The Importance of the Gospel.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Good morning go ahead and have a seat

[0:04] Welcome to the village I’m Steve if you don’t know who I am [0:07] Thanks for coming [0:09] Welcome this morning. Just one really quick announcement this morning before we go ahead and dive headfirst into this [0:16] next week [0:17] We’re gonna do a thing that we call intro to the village [0:20] This is kind of just a chance for you to come and kind of in a I don’t know

[0:27] Informal yet a little bit formal way I’m here a little bit about our story [0:31] Here a little bit about why we’re here [0:33] I hear more about the mission of the church what our values are [0:37] What our doctrine really is what we believe and things like that and just a little bit to get to know us and the team [0:43] I am NOT [0:44] The only pastor here. I am NOT the one that’s really running the whole show

[0:49] There’s a whole team of people that do this weekend and week out and run our groups weekend and week out and next Sunday [0:57] 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon [0:59] We’re going to just kind of just come and talk to you [1:04] Please the connection cards under your seat if you would like to come to this and if you want to plan on coming to [1:10] It or even if you’re just thinking about coming to it [1:12] But if it’s like cloudy and you want to stay at home, you’re probably not gonna come if you’re even thinking about coming

[1:17] Please fill out one of those cards so that we can anticipate how many people are gonna be there [1:22] We also have some direction cards because we’re not gonna have it here [1:25] We only get this space for a certain amount of time every Sunday [1:28] So there are some direction cards out on the table out in the little breezeway [1:35] I don’t know what you call that place [1:36] That’ll show you how to get where we are actually gonna meet and if a lot of people come we may have to adjust that

[1:42] But visit the website for details. We would love to see you [1:45] I would love to tell you the story about how we all got together and how we [1:48] Came to the decision and we’re called by God to come here and plant a village church [1:53] So look forward to that I know I do go ahead and open in your Bibles to Galatians chapter 2 Galatians chapter 2 [2:00] We have a lot to cover today [2:02] This is one of those passages that isn’t preached on very often and I’ll explain to you why

[2:09] This week is going to be kind of a continuation of last week when people [2:15] And I guess you could say the modern [2:18] American Church preach through the Bible what we typically do is we look for those verses that kind of have the most impact or [2:26] Inspire you the most and give you the most zing or the most bang for your buck [2:31] And when you go through an entire book of the Bible at a time [2:35] Sometimes you can’t really do that because you’re going verse by verse

[2:39] You can’t really skip over the verses you don’t want to preach on or that are subjects that are gonna be a little bit [2:44] Touchy or controversial you are forced to preach the whole gospel you’re forced to preach everything [2:53] The controversial stuff the stuff that’s more historical and takes more time to teach through you really have to deal with that stuff [3:00] So Galatians 2 verses 1 through 10 really aren’t verses that are preached on very often [3:04] But I think you’ll understand why they stand as one of the most important [3:10] Passages and this is Paul kind of telling us about one of the most important events in the history of the church

[3:15] Where they really came together and solidified what exactly is the gospel message? [3:22] And if you’ve been with us for the past few weeks, let’s do a little bit of review [3:25] We have seen Paul defend his apostleship and his authority to be able to preach to the Galatian Church in these past [3:33] few weeks what has happened in Galatia is a [3:39] Church that Paul started a church full of Gentiles people who did not grow up in [3:45] religion and a church of people who believed the gospel and once Paul left that church and left people to run that church while

[3:53] He would go and plant more churches as a missionary a group of people [3:57] Came in and these people are referred to throughout the history of the church as the circumcision party [4:02] The reason that they’re called the circumcision party is because what they would do is is they said yes [4:08] Jesus was a good teacher you can get salvation through Jesus Christ, but [4:14] There’s something else you need you also need to convert to Judaism. You need to be circumcised [4:21] you need to come under the Old Testament law and you need to follow the Old Testament law as we preach it as we

[4:27] Pharisees preach it and [4:30] Then you can be saved [4:32] But only if you add to the gospel of Jesus these things that we preach and so the main reason that Paul is writing [4:39] This book is to defend the gospel that he is preaching against a new gospel that others are bringing in [4:47] Now we also saw last week that Paul uses his own story as a way to [4:55] Tell the gospel and this is really a great way for anybody to preach the gospel to other people is use your story of

[5:00] Redemption but the way Paul uses his story of redemption is so important because he used to be a Pharisee [5:06] he used to be a Jew that would follow the laws of the Old Testament in order to get redemption and [5:14] Jesus revealed himself to Paul personally on the road to Damascus Paul writes that he got a revelation from Jesus himself [5:22] About the gospel and the fact that Paul was following a false gospel [5:26] He was following a gospel where he could earn salvation himself [5:29] So much so that those that would be followers of Jesus those that would say that the Old Testament law is not the path of

[5:36] salvation Paul would persecute them [5:39] Paul would go as far as to kill them as to imprison them as to have them stoned and we see in Acts chapter [5:46] 8 that Paul is actually present and involved in the first [5:50] Martyr of the Christian Church man by the name of Stephen and [5:55] It says that Paul was pleased by this and then at the very beginning of chapter 9 [5:58] I believe it is he the scripture says that he breathed anger

[6:02] Against the Church of Jesus Christ and he made it his life’s mission [6:06] to persecute them and tried to wipe them off of the face of the earth and [6:11] As he is leaving Jerusalem to continue to do this if you’ll remember as we covered Jesus Christ [6:16] himself knocks Paul off of a horse with a great light and redeems Paul right there on the spot and [6:23] So Paul is telling this story to them as a way to show that even though he was completely [6:29] Obedient to the law as much as he possibly could be that did not bring him redemption at all and it was only through

[6:36] Jesus revealing himself to Paul that he was able to see redemption and today we’re gonna dive right into chapter 2 [6:44] And the reason I wanted to review all of that is because chapter 2 verses 1 through 10 is it’s almost like we’re gonna [6:50] Have a continuation of last week [6:52] He is going to further the message that he brought last week about [6:56] Redemption and about what it means to be redeemed if you’ll remember Paul says in chapter 1 verse 16 that [7:03] Jesus revealed himself to him and he was able to see the Son of God and God did this to him in order that

[7:10] He would take the gospel to people who had never heard it before [7:15] So God had a plan and a purpose for redeeming Paul and that Paul once he was [7:21] transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ had a new purpose in his life and [7:26] That purpose was to follow Jesus and we sort of ended it last week with saying if you do not [7:33] Live for the purposes of God if you do not have a transformed life, then you cannot be certain of your redemption [7:40] That if you do not desire in your heart to follow God and to live your life for the gospel

[7:47] Then there’s really no possibility and there’s really no certainty in your life that you have been redeemed because redemption is for a purpose [7:56] God redeems us in order that we will live for his purposes and [8:02] Paul continues his story in chapter 2. So go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Galatians chapter 2 and I’ll start reading in verse 1 [8:10] Then after 14 years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas [8:16] Taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and [8:22] Set before them though privately before those who seemed influential the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles

[8:30] in order to make sure I [8:34] Was not running or had not run in vain [8:38] So what you’re seeing in here, let’s begin to unpack this he fast forwards [8:42] 14 years from the time of his redemption to a time where he goes to Jerusalem to meet with all of the Apostles [8:49] It’s important to realize who we are talking about here [8:53] What Paul is saying is is after 14 years and most scholars think that that term 14 years is 14 years from the time

[9:00] He was redeemed so we’re not talking about a period of a couple of weeks where Paul is redeemed [9:05] He goes and preaches in some churches and then he runs right down to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles [9:09] He’s talking about after he was redeemed there was 14 years in his ministry and then [9:14] He goes to Jerusalem and there was another period in time which he goes to Jerusalem [9:18] But that was to preach the gospel and in this case he’s going to Jerusalem in order to defend the gospel [9:26] So what we see in this passage at the very beginning of this passage is what he is dealing with here in Galatia

[9:32] Was not a new controversy [9:35] It’s something that had taken quite a bit of time and quite a bit of courage and quite a bit of handling and [9:43] It’s still going on [9:45] That these what they were returned excuse me what they were referred to as circumcision party or Judaizers [9:52] They had been trying to pervert the gospel and to bring people under the bondage of the Old Testament law even though [9:58] They had been freed by the gospel of Jesus

[10:01] They had been trying to do this for a number of years and Paul had [10:05] Previously had to go down to Jerusalem to meet with the other [10:09] Apostles in order to make sure that the gospel they were preaching was the same gospel [10:13] Now he did not go to Jerusalem in order to defend himself [10:18] Against an attack that was coming from the other Apostles and who were the Apostles we’re talking about Peter [10:24] We’re talking about James. We’re talking about John

[10:27] We’re talking about the men who had walked with Jesus while he was on the earth and had actually seen Jesus in his resurrected [10:35] Body that was necessary for you to be an apostle you had to walk with Jesus from the time that he began his ministry [10:42] To the time of his death and then seen him in his resurrected body while he walked the earth [10:47] And so Paul is going to meet with these other apostles [10:51] If you’ll remember back in chapter 1 when we discussed why Paul was an apostle and how he could be certain of his [10:57] Apostle ship Paul was a special circumstance

[11:01] Paul did not walk with Jesus during his ministry on earth [11:06] Paul was a Pharisee [11:09] So Jesus himself stepped down from heaven in a special circumstance [11:13] After he had ascended up into heaven and personally made Paul an apostle [11:18] Paul walked with Jesus in a special circumstance on this earth to become an apostle [11:24] But he is going to Jerusalem to defend this and to defend the gospel

[11:29] Against the attack of these people who were saying that the gospel is not simply the message of Jesus Christ [11:36] Alright, so track with me stay with me here as we cover this [11:39] Remember in these verses he shows why he went to Jerusalem [11:44] He’s going in order to get with the apostles and make sure that they are both preaching a same gospel a compatible [11:53] gospel [11:54] Because if Paul is preaching one gospel to the Gentiles whom Paul remember he’s not in Jerusalem

[12:00] He’s going throughout the whole world preaching the gospel and he’s preaching gospel to people who’ve never heard it before [12:04] To the Gentiles people who were not Jews the rest of the apostles for the most part are in Jerusalem [12:11] Preaching the gospel to people who had been Jews their entire life [12:15] The reason that Paul is going back to Jerusalem is because if they are preaching a different gospel [12:22] Then what is happening here is they are setting up two different churches [12:27] Paul is making sure there is not a Gentile church and a Jewish church, but rather that they are both

[12:35] forming one church of neither Jew nor [12:40] As he says in first Corinthians but rather it’s simply the church of Jesus Christ being faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ [12:46] And living for the gospel of Jesus Christ [12:49] This shows us that what Paul is dealing with here in Galatia is a problem. That’s been going on for quite some time [12:57] All right, so let’s continue because we’re going to see that [13:00] He brings two people with him and Barnabas and Titus serve a very important purpose as to why they go to Jerusalem with them

[13:07] in verse 3 [13:08] It says but even Titus who was with me was not forced to be circumcised [13:15] Though he was a greek [13:17] Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in who slipped in to spy out our free [13:23] To spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus so that they might bring us [13:29] into slavery

[13:31] To them we did not yield in submission even for a moment [13:35] So that the truth in the gospel might be preserved for you [13:40] All right, so paul brings barnabas and titus who’s barnabas barnabas is a jew [13:46] Barnabas came from Jerusalem [13:48] If you’ll look back through the stories in the book of acts barnabas was a jew who was a very rich man [13:53] Who had gotten saved through the gospel of jesus?

[13:56] He sold all of his possessions [13:59] And he wanted to become a missionary somebody that would take the gospel out then when [14:05] Persecution came into Jerusalem from the jews onto the church barnabas was sent with another [14:11] Excuse me with another group of christians philip who had gone all the way to antioch and had led the first group of gentiles [14:17] To christ barnabas was sent by the apostles to antioch to research this [14:23] And when he gets to antioch he finds that gentiles are really coming to christ

[14:28] And you may ask yourself why is this such a big deal? [14:31] Well, if you look back through the stories of scripture who were the people in the old testament that god had always redeemed [14:37] They were jews there israelites [14:40] So for a jew to think that somebody that was not a jew could get saved and could follow god [14:46] This was a foreign topic for them. They did not think that this was good [14:51] They think well only jews can follow god

[14:54] But what they had done and this is the whole reason jesus had to come they had misunderstood the calling of god on the jewish people [15:00] Their entire lives [15:02] And this is still controversial to this day [15:05] The point of israel in the old testament was not to simply stay static and be the people of god [15:12] separate from other people [15:15] They were to be the people of god who were a beacon and a light to the rest of the world

[15:21] To bring them in so that they could be redeemed and so that they could believe in god right alongside with them [15:29] To say any other message would be to say that jews have one path of salvation and [15:36] Everyone else has another path of salvation or even worse. Everyone else is hopeless

[15:43] So even to this day there are people that hold that the jews have a completely different set of salvation [15:50] They call it the judaio-christian ethic [15:53] That jews are still saved through the old testament [15:56] And we gentiles I happen to be a gentile and most of you do as well probably [16:00] And that gentiles well, we have to get saved through jesus, but jews do not

[16:07] In theology this is the same problem that paul is dealing with here in galatians chapter two [16:13] This is probably taking place around the time that axe chapter 11 was written where it says that barnabas left antioch [16:20] Which was the first church of gentiles he goes to tarsus to find paul [16:26] Who had gotten this great reputation of being a redeemed pharisee somebody who had become a missionary [16:33] And paul goes to antioch with barnabas. They spend a year [16:38] Discipling the gentiles in antioch and then they come down to jerusalem for this meeting to bring a report

[16:46] To the apostles in jerusalem to say gentiles are really getting saved. God is taking his gospel [16:54] global

[16:57] In jesus [16:59] This is paul’s message [17:01] There is not a jew and there is not a gentile [17:05] There are only people who are saved through jesus and people who are not saved through jesus [17:12] And those are the people that stand condemned [17:15] That jesus is the only path of salvation there does not exist another path of salvation

[17:24] That is what paul is in jerusalem doing as he tells this story [17:29] So we know who barnabas is who’s titus [17:33] well [17:34] Paul brings titus because paul especially if you read through the messages of paul paul is a very sarcastic person [17:39] And he tells us in this passage that titus is an uncircumcised greek

[17:46] Titus is going to serve as paul’s exhibit a [17:50] For the gentiles can be saved [17:54] He brings titus in and I don’t really want to know how they really found this out [17:59] But he brings titus in and he’s like this guy isn’t circumcised and he’s saved [18:04] I don’t know if they went like a special room or something [18:07] But somehow they they kind of had a show and tell or something and all of a sudden titus is seeing oh this guy

[18:12] Isn’t circumcised. He’s not a jew. We’ve got a problem [18:15] This guy needs to become a jew because what paul tells us in this passage is is that some false brothers had snuck [18:21] Into this meeting and looked at titus and said you need to be circumcised and you’re not saved [18:27] And paul says we did not submit to them for even a minute [18:32] Titus stood there as an example that salvation only comes through jesus [18:39] Titus did not need to be circumcised in order to be saved

[18:46] And I can just see paul standing up in just this controversial this sarcastic way [18:52] And saying you guys are preaching a false gospel because titus [18:57] He’s not as clean as you are [18:59] He’s a gentile like one you hate you wouldn’t even let him into the temple if he wanted to go into the temple [19:04] And guess what he’s got as much salvation as you can get [19:09] And you can’t be any more saved than titus can be saved because it’s through jesus and jesus alone that salvation

[19:18] comes

[19:22] Could you imagine being titus in that situation? [19:25] I mean, he’s probably scared to death. He’s gonna not get out of this story alive [19:29] But apparently he does because we see later in the new testament that paul writes a letter to titus who has now become a [19:35] pastor of a church [19:36] An uncircumcised gentile pastoring a church that’s unheard of in the first century to us. It’s no big deal

[19:46] Because 2000 years of church history have passed and we’re not arguing [19:50] You know, there’s no sunday morning when anybody’s probably going to come in here now [19:53] It may happen and then look at me and say you have to be circumcised to be a christian [19:57] It’s like that’s not something we deal with anymore [20:01] Because this is a settled [20:03] Statement that circumcision does not bring you salvation

[20:07] But let me tell you what we’re really dealing with here [20:10] And this is when we’re really going to get to the nitty gritty of how you could be offended through this passage [20:14] Is because just because you don’t think someone needs to be circumcised in order to be saved [20:19] I guarantee you there are some of you and there are many people throughout churches in chesterfield county right now [20:24] That are saying that there’s something else that needs to be added to jesus for you to get saved [20:29] Because the real thing that paul is dealing with here is the question of who defines the message of the gospel

[20:38] Because most of us want to be able to define that ourselves

[20:42] Most of us want to be able to say all right [20:45] This is who defines the message of the gospel most of us would say I define it for myself [20:50] You have your view. I have my view. Let’s just go on with our certain views and we’ll have a good day [20:56] That’s a problem there are not more than one views on the gospel. There’s one view on the gospel [21:01] You want to know who gets to decide that god? [21:05] Because god is the author of salvation and he tells us where salvation comes through the scriptures

[21:12] The thing that is being debated here is the message of the gospel and what the true gospel was [21:18] When paul went to jerusalem, they had just decided that gentiles were even allowed to be saved [21:24] And now they’re trying to work out a schematic as to well, what do we require of the gentiles in order for them to be saved?

[21:32] And paul comes in and says the same thing that’s required for you to be saved [21:36] jesus [21:37] That’s it [21:38] This is why he brings the gentile with him [21:41] This is why he brings titus with him these false teachers came in in order to pervert the gospel and start a fight over authority [21:49] They’re trying to bring paul under their

[21:51] Authority not the apostles [21:54] but the false brothers [21:57] People who have snuck into this meeting and snuck into the church who were not saved through jesus [22:04] But we’re simply trying to preserve their jewish [22:08] heritage [22:09] Their jewish heritage was more important to them than the gospel of jesus

[22:15] So what paul is showing us here is that the gospel is the authority? [22:20] To be followed [22:24] That there is no other authority outside of the authority of the gospel [22:29] Now read with me here keep tracking with me read with me here in verse six [22:33] I’m gonna read through the end of verse 10 right here [22:35] And from those who seem to be influential what they were makes no difference to me because god shows no partiality

[22:44] You can see him getting heated as he writes this he’s he says I went to talk to the apostles because they’re influential [22:50] But understand there’s nothing special about me or the apostle because god shows no partiality

[22:57] Sometimes when we put pastors on platforms and say well they have a special calling that nobody else has on their lives [23:03] We need to remind ourselves of this verse [23:05] That god shows no partiality. There’s nothing special about me because I sit up here and preach the gospel or teach the bible [23:13] That doesn’t make me better than you that doesn’t mean god loves me more than he loves you because god shows no partiality [23:19] That just simply means I want to preach the gospel to you so that you can follow jesus just like I follow jesus [23:25] I’m not more special than you god doesn’t love me more than he loves you

[23:30] God loves us all the same [23:33] God holds us all to the same esteem. You don’t know how god holds us [23:37] God holds us as sinners who needed to be redeemed and romans chapter 5 says that even though we were dead in our [23:45] Sin while we were still sinners christ died for us [23:49] The just for the unjust i’m unjust you’re unjust jesus alone is just [23:57] All right

[23:58] Then I don’t know why I stopped and did that those gothens are real rabbit fair right there [24:02] All right, those I say who seemed influential added nothing [24:07] To me in other words the apostles didn’t add anything to the gospel that paul was preaching they came to an agreement [24:15] They’re preaching the same gospel

[24:20] On the contrary when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised [24:26] Just as peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised [24:30] For he who worked through peter for his apostolic ministry [24:35] to the circumcised [24:37] Worked also through me for mine to the gentiles [24:41] And when james and kephus remember that’s peter

[24:45] And john who seemed to be pillars

[24:50] Perceived the grace that was given to me they gave the right hand of fellowship to barnabas and me [24:56] That we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised [25:01] Only they asked us to remember the poor the very thing I was eager to do [25:07] A lot of times we’ll glance over this part of scripture and say well, that’s good. They came to an agreement [25:12] They shook hands they hugged it out and they walked away and everybody’s preaching the gospel to either jews or gentiles [25:18] All right. Fantastic. Give me a verse that makes me feel something

[25:22] These verses are very important to your understanding of the gospel though [25:27] Understand that the gospel is the authority to follow. Okay, let’s do a little messy [25:33] Logic study here if jesus is god and he brought salvation through his sinless life and substitutionary death [25:40] In which he took the sins of humanity onto himself in order to pay the penalty for those sins and then rise from the dead [25:48] and that if we [25:50] Trusting in that atonement brings salvation and jesus himself came for the very purpose to save us

[25:56] Remember in luke 18 a couple of weeks ago [25:58] We saw jesus say I came to seek and to save that which was lost if jesus says that was his purpose for salvation [26:06] And said that the message that is to be taken to the world in order to bring more followers is this message of salvation? [26:13] Through him. So if jesus is all of that [26:18] Said all of that wants us to be all of that [26:22] Then that message which is known as the gospel is an authoritative message

[26:28] Nothing should be added to it and nothing should be taken away from it [26:33] It is god’s redemption of man and everything else must be seen through that message [26:38] All right, so let’s settle on that [26:41] That if all of that is true about jesus if he’s god if he lived a sinless life [26:47] If he died on the cross for our sins if he rose again from the dead winning victory over death for us [26:52] And if we’re saved through trusting in that with our lives

[26:57] And then if he says that’s why he came and that’s why we go out and preach the gospel [27:03] Then that’s the gospel [27:05] And this is a simple logic, right? [27:08] Nothing should be added to that nothing should be taken away from them [27:11] What paul is dealing with here is people that would seek to change the message [27:16] Into something that is not from god at all and brings god no glory

[27:20] Those who would pervert this gospel though as you can see in this passage [27:24] Were defeated as the apostles find the message that paul is preaching is the same message that they’re preaching [27:29] And that they believe and rejoiced over the fact that it was both for the circumcised and the uncircumcised [27:35] So you have two groups of people the people that had followed jesus and were jews [27:39] And they’re preaching to the circumcised you have paul barnabas and titus [27:42] They’re preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised they come together and they just have a big party and they say praise god

[27:48] Because he wants the gospel to go to absolutely everybody [27:51] So who’s upset the circumcision party they’re not praising god for this

[27:59] The gospel only belongs to the circumcised [28:01] The gospel only belongs to the jews the gentiles cannot have it unless they become jews

[28:11] So if the gospel is the authority to be followed

[28:17] And the gospel is the only thing that has authority because the gospel is the message of jesus who is god

[28:23] Then why are people still adding things to the gospel and taking things away from the gospel

[28:33] That is the real question that we have to ask for this generation [28:38] For the next generation and for all generations to come [28:42] The question and the issue that the gospel is the authority to be followed i’m 29 years old [28:50] Uh, some of you are younger than me some of you are older than me

[28:55] And I can tell you that my generation is not necessarily especially if you hang out in midlothian for too long [29:04] We do not seem to be a generation that is really passionate and really [29:09] Desire us to live for the gospel of jesus christ [29:13] We seem to be a generation that desires to live for other things [29:18] Than the gospel and I tell you yeah, sure, you know like my mom always reminds me [29:24] It’s because we’re a bunch of dirty sinners

[29:28] But there’s more to it than that [29:32] And I want to plead with you this morning to understand something [29:36] There are still people that are members of the circumcision party they just choose other causes than circumcision

[29:47] We kind of come up with a terminology to call people [29:52] And to kind of group people into categories [29:54] There are a couple of different groups in this world if you’re a church planter [29:58] I’m going to let you in on some of the terminology that we use people that like to start churches [30:02] All right, you have churched people, okay [30:05] Churched people are the group of people who are involved in church. They’re redeemed through jesus

[30:10] They love jesus. They want to follow jesus [30:12] They’re passionate about the gospel and for the purity of the gospel and they live for the gospel [30:16] All right, then there are unchurched people unchurched people are completely unredeemed [30:23] All right, they’re lost. They don’t go to church. They don’t have any desire for jesus. They don’t love jesus [30:28] They won’t tell you they love jesus. They might tell you he’s a good man, but they’re not going to live for jesus [30:32] Then you have

[30:34] de-churched people [30:37] All right, so trail with me because there’s a huge group in this area of chesterfield county that are [30:43] De-churched people it’s possible that you’ve been a member of this group [30:47] This is a group of people that have gone to church maybe for a great period of their lives [30:53] And they haven’t really gotten the gospel out of it

[30:58] And they haven’t really believed the gospel or they’ve gone to church for a long period of time and [31:05] Something happened someone hurt them someone [31:07] Added something to the gospel that wasn’t really in the gospel and they were hurt and they were burned out [31:13] Somebody stabbed them in the back somebody hurt them somebody was a hypocrite somebody sinned somebody did something to them [31:18] So they just quit they gave up on church [31:21] I meet people like that in this area all the time

[31:24] You want to know what the biggest group of people like that in this area are 20 somethings

[31:31] People that grew up in a youth group people that grew up and then as soon as they turned 18 and went to college [31:37] They realized that what they had heard their whole lives didn’t really impact their lives at all

[31:43] And so they began to live a life that wasn’t for jesus wasn’t for the gospel and after a while [31:49] They don’t even believe in jesus and they may have never believed in jesus

[31:55] And the reason that most people are unchurched or dechurched because of the fourth group and these are the subchurched

[32:02] These are the people that are in church and that say they believe in jesus, but like the circumcision party [32:07] They want to add something else in there [32:10] Whether it be politics [32:12] Whether it be morality [32:15] Whether it be choir robes

[32:19] Whether it be what color the carpet should be what kind of pews we should have [32:23] What order of service we should have what style of service we should have what we should do [32:28] They just come and they exist inside of the church because they’re looking to pick fights [32:32] They’re looking to argue something that doesn’t have anything to do with the gospel and they’re looking to forward a mission [32:39] That is not and was not and never was and never will be the mission of jesus

[32:48] And [32:49] Some of you have probably been hurt by some of these people and some of you may have at one point or another [32:53] Been these types of people [32:56] You come into church and you say this is what church is and you name off a ton of things [33:01] And you never even name off the gospel of jesus christ

[33:08] Church exists for this church exists for this church of the church exists for this and you never mentioned jesus [33:14] Or if you do it’s one of those last categories and it says oh, yeah [33:17] And then there’s the gospel because evangelism is part of what we do

[33:22] Evangelism is not part of what we do evangelism comes from a greek word that was you on galeon [33:28] Which simply means the good news the person that takes the good news you on galeon was translated into an english word that said [33:35] God’s spell which means god’s story [33:40] And god spell became the word gospel

[33:47] and [33:47] We get our term evangelism and gospel from the exact same word

[33:56] And I say all that to say this evangelism and the gospel

[34:03] Is synonymous with the mission of jesus [34:06] The gospel is why the church exists [34:11] And it exists for nothing else

[34:17] Tradition is good

[34:23] But when tradition [34:26] Becomes more important to you than the gospel of jesus and seeing other people get redeemed [34:34] Then you put up a barrier [34:36] To the gospel for other people and for yourself [34:40] Not even knowing it [34:42] And it ceases to be about jesus and then it becomes about your tradition

[34:51] Traditions are worthless compared to the gospel of jesus

[34:58] There is nothing else [35:00] Except the gospel of jesus and everything else must exist as a means to further the gospel

[35:11] Or it’s a barrier to the gospel if you do something just because it’s an end in and of itself [35:18] Then it’s not the gospel [35:20] And keep tracking with me last week the biggest question that I got after last week’s message was [35:26] That what does it look like when redemption takes hold in my life? [35:31] How do I know i’m redeemed they felt like we kind of left it open ended last week [35:35] Look in this passage look at these 10 verses

[35:39] Look at what meant the most to paul [35:43] Look at what paul was willing to fight over look at what paul was living his entire life for [35:48] Look at what paul was willing to put himself in danger for

[35:55] The gospel [35:57] Look at what the other apostles were rejoicing over [36:00] They were seeing people come to faith in jesus and they were rejoicing over it [36:04] They were saying if the gospel is being furthered by god, we will rejoice alongside with you [36:10] They were not arguing over anything else they were just saying the gospel is beautiful [36:16] The gospel is what controls us the gospel is what compels us to live this life

[36:20] We live and exist for the gospel [36:23] So the question then becomes what does redemption look like and what does redemption look like in this passage? [36:30] Redemption is simply [36:32] Um, and it redemption works its way into your life through the gospel

[36:39] If you look at the life of paul and use it as an example for your own life [36:43] You probably say well paul was this super giant man of god and he’s a legend [36:49] And yeah, he is a great man of god [36:51] And yes, he probably was the greatest missionary that ever existed [36:55] But paul was no different on the inside and on the surface than you are [37:01] When you see paul go to jerusalem when you see paul live his life for the gospel of jesus

[37:07] Understand that paul is simply controlled by the gospel and his life should be the norm [37:15] For people who are redeemed by the gospel [37:19] Because the gospel worked its way into paul’s life the same way it should work its way into your life [37:25] And the gospel is what redeemed paul [37:27] Paul

[37:29] This is something that we sort of understand but then we stop short of saying I should live the same kind of life paul lived [37:39] It’s not that we’re following paul. It’s that we’re looking at paul while he follows jesus [37:45] And god uses paul to be an example of what following jesus actually looks like [37:53] If redemption works its way into your life through the gospel [37:58] Then the next thing is true redemption works its way out of your life through the gospel

[38:08] Morality is not the greatest signifier that you’ve been redeemed

[38:16] And I think that’s where we’ve really messed the gospel up

[38:22] Is that we look at somebody and they say i’ve been redeemed I got saved [38:26] And then you start to look in their life and say well, how moral are you?

[38:32] Are you voting republican?

[38:40] Are you drinking beer?

[38:43] Are you watching r-rated movies?

[38:48] Do you still cuss?

[38:51] Do you smoke?

[38:55] If any of those things are true, I certainly can’t believe that you believe the gospel

[39:01] And some of you are probably sitting there saying i’m never coming back to this church again

[39:06] That’s all right. I would rather be true to the scriptures than have a big church

[39:12] I’m not planting this church to make you or me comfortable because quite frankly if that was the signifier [39:18] For the gospel working in my life by god, how easy would that be?

[39:24] Don’t drink don’t smoke don’t chew don’t kiss the girls that do [39:30] There’s the gospel amen. Well hallelujah. Have a good week. That’s not the gospel

[39:40] That’s not where it starts [39:42] It’s not where it ends [39:45] If you believe that i’m sorry you believe a false gospel [39:50] I can only tell you that because that is what paul is telling us through the entirety of the new testament [39:57] Which he wrote almost half of

[40:02] The gospel is not about what version of the bible we read the gospel is not about what you wear to church [40:07] The gospel is not about what songs you sing once you come to church [40:10] The gospel is not about any of those things the gospel is about [40:15] Jesus and the fact that we are dead in our sins and the fact that we are [40:20] Desperate and in need of somebody to take that sin off of us and give us the righteousness of god [40:27] One of the big questions that one of my seminary professors. Dr

[40:30] Paul fink would tell us is how good do you have to be to get into heaven as good as god?

[40:36] Because god finds us in our sin and he takes it and he puts it on his son and he pours his wrath on his son [40:43] And then he gives us his righteousness and he says you’re clean. You’re pure live for me because i’ve redeemed you [40:52] You see redemption works its way out of your life through the gospel [40:57] And what this looks like is a little bit of what jesus said in matthew chapter 15 verse 11 the [41:03] Pharisees had kind of cornered jesus because the disciples had eaten food without washing their hands gross [41:10] Yes, ungodly probably not so they had eaten the meal and not washed their hands before the meal

[41:15] And the Pharisees look at jesus and say they have just eaten [41:19] Impurity into themselves and jesus looks at them and says it is not what goes into the mouth of man [41:25] That makes a man unclean rather it is what comes out of the mouth of man that makes him ungodly [41:32] And you can be silly and say see you shouldn’t cuss [41:36] No, that’s not what he’s talking about here. What he’s talking about here is an issue of the heart [41:42] And he’s saying when you are redeemed

[41:46] That redemption will take root in your life god will move in he will clean you from the inside and what comes out [41:53] Is redemption in other words god’s [41:58] Thoughts [41:58] Thoughts become your thoughts god’s desires become your desires god’s wants become your wants [42:04] What does god want? [42:07] It’s this simple god wants to redeem people

[42:12] That’s what god wants

[42:15] And a lot of times [42:17] our questions [42:18] About well should I do this thing or shouldn’t I do this thing? [42:22] That’s what we do as christians a lot we sit around and say well is a christian allowed to do this [42:26] Was a christian allowed to do that was a christian allowed to do that well should I be circumcised should I be uncircumcised? [42:32] That’s really what it boils down to what that boils down to is you shouldn’t be asking

[42:37] Should you or shouldn’t you because you’re saved through the gospel of jesus what you should be asking yourself? [42:43] Is rather the question of does this further the gospel in my life and the lives of others?

[42:57] That’s the question because that is a much harder question to ask yourself

[43:05] Should I drink should I smoke? [43:09] Should I dance when I was I I had a weird childhood? [43:12] You know so I was had to ask myself questions like should I play cards and go to the movies? [43:16] I don’t know maybe you were there too with me. I don’t know. Maybe we kind of hung out together

[43:22] But the question should have been do those things further the gospel [43:29] If not [43:31] I could use wisdom and do something else that does further the gospel [43:36] Are you starting to track with me with what paul the issue that paul is really dealing with in this passage [43:41] Is what furthers the gospel versus what doesn’t further the gospel see circumcision? [43:47] Served as a barrier to the gospel

[43:50] Paul will tell us later in galatians that circumcision and uncircumcision availeth nothing [43:55] It’s about jesus and which one furthers his gospel

[44:02] So when you’re asking yourself [44:04] What does redemption look like in my life? You need to ask yourself. Are you passionate? [44:10] About the gospel of jesus [44:14] Has the gospel taken root in your life?

[44:21] Do you [44:22] Desire to see the gospel further because when you start living through gospel principles and through gospel values [44:30] Guess what you don’t just have to ask yourself questions about morality. It’s not that easy [44:35] You have to start asking yourself questions about how you treat people [44:38] You have to start asking yourself questions about how you treat your spouse how you treat your kids [44:43] What kind of job you should work what kind of career path you should go on?

[44:48] Because when redemption comes into your life [44:51] Nothing is off grounds see because if only our morality and our politics is what jesus wants to clean up [44:59] Then we can do whatever we want every other avenue of our lives and never see another person come to faith in jesus [45:05] Through our lives and we’re great

[45:09] Problem is is your life doesn’t belong to you so you don’t get to define the gospel [45:14] Jesus does

[45:19] Are you redeemed?

[45:26] Maybe the better question you should ask yourself this morning is

[45:30] Does my life show forth redemption?

[45:38] Am I living for the same mission that jesus lived for?

[45:45] Let’s pray

[45:48] Father we come before you this morning

[45:52] Lord and we simply want to ask and we simply want to pray [45:56] That redemption would find a home [45:59] In the lives in the hearts of everyone here

[46:05] Lord

[46:09] You’re the author of salvation you’re the giver of salvation [46:15] Lord and you give liberally through your son jesus to all who would believe [46:20] To all who would desire [46:22] Redemption from you god help us to desire that redemption today [46:29] God help us to have the heart of paul help us to look at the life of paul and see someone who is vigorously [46:37] Following you who is vigorously living a passionate life to further your gospel to all

[46:45] Who would believe? [46:46] And may we find that redemption this morning

[46:54] Maybe you’re in here this morning and [46:56] You’re asking yourself some pretty tough questions

[47:01] And you’re wondering if redemption is really coming out of your life today

[47:09] There’s two options [47:13] Option one is that you’re not redeemed

[47:17] And the problem with the way we do church a lot in america today is we almost put a shame on somebody who doesn’t know [47:24] If they’re redeemed or not [47:26] And you feel ashamed to even ask yourself that question

[47:32] Paul writes in philippians 2 12 [47:36] Work out your salvation [47:38] with fear [47:40] and trembling [47:42] And I think when we ask ourselves that question, am I redeemed we’re asking ourselves a good [47:48] Question because I think that’s what that fear and trembling part is all about

[47:53] That we have to take stock in our lives and say is redemption working in my life

[48:00] And if it’s not

[48:05] And cry out to god to redeem you

[48:10] Cry out to god [48:13] And trust him with your sin [48:16] You can’t [48:18] Earn your salvation. You can’t work off your sin [48:21] You’re too sinful. I promise so am I [48:24] The only hope that you have

[48:28] is through [48:29] Jesus the son of god who loved you and died for you and then rose again

[48:36] for you [48:38] There’s a second possibility this morning [48:41] And that’s that you are redeemed, but you’ve been basing salvation and you’ve been basing what that salvation looks like on the wrong things

[48:51] You need to base it on the scriptures [48:54] You need to base it on what the bible actually says you need to base it on [48:58] The gospel and the effect that the gospel is having in your life and is god furthering the gospel in your life [49:06] If it’s not [49:10] Commit today [49:12] To allowing god to work in your life

[49:16] In order to take the gospel out of your life and into the lives of others

[49:23] Live life differently live life according to god’s standards

[49:33] Allow god [49:35] To work that salvation out of your life and into the lives of others

[49:42] And it starts right here and it starts [49:46] right now [49:49] Just like every week if you need to talk to somebody we’ve got people [49:53] We’re here [49:55] Step out to the back and we’ll go and we’ll pray with you. We’ll go and we’ll talk to you

[50:01] Even after the service [50:03] But right now as you sit here deal with god and let god deal with you and say holy spirit [50:10] Examine me and show me what needs to be done in my life [50:15] And let this next song [50:18] Serve [50:20] as a prayer

[50:21] from you [50:23] To god himself through his son