No Other Gospel - Galatian Week 1

In choir, the kid who holds the note out. In basketball, the kid who always has the last shot to be seen by coach. In dance, the girl who practices center stage.

I remember a time in my life when I was seeking the approval of friends. Guess what time in my life that was…yea freshman year of college. I was straight out of Texas with this ATROCIOUS haircut, and convinced that everyone would like me. I had never had problems with making friends but when I moved to Virginia, far away from home, and knew no one I started trying things I had never done before. Different personas, clothes, sports, interest groups, anything that was available I had to try.

Because of my desire to know and be known, I found myself very early into my freshman year of college in a relationship that was unhealthy, because of me. I had tried to be someone that I wasn’t in hope that she would like that. Turns out, she did. There was then an expectation that I was to be a different person around different groups of friends, and idk if you have ever done that, but it is impossible and exhausting all at the same time. I wanted her approval and I did whatever that took.

Transition

I am certain that some of you tonight may have already experienced this or are currently experiencing it. And what is hardest about actively experiencing it is the denial that you live in. YOU HAVE to do this, YOU HAVE to be this, YOU HAVE to go there, YOU HAVE to be everything you’re not, and you know that. And you are exhausted, but you are afraid of letting others in, and letting others know you’re fake. But guess what, time reveals itself. Tonight in Galatians 1, Paul goes straight at the church of Galatia, because they have abandoned the Gospel of Christ because time reveals the things that we thought we could suppress.

Bottom Line

Who am I seeking the approval of?

___________________________

Context

Bible Verse

Galatians 1:1–10 NIV

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 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! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:6–7 NIV

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

* The enemies desire is to distract you from God’s destination.

Breakdown

A weak faith falls apart when it is not built on a firm foundation.

Things that are not firm foundations:

Relationships

Jobs

Finances

Health

Social Reputations

Matthew 7:24–27 NIV

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When our faith is nothing more than a mere social ploy, cross around our neck feel good moment, we stand on the verge of a great crash. And that is exactly what the enemy wants for you. NO ENEMY HAS EVER DESIRED YOUR SUCCESS.

If you go back to verse 7, Paul talks about how there is now a confusion about the gospel, it has been perverted. Let’s answer two questions real quickly before we move on. What does it mean to pervert the Gospel? And how does the enemy distract us?

PERVERTING THE GOSPEL

When Paul speaks of this perversion of the gospel he is talking about teachers of the Bible who are not teaching the Bible. They are teaching you want you want to hear, or what they want to see you do. NOT, what God desires for us to hear, and what God desires for us to do.

Jeremiah 23:16–22 NIV

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’ But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.

Jeremiah is writing this down for King Zedekiah who has led the kingdom of Judah astray from God, and is now being told he will be held accountable for his actions. This is what the perversion of the Gospel looks like, leading God’s people away from God.

*Analogy of the coach who doesn’t coach.*

DISTRACTION OF THE ENEMY

What are ways the enemy distracts us?

Discourages

Shame

Guilt

We find ourselves chasing and pursuing the wrong things because we have allowed someone who is not fully focused on the Lord to lead us to a destination that is in the opposite direction of Jesus.

Bottom Line

Who am I seeking the approval of?

___________________________

Bible Verse

Galatians 1:10 NIV

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

* Paul understands the price of people-pleasing.

Breakdown

Prior to being a believer Paul was known as Saul, and Saul was only concerned about murdering anyone who said they were a believer. We have talked about this before, but, Paul actually oversaw and approved of the death and murder of the first deacon of the early church, Stephen. (Acts 8:1)

Paul understood that the pursuit of people-pleasing cost, it cost a lot, and he knows this because he lived it for the majority of his early life. People pleasing is the result of a lack of communication on our behalf. It is when we don’t speak and concede. It is the suppression of conviction for compromise. And the price of compromise is that we walk out on God and begin to operate outside of our boundaries for the sake of others. Paul realizes that this is what had happened to him, and notes, it is not possible to do both.

Bottom Line

Who am I seeking the approval of?

___________________________

Bible Verse

Galatians 1:10 NIV

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

* A servant of Christ must defend their heart from distractions.

Breakdown

Paul closes out his portion and says look, if it were the comforts of others and my own compromises I was still worried about I wouldn’t be a follower of God, I would still be a murderer. He realizes and warns us, you must pursue God, and defend your heart from the distractions of the enemy that come through so many different mediums.

Bottom Line

Who am I seeking the approval of?

___________________________

Application

How do I know if I am seeking the Lord or if I am seeking approval of others?

Analyze your heart, and your actions.

Why do you do the things you do?

Ask yourself the question: “Who am I desiring would see me?”

Our mentality should be “Who am I desiring would see Christ in me?”

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