WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.780 So as I said, we're going to begin the first couple of Sundays in the book of Galatians, 00:00:04.780 --> 00:00:11.080 thinking about the good news that you and I must never forget, and beginning here that the 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:18.000 ! good news that we find in God's Word, in the Gospel, it comes from God, it's not man-made. 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:24.920 And that's important. If you were to ask yourself, if you were to ask the question, where do we 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:31.200 go for reliable news? That's maybe a question you find yourself asking from time to time. 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:42.700 The Vancouver World newspaper famously got the news wildly wrong in 1912, as the Titanic was 00:00:42.700 --> 00:00:49.799 sinking. They were the first newspaper to report what was happening, and they said, Titanic sinking, 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:59.579 no lives lost. 1,500 lives were lost. Where do we find news that's reliable? In 2025, 00:01:00.239 --> 00:01:06.739 we discovered that the BBC is being sued by President Trump because the BBC had deliberately 00:01:06.739 --> 00:01:13.140 doctored his speech about the Capitol Hill riots in order to present him in the worst possible light. 00:01:13.140 --> 00:01:22.739 Where do we go to find news that is true, that is reliable, that is vital? 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:31.340 And that takes us, perhaps surprisingly, to the church, because as the church, we have a task 00:01:31.340 --> 00:01:39.379 of broadcasting news that is good and true and vital. Think about the thing that sociologists have 00:01:39.379 --> 00:01:43.039 been recognizing, and church leaders have been recognizing for the last couple of years now, 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:51.099 I think, why is it that so many young men are returning back to churches? And the answer is that 00:01:51.099 --> 00:01:57.199 those young men and many others are looking for something that is true and solid and reliable, 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:04.519 not being offered it in the answers of our secular society. And so they are searching for truth. 00:02:04.519 --> 00:02:09.900 And we pray that many would find the truth as it is found in Christ Jesus. 00:02:11.780 --> 00:02:15.979 So we're going to spend a couple of weeks in the book of Galatians, this early letter of Paul where 00:02:15.979 --> 00:02:24.740 he explains, but also does a lot of work defending the good news that he proclaims, that the church has 00:02:24.740 --> 00:02:32.120 been proclaiming since Jesus died, rose again, sent the Spirit. And so Paul writes the letter to a young 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:38.539 church that he's planted, perhaps just a few years previously, recognizing that these young Christians, 00:02:38.700 --> 00:02:46.439 they're being turned away from his message to listen to message brought by a different group of teachers. 00:02:47.500 --> 00:02:53.879 And he calls it a false gospel because it doesn't offer real hope. And the great need, and what drives 00:02:53.879 --> 00:03:04.519 this letter is that these Christians would come back to the true gospel, to the good news that is truly good. 00:03:05.579 --> 00:03:10.639 And I think it's always valuable for us, and I think it's helpful for us as a church at the start of the 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:18.979 year to focus our time on the message of what God has done for us in Jesus, to remind ourselves of this 00:03:18.979 --> 00:03:26.439 good news that we would never forget it, but rather we would love it, that we would live it, and that we would be 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:32.379 sharing it together and with others. And so just to kind of plot where we're going to go this morning, we're 00:03:32.379 --> 00:03:37.859 thinking about the source of the news, that the good news is from God. This evening we're going to think about the 00:03:37.859 --> 00:03:46.479 content, that we are justified by Jesus and not good works. Next Sunday morning we'll think about the nature of the 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:52.939 message that it's vital, this good news is vital for us, and then we'll finish next Sunday evening with the 00:03:52.939 --> 00:04:00.399 effect of the gospel, that the good news, as we receive it by faith, it changes our lives. But today we'll think 00:04:00.399 --> 00:04:06.120 about the truth that our good news is from God, it's not man-made. So we're going to begin thinking about 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:13.219 authority, because this really dominates the early chapters that we've just read. The idea that Paul the 00:04:13.219 --> 00:04:21.740 apostle, he is a messenger that you and I can trust. In our day, we know this, there are lots of voices, 00:04:22.379 --> 00:04:27.879 lots of opinions, lots of podcasts we can go to, YouTube channels we can check in on, any number of 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:33.939 topics, and that includes religion and spirituality. The question becomes, are they always qualified to 00:04:33.939 --> 00:04:41.100 speak on what they comment on? And so sometimes we maybe find ourselves fact-checking, and maybe if we're 00:04:41.100 --> 00:04:46.680 doing our homework, we look at credentials, we look at qualifications, is this person a leading authority, 00:04:47.200 --> 00:04:52.920 should I give sort of credence to what they are saying? Boys and girls, you'll know this, when you 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:56.780 go back to school, you're going back to school, sorry to break that to you, if you haven't realized that, 00:04:56.840 --> 00:05:02.480 in a couple of days, when you want to find out about a subject and you're in school, you know that you can 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:07.980 trust your teachers, what they say on maths or English, those kind of things, and also if they give you 00:05:07.980 --> 00:05:13.439 some homework, and they say, here's the books to look at, here's the websites to look at, now you know, 00:05:13.700 --> 00:05:22.060 here's the information that you can trust. When we turn to the book of Galatians, maybe you notice 00:05:22.060 --> 00:05:27.980 this as we read it, that Paul wants to highlight in so many different ways, I am an apostle, my words 00:05:27.980 --> 00:05:36.460 have authority, this is a voice, this is a message you can trust. He begins by introducing himself as an 00:05:36.459 --> 00:05:43.599 apostle, what's an apostle? An apostle was someone who was sent by Jesus, an apostle was an eyewitness 00:05:43.599 --> 00:05:51.680 of Jesus, and for Paul, now if you know his story, Jesus appeared dramatically to Paul on the Damascus 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:57.719 road, totally changed his life around, and sent him with this unique mission that he's been speaking 00:05:57.719 --> 00:06:05.179 about. And so Paul in this early chapter, early couple of chapters, he wants to highlight his authority, 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:12.560 not so they can show off, not so he can lord over others, somehow say I'm more important than you, 00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:18.920 but to say we can listen, and we should listen to him as he brings the good news from God. 00:06:19.780 --> 00:06:24.019 So just to notice how he does it, look at the two introductions, first of all the introduction of 00:06:24.019 --> 00:06:34.500 himself. Verse 1, Paul an apostle, who's he sent by? Sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God 00:06:34.500 --> 00:06:41.560 the Father. That's his authority to speak and to write this message, it's God given. What about as he 00:06:41.560 --> 00:06:48.500 introduces his message? Look at verse 11, I want you to know brothers and sisters that the gospel I preached 00:06:48.500 --> 00:06:55.980 is not of human origin, not man-made. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it. Rather, 00:06:56.620 --> 00:07:02.240 I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. That's his authority. His message that he's bringing 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:09.860 in this letter comes directly from the Lord Jesus. He follows the same pattern when he tells his story. 00:07:09.980 --> 00:07:15.740 From verse 13, we hear him tell his own story, and he begins by talking about his past life. 00:07:15.740 --> 00:07:22.740 You have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism. What was it like? How intensely I persecuted 00:07:22.740 --> 00:07:29.920 the church of God and tried to destroy it. So he says, I was a superstar Pharisee. You will have heard 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:38.120 about me. I was reckoned to be like so righteous in the eyes of people, but at the same time, he was a 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:45.240 supreme hater of Jesus and his church. He thought he was doing God's will by trying to destroy 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:55.780 God's church. And so just think about that, isn't it? It's crazy to think that Paul would spread the 00:07:55.780 --> 00:08:04.240 story of Jesus as none other than God in the flesh, that he would start telling the story of a Messiah 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:10.860 who is crucified, that he would speak to us about salvation coming by God's grace and not by our 00:08:10.860 --> 00:08:16.960 law-keeping unless God has shown up and God has given him this message, because this is not the 00:08:16.960 --> 00:08:23.620 way he was living ordinarily. And then he talks about his conversion. Where did the change come? 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:30.840 How does a religious terrorist, because in one way that's what Paul was, going around trying to 00:08:30.840 --> 00:08:35.279 persecute people, harass people, throw people in prison, happy to see people murdered. How does 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:41.519 someone go from a religious terrorist to a gospel preacher? And again, he wants to make the point, 00:08:41.579 --> 00:08:46.740 it's not down to man, it's not down to him, it's all of God. So how does he put it in verse 15? 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:54.139 But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to 00:08:54.139 --> 00:09:01.100 reveal his son in me. God chose him, God called him, God revealed his son to him and in him. 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:09.920 There's that wonderful, but God, but when God, God's the great interrupter. His grace has utterly 00:09:09.920 --> 00:09:14.540 turned Paul's life right side up when Paul certainly was not looking for it. 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:22.879 And this theme continues as he speaks about the journeys that he takes. Look at verses 17 to 24. 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:30.040 He emphasizes, first of all, as soon as he gets this call to go and bring good news to the Gentiles, 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:36.299 my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I didn't go up to Jerusalem to see the 00:09:36.299 --> 00:09:41.819 apostles, but I went into Arabia and later to Damascus. Why is he telling us that? He's saying, 00:09:42.019 --> 00:09:47.379 listen, I didn't go to the apostles, they didn't need to teach me because Jesus was teaching me. 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:53.299 Instead, he went into the desert. Again, it's emphasizing that his authority comes direct from 00:09:53.299 --> 00:09:59.199 Jesus. And then he talks about his preaching ministry, and that doesn't happen in Jerusalem and 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:05.240 Judea. It happens, verse 21, in Syria and Cilicia. So it's outside the usual realm of influence. 00:10:05.700 --> 00:10:11.300 The apostles are not directing his teaching. And then you get that wonderful thing about how 00:10:11.300 --> 00:10:19.000 his reputation is spreading. Verse 23, the man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:27.180 he once tried to destroy. It's a wonderful idea. The hunter is becoming the hunted. The persecuted 00:10:27.179 --> 00:10:33.039 is now persecuted as a preacher of the gospel. And in all of this, God is getting the glory because God 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:41.939 is at work in and through Paul. So Paul the apostle is a messenger that you and I can trust. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:50.819 So to whatever extent we are interested in Christianity, whatever extent we want to know God 00:10:50.820 --> 00:10:58.080 and his good news, we're being invited to recognize here is a voice we can trust. 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:06.980 Of all the options available to us, the YouTubers, the podcasters, the writers, the armchair experts, 00:11:07.340 --> 00:11:12.900 there is something unique about Paul. He is an apostle. He has unique authority from Jesus. 00:11:12.899 --> 00:11:21.620 His letter is part of God's word, the Bible, and God's word has authority. It is truth from God. 00:11:22.019 --> 00:11:30.019 Therefore, we can and we should trust it in our lives. This letter that we have here, it was written 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:38.600 maybe 30 years after the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus by somebody who was totally transformed by 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:45.200 Jesus who was an eyewitness, commissioned by Jesus. This is a reliable source of authority. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:54.560 Lots of people are recognizing that in our generation, there has been a loss of what was 00:11:54.560 --> 00:12:02.540 previously accepted, that idea of we trust the experts. In the days when anyone can have a platform, 00:12:02.539 --> 00:12:08.659 it's really easy to listen to an influence or a celebrity, you know, somebody from the world of 00:12:08.659 --> 00:12:17.620 pop or film, on any number of topics. Who do I listen to for my views on politics or climate change or even 00:12:17.620 --> 00:12:26.439 religion? Everybody is chiming in and we need to be able to know whose voice should I listen to? 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:33.280 And on the most important topic of all, how can I know God? Who is God? How can I be right with God? 00:12:33.340 --> 00:12:40.900 Who is Jesus? What has he done? We must listen to the voice of authority and that voice is God's word and 00:12:40.900 --> 00:12:51.280 here it's God's apostle. So that's Paul's authority, but he moves quickly on in the midst of that to speak 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:59.079 about his astonishment. Did you notice that in verse 6? He uses that word astonished. I am astonished 00:12:59.079 --> 00:13:04.620 that you're so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning 00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:11.819 to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. There is astonishment here because Paul's good 00:13:11.819 --> 00:13:19.159 news should never be rejected and he's astonished how quickly this church is threatening to throw out. 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:28.179 Now many of us I know will remember the day the Berlin Wall came down. I remember as a school kid 00:13:28.179 --> 00:13:33.679 eating my cereal in front of the breakfast news and watching images like the one on the screen. 00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:42.879 I wonder how much we know about the change that it meant for the people in East Berlin when that wall 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:49.139 came down. Just to think about some of it just for a moment. No more were they living under 00:13:49.139 --> 00:13:56.759 constant surveillance of a big brother kind of society. No longer were there severe travel 00:13:56.759 --> 00:14:03.059 restrictions. No longer was there separation. There could be reunions with family and friends. 00:14:03.699 --> 00:14:09.460 There was greater access to jobs and employment and free elections. And no wonder, 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:14.779 if we remember those scenes, there were so many tears of joy and songs being sung. 00:14:14.779 --> 00:14:24.259 Put yourself there for a moment. If that was you, would you ever want to go back to the old days, 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:37.319 the way it was in the East? Picture for a moment Paul's distress. He has brought to these Christians 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:42.840 the good news the good news that you have freedom in Christ Jesus. 00:14:44.940 --> 00:14:51.480 That by placing your faith in Him, you are reconciled to God. You are at peace with God. 00:14:52.940 --> 00:14:59.160 By trusting in Jesus alone for salvation, you are a full member of the kingdom of God. 00:14:59.159 --> 00:15:02.759 That was His good news. That was His good news. And they believed it. But now, 00:15:03.379 --> 00:15:11.419 now they're turning to a different message. And Paul calls it a false gospel. Why does he call it a 00:15:11.419 --> 00:15:20.039 false gospel? Because there are those who are saying, yes, believe in Jesus, but you can't really be a 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:29.579 member of God's church unless you add law keeping. You can't really consider yourself to be a true 00:15:29.579 --> 00:15:39.299 Christian unless you are able to say, my keeping of the law earns my place in the kingdom. 00:15:41.379 --> 00:15:49.219 Jesus plus, make sure your diet is right, make sure your circumcision is right to be part of God's church. 00:15:49.220 --> 00:15:54.740 And so he is full of apostolic astonishment at their reversal. 00:15:57.040 --> 00:16:03.279 The message they had, look at verse 3 and 4, the message they had was God is a God who by His grace 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:10.680 has made peace with sinners. Because it was God's will to send His son Jesus to give Himself as a 00:16:10.680 --> 00:16:17.720 sacrifice to die for sins, to bring a rescue about, to transfer people into a new kingdom. 00:16:19.220 --> 00:16:26.500 And we don't do anything to earn that. We receive it as a free gift of God's grace. And it's no wonder 00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:31.160 he concludes that section saying, to whom be glory, to God be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 00:16:31.940 --> 00:16:35.360 In the true gospel, God's gospel, God chooses. 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:47.379 And God acts. And God sends His son. And God's son saves. The cross is God demonstrating God's love. 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:55.060 The effect is that God produces a rescue. And by the Spirit, God blesses us with salvation 00:16:55.059 --> 00:17:02.179 as we choose, as we place our faith in Jesus as Lord. The good news is from God. 00:17:03.459 --> 00:17:08.839 And that's a good news that brings true freedom and true joy as Father, Son, and Spirit work together 00:17:08.839 --> 00:17:16.379 to accomplish our salvation. That's a gift to receive, not something we can earn. 00:17:16.380 --> 00:17:21.520 Boys and girls, we're still close enough to Christmas Day that I can use this illustration. 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:27.400 Imagine yourself under the Christmas tree and the presents are being handed out and you get 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:34.100 a present from your mom or dad or brother and sister. And even before you have unwrapped the gift, 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:41.500 you turn to them and you ask, how much do I owe you? That'd be a terrible thing to happen on Christmas 00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:48.339 Day, wouldn't it? Gifts are supposed to be received with joy. But somewhere along the line, 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:56.420 these false teachers have come and they've persuaded these Christians that salvation is something that 00:17:56.420 --> 00:18:05.039 needs to be earned and paid for. They're falling under the spell of legalism. That we must somehow 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:12.859 merit God's mercy. Then we must try to earn God's love. And that is slavery and that is doomed to 00:18:12.859 --> 00:18:19.220 failure. And that's why Paul is so astonished and why he speaks so strongly. Look at what he says to 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:25.819 them. You are deserting. This is an abandoning. You're deserting them when he called you to live in 00:18:25.819 --> 00:18:30.440 the grace of Christ. So they're deserting God's message of grace. But more than that, they're deserting 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:37.259 God himself. When you leave behind God's message, you're leaving behind God. This matters. 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:43.440 Think about it in the Old Testament. Book of Exodus. Here is Moses and he's led the people 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:48.440 with God's help, God's direction, out of slavery, into the freedom of knowing him. 00:18:50.100 --> 00:18:55.860 And then there is that awful moment where the people of God decide that they're going to build a golden 00:18:55.859 --> 00:19:03.439 calf. And they give their worship to an image instead of the one true God. This is like another golden 00:19:03.439 --> 00:19:09.659 calf moment. They've been saved and set free to enjoy life with God through the Lord Jesus. But now 00:19:09.659 --> 00:19:18.679 they're going back to choose what is not a gospel. How's it happened? Look at verse 7. Evidently, some 00:19:18.679 --> 00:19:24.419 people are throwing you into confusion and trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. People are distorting 00:19:24.420 --> 00:19:31.000 the message. They're twisting the gospel. They're destroying it by adding to it. The false teachers 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:39.519 are in effect saying, trusting Jesus is not enough for your salvation. You need to add your own law 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:49.519 keeping on top of that to be sure of a positive verdict from God. Paul doesn't hold back. This is deadly. 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:56.500 This is dangerous. Notice he includes himself in this. Even if we or an angel from heaven should 00:19:56.500 --> 00:20:05.680 preach a gospel other than the one we preach to you, let them be under God's curse. Why? Because this is 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:12.619 a direct attack on God and his goodness and his free grace. If we try to add anything to God's grace, 00:20:12.700 --> 00:20:17.099 we destroy it. And it's all through this letter. For example, chapter 3, verse 10, 00:20:17.099 --> 00:20:24.039 all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. As it is written, cursed is everyone who does not 00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:31.859 continue to do everything written in the book of the law. Or look at what he says in chapter 5, verse 4. 00:20:32.299 --> 00:20:40.279 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ. You have fallen away 00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:49.220 from grace. This matters. He is astonished. They are trying to rebuild the wall. They're trying to go back 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:56.180 to the old way. But the old way was one of slavery and curse and separation from God. And so he delivers 00:20:56.180 --> 00:21:03.000 a really solemn warning to grab his hearer's attention. And it's still a warning that you and I need to hear 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:13.700 today. We need to beware a Jesus plus mentality. Then when it comes to our right standing with God, 00:21:13.900 --> 00:21:23.559 we don't add anything to Jesus' perfect finished work. There will always be the temptation in our hearts 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:34.299 to think that God will accept me or God will love me more if I or because I. Ask yourself, 00:21:34.399 --> 00:21:39.919 what is it that makes you feel good about yourself? What is it that makes you feel more comfortable and 00:21:39.919 --> 00:21:45.599 confident that you've earned a place at God's table? It's not going to be food laws and circumcision, 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:55.799 but it might be. God is pleased with me. I am saved because of my morality or my likability or my 00:21:55.799 --> 00:22:05.179 spiritual disciplines or my hard work or my good theology. We must beware thinking that we are accepted 00:22:05.179 --> 00:22:11.079 by God because we go to church or read the Bible or serve on a rote or any of that. 00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:20.240 Faith in Christ alone, that's what justifies us. That's the gospel we must always hold on to. I love 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:27.039 the way Spurgeon put it. We must cling tightly with both hands to the gospel. And when they fail, 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:37.419 hold on by your teeth. And if they give in, hang on by your eyelashes. The gospel matters. This good 00:22:37.420 --> 00:22:45.580 news should never be rejected or abandoned. One last thing to say, and it's about Paul's acceptance. 00:22:46.519 --> 00:22:50.560 Because this matters, because it tells us that Paul proclaims the only good news that saves. 00:22:51.980 --> 00:22:57.620 Up on the screen, familiar site, among world leaders. So imagine any kind of standard summit meeting, 00:22:58.620 --> 00:23:03.620 trade talks, you know, peace delegations between two countries or more than two countries. 00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:10.799 There will inevitably be at the conclusion of these talks, a press opportunity. There'll be photos taken. 00:23:11.439 --> 00:23:16.539 And usually behind some big desk or maybe in front of a desk, after the signing of a piece of paper, 00:23:16.979 --> 00:23:21.099 there will be the handshake that shows that a deal has been struck. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:28.799 I think we could make the case that we have in chapter two, verse nine of Galatians, 00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:34.740 one of the most significant handshakes in all of history. It'd be a good essay to write. 00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:41.019 Significant handshakes in history. Here is one. James, Peter, and John, those esteemed as pillars, 00:23:41.659 --> 00:23:48.819 gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. 00:23:49.619 --> 00:23:54.579 They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 00:23:54.579 --> 00:24:04.379 There has been a gospel summit meeting in Jerusalem between those who are the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:10.579 the leaders of the Jewish church, and there are Paul and Barnabas and Titus who represent the Gentile church, 00:24:10.679 --> 00:24:23.299 the Gentile mission. And the significance of this moment is that they all agree that there is only one gospel. 00:24:23.299 --> 00:24:34.700 that Jesus is the only way to be saved. That faith in Jesus alone is how anybody, 00:24:35.059 --> 00:24:43.960 Jewish, Gentile, can be declared in right standing with God. Whoever we are, whatever our background, 00:24:45.399 --> 00:24:51.899 there is only one message of good news that you and I need to hear. So this is a massive handshake. 00:24:51.900 --> 00:24:58.180 So again, notice the beginning of chapter 2. Paul is again picking up on his personal testimony 00:24:58.180 --> 00:25:06.140 that some 14 years have passed and he comes up to Jerusalem. There's been a revelation. If you're 00:25:06.140 --> 00:25:11.660 interested, that revelation is likely the one from Acts chapter 11 where the prophet Agabus says there's 00:25:11.660 --> 00:25:17.900 a great famine that's coming worldwide. And so the church in Antioch decides to send Paul and others 00:25:17.900 --> 00:25:24.620 with a collection of money to help their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. And so that brings them 00:25:24.620 --> 00:25:32.500 here. But also what happens when he's here, verse 2, I presented to the leaders of the church the gospel 00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:38.120 that I preach among the Gentiles. And he says he wants to make sure that he's not been running in vain. 00:25:38.119 --> 00:25:46.179 Paul knows he has the true gospel. He wants to make sure that the apostles will be ready and willing and 00:25:46.179 --> 00:25:53.899 glad to accept Gentile converts on the basis of grace alone. He wants to make sure that everybody's 00:25:53.899 --> 00:26:00.939 running the same race together. And at the same time as that is happening, there's these false teachers, 00:26:00.940 --> 00:26:07.840 false believers. False believers, he calls them in verse 4. Some false believers had infiltrated our 00:26:07.840 --> 00:26:13.519 ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. So they're attacking this idea 00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:19.580 you have freedom in Christ Jesus. You can be a child of God simply by placing your faith in Jesus. And so 00:26:19.580 --> 00:26:27.820 the question is, which view wins the day? Does a person have to become Jewish and keep a whole bunch of 00:26:27.819 --> 00:26:37.899 laws? Or is it enough simply to place our faith in the Lord Jesus? What wins the day is the gospel that Paul 00:26:37.899 --> 00:26:44.720 preaches. And we know this, first of all, from verse 3, not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:51.939 circumcised even though he was Greek. So this guy Titus comes along and they recognize he's a true believer and they 00:26:51.940 --> 00:26:59.180 don't try and add the Mosaic law. They say he is accepted in Christ. And so the gospel that Paul 00:26:59.180 --> 00:27:05.940 defends wins the day. And significantly as Paul continues to describe what's going on, 00:27:07.080 --> 00:27:15.740 God's grace is recognized in all of this. That people are looking at Paul and Barnabas and Titus 00:27:15.740 --> 00:27:21.140 and what's going on in the world and they recognize this is a God thing. This is something that's coming 00:27:21.140 --> 00:27:28.080 from God and His grace. It's a reminder, it's really hard to argue with personal story. There is a 00:27:28.080 --> 00:27:35.020 particular power in a transformed life that bears witness to the truth of Jesus and how He changes us. 00:27:35.620 --> 00:27:42.120 But look at what the apostles recognize. In verse 7, they recognize that I've been entrusted with the 00:27:42.120 --> 00:27:50.140 task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. Why do they recognize it? Well, surely because of the 00:27:50.140 --> 00:27:57.600 advance of the mission in the wider world, surely it's as they listen to what Paul says and as they 00:27:57.600 --> 00:28:03.120 see the effects, as the Spirit works it into people's hearts, they know this is the real gospel. 00:28:04.140 --> 00:28:13.100 They recognize He's been called by Jesus to preach it. And then in verse 9, they're given the right hand 00:28:13.099 --> 00:28:23.839 of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to Paul. Who's getting a handshake? Barnabas and Titus. 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:33.279 These two disciples of Paul. They work with Paul. They watch and learn from Paul. And their lives too 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:38.500 are clear evidence that the message that Paul brings, the message that we've got in Galatians, 00:28:38.500 --> 00:28:47.240 is a message that changes lives for good and forever. Titus, Barnabas and Paul are living proof of that. 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:59.460 They can see the reality of God's work. So we've got Paul as he concludes this first part of his letter. 00:28:59.460 --> 00:29:06.019 What's he been saying to us? He's been saying that he is the apostle who brings good news from God. 00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:14.480 And that's a message that must never in any age, generation, or place be twisted or turned from. 00:29:15.340 --> 00:29:23.039 Because it is the only way to be right with God, whoever we are. The message is, 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:30.839 believe in the Lord Jesus and you'll be saved. Or the message here in verse 16 of chapter 2, 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:38.339 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. 00:29:38.339 --> 00:29:51.679 So as we sit here, first Sunday of a new year, will you, will I, will we trust God's messenger? 00:29:52.599 --> 00:30:00.679 And will we trust God's message? This message that says to us, no matter who we are, 00:30:00.680 --> 00:30:08.299 no matter where we've come from, no matter what our religious background is, no matter what success 00:30:08.299 --> 00:30:16.600 or what chaos our life is in right now, you and I can be put right with God through faith in Christ 00:30:16.600 --> 00:30:24.160 Jesus. This Jesus who gave himself to die on the cross for our sins, by putting our faith in him, 00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:32.880 you can live knowing God's grace and God's peace. You can live in relationship with the living God 00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:41.820 through faith in Jesus. This Jesus who came on God's great rescue mission. That rescue mission that 00:30:41.820 --> 00:30:49.920 means today you can be set free from the slavery of trying to be good enough for God by recognizing 00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:59.560 that Jesus, the Son of God, was perfectly good for you. And he invites you today to trust in him 00:30:59.560 --> 00:31:03.900 for your salvation. Let's pray together briefly.