June 14, 2009
Morning Service

Galatians 1:1-9

 

Introduction to Galatians:

1. Written by the Apostle Paul.
2. Date, between 51AD and 57AD.
3. It is believed that the Apostle started churches in this area on his first missionary journey, with Barnabas.
4. As you can see by the map, Galatia was in central northern Asia Minor, which today is Turkey.
5. The people were described as, warriors, "Frank, impetuous, impressible, eminently intelligent, but at the same time extremely changeable, inconstant, fond of show, perpetually quarrelling, the fruit of excessive vanity.
6. One of the reasons for Paul writing this letter is that as they had received his teaching of the Gospel, they now began to receive teachers of Judaism.  This letter is written to confront these teachers.
7. Is is relevant for us today?  Certainly.  There are strains of Judaism throughout Christendom today.

 

So let’s begin;

 

Gal 1:1-24  Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),  (2)  and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia. 

• At the conclusion of the longest sermon in the N.T. this is said, “Act 7:58  And throwing him ( meaning Steven ) outside the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid their clothes down at the feet of a young man named Saul.
• This same young man, Saul of Tarsus, was on the road to Damascus to persecute, and jail other Christians when this happened;  Act 9:3  But in going, it happened as he drew near to Damascus, even suddenly a light from the heaven shone around him.

• We know what happens next, tell the story.
• As Ananias reasoned with the Lord, the Lord told him this;  Act 9:15-16  But the Lord said to him, Go! For this one is a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel.  (16)  For I will show him what great things he must suffer for My name's sake.
• And as this young man Saul began to preach and teach Jesus Christ as the Son of God this is what is said of him;  Act 13:9  Then Saul (who is also Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit,
• AS PAUL HARVEY WOULD SAY, “NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.”
• This young man Saul, who started out persecuting the church, is now, and has became the great Apostle Paul, who, as we will see, is entrusted, and used by God to give us 13 of the 27 letters of the N.T
• Paul tells them very clearly his appointment was not of man, nor through man, ( Paul was a very learned man in the old testament ways, but he let’s them know that his calling, and appointment was through Jesus Christ, and God the Father.

 

And now the way every letter should be started;

(3)  Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 

•  

(4)  who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father, (5)  to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

• Foundational truth of our faith.  Jesus died for our sins.
• Then that He might deliver us from this present evil world.  James warned us of being friends with this world;  Jam 4:4  Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever desires to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.  And also John;  1Jo 2:15  Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,
• Are we being delivered from this present evil world?  We want what’s best for our children, and the best we can give them is to help them be separate from this present evil world.
• The Apostle Paul said one time, “we are in the world, but we are not of the world.”  Meaning don’t get over involved in this present, evil world.

(6)  I marvel that you so soon are being moved away from Him who called you into the grace of Christ, to another gospel,  (7)  which is not another, but some are troubling you, and desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ.  (8)  But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed.  (9)  As we said before, and now I say again, If anyone preaches a gospel to you beside what you have received, let him be accursed. 

• Rom 8:30  But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified.
• 2Th 2:14  to which He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• And what was this gospel, or good news?  1Co 15:1-8  And, brothers, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and in which you stand;  (2)  by which you also are being kept safe, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.  (3)  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures,  (4)  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures;  (5)  and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the Twelve.  (6)  Afterward He was seen by over five hundred brothers at once, of whom the greater part remain until this present day, but also some fell asleep.  (7)  Afterward He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.  (8)  And last of all He was seen by me also, as one born out of time.

• Paul says that God Almighty called you to receiving salvation by the gospel he preached.  And something that stands out to me, TO THE OBTAINING OF THE GLORY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
• OBTAINING THE GLORY, what was it that made Jesus glorious?

1.       He spoke the same language they did.

2.      He wore the same clothes, as they did.

3.      He ate the same food they did.

4.      He drank the same wine they did.

5.      He went into the house of sinners, and ate with them.

• For all practical appearance he was just one of the people at that time.  He never stood out as far looking different than anyone else.  So my conclusion to what made Him glorious is this; 

Gal 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,  (23)  meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

1.       I believe He was so full of love for mankind.  ( The woman taken in adultery. )

2.      I believe Jesus produced pure joy from His being.

3.      And peace, He was certainly at peace with God Almighty, and everyone around Him.

4.      Long-suffering;  2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is long-suffering toward us, not purposing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

5.      Kindness,

6.      Goodness,

7.      Faith,

8.      Meekness,

9.      Self-control,

 

I BELIEVE THAT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT MADE HIM GLORIOUS.

 

AND PAUL SAID THAT HE CALLED US TO THE OBTAINING OF THE GLORY OF JESUS CHRIST.

WE MUST ASK OURSELVES “IS THIS MY GOAL, TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS?” 

AM I DOING WHAT I CAN TO OBTAIN THESE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT THAT JESUS HAD?

 

OUR PRAYER THIS MORNING IS THAT GOD WOULD NOT ONLY STIR OUR HEARTS TO A CLOSER WALK, BUT ALSO HELP US TO SEEK AFTER, AND OBTAIN ALL THESE WONDERFUL ATTRIBUTES THAT JESUS HAD.