 00:35:07.259 --> 00:35:08.919 who are gripped by the gospel, 00:35:10.319 --> 00:35:12.859 who are learning to be freed 00:35:12.859 --> 00:35:15.739 from everything that enslaves us 00:35:15.739 --> 00:35:20.460 and are concerned for the slaves on the planet today 00:35:20.460 --> 00:35:21.559 that they might be free 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:23.379 and that we do it all for your glory. 00:35:23.799 --> 00:35:25.460 In Jesus' name, amen.