The uniqueness of the good news
Good morning, everyone. How are you guys? Good. I'm so glad to see you. Welcome to Refuge. My name is Kenneth and I am the pastor of this church. I'm so glad to see you today. Today is the first Saturday of the year and I'm excited to hear if you have been coming the last few weeks and not is that my wife and I wearing around we went on vacation for a couple of weeks ago. We were in here that you just kept running of course, but we went around we went to some countries in South America. We went to Santiago great church called Lacon. I was invited to preach there was a lot of fun was great and we come all ready to Worship You Lord? Thank you for being with us and some people bite some people ask. What was Karen ready to travel those long distances. Could you like race car up a little bit our little one is 9 months old. You can see her she's precious. She's so cute. And so People were wondering isn't it too much like for a little one to travel all around in like, you know playing sand over and going through all these places not honestly, she had a lot of fun. She was laughing all the time when we were visiting museums or mountains or whatnot. She was great. And when we when we were at the hotel at restaurants, everyone was falling in love with Carla. How could they not right? She's just so suck your toe Shana a lot of fun the one time one time when she didn't have as much fun was during job whenever she is in a long trip more than 4 or 5 hours to start to get fussy. And it's a little bit hard. So in our trip back home we came and we are right here on Wednesday. And there they offer all-time was almost 24 hours was a long long trip. Our first record allayed we miss our connection had to stay extra time in Dallas and with their government shutdown during a lot of people checking you so taking a lot of time was crazy and it was not fun. One part was not fun because imagine a little one nine months old in a little plane Rite Aid 9 hours by night the whole night in a plain. I don't I don't believe in hell right? I don't believe in hell as a Eternal place of Torment because the Bible says that there's no such thing the wages of sin of things that I don't believe in hell as a place of Torment, but if there was such a thing as hell, they will be similar to being with your 9 month old daughter in 10 hours in a plane because she still everyone is laughing watching movies, you know, you are in this living spaces. You cannot extend your legs is crazy and I didn't even think the worst part it was with mom is most of the time and I was so Thai But overall it was good. I was fantastic and Javi and Carla. They both have a lot a lot of fun. Anyways, thank you for being here today. We start a new series Galatians good news indeed. We are starting this book of the Bible and it's a great book. We have the privilege to start it for three months. I'm waiting by you not to miss a single sermon for the next three months because every parties whenever crucial to understanding what Christianity is all about before we pray if you listen to a still small voice, Issa translate a translating guide us a mess up there in heaven in the other speak English. So he's doing the great job offer over speak in in in in in Spanish for some of our people in here. So don't bother the don't mind that little boy is right. He's just translating for some of our of the people who are with us this morning. Anyways, I invited you to Bow your head and pray with me. Thank you so much because you are a good God you care for us you provide for us. You were with all the whole last year all 2018 and you will be with us and this year we want to ask that you come with us this morning. We want to ask that you blessed that you send your spirit. So we may understand you work in Jesus name. Amen. All right, we're going to study the book of Galatians. One of the most important books to understand Christianity. And the reason would pick this book is because we are and your church. We are not even one get alt so it's crucial is extremely important that we get the right the basics of the Gospel. We need to know exactly what Christianity is all about. What are the fundamentals? What are the Cornerstone of Christianity? And what is yours a star with a Bible and a study from beginning to end piece by piece? That is why we will start doing today a little bit of context the book of Galatians, which is a little letter in the New Testament was written by the Apostle Paul. You probably have heard about this guy pole used to be soul of Tarsus and he was a persecutor of Christianity by all the definition. She was a terrorist. He used to kill people. Who didn't agree with his religion? He was Jus and he hated Christians. He hated especially Jews who had converted to Christianity. So he persecuted then he imprison them he put them to death and in what is Pacific Tree when Saul was going to Damascus to persecute Jews converted into Christianity Jesus himself reveal to him Jesus appear to him in the Flash and sew have no option but to convert to Christianity he became poor and he believed in Jesus the faith. He wants persecuted now he embraced for the next 10 years or so of his life. He just was in a in a one church pictures of Antioch, probably worshipping there every Saturday, maybe being a leader training orders learning himself more of our about Christianity.
Antique until he received a calling from the Holy Spirit to be a missionary to the Gentile work and he started to travel all around the Roman Empire who started to travel around Europe sing Jesus in series where no one has ever preach Jesus before and he used to do something like this. He would come to a city where no church was planted and he agreed about to assign ago. He preached to the juice would be bitten and punch by the juice. Then he moved on to move on to the Gentiles Gentiles are non-jewish you and I are Gentiles we are not technically juice. So he used to present to the Gentiles. Some of them would be converted to start a church in someone's house key with a point leaders. Now you are there there now, you are the Deacon and then he moved on to the next city and this would happen in a in a. Of 612 months and was he was out of that City once he was out of the region he would entail With his churches by letters. He will send letters every now and then to see how they are going to give them advice, etc. Etc. And this layer is greeting to the people in galatia. Galatia is a region like saying, I don't know pool jet sound the Northwest. It is a region with a bunch of little churches around the region and Paul write a letter to all of these people. Come with me please. We're going to open the Bible in the book of Galatians, of course and let's read the first verse in Galatians 1 verses 1 and 2. You can see it from up there. You can open your Bible. You can open your Bible app as you prefer. Okay? I'm going to read it says Galatians 1:1 an apostle not for men Nordstrom Man by through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the death and all the brothers who are with me to the churches of galatia Paul. This is starting his letter today. You could we could be similar to to whom it may concern Cheese's starting with an introduction about himself and then he move on to the topic simple enough careful little bit of that. There's trouble This letter is not as the rest of the letters because Paul wrote extensively in the Bible. We have 13 one three letters written by Paul and what he did in most of them are most kids go to grade some form of Thanksgiving today to the recipient. He wanted to start with a good note with encouragement. So what he doesn't have his letters, he said he said something nice about the people he is writing to so for example in Colossians 1:3, this is what he says, we always think God the father of Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you, he's he's at giving some encouragement to the church in collusion. And then he said onions 1/2 we give thanks to God always for all of you constantly mentioned you mentioning you in our prayers. He always does that in the rest of letters their own letter when he doesn't give any encouragement when he doesn't mention anything. Long a letter where he doesn't do that is in collections.
He goes straight to the topic without mentioning anything good about this church. Why well tall is Matt. Port is worried. He's angry and he doesn't have the time or the energy and he's not in the mood to say something nice about this people. I do understand how many of you are married or dating someone or have has ever dated someone? I think most of you right. Yeah. I'm also you have been in one of those buckets at some point in your life. Well. You will know that a simple text message Karen struggle right text message can mean a lot more than what it says. He for example your meeting your especially when your spouse your day. Whatever Hina place. If you text him or her sorry, I'm going to be half an hour late. You're the person replies with something like sure and pee. No problem. No problem MP3 the person who replied ensure. There's trouble in there. All right, he's being a little bit and pee. Sure. But the soup Texas a little bit more than that the stupid text saying you don't care about my time. I am not important to you. You don't love me anymore. The beauty of mean passing a red undershirt is the answer the more in trouble you are if you said, you know, you're in trouble do whatever you want. I know you don't care about me. So it is kind of like that with Paul. He is when he's not saying is more important to do what he's saying. He's not giving any congratulation. He's not giving any any source of encouragement because he's mad furthermore at the beginning of the letter T costume show off his credentials. I am an apostle know by man North room and board appointed by God and Jesus himself if someone comes to your door and knocking fastboot Macklin FBI, you know, you're in trouble because they're showing their credentials and polish showing his Apostles credentials. I am Paul the Apostle and I want to remind you know, when a point in me by Jesus I was appointed a straight from God. What is an apostle by the way, you need to understand this word Apostle in Greek means simple the second one and it wasn't a religious term anyone would be an apostle if they are sent on behalf of anyone else and they can act or do or speak on behalf of that Authority on behalf of the sender in Indian Christianity is people who were directly sent by Jesus. The people who saw Jesus In the Flesh the recent Lord, they are Apostles. They want to receive the commandant of go to Jerusalem Judea Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. They are Apostles. They didn't hear about Jesus from a third-party. They saw him to our John says whatever we told you we their hands and what we saw with her eyes and what we hurt without ears is what we are talking to you. They saw Jesus they received the commandments of Jesus. Those are Apostles. Now the Old Testament was written by prophets a prophet is someone who received a revelation from God you have Moses Samuel Jeremiah Etc. The New Testament was written by Apostles those people who interacted directly with Jesus.
I want you to understand is an implication. The Practical implication of these is an apostle. What we are going to start at today and for the next three months is not the opinions of a man. Paul didn't come to this conclusion based on a lot of research investigation and education and all of these truths were god-given. They are unchangeable and they are the absolute truth. Why because Paul was an apostle. He received this truth from God and what that means is that the little Collision, you know, just a simple letter of anyone they are the word of God Galatians is a scripture and whatever it says, we are to follow we are to obey what pool is going to teach he's not going to be debated. It's going to be okay that's his opinion know whatever size you are supposed to take it as a scripture of the final Authority for your life. And now there's a maybe people that say, oh, yeah. I am. I am a follower of Jesus school team Jesus call. I don't know. Because Paul was an apostle of Jesus. So whatever pool has to say is also the word of Jesus is also the word of God and is also the scripture and I want you to remember. Whenever you would call and you don't agree with him whenever you're appalled at you say all this outdated doesn't work in these days because what pork right are not opinions. They are the Scripture. It is the word of God verses 3 and 5 for the last effort for the end of the sermon come with me to fix. It says I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who you into the grace of Christ and you are turning to a different gospel know that there is another one but there are some who trouble you and want to the store the gospel of Christ. This is what's happening.
Recent photos of writing is not to congratulate they Galatians and he know just trying to give some advice guys. You can do better he or she is and he is rebuking the Galatians. Listen to The Turning Away From The Gospel. This is what happens when we study the rest of the book. We will reconstruct the whole story, but I want to tell it now. Gwenpool left galatia a few weeks or months later. These people came from Jerusalem. They were very important people. They were spiritual people. They knew probably the rest of the postal then you Peter they knew James and they came with all the credentials with all the reputation and they will let's invite him to preach. Let's invite him and these people from Jerusalem started to preach strange ideas in the churches of galatia, and they started to say. In order for them to be truly saved. Be there in a little bit more than just believing in Jesus. They needed to become juice. They needed to become Jews. That is why we call these people judaizers do the ice is because I wasn't involved. They wanted to become they wanted everyone to become juice for us to understand. We need to remember that. Jesus was a Jew he was born in a Jewish Nation. He was a Jew and he preached exclusivity Jewish people and then when he rose from the dead he assigned a person who wear all orange juice or they were ethnically juice and the first believer the first people who were bought that they were also Juice. However, when the gospel expanded I need to win to all the regions people that are called Gentiles you and I was also receive the Gulf And the problem of what's Happening Now is that they are the first Christians were also Jews are spreading this idea that if you want to truly be safe, you need to become a Jew. Where does that mean? You need to keep all the kosher laws. You need to keep all the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles Passover Etc. You need to be circumcised. You need to be circumcised. And apparently these guys are great speakers. They are great teachers because they can beans grown ups in a time without anesthesia. The circumcision is a good idea. All these people in galatia are getting circumcised. I know that people are becoming juice. I need you to great and they say yeah, we are more religion that we're more spiritual that we are following their there that they're Jewish festivals. But when Paul hears about all of that, he's he's worried he's mad because he realizes that whatever they are receiving is not the gospel nor an improvement of the Gospel is a distortion of the Gospel niggalations thing that they are just putting a cherry on the top of the species a different gospel. This is not a gospel anymore. It says in verse 7 is not of the gospel of Christ the New Living Translation put it like this. This is the New Living Translation and it says in Galatians 1:6 it says this you are following a different. That pretends to be the good news, but it is not the good news at all. You think you're following a different version of the good news, but they are not good news at all. What are the ways keep saying that because in Greek gospel means good news translation of gospel is good news. And I think that they have a better an improved version of the good news. But what pool is saying is that none of those are not good news. Bitterness torsion of the good news. I never seen the time of Port we had had Falls good news open Falls. Good news about Falls. Good news. I want to give you just three examples examples that you can probably be familiar with What are the ways that people receive Falls gospels or a false in good news?
Is when Churchill say that Jesus is not enough. They may say explicitly or implicitly but they say that apart from Jesus you need to perform certain actions and beliefs and doctrines. And of course, you know this church today once a worship another God believe in another Bible. They say Jesus and the cross and all of the brain practice in practice. They will say Jesus is not enough you have to pay an offering you have to you have to walk to certain Temple. You have to confess before a human being you have to perform all these beats oldest actions if you truly want to be saved because what Jesus did is not enough. He's my friend. Good news. God is a false gospel and sadly one of the biggest branches of Christianity is saying something like that nowadays and it's not good news. Why not because religion crushes people CarMax said religion is the Opium of the masses and maybe if you're not Christian or that you don't really believe in all these do you think the same and you say he's not good for religious people into you know about people being a self-centered people.
a religion without Christ turns people into self-centered and arrogant bigots a religion without Christ is not good news. I really can that said you need to do you need to perform you need to believe you need to give is not good news. Pols gospel. It's another form of false good news and that is prevalent in Seattle and basically in any Vicks secularist City and this gospel is not even religious irreligious and it says it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are a good person. People who don't go to shows usually say stuff like that. Yeah. I know. I don't think you need to go to church as long as I'm good. I am okay with my conscience as long as I recycle as long as I unified against plastic straws and social media. I'm a good person. I will get to heaven may work for some people like you don't need a good person that you behave good live important your neighbor that you don't do harm to no one and that sounds cute. Very enlightened. However is not good news at all is dangerous is bad why we're number one whenever we say that you need to be good. You are assuming that people are also in the bath camp and for some reason you and I we always end up in the good camp people. So whenever we say we need to be good. We are already good. And whoever sings or behave different from us, they are the bad people and this country the u.s. Is torn apart because the both political parties are sure they have no bones are the good ones and the other one. The blue team of the red team is Satan is the devil is the worst thing that ever happened to us and they're both so sure that they are in the right. That's what happens when you said you need to be good. They would always be someone who doesn't behave like like you and admittedly he turns into bat kid turns into the devil. The good news. Is that say that we're all good where all that you may think you might say don't think Christianity say that God expense Grace to all God extends Grace to blue red to black white hispanic educated for reach. All need of God's grace. And the reason why that is not good news is because if you say it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're good what happens if you truly are not good what happens if you go beyond would acceptable what happens if you do something horrible to give you as a concrete example You probably heard about this guy last year who killed his wife is pregnant what you saw the news, right? He was all over the news. He killed his pregnant wife and he killed his two daughters. They were something like five and eight they were little when they were children. They were so small and everyone was mad at that guy. I never once said he deserves the word cue win against nature to kill his own flesh and blood and everything just because you want to be where he was the worst. And the problem with his fault good news is that when you said you wanted me to be good. Kind of person is completely far away from being able to becoming good. So the only option that he has is killed himself or rot in prison because he has gone too far from grace too far from a good person the real gospel door. Says that there is a Seahawk for him. She may be the worst person on Earth but there is still an opportunity The Real Ghostbusters no matter how far you have gone. No matter how many mistakes you have committed. There is still hope if you repent and to prove we have pork what's a terrorist who used to kill people and he was transferring to one of the most powerful minds on the western world and the last Falls gospel at before we move on his American dream and you see these from ulcers UC Davis from even pastors celebrities. What is the American dream you have to gain more? You have to become a rich person you need to again economic independence. You need to retire early you need to travel around the world. You need to buy a bigger house a new car. You need to become famous on social media have a strong a good number a huge number of people who follow you on Instagram.
The gray light a member of a life. I used to live and daddy's not good news because no matter how much you get no matter how much gain they will be always someone who does or get more than you if you gain a million dollars and you will always be someone who does a million and $1 more if you buy a house that is 4000 square feet your neighbor sooner or later. We'll buy a 5000 square foot house. If you get at 2 million followers on Instagram, they will be someone who sooner or later has three flowers on Instagram Twitter Facebook. Whatever the American dream is just stupid because no matter how much you care. No matter how much no matter how much you would you buy be always someone who has more than you. And that is tiring that were you out. I was reading the last year that Selena Gomez Selena Gomez. She is one of the most followed people on Instagram. I think she was the most followed person on Instagram in 2016. And she said I'm quitting social media because he's wearing me out is wearing me out is too much for me. The person who has the most realized that he she couldn't handle that success. You couldn't handle what it means to be on top as a false gospel sample of an example, but I think you get the idea is like The gospels are not good news or bad news. Actually, even if we or an angel from heaven preach to you are gospel contrary to the one we preach to you. Let him be accursed. I say as I as I said before so now I said it again if anyone is preaching to you are gospel contrary to the one you received let him be accursed. Only saying even if we lose our minds and later we come and say guys with you're not going to get the gospel know you need to believe these projectors away with those or even if it's supernatural being a spiritual being an angel from heaven come and he tries to teach you something different you are too rejected as well. Because the gospel is not based on a mere Oculus experience. You cannot raise the gospel in a miracle. You cannot see who I'm going to follow this person or this group because I experienced Supernatural stop the gospel cannot be based on a person you can say that preacher because he's a grade you make me laugh. He makes me cry is very articulate. I love him. The gospel in a person. The only way the only place would you can raise the gospel on is the word of God? I need doesn't matter if the president the power of whoever comes and tries to tell you something different from the Bible. You are rejected my friend. If at some point adventism. Way from the gospel from the gospel, Joe loyalty has to be with the gospel. If at some point I lose my mind, I guess I have to preach and other stuff. I didn't have to tell you guys I didn't get the Bible before but now I get it. Now. This is what you need to believe you need to reject me. And your your royalty needs to remain with the Bible with the gospel. This is the only true gospel. Not me not Refuge. Not anyone else, but the Bible and the Bible a lot.
And since we have so many false gospels, how can we know? What is the one true gospel? To understand. What is the true gospel? Please come with me to burst three to five. At the very beginning of the letter porg write down what the real gospel looks like, so please come. We're going to be ending with this. Galatians 1 verse 3 to 5. I want to reroll First Grace to You and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to Deliver Us from the present evil age. According to the will of our God and Father to him be the glory forever and ever amen. What is he saying what you're saying is a law that we need to unpack. It keeps saying that we received Grace and peace from God listen and give you both of biscuit tanks. Mofles gospel can give you both peace and Grace at mosaic and give you those one or the other. For example, if you photo of Falls Roscoe and you can you are able to meet the standard of the falls gospel. If you can become rich if you can perform old are religious practices, if you can become a successful person if you can become smart Benji Wilson you were right you would have as a false sense of peace. I'm fine, but you won't have a Grace to watch others. You will it start to say why cannot be like me. What kind of anyone work as hard as I have done. I do want to say why can't they recycle? Why can't they be because Justice Democrats or Republicans? You may have a false sense of Peace, but you will definitely know how Grace and other way around if you don't meet the standards of the falls gospel, you may have a Grace to wear others and you will say yeah, we're all trying we fail sometimes but you won't have piss.
You would always a struggle your Consciousness will kill you. You would always bear guilt. You were always been a sense of missing something. The only way that you can get both. Peace. And Grace is from the true gospel the true good news and what that gospel. Listen to what says we're for Jesus Christ is the one who gave himself for our sins. My friend big gospel. The good news is simple is beautiful as clean as it is is it's Crystal Clear the core of the Gospel is that Jesus gave himself for your sins. biggest perfume princess Jesus died for you. Listen, the Bible from beginning to end says that you are a simple person you are a senior and if you say no no, we don't like that word anymore. Let's not call or sinful people in McCalla Sinners, but we human beings we are liars. We are cruel. We are cell center. We are selfish. We are we are cheaters are cruel. We out of the woods and for all of that the Bible says clearly that we deserve to die. The wages of sin is death and the good news. The amazing news is that you don't have to because Jesus died in your place. He saw your condition. She saw you're not a bunch of money. She gave no the powerful and jelly bean gave himself for your sins. You have to understand in the cross. He wants them dying a revolutionary a false prophet a confused man knowing the cross was dying. The Son of God for your time. My friend is the beauty of the good news cells were in Romans his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us the meaning of what we were getting rejected him. She died for us while we were still Sinners Jesus the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus came to gave his life for you for your scene for you to sit for your perversion. Jesus came to die for you. It says they are Peter you were Ransom from the future the way she inherited from your forefathers nose with perishable things such a silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ like data from lamb without blemish of a spot on the author of Hebrews says by means of his own blood Jesus secure at turn out Redemption the good news say that Jesus died because of your scene Decor on the Falls gospel have something in common is all about what you have to do. You need to give you need to become you need to sacrifice you need to pay back. Then you need a list of the Gospel. He's at it says it's already done. Jesus already dated Jesus already became he already paid by. He made a sacrifice the uniqueness of the Gospel is that he took care of everything for you? Those are the good news. You don't have to earn your salvation. You don't have to pay back. Jesus did it all for you and it gets even better come to verse for it says he died for your sins according to the wheel of our God and our father. You know what that means. Jesus was not trying to convince God. He was not trying to say God give them a chance. Please are my boys are my friends and he was not trying to change got mine last from the beginning to play on the real the idea of God because he wants to be just wants to be your father. You know why because he loves you. The uniqueness of the Gospel is that God loves you no matter what you are. No matter what you have done. No matter how many mistakes you have committed. God loves you and he wants to be your father. Set the put it simple. The good news is that Jesus gave himself for your sins? It was that we love God because he wants he wants to become your parent your father. Aren't those good news? Those are good news, my friend. Everything that needed to be done Jesus already. Did it anything that needed to be performed given her sacrifice. Jesus are ready to place. Does a goodness what do we do? How can we pay back? You don't pay you back?
YouTube pay the infinite price of the life of the Son of God. They only thing that you can do is believe in Jesus trust in his sacrifice never ever ever tried to say, okay. I'm going to try harder know you just accept Jesus in your heart and let him take care of the rest. And the question that I have for you this morning, my friend is do you want to believe in Jesus?
Do you want to invite Jesus into your heart and trust him for the rest of your life? I invite you to stand up and we're going to sing a song the last song called. Mighty to save an Jesus is indeed Mighty to say my friend. I want to I want you to sing as if you've lived it. I want you to sing it embrace.