Tabor Baptist Church

Bible Text: Galatians 1:4-5 | Preacher: Andrew Love | Series: Galatians | Introduction

Today looking at Gal 1:4-5

Come to a passage of Jesus calming a storm, then casting out a demoniac
Recent preaching on the same

Time for a break – to look at Galatians

AD 50
Paul writes a circular letter to a number of churches in the region of Galatia
Modern day turkey – Antioch, Lystria, Iconium, Derbe
Paul preached the gospel to those that had never heard of Jesus Christ
Paul appointed elders
Shortly after Paul left, other teachers with Jewish roots came in and preached a false gospel and traditions

Examples
A new [false] message – ‘You must have faith and follow these Old Testament laws’

Paul was extremely concerned about this as the gospel was being distorted

v6-8 – He was astonished that so quickly the people were turning away from the gospel
Others wanted to pervert the gospel of Christ – twisting the truth
Any who preaches a false message/gospel will be accursed

Paul is addressing the core of Christianity

v4-5: the Gospel is spelled out

He speaks about the essential death of Jesus Christ
He brings a delivering message
He praises God

Office of apostle

Not usually spoken of by Paul
The truth of the gospel is being undermined so he presents his credentials v1

An apostle
Not by man but by God
He met the risen Christ on the road to Damascas
God taught him – he received revelation directly from God (v11-12,17)

Grace: Paul’s desire is not to chastise the disciples but for them to share in the grace of God

v4-5

The heart of Christianity
The death of Jesus Christ to deliver us

Gal 6:14-15

Paul is clear of the necessity of cross of the Lord Jesus Christ

Overview:

The Necessity of the Cross
The Power of the Cross
Our Response to the Cross

The Necessity of the Cross

Questions

Why should God surrender His only Son to the cross?
Why should Jesus Christ freely choose to come into this world?
Why should He be prepared to endure and suffer?
Could God not have prevented this? – It was God’s will (v4)

Because of the condition of the human race

Personal example of rubbish
What about the human race?

Are people intrinsically good?
Is the human race really proving itself?
Is the world now a better place to live in?

Statistics and facts
Left to ourselves – mankind stinks

God made the world perfect
Mankind turned its back on God
How quickly man turned to evil
Man left to himself does not get better

There is a present evil age

v4 – not a pretty place, but descried as evil
God sent Jesus to deliver us from this
Personal example

Sin has brought a separation between God and man

We are cut off from God
We fail to overcome sin in our life – without God

The present evil age

Quote from Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones
Eph 2:2

We follow the ways of the world
The present evil age is a world under the dominion of satan [though God is sovereign]
Only God can break the power of satan
Nothing can change the heart of man but the gospel of Jesus Christ

James 1:14-15

Satan without and sin within

The Power of the Cross

The greatest news ever

Only at the cross you find forgiveness and that the power of sin is broken
God sent His Son

Jesus loved sinners
He came to take their sin and vileness to the cross
He detested their sin yet was willing to become sin for us
He was willing to go to calvary because of His amazing love for sinners

God would send His Spirit
Jesus would write God’s law on our heart
Jesus redeemed us from every evil deed
We become His own special people
He has saved us and called us with a Holy calling

The Cross

No returning to tradition
Only Jesus
By grace you are saved through faith in Him
Gal 2:16

You do not go to heaven by your good works – a terrible lie

Col 1:13-14

Moved from darkness

Darkness distorts
Examples

Darkness and evil
Fear
Christ delivers us from this into the heavenly kingdom

Gal 2:20

I have died – I no longer live, it is Christ who lives in me
I live by faith in Christ

Can we say this?

Do you believe – give your life today?

Our Response to the Cross

Faith in Christ
Paul’s response – v5

Glory for ever and ever
Worship
He is taken up with the Father and the Son

v1,3,4
Paul is glorifying the Father and the Son (and the Spirit)

Giving God all the glory

How much do we praise and glorify God?

Examples

May we worship God