A few years ago, or many years ago now, I lived in Kenya for a year, and we had these in our house occasionally, about once every week, I suppose.
We'd see these big orange furry spiders. They're quite terrifying, but we thought, well, those dudes are going to kill off the other things we really don't want to have.
So we let them run around our house. We put up with them. We thought they were a kind of welcome addition to our house. They'd take care of other nasties.
Now, after we'd been there 11 months, one of our students, we're teachers out there, one of our students, a lad named Ezra, was in our house.
He saw one of these things, and straight away he stamped on it. And we looked at him like, Ezra, what's the problem?
He said, aye, teacher, these are more dangerous than scorpions. Oh, okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for helping us out.
See, Ezra loved us. He didn't want us to be in danger. And so he acted very promptly. These things that we tolerated, he knew, were actually dangerous to us.
So he took strong action. And that is a sense of what is happening here as we read Galatians.
The Apostle Paul is taking strong action because ideas that people were tolerating, that people were thinking were acceptable, were actually deadly.
That's why he gets straight into this stinging rebuke. Every other letter he writes, he starts with thanksgiving and saying how he's praying for people.
Not stay with these folks. Look at verse 6.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.
He is not, as I think the Germans were saying, he's not politely knocking on the door, asking to come in for tea.
Rather, he's entering the house with the door in his hand. I believe that's a German expression.
Barbara can correct me if I'm wrong. It's what a German professor told me.
He's entering the house with the door in his hand. He has an urgent message.
He's being very abrupt with these people.
Now that sounds intolerant. It sounds very fundamentalist to our 21st century Western ears.
So why is Paul being like this?
Well, we need to understand that he's being like this because it's only God's good news that rescues people.
It's only God's good news about Christ Jesus that transforms lives.
And so Paul wants us to hold to that true gospel message.
To accept other ideas is not merely to dilute the gospel.
It is to distort the gospel and make it deadly rather than life-saving.
Now why is that the case?
Well, Paul shows us here in these verses that the gospel has a unique source, a unique message, and a unique seriousness.
A unique source, a unique message, and a unique seriousness.
We need to get these things right to understand why Paul is so urgent here.
So first of all, the source.
Look at verse 1.
This is God's good news.
Paul says,
Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through men, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead.
The unique source is God himself.
That's why Paul introduces himself as an apostle.
Literally, that's a word that means sent one.
Now, occasionally in the New Testament it is used as someone sent by a church,
but mostly it is used in a technical sense of one sent, one appointed by the Lord Jesus,
one sent by him with a message to speak his message.
So in Acts chapter 1, when they needed to get a new apostle to replace Judas who betrayed the Lord Jesus,
there were certain criteria.
It had to be someone who had been with the Lord Jesus from the beginning,
who had been a witness of the resurrection.
And he was then appointed by the Lord Jesus, in fact, through lots there in Acts chapter 1.
Now, some people dismissed Paul.
They said, oh, you weren't one of the original crowd.
But Paul, and we'll read about this later on in Galatians,
was specifically chosen by God, by the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus.
He had been an eyewitness of the resurrection as he saw the Lord Jesus there.
And Paul wants to underline this, because he's not speaking as a private individual.
He is speaking as one speaking God's message.
He is not from man or through man, but by God.
It is God's word. God is the source of this gospel.
Now, it's important we get this for two reasons.
Firstly, there are some today who use that word apostle in a very different, loose way.
So about a few years ago, I had a cup of coffee with a lady who gave me a book she'd written,
and she called herself an apostle.
Now, the best thing I can say about that is it's very confusing.
Very confusing.
She is at least 2,000 years too late to be an apostle.
She is not an eyewitness of the resurrection.
She does not have the authority of an apostle, in the biblical sense.
So that is confusing.
The second reason it's important is that people like to, we all, all of us as human beings,
like to resist authority.
And we find that with the Bible particularly, and often very much with the apostle Paul.
People like to divide a, try to create a division between what Jesus taught and what Paul taught.
So people will say things like,
Well, I like Jesus.
I like what he said.
But I don't like what Paul said.
He can be very harsh.
He can be very judgmental.
He was a misogynist.
What did he know?
He was very sexist, wasn't he?
That's why it's really important we understand,
when Paul talks as an apostle,
he is saying that he is speaking God's words,
with God's authority,
as one appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father.
What the apostles said went into the Bible.
What we say today,
what people like me say today,
has to come out of the Bible.
There is a unique source here.
The unique source is ultimately God,
is his gospel.
So that's the first thing,
there's a unique source of this message.
It is from God.
But secondly,
there is a uniqueness to this message.
There's a unique message here.
Many people may say,
well, all religions are just the same, really, aren't they?
They're all really about getting to God,
and being nice people,
and all that sort of thing.
I mean, after all,
didn't Muhammad claim to be speaking God's words?
What makes Paul any better or different than Muhammad?
That's why we need to be clear about the uniqueness
of this good news message.
Gospel means good news.
So look at all other religions.
You find you can divide them into three basic camps.
They're either about behavior,
what we do,
or belief,
what we think,
or about belonging,
about being part of a community.
So for example,
Islam gives many things for Muslims to do.
They've got the five pillars of Islam.
Forms of Buddhism can really be a kind of philosophy,
a way of thinking about the world.
Many forms of Buddhism are atheistic, in fact.
Nothing about God at all.
Or think about a conversation I had with a Hindu friend of mine.
And he didn't necessarily believe
any of the, or many of the teachings.
But for him what was important
was a sense of belonging,
a sense of tradition,
a sense of the culture,
being part of something bigger than himself,
which generated a sense of order to life
and connectedness with the past.
See, these religions tend to be about behavior,
about belonging,
or about believing certain things,
thinking certain ways.
But in contrast to these mere religions,
see what Christianity is about.
We get a clue to what it's about in verse 4.
You see,
the gospel diagnoses a deeper problem
and prescribes a different remedy.
Diagnoses a deeper problem
and prescribes a different remedy.
You see it in verse 4.
Paul talks about the grace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
who gave himself for our sins
to deliver us from the present evil age
according to the will of God the Father.
See, the deeper problem
that the gospel identifies
is our sins.
It's the fact we're in an evil age.
It's not just modifying our behavior.
It's about rescuing us.
Deliver us.
He delivered us, Paul said,
from the present evil age.
That's the worst to do with rescue.
There's a film out at the moment,
or it came out at the end of last year.
I could have watched it on a plane I was on
but didn't a couple of weeks ago.
It's called The 33.
It's about the miners,
the 33 Chilean miners
who a few years ago
were trapped underground
for many, many days.
What was their problem?
Their problem was they were trapped.
They were in a desperate situation.
They were going to die.
They needed to be delivered from that.
They needed people to come down
and get them out.
That, Paul says,
is what has happened to us.
We have been delivered
from this present evil age.
We've been rescued
through the death of our Lord Jesus.
Now, what are our sins?
What are our sins?
What is this present evil age?
Well, our sins
are not one or two wrong things we do
but our general rebellion against God.
Our turning away from the God who made us
and trying to live lives
relying on our own strength,
our own wisdom,
our own sense of right and wrong.
And that's true of the whole world around us.
Has been true
since Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden
and ate the apple.
It's been true ever since.
This present evil age
is not an age where
there's an internet
or whatever you think
is the most evil thing around.
It's the human course of life
all through human history
trying to live without God.
One of the most obvious consequences of that
is death.
Because death is the consequence
of sin.
Death is the consequence
of rebellion against this God.
So that's the diagnosis
of this unique gospel message.
The diagnosis is
we are dead in our sins.
Trapped in this present evil age.
What's the remedy?
Well the remedy
is not just to change
the way we behave.
That's the remedy of religion.
The remedy is not just to
think something different.
That's a remedy
of man-made religion.
The remedy is not to belong
to a certain group.
Again, that's just
mere man-made religion.
What is the remedy?
What's the cure?
Well verses 3 and 4 again.
It's the Lord Jesus Christ
who gave himself
for our sins
to deliver us
from the present evil age
according to the will
of God the Father.
Through Jesus' death
we can be raised
set free
raised to new life.
And that is the will
of God the Father.
That's why Paul can
pray in verse 3
Grace to you
and peace from God our Father.
The whole point
of this gospel message
is it's not about
what we do
it's about what God
in Christ has done.
It's about what God
in Christ has done.
That's why Paul can say
grace to you
and peace from God our Father.
Grace
is God's undeserved kindness
God's unlimited kindness
to undeserving people.
God's unlimited kindness
to undeserving people.
He gives us his love
he gives us forgiveness
he gives us rescue
not on the basis
of what I do
or what you do
but on the basis
of what Jesus Christ
the eternal Son of God
has done.
And through that grace
we get peace.
Verse 3
Peace is not just
an absence
of conflict
but the presence
of wholeness
the presence
of the wholeness
the well-being
that God created us for
and that can only come
through knowing God.
If you look at the end
of verse 4
how does all this come about?
Well through Jesus
who gave himself
for our sins
to deliver us
from the present evil age
according to the will
of God the Father.
See this good news
this rescue
is all God's idea.
That's what makes this
a unique message.
It's not about our idea
it's about God's idea.
It's unique
in its diagnosis
of our real problem.
We need to be rescued
from our sin.
It's unique
in its remedy.
It's not about us
it's about what God
has done in Christ.
And it's unique
because the hero
is not us
and what we do
the hero is God
it is all his will.
So that
is the good news message.
That is the good news message
that Paul had taken
to these Galatians.
It's the good news message
that we preach here
week by week.
So what's the danger?
Why is Paul writing
so forcefully
to these Galatians?
What's the danger
for you and me?
So I suspect
it's not that we'll
wake up tomorrow
and say
I don't believe in God anymore
I'm going to be an atheist now.
I don't think that's
our biggest danger.
Our biggest danger
is probably not
we're going to wake up
and say
you know what
I think Buddhism
or Hinduism
or Islam
is a much better idea.
I don't think
that's the biggest risk.
The biggest risk
is we distort
the message
that we've heard.
Because that's
what the Galatians
are doing.
This message
that is unique
in its source
unique in its substance
in its message
it's also unique
in its seriousness.
So look at verse 6
I'm astonished
that you're so quickly
deserting him
who called you
in the grace of Christ
and turning to
a different gospel.
Not that there is
another one
but there are some
who trouble you
and want to distort
the gospel of Christ.
And look how serious
this is.
He goes on
verse 8
But even if we
or an angel
from heaven
should preach
to you a gospel
contrary to the one
we preached to you
let him be accursed.
As we've said before
also now I say again
if anyone is preaching
to you a gospel
contrary to the one
you received
let him be accursed.
That is
let him be cut off
from God forever.
This is a very serious
warning in the New Testament
I think.
Now what is this
distortion that Paul
is worried about?
What distortion is this
that it's turning away
from the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ
God's unlimited kindness
to undeserving people
it's turning away from that
it's thinking we can do
something to deserve
to merit
it's thinking we can do
something extra
to add to what Christ
has done
that's the different
gospel here
the difference of adding
saying yet Jesus is good
but I need to do
something else
Jesus is good
but I need to have
something else
and that
is what the danger
you see what Paul
says they're doing
as soon as they add
try to add to the gospel
verse 6
they are deserting
him who called them
they're not just
having a different
idea
they're deserting
the God
who called them
as soon as they
distort the gospel
as soon as they
leave the central
teaching of Jesus
giving himself
as a substitute
for us
as soon as we try
to add to that
we're deserting
we're rejecting
God
and how are they
in danger of doing
it?
I'll see more of this
in coming weeks
but they're deserting
being called
verse 6
in the grace
of Christ Jesus
in other words
they're deserting
the simple truth
that is purely
what Jesus has done
on the cross
for us
through his life
death and resurrection
that makes us
right with God
it's not our own
religious act
it's not our own
prayerfulness
it's not our own
giving
it's not our own
church attendance
it's purely Jesus
now why
would anyone
be tempted
to turn away
from that?
why were these
Galatians tempted?
why are you and I
tempted day by day
to try and add
to what Jesus
has done?
well
it comes from at least
three different places
first of all
there can be pressure
from people teaching
let's look at verse 7
Paul says
there are some who
not that there is
another one
but there are some
who trouble you
and want to distort
the gospel of Christ
well people need
to make money
by writing books
by being preachers
and teachers
on the circuit
they put pressure
on Christians
by selling different
ideas
by saying things
which sound very
believable and
plausible
which sound like
they're Christianity
but actually are not
notice Paul goes on
to underline the fact
it doesn't matter
what people's
qualifications are
or credentials
or their past record
what matters
is whether
what they teach
is in line
with the gospel
that's why he says
in verses 7 and 8
if even an angel
shop or even I
come back myself
and preach something
different
let me be accursed
let me be cut off
so there can be
pressure
from other teaching
coming in
also there can be
the desire to be
popular
can make us want
to add
to the gospel
and distort it
that's what Paul
says in verse 10
am I now seeking
approval of man
or from God
if I were trying
to please man
I would not be a
servant of Christ Jesus
see people hate
the idea
that as human beings
we are powerless
to save ourselves
people hate that idea
it's deeply unpopular
to say that Jesus
is the only way
to be right with God
and so it's easy
just to be more popular
to kind of dilute
that a bit
but of course
the other reason
we can try and add
to the gospel
is purely our own
pride
in our pride
we want to feel
like we can do
something
to make ourselves
in a better standing
with God
but as human beings
we're all naturally
proud
we all want to feel
we've contributed
something
if you want evidence
of this
just go down the road
to Marks and Spencers
I've got nothing
against it
but go and look
at the food aisle
go and look at
the kind of meals
you can buy
now you can buy
ready meals
or you can buy
meals where all
things are already
chopped up
and there's a nice
sauce there
so you can make
the meal yourself
that's the idea
you can feel
like you've
contributed something
to it
that's why
supermarkets
like M&S
sell those
kind of meals
not just
things you
shove in the
microwave
and so you
can feel good
about yourself
like you've
contributed
to the meal
you haven't
just been lazy
and had ready
meals
that's appealing
to our pride
as one of the
adverts once said
life gets so
busy that sometimes
it's temptingly
easy to pick up
some convenience
food
but it's easier
than you think
to find nutritious
foods
in other words
don't give in
to the easy
thing
do something
yourselves
make us
let us help
you feel good
about yourselves
and that's why
it's so tempting
to think we can
add to what
Jesus has done
it appeals to
our pride
instead of
recognising that
actually it's
only through
the perfect
sinless life
of our Lord
Jesus
through his
death
in our
place
on the cross
and through
his resurrection
to new life
it's only
through that
we can be
set free
from this
present evil
age
see Paul
wants the
Galatians
and us
to see
the ultimate
significance
of this
gospel message
if we try
and dilute it
we don't merely
water it down
we distort it
and make it
deadly
it is not a
matter of life
and death
it is more
important than
all that
in July
the 7th
2011
a 44
year old
lady
surprisingly
died
at the hospital
in Greater
Manchester
people couldn't
quite figure out
why
and four days
later another
man died
and on the
12th of July
staff at
Stepping Hill
Hospital
discovered that
vials of
saline solution
had been
tampered with
what should have
just been pure
water with a
bit of salt in
it
used for
flushing out
drips and
syringes and
things
to keep
everybody
healthy
instead
someone had
added
some
insulin
the result
was that
something that
should have
been safe
and promoted
health
became deadly
and those
vials
which were
contaminated
would not
have looked
any different
to the
healthy ones
to the
true ones
yet the
addition of
one extra
ingredient
was deadly
and that is
the same
with the
gospel of
the Lord
Jesus Christ
the good news
about Jesus
if we dilute
it
if we try
and add
to it
we make
it deadly
it might
look similar
it might
sound similar
but it's
deadly
only God's
good news
about Jesus
rescues us
this message
is unique
in its source
it comes
from God
as Paul
as an apostle
writing it
it is unique
in the scope
of its message
it diagnoses
our deep
problem
rebelling
against God
it prescribes
the only
remedy
faith in
Jesus Christ
the Son
of God
and it's
unique in
its seriousness
this is the
only way
to life
so we must
hold fast
to this gospel
and not
desert it
let me pray
for us