Introduction:
I. Has your integrity ever been questioned by someone?
A. Has your motivation been questioned?
B. Has your drive been questioned?
C. Purpose?
D. Reason for action?
E. Life?
F. Ministry?
II. You’re not alone – the Apostle Paul’s ministry was questioned?
A. That is right, the Apostle Paul was thought to be a false teacher by a church which he had brought the good news of Jesus Christ
1. Paul had been a great missionary that had visited multiple metropolises throughout the known world.
2. One of those regions was the Galatian Region
3. Their he taught the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone that would listen.
4. Now years later the church is questioning that message.
B. What has happened over this time period.
1. A group of Christians known as Judaizers has entered the Galatian church
2. A great disturbance has been caused by this group, questioning the very message of the gospel.
3. They taught that men must first follow the Judaism before becoming a Christian, and must continue to be legally bound by the other law.
C. When Paul heard about this mess, he decided to pen a letter to the Galatian church.
III. In this letter he defends himself. (Galatians 1:10-12)
A. The gospel message was neither invention nor tradition but revelation.
Body: (From this point the sermon should be preached in the first person)
I. The Gospel Message was not an Invention. (Galatians 1:13-24)
A. Don’t you remember my previous life?
1. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my age
a. I was circumcised on the eighth day
b. I was a Hebrew of Hebrew
c. In regard to the law, a Pharisee
d. As for zeal, persecutor of the church
e. As for legalistic righteousness, faultless
2. I was zealous for the traditions of my fathers
a. I was their giving approval for the stoning of Stephen
b. I went on house to house persecuting other Christians
c. I even went to the extent of a getting a legal document to provide for my innocence in persecuting Christians.
d. I believed in my cause.
B. Then I was blinded by the Lord on the road to Damascus.
1. A faithful follower of the Way, Ananias, came to teach me.
a. I can remember still to this day the blinding white light, my life changed from that day forward.
b. From what I understand, Ananias even had to receive a revelation from God to come to me.
2. Then on the Road to Damascus I repented of my old life, leaving Judaism behind.
a. When we found a suitable water hole, I was immersed into the family of God reenacting the death, burial and ressurrection of Jesus Christ.
b. From that day forward my life has changed.
3. But never did I receive an invented message from any man, nor did I create the message.
C. Then from my conversion in Damascus, I immediately went to Arabia and later returned to Damascus
1. It was not until three years later did I go Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter.
2. While their fifteen days, I saw James the Lord’s brother.
3. Then went to Syria and Cilicia and was still unknown to the Judean churches
4. So how is that anyone could claim that the Judean church and I could ever make up such a story.
5. Never would I without the direct revelation of God would I have even followed the gospel of Jesus.
6. And yet that is not the only way that you say I have lied to you, the Galatians.
II. The Gospel Message was not a Tradition. (Galatians 2:1-6)
A. Well I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it. (cf. 1:12)
1. There has not been some great scheme to create a new message by myself or others.
2. Matter of fact I have proof.
B. (Read Galatians 2:1-6) Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas and Titus.
1. At that time I needed some affirmation by the claimed pillars of the message I was preaching across the world.
2. There I was sitting before 3 respected men of the brotherhood, and they listened to the message I teach across the world and they added nothing to my message.
3. The group whom you Judaizers look towards, saw and agreed that my message was complete.
4. They didn’t end their they gave me the right hand of fellowship and sent me to teach the message to the Gentiles.
III. The Gospel Message was a Revelation. (Galatians 2:7-10)
A. Remember I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ (v.12)
1. You ,Judaizers of Galatia may claim that the message was tampered by others and then it was taught to me, but it was not.
2. The message which I preach is the gospel message of Jesus Christ which cannot be tampered with or adjusted by anyone.
B. (Read 2:7-10) Peter, James and John all aggred that the three of us should preach to the Gentiles.
1. They recognized that God, who was at work within Peter’s ministry was also at work within my ministry to the Gentiles.
2. They sent us not adjusting the message, but instead encourage us to remember the poor, which was the very thing I was eager to do.
C. You may think that you have the market cornered on your so called gospel
1. Even the pillars in Jerusalem say that the message I teach is the Gospel message
2. So now you need to figure out how the true gospel works.
3. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
4. We are not saved by the law.
Conclusion:
I. Paul was obviously concerned about his integrity being challenged, but more importantly the gospel being challenged.
A. We can see that he was grounded by principles in his life.
1. A Philosophy professor stood in front of his class of over achievers with a gallon sizecontainer on a table and filled it with fist sized rocks. He then asked the class if thecontainer was full.
2. They all responded, “Yes.” “No,” he said ,and then proceeded tobring from under the table a bucket with gravel in it and poured it into the container, He then asked the class again whether the container was full?
3. The class responded, “Probably not!” “Right.” he said and then he brought another bucket from under the table and poured sand into the container.
4. For a third time, he asked the class whether the container
was full? The class responded, “No!”
5. “Right again,” said the professor as he brought a pitcher of water from beneath the table and poured it into the container. “Now,” he said,
“the container is full!”
6. He then went on . . .”If the container represents your life, what is
the lesson here?”
7. One energetic student from the back of the class responded, “No matter how full your life or schedule gets with all the things that you do, there is always room for more!”
8. “No,” said the professor, “ the lesson is that unless you put the big rocks in first, you will never get them in at all.
9. The rocks represent the PRIORITIES or the importantthings in life.”
B. Unless the priorities are in the container of our hearts and minds we will never be able to stand up for the gospel like Paul
1. Paul could prove to the Galatians the message was not invented or taught, but received, because of his life of principle.
2. He pointed to life as proof of his message.
3. Like Principles in Colossians 1:10-11 "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully."
C. Your life of principle must be placed upon the greatest rock of all, the chief cornerstone of the temple of God, Jesus Christ.
1. Have you repented of your sins and followed Jesus Christ’s example
2. By dying to self, being buried in baptism and rising from that watery grave a new person.
3. Well why not today?
