The Rescued Church

B: , POINTER!, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Welcome guests to the family gathering, introduce yourself. Thank the band and choir. Invite guests to parlor after service.

Through the month of July, we are taking up our annual offering to combat world hunger and to provide assistance during disasters through the Southern Baptist Convention. Our goal this year is $3,700, and so far, we’ve received ????. Please pray and consider how God would lead you to give to this offering this year.

We have our regularly scheduled bi-monthly business meeting of the church next Sunday night, July 21, at 5:30 here in the Sanctuary. Please plan to be here to be a part of discussing and deciding the business of the church family.

Adults on Mission (AOM) will be held tonight following our evening service in Miller Hall. The service starts at 5:30, and then AOM will be immediately following at 6:30. Richard and Anna Shelley will be sharing about their recent trip to Croatia.

I also need to let everyone know that our dear miss Tenna Eckert went home to be with the Lord this past Tuesday evening. Her memorial service will be held on Friday, July 26, at noon here at the church building.

I really appreciate how many of you grabbed a Sunday Morning Bible Study card last week after I mentioned them in service. Remember that our Sunday morning Bible studies are the best vehicle we have here at EHBC for intentionally connecting the members of the family to each other on a weekly basis. If you aren’t currently involved in a Bible study on Sunday mornings, please look at the card and find one to try next week!

Last week, we finished our sermon series on “Who’s Your One?” But that doesn’t mean that we’re done with the language of “Who’s Your One?” or that we’re done thinking about evangelism. In fact, today as we begin our next series of study together, the idea of evangelism and the gospel will still be very much a part of what we do.

Today, we will begin our new series: a study of the book of Galatians that we’re going to call “Dear Church:” Galatians is considered by many to be one of Paul’s great writings. It is both theological and practical in its scope, and as we go through this letter together, I pray that we will all be able to make application of its truths to our life as a church family.

This morning, we’re going to start at the very beginning, with the first five verses of the book of Galatians and a little bit of background:

Galatians 1:1–5 CSB

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead—2 and all the brothers who are with me: To the churches of Galatia. 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 5 To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Pray

When we approach the Bible, we get that it’s a book. And inside this book are 66 smaller sections, which we also call “books.” However, the majority of the Bible isn’t what we would call “books” today. These “books” are of various lengths, covering a variety of historical and political contexts, from a variety of genres, written by a variety of authors, with a variety of purpose, to a variety of people, in a variety of times.

What we call the “book” of Galatians (and all of Paul’s writings, incidentally) is actually what we would call an “epistle.” An epistle is a 25-cent word for a formal letter. This letter was written in a real time by a real person to a real audience. As we go through Galatians together during this study, we will see that this letter was particularly personal for Paul.

Author Timothy George said, “Romans and Ephesians, though addressed to Christian believers in specific places, tell us very little about the development or problems faced by the churches in Rome and Ephesus. On the other hand, Galatians, in this respect very much like Paul’s Corinthians correspondence, addresses specific issues and controversies arising at a particular place and time in his missionary activities.” (NAC Galatians)

What we call the “book” of Galatians (and all of Paul’s writings, incidentally) is actually what we would call an “epistle.” An epistle is a 25-cent word for a formal letter. This epistle is unique among Paul’s writings, however, for a couple of reasons:

We are going to go back next week and give more consideration to verse 1, but for now, just to make sure we have a good idea of where we are and what we’re doing, we’re going to just use verse 1 to show who is writing, and to verse 2 to show whom he is writing to:

Galatians 1:1–2 CSB

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead—2 and all the brothers who are with me: To the churches of Galatia.

The addressee for Paul’s letter to the Galatians was “the churches of Galatia.” Galatians is the only one of Paul’s letters addressed neither to an individual nor to Christians in one specific city. It is very likely that Paul was writing to churches that he and Barnabas founded on their first missionary journey.

Here is a current GOOGLE MAP (2) of the area of Paul’s first missionary journey. During this first missionary journey with Barnabas, recorded in & 14, they traveled from Syrian Antioch across the island of Patmos, then up to Perga, then on to Pisidian Antioch, then south to Iconium, then Lystra, and finally to Derbe, where after ministering, they reversed their course and went back through those towns, helping the churches in those places get more established as they went back.

During Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas, recorded in & 14, they ministered in a

Now, these places: Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, are all in the area that at the time was known as the Roman province of Galatia, as shown on this SECOND MAP (3). These would have been predominantly Gentile churches in these cities. I believe that Paul is writing this letter to these churches shortly after this first missionary journey, but before the Council of Jerusalem, when it was decided what to instruct the Gentile believers regarding the keeping of the Law.

Throughout this series, we will be looking at the issues that Paul addressed with these churches in their time, and the application of his instructions to our church in this time. For today, though, we will be looking at verses 3-5 of Paul’s introduction.

One thing that I might understand is who is doing the writing. We can understand that here as well:

Galatians 1:1 CSB

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead—

What we call the “book” of Galatians (and all of Paul’s writings, incidentally) is actually what we would call an “epistle.” An epistle is a 25-cent word for a formal letter. This epistle is unique among Paul’s writings, however, for a couple of reasons:

This epistle is unique among Paul’s writings, however, for a couple of reasons:

Galatians 1:3–5 CSB

3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 5 To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

First,

Paul’s initial greeting here is not particularly remarkable compared to the rest of his letters. He blesses the churches with “grace” and “peace” from “God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Our Lord Jesus Christ,” is the One “who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us...” Jesus Christ gave Himself in order to rescue us.

First

We understand pretty clearly the concept of a rescue. I mean, how many superhero movies have been made? Someone, or many someones, or a whole planet, or the whole universe, is in dire peril, and the superhero or heroes have to step in and save everyone. We celebrate real life heroes, who put their lives on the line to protect or save those who can’t protect or save themselves. These stories of heroic rescue grab a hold of our imaginations, they light a fire in our chests, they inspire us to be better people.

And this is what Jesus did. He came to rescue us. He came in the flesh, as one of us, to live the perfect life that we could never manage to live, because He is the Son of God. And He died, shedding His blood as one of us, so that He could redeem us, bring us back, rescue us so that we can be in a right relationship with God again. And He defeated death and rose again, so that we who have received His rescue can spend eternity with our God who loves us and proved it my giving up His Son for us.

He rescued us by His blood. As we prepare to take the Lord’s Supper together this morning, we should reflect on what He has done, and on what it means. According to Scripture, here are three things that Jesus has rescued us from by His blood:

Spend 5 minutes on your favorite news app, and you’ll see that this present age has much evil. This is what Paul means in verse 4, when he says that Jesus gave Himself “…to rescue us from this present evil age.” According to the will of God the Father, Jesus the Son of God died so that we could be a different people. So that He could set us apart from the world, make us different, make us more like Him.

Galatians 1:4 CSB

4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

In the series of messages I just started last Sunday during evening worship, I’m asking the question, “Who Do You Think You Are?” And we’re looking at as our focal passage:

1 Peter 2:9 CSB

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Jesus gave Himself to rescue us from this present evil age by dying in our place because of our sins, according to the will of our God and Father.

In Christ, God is marking off a people that should be distinct from the world and the way the world works. A people who absolutely belong to Him, so that we might proclaim the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness and into light. Look at what Paul said to the church at Colosse:

Colossians 1:9–13 CSB

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

This is who we are supposed to be. Sadly, we too often look just like the world. But we must not! We’re called to look different, to act different, to think different, to BE different! The blood of Christ has rescued us from the control of the world’s systems and ways.

This isn’t to say that we should sit here and judge the world. That’s not our place. We are to be salt and light in this world:

This is who we are supposed to be. Sadly, we too often look just like the world. But we must not! The blood of Christ has rescued us from the control of the world’s systems and way

Matthew 5:13–16 CSB

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

matthew 5:13-

And how do we do this? We overcome the world through our faith in what Christ has done for us in shedding His blood for our sins, and in then giving us His Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

1 John 5:5–8 CSB

5 Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 Jesus Christ—he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement.

1 john 5:5-8

Jesus even said that we are not of the world any longer if we belong to Him:

john 17:14-

When I was working on my undergraduate degree at CNM, before I transferred over to Wayland Baptist University, I had to take a public speaking class. It was required, and it should have been an easy A for me, since I already had been the Youth Pastor here for I guess 6 years or so at the time, so I spoke publicly at least once, if not two or even three times per week.

John 17:14–18 CSB

14 I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

If we are in Christ, then the blood of Jesus has rescued us from the world. We no longer have to live as the world lives, but now we can live lives that honor and point to God.

We received our first assignment: Prepare a 5 minute informational speech on our greatest hero. I immediately knew that I wanted to speak about Jesus. Then I read that the assignment included a caveat: we were not allowed to speak about any controversial, political, or religious figure. No, if I wanted to pass the class, I couldn’t give my speech about Jesus. So I wrote my speech about my wife, and passed the assignment easily.

Then we received our second assignment: Prepare a 5 minute persuasive speech on the topic of “how to solve the world’s greatest problem.” Again, I immediately knew that faith in Christ holds the answers to the deepest ill that plagues mankind: sin. But again (and this made NO sense to me, given it was a persuasive essay), no controversial, political, or religious topics were allowed. I ended up dropping the class because I didn’t feel I could be intellectually honest and give my best.

Colossians 1:9–13 CSB

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

col 1:9-

1 John 5:5–8 CSB

5 Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 Jesus Christ—he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement.

And WHY is there so much evil? It’s not because of the political landscape. It’s not because of the proliferation of technology and the isolation that we feel. It’s not because of mental illness or racism or economic disparity. It’s because of SIN. Our sin.

But WHY is the world so broken? WHY is there so much evil in this present age (which really is every age)? It’s not because of the political landscape or our form of government. It’s not because of the proliferation of technology and the isolation that we experience as a result. It’s not because of mental illness or racism or economic disparity. It’s because of SIN. Our sin.

Sin is a term that means to “miss the mark.” It is anything that we do, say, or think that goes against what God would have us do. It also includes everything that we refuse to do, say, or think that God asks of us to do. And we have all sinned. And our sin separates us from God. It spiritually kills us.

Ephesians 2:1–5 CSB

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

When I was working on my undergraduate degree at CNM, before I transferred over to Wayland Baptist University, I had to take a public speaking class. It was required, and it should have been an easy A for me, since I already had been the Youth Pastor here for I guess 6 years or so at the time, so I spoke publicly at least once, if not two or even three times per week.

Ephesians 2:1–3 CSB

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

When I was working on my undergraduate degree at CNM, before I transferred over to Wayland Baptist University, I had to take a public speaking class. It was required, and it should have been an easy A for me, since I already had been the Youth Pastor here for I guess 6 years or so at the time, so I spoke publicly at least once, if not two or even three times per week.

In our sin, apart from Christ, we are dead: separated from God.

When I was working on my undergraduate degree at CNM, before I transferred over to Wayland Baptist University, I had to take a public speaking class. It was required, and it should have been an easy A for me, since I already had been the Youth Pastor here for I guess 6 years or so at the time, so I spoke publicly at least once, if not two or even three times per week.

We received our first assignment: Prepare a 5 minute informational speech on our greatest hero. I immediately knew that I wanted to speak about Jesus. Then I read that the assignment included a caveat: we were not allowed to speak about any controversial, political, or religious figure. No, if I wanted to pass the class, I couldn’t give my speech about Jesus. So I wrote my speech about my wife, and passed the assignment easily.

Then we received our second assignment: Prepare a 5 minute persuasive speech on the topic of “how to solve the world’s greatest problem.” Again, I immediately knew that faith in Christ holds the answers to the deepest ill that plagues all mankind: sin. But again (and this made NO sense to me, given it was a persuasive essay), no controversial, political, or religious topics were allowed. I ended up dropping the class because I didn’t feel I could be intellectually honest and give my best.

Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven, and so that we no longer HAVE to sin because we’ve been rescued from sin’s power and domain. The blood of Christ cleanses us from our sin and makes us holy in God’s sight again, so that we can serve Him.

Hebrews 9:13–14 CSB

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

hebrews

The blood of Jesus rescues us from the POWER of sin in our lives. It makes us alive when we were dead. Look at how Paul finishes what He started in Ephesians 2:

Ephesians 2:4–5 CSB

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

Hebrews 9:11–14 CSB

11 But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

Hebrews 9:13–14 CSB

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

What a gift we have been given by Christ! By His blood we are rescued from the of sin, but His blood also rescues us from the PUNISHMENT for sin: God’s wrath.

Ephesians 1:7–8 CSB

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.

eph 1:7-8

Hebrews 9:11–14 CSB

11 But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?

heb (:11-14

Yes, we have been rescued from the power of sin, and also from the punishment for sin. Because of the forgiveness given in the blood of Christ, we no longer must face the wrath of God on the sins of mankind. We are rescued from it, delivered from it:

Ephesians 1:7–8 CSB

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.

In this redemption through His blood and the forgiveness that is given to us through Christ, we are justified—declared to have the righteousness that Jesus Himself has. And since God has poured His wrath against all sin out on Christ on the cross, if we belong to Christ through faith and are forgiven, we are also saved from His wrath as well.

Romans 5:9 CSB

9 How much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.

We no longer have to give any thought or worry to facing the wrath of God against sin, because Jesus already took it on Himself in our place. We can rejoice in what Jesus has done for us by delivering us from the punishment of sin through His blood. We can look forward to eternal life with Christ, and we can come together as a family, as a body, and encourage one another with this hope that we have in Jesus. Paul said this in 1 Thessalonians:

Ephesians 2:1–5 CSB

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

Ephesians 1:7–8 CSB

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.

1 Thessalonians 5:9–11 CSB

9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

This is what we have the opportunity to do as a church family as we take the Lord’s Supper together today: to encourage each other and build each other up as we worship together in remembering what Jesus has done for us by His blood.

For Paul, all of this that Christ has done to rescue us culminates in a declaration of praise in verse 5 of our focal passage today:

Galatians 1:5 CSB

5 To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

This morning, following our invitation, we will take the Lord’s Supper together as a time of family remembrance of what Christ has done for us by His blood.

We have been rescued from the world, rescued from sin, and rescued from wrath so that God may be glorified through the work that He has accomplished in Christ on our behalf.

This is why we are here

Unfortunately, if you do not belong to Christ, then God is not receiving this glory, because your life doesn’t point to Him, and doesn’t acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord. But today, right now, you can give glory to God by surrendering your life to Him through believing in what Jesus has done, which I’ve already explained. Surrendering to Him as Savior is you realizing that you need to be rescued by Him, that you can’t save yourself. Surrendering to Him as Lord is you dedicating your life to Him, that His will is best, not yours. Surrender where you are right now, and if this is you, please come and share that with us so that we can rejoice with you.

If you are looking for a church family to be a part of and you already belong to Christ, then we invite you to prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to be a part of this family of Eastern Hills. If so, please come and share that with us as well.

If there is something else that you need to pray about, or you need prayer for, please feel free to come and pray with us, or to come and pray at the steps this morning.

Call the band down.

Pray.

I would like to invite the ordained men who have been asked to serve the Supper this morning to come down please.

AS THEY COME:

We will now take the Lord’s Supper together as a time of family remembrance of what Christ has done for us by His blood. He has rescued us from the world, from sin, and from wrath by His sacrifice on the cross.

If you don’t belong to God through faith in Christ, please do not take the Supper. This time of memorial and worship is an acknowledgment of what Christ has done for YOU by His blood. If you do not believe, the Supper isn’t for you. This is not to offend or exclude, but it is for the sanctity of the ordinance, and for your protection as well, according to Scripture. We love you, and I would be glad to explain this to you more fully following the service.

If you are a guest this morning, but you have already surrendered your life to Christ in faith, then you are a visiting family member, and we gladly welcome you to join with us in the Supper.

Paul wrote in :

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 CSB

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 cor 11:23-

So today, through taking these elements together, we are declaring as one family what Jesus has done for us by His blood.

Distribute the bread to the deacons.

Prayer over the bread.

Scripture says that Jesus gave thanks for the bread when He broke it. Have someone pray over the bread.

The Scripture records that Jesus said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Distribute the cup to the deacons.

Have someone pray over the cup.

The Scripture records that Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Send the deacons back. Pray.

Call down the ushers for the morning offering.

Invite guests to the parlor.

The Rescued Church

Bookmarks & Needs:

Housekeeping Stuff & Announcements:

Opening

1: The blood of Christ rescues us from the world.

1: The blood of Christ rescues us from the world.

2: The blood of Christ rescues us from sin.

2: The blood of Christ rescues us from sin.

3: The blood of Christ rescues us from wrath.

Closing

Closing

Observance of the Lord’s Supper