Remember The True Gospel! (Easter 2019)
Text: Galatians 1:6-9
There are a lot of things that can be forgotten. But not the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The birth and growth of the church brought immense joy to the early believers. Yet within two decades that joy was dying down among the Galatians because the church was being challenged by those teaching a twisted and perverted “gospel.”
Even today we have a similar and serious problem in the Black Church. If you would take a look around you will see that the Christian Church is full of Women and Kids. Where are the men? Why are men turning away from Christianity and turning to Islam?
Many have allowed another voice to capture their attention and hearts. I was reading an article recently which was entitled "Why Black Men Are Leaving Christianity" the article stated that the color of one's skin has suddenly become relevant to religion.
Islam is growing worldwide and it has made its strongest inroads in the African American community. More than 90 percent of the converts to Islam in the United States are African-American men, one of the reasons why they are joining? They are saying,“In Islam I found a stronger ideal of brotherhood and moral discipline and of manhood.”
Our Black Males are looking for something to identify with. Another voice is capturing their hearts.
Muslim activists have been trying to convince African American citizens that Islam is the religion of the Black man. Africa was not the Cradle of Islam.
Islam was born in the 7th century A.C. , in the Arabian Peninsula. Islam went to Africa relatively recently, and is not the predominant religion there. African Americans were most likely either Christians or Animists at the time they were brought to America.
Christianity has been present in Africa since the first half of the first century. St. Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark was a North African Jew who preached the Gospel to Egypt. From there, Christianity spread all over North Africa, and to the south of Egypt's borders.
One of the teachers and prophets in the early church, Simeon, was an African from Niger in west Africa (Acts 13:1)
Eastern Africa was converted to Christianity through the ministry of a cabinet member of Queen Candace of Ethiopia who was baptized by Philip, one of the seven deacons in the early church (Acts 8:26 - 40).
With that said, Christianity has been around longer than any other religion except for Judaism.
The only real antidote to false teaching is to remember, cherish, and cling to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus warned, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15)
This is why we need to be cautious when people come to us today with a divine revelation or prophetic word that seems to contradict the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is also why you need to know the word of God for yourself.
An effective antidote against false teaching is both a head and heart knowledge of the gospel. When we truly understand that our righteousness is only in Christ, we will not be deceived by any other gospel. One of the practical ways to ensure that we stay true to the gospel is to join and become involved in a church that proclaims the true gospel.
As we look at our text: GAL. 1:6-7
After a brief and fairly traditional introduction, the Apostle Paul turned to the real issue at hand that necessitated his writing the book of Galatians. This letter is not addressed to a single congregation but to the churches of the province of Galatia. While there is some debate as to exactly what area is meant by “Galatia” (vs. 2), the most common position today is that it was in the southern part of Asia Minor, in what would be Turkey today. It is believed that, this letter may have been sent to churches that Paul founded on his first missionary journey in (Acts 13—14).
The purpose for the letter is quite clear. Paul was distressed and baffled as to how his new Christians could so quickly turn away from Christ.
In this letter, we see Paul at his strongest and most aggressive. There is no room for a gospel that strays from the grace of Christ. As we will see, Paul feels so strongly about the good news that has been preached to the Galatians that he calls down a curse upon anyone who would dare to offer an alternative gospel. (Read v. 9) “As we have said before and I am again saying now, ‘If anyone preaches a gospel to you contrary to that which you have received, let him be accursed’”—Galatians 1:9
The apostle was writing to counter certain teachers (Judaizers) who were “perverting the gospel of Jesus Christ, and … attacking the authority and credibility of the apostle Paul”.
Paul begins his letter by expressing his astonishment that the Galatian believers were so quickly turning away from the pure gospel of the “grace of Christ” (Gal. 1:6).
The word “removed” suggests that at the time.....this was a present, ongoing reality. They were in the process of turning away but had not yet fully done so.
Paul saw what was taking place and was determined to stop this movement and turn the Galatians back to the truth.
While Paul does not directly touch on the nature of the false teaching at this point, he does hint that it was a rejection, a renunciation of the grace of God. That's what religion does it tells you that you need to fulfill all these rituals that are required in order for you to be saved,in essence religion puts you in a box..... and you know what comes with living in a box.....fear and living a suffocated life.” The Lord Jesus Christ has set us free from the bondage of religion, curses and sins by believing in Him,”
And as the old song writer once said, " If God Delivered You, Why Should You Be Bound?"
Paul believed the Galatians were genuinely called “into the grace of Christ” and saved. But they were now in danger of embracing what he called “another gospel.”
In verse 7, Paul says this false gospel is “not another.”
It is important to understand that two different Greek words are translated “another” in verses 6 and 7. The word in verse 6 means “another of a different kind,” while the word in verse 7 means “another of the same kind.”
What Paul was saying is that this new teaching was utterly foreign to the true gospel. It was not a gospel of a similar sort to the truth. In fact, it was not a gospel at all.
The teachers who were troubling the Galatians were preaching a complete perversion of the true gospel.
It was not what Paul had taught them, for, as we shall see, they were now being told that “trusting Jesus Christ for salvation was insufficient to save them.
(Which wasn't true because Hebrews 7:25 says, "Wherefore he (JESUS) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.")
This argument about circumcision verses grace was an attempt to pervert the gospel of Christ, in a sense to water it down and make it less effective so that it would change its very character from that of a gift from God to one of merit derived from human works”.
Ephesians 2:8,9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Preserving the gospel (Gal. 1:8-9).
This glorious blessing of the Gospel is a gift of God’s grace. It is received by faith, not merited by our goodness or works.
This is what Paul had preached to the Galatians, and it was the message they had responded to in faith.
Now Paul told them that even if he should change his message and preach something else to them, they should reject it. As a matter of fact again he said in Galatians 1:8, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse!"
The serious nature of altering or perverting the gospel is emphasized by Paul’s statement regarding anyone who does this: he says,“Let him be accursed” (vs. 8).
Verse 9 repeats the thought. Only the gospel the Galatians originally received which is the gospel of Jesus Christ.......is the true gospel.
THE BASIS OF THE TRUE GOSPEL: THE FACT OF THE RESURRECTION
MATT. 28:1-7 says
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central truth of the gospel of grace (I Cor. 15:1-4). Paul, in fact, declared that if Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is in vain (vs. 17). His resurrection affirms to us that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God (Rom. 1:4), His sacrifice for our sin was and is still sufficient today to save (4:25), and we who have trusted in Him have the sure hope of resurrection and eternal life when this life is over (cf. I Cor. 15:21-23).
The historical account of the resurrection actually focuses on the aftermath of that great event which is His Resurrection—what people saw and how they responded to the realization that Jesus had risen from the dead.
The first witnesses were several women. As it began to dawn on Sunday morning, following the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (Mark 16:1), along with some other women (Luke 24:10), came to Jesus’ tomb, bringing spices to anoint His body (23:55—24:1) but He wasn’t there.
Matthew 28:2 tells us that a great earthquake occurred. This was accompanied by the appearance of an angel, who rolled the stone back from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb and sat on it. Jesus had already risen from the dead; the angel’s action only made it obvious to anyone who came there that the tomb was empty.
The angel’s radiant appearance revealed his heavenly origin. His face shone with the brilliance of lightning, and his clothing was “white as snow” (vs. 3). As was normally the case, the appearance of angels struck fear in people. The first to see the angel were the guards who were stationed at the tomb (cf. 27:63-66).
The Bible says that their fear was so great that they shook and became like dead men.
Before the women arrived, the angel who sat upon the stone had moved into the empty tomb, along with another angel, where they remained unseen until the women entered into it (Luke 24:2-5).
The women found the angels inside the tomb, but they did not find the body of Jesus. They were frightened (Mark 16:5), but the angel who spoke to them told them not to fear. He knew why they were there; they were seeking the crucified Jesus. But really they should have been looking for the resurrected Jesus.
The angel declared that Jesus was not there but had risen from the dead.
As further evidence of the Lord’s resurrection, the angel invited the women to examine where His body had been placed. These women had seen where He had lain (Matt. 27:59-61; Luke 23:55); now they could plainly see His body was gone.
With the evidence before them, reinforced by the words of the angel, the women could have little doubt that Jesus had in fact risen from the dead. While they were still in amazement and were even fearful (vs. 8), they knew they had to share the good news with the disciples.
The angel made sure they did just that. He told them to “go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead” (vs.7). Specifically, the women were to tell the disciples that the Lord would go before them to Galilee and meet them there. This was another reminder of something Jesus had told them just a few nights earlier: “After I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee” (26:32).
Of course, Jesus would appear on several occasions to His followers before they met again in Galilee. But it seems that it was in Galilee, where much of His earthly ministry had centered, that Jesus would appear repeatedly, instruct His disciples, and make a public appearance to more than five hundred brethren at once (I Cor. 15:6).
God made sure that the resurrection was well attested by many witnesses and “many infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3).
In the “prologue” to the book of Acts, Luke told Theophilus that Jesus “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). The Greek word translated as “infallible proofs” is (tekmeriois), its a technical term from logic that refers to that which causes something “to be known in a convincing and decisive manner, i.e its "proof"!
What would it take to convince you that someone who was once dead was now alive again. The best evidence would be to have an opportunity to spend time with that person again— so that you could see him walk and talk, and you could eat with him. That’s precisely what Luke is referring to here. After being crucified, Jesus showed Himself alive by appearing to the disciples on several occasions. He walked with them, talked with them, and ate with them. Mary Magdalene clung to Him, indicating that He could be touched. The other women worshiped Him and held Him by the feet (Matthew 28:9). He broke bread in front of Cleopas and an unnamed follower (Luke 24:30). He showed His scars in His hands, feet, and side and then ate fish and a honeycomb before the gathering of disciples without Thomas (Luke 24:40–43; John 20:20). Later, with Thomas present, Jesus invited Thomas to touch His hands and His side (John 20:26–27). At the Sea of Tiberias, He performed a miracle, allowing the disciples to catch 153 large fish (John 20:6–11). He also cooked and ate some food (John 20:9, 15). Paul claimed that Jesus had appeared to over 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6).
So by any laws of logic, the resurrection meets the standard of verifiable truth. We know, however, that even the most powerful evidence for the resurrection cannot make a person believe. Christian faith stands on this historical fact, but it is still a matter of faith, and faith is a moral and personal choice.
We can thank God that the Holy Spirit has worked in our hearts to lead us to faith in Christ, and we can pray that He will do the same in those with whom we share the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
THE SPREADING OF THE TRUE GOSPEL: THE GREAT COMMISSION
Matthew 28:18-20 says
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The power of the gospel (Matt. 28:18).
While Jesus did meet with the disciples in Galilee on several occasions (cf. John 21:1-22; Acts 1:3), only one instance is recorded in Matthew. This took place on a mountain and may well have been when “he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once” (I Cor. 15:6). Jesus declared that “all power,” or authority, was given to Him “in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). He possesses “all power and right to exercise it”.
This sovereign authority reflects His deity and was reinforced by the very fact that He stood before His followers in a resurrected body.
Jesus’ declaration here also gave added substance to the commission He was about to give to them. His command was backed by His authority.
The preeminence of the gospel (Matt. 28:19-20).
Verses 19-20 record what is commonly called the Great Commission. It is Jesus’ command to His disciples to take the gospel into all the world. This commission is summarized in Mark 16:15: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” In Matthew more detail is given. The call is to “teach,” or literally “make disciples,” of “all nations.”
Jesus’ command has a worldwide scope. No nation or group of people were to be ignored, for all needed to hear about Jesus. Also, the work involved much more than simply provoking verbal decisions from people.
Yes, making disciples involves declaring the truth about Jesus Christ and the free gift of salvation He offers to all who believe in Him. But urging people to put their faith in Christ is not where the Great Commission ends; it is where it begins!
To truly carry out Christ’s commission, we must make disciples. Making disciples involves an ongoing process of teaching believers biblical truth. This includes all that Jesus commanded, as well as the obligation to obey God’s revealed truth. The Great Commission is given to all the church. As individuals, we might be engaged in one or more of these steps.
Some of us are gifted at evangelism—explaining the gospel of grace. Others are better at coming alongside new believers and teaching them about obeying the Lord and following Him daily. But the church as a whole must be engaged in carrying out the Lord’s commission. The present-tense verbs indicate it is an ongoing and never-ending process.
Jesus’ final words are a great encouragement to all who seek to follow Him and make disciples of all nations. The One who has all power and authority will be with us to empower us and accomplish His work through us. And that promise extends to the very “end of the world” (Matt. 28:20), or more literally, “to the end of the age.”
The early church had its roots in Judaism, and Paul had circumcised Timothy to incline the Jewish people toward the gospel of salvation through Christ the Messiah (Acts 16:3). Ritual circumcision of male children on the eighth day of life is a ceremony known as brit milah in Hebrew. It is a commandment from God that Jews were obligated to follow (Gen. 17:13).
The false teaching of the Jewish legalizers was that since circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, all male believers in Messiah needed to be circumcised in order to be a son of Abraham. The Hebrew Bible, however, spoke of another aspect of circumcision. When the Lord spoke to Moses about the essence of the law, He told Israel to “circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff necked” (Deut. 10:16).
The ancient Jews were told that the Lord would circumcise their heart, and the heart of their seed, to enable them to love Him (Deut. 30:6). Paul reminded the church in Rome, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Rom. 2:28-29). Paul told the Galatians that the requirement of physical circumcision for non-Jews was a perversion of the gospel of grace. He said that the Gentile Christians did not need to adhere to all of the Mosaic Law, particularly circumcision. He emphasized the importance of freedom for the non-Jewish believers from many of the ceremonial commandments of the Torah. The Galatians needed to be reminded that the true gospel was that a man is not justified by the works of the law (Gal. 2:16).
Galatians has been called the Magna Carta of spiritual emancipation by many Bible commentators. It declares that “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: … That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:13-14).
Conclusion:
There are some among us who desire to reinvent the Gospel in the name of inclusiveness and tolerance.
They want to sweeten that which is called sin and make it acceptable. “It’s okay” they say, “We all sin”, and that is true. But they forget that we all must also REPENT.
Then there are those who want to bring their corporate intellect into the spiritual boardroom and impress us with their carnal knowledge.
They attempt to replace God’s laws with some laws of their own…sometimes we call them by-laws. I have a different take on their rules for religion. I say, “B-y-e, laws!”
Hold Up Bible: This (the Bible) is the only rulebook we need to follow.
Men pleasers, Paul says, have only one goal…to please men! They want to attract a crowd and gather their own disciples.
You can spot them quick enough.
They usually have small minds and an even smaller congregation. Paul defends his own spiritual honor saying, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but I received it by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Sometimes you have to let your record stand all by itself. Watch out for people who feel that you have to always prove something to....when you do that.....You stick to comparison instead of connection when you try to prove yourself. This is why you need to know who you are in Christ so that you can live your life as God intended and fulfill your destiny.
The more you agree with God about your identity in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your GOD GIVEN identity.
I encourage you to learn to see yourself as God sees you because God's opinion is the one that matters. When you know who you are in God It will give you a strong foundation to build your life on.
Don’t you dare let anyone turn you around. This is the one True Gospel that you WANT to hold on to.
Jesus said in John 14:6
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus said in John 6:35
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Jesus said in John 10:9
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.They will come in and go out, and find pasture."
Jesus said in John 11:25
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die."
Acts 4:12 says
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Whats His Name? JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t let nobody turn you around. Stay connected to Jesus Christ!
