Freedom Through Jesus Alone

Okay, so if you have a Bible, why don't you turn to the letter of Galatians?

And if you don't have a Bible, grab one in the pews round about.

Or you can scroll in your phone and get the book of Galatians.

Feel absolutely no embarrassment, absolutely no embarrassment

when you're using the contents page of your Bible if you need to do that.

It's absolutely fine.

It's in there, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.

The way I remember it in the order is God eats popcorn.

Okay, you can have that for free.

Let's pray, though, as we come to this letter.

Heavenly Father, we just thank you so much for this morning.

And we thank you for this opportunity to hear from you

and encounter you, the living God, as we come to your living and active word.

So, Father, I pray this morning that you would do that which I am incapable of doing.

And that, Lord, that you would transform hearts today.

Lord, wherever we're at, perhaps we've been a Christian for many, many years.

Father, perhaps we've just walked into church this morning

without really understanding why or what's going on here.

Lord, may today be a day when we look back and say you were at work.

So, Father, we come expectantly to your word.

We thank you for who you are.

We lift our eyes to you.

Thank you, Lord, for your love for us.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, folks, here's what we're going to do this morning.

We're going to marvel at the difference between Christianity

and every other religious and moral impulse that exists inside of us.

You see, as we step into the letter of Galatians this morning,

so much of this might feel like we've stepped into a completely different world.

Like if you've ever had that experience of going to a supermarket in a foreign country,

you know the one?

And the aisles are full of brands that you don't recognize.

The layout of the shop floor is completely different.

Where's my middle aisle in Aldi?

The signs are in a different language.

The person at the checkout is asking for money in a different currency.

And the whole experience leaves you feeling like this isn't the world I'm used to.

Listen, Galatians might well give you those kind of vibes.

Right?

It's full of words that we don't use much in our lives today.

Words like circumcision and kingdom.

And it's full of people that their names, their likes, we might not recognize.

Like Abraham and Hagar.

But listen, don't let that put you off.

And here's two reasons why you need to stay in the game.

Number one is the promise that this letter holds out to every single one of us today.

If we embrace the message at its heart,

the promise is true freedom and lasting peace.

That sound good in our world today?

True freedom, lasting peace.

That's what this message holds out to us in this letter.

Number two is that the bullseye truth at the heart of this letter

is something that people in our world today are so deeply concerned about.

And Galatians is going to say, see that thing that you're chasing?

See that thing that you think you can achieve?

I'm going to tell you the only place that you can find it.

Here's what I mean by that.

Here's what one fan said after the Oasis concert the other night.

In which they expressed the reason that they loved the concert so much.

Now try this one on for size, okay?

They said this,

When I go to a gig, I don't want to feel bad about myself.

I don't want to see Palestine flags or get preached at about the climate.

I just want music and a good time.

Do you hear it in their voice?

Why was it so good?

It was so good because it was a concert with no causes.

For three hours, they put literally on mute

the noises that we are surrounded with every day in our world.

It doesn't matter who you are.

If you're a massive global brand,

it doesn't matter whether you're a corporate firm

or on the high street shop,

university organizations,

sports teams, neighborhoods,

WhatsApp groups, Facebook profiles,

music festivals.

What does everyone in our world today

want to be seen as being publicly?

We want to be known as people,

if I could put it in the language of our culture,

people who are on the right side of history.

People that the rest of the world looks at,

weighs us up, looks at our lives,

and declares us to be good.

Or if I could put it in the language of Galatians,

we want to be known as people who are righteous,

people who the world looks on at,

weighs us up, looks at our lives,

and declares us to be justified.

Or to quote 90s rapper Tupac Shakur,

I believe that everything that you do bad

comes back to you.

So everything that I do that's bad,

I'm going to suffer from it.

But in my mind,

I believe what I'm doing is right.

So I feel like

I'm going to heaven.

Of course, it's not just the logic of the world,

it's the logic of so much of the other religions out there.

If I could take one for example,

it's why the Buddhist concept of karma

gets so much traction in our world.

We don't call it karma,

we just call it what goes around comes around.

Why does that get so much traction?

I think it's because it makes logical sense to us.

And yet, friends,

that's not how the God of the gospel works.

You want some good news this morning?

He is so much far above the things of this world.

His logic is not our logic.

See what Tupac is saying?

Can I suggest, friends,

his logic has more holes in it

than a big bit of Swiss cheese.

Here's the biggest one.

How do you know that you're good enough?

Sit on that for a wee bit.

How do you know you're good enough?

And more importantly,

who gets to decide?

See, when I was at school,

I remember once playing

and I dislocated my shoulder.

I was expecting a little bit of sympathy,

but we'll run with it, okay?

These are all I remember.

I dislocated my shoulder.

I'd love to tell you that the guy

came off worse than I did,

but honestly, I can't remember.

I dislocated my shoulder.

Here's all I remember.

The doc came up to me in hospital.

Before he got there,

it felt like my lungs were working double time.

Couldn't breathe, fighting for breath.

The doc came along

and he puts over me the oxygen mask.

And he says, breathe.

And honestly, it felt like someone

from the outside

had just poured life into me.

The testimony of so many Christians

over the years

is that breathing in the truth of this letter

did exactly the same.

For some of us, friends,

this message will be humbling

at the heart of this book.

It will be humbling.

What do you mean

I can't be good enough for God?

God's going to say to you in this letter,

think again.

You think you're good enough?

Think again.

But some of us,

what this letter will offer us

is healing.

Because just like a match of the day sequence,

you're replaying the highlights

reel of your life

and the word that's just there is guilt.

And God's not disagreeing with that verdict.

But what God is saying is,

you think you can't be right with me?

Think again.

Friends, this book is not about our performance.

This letter is all about

the wonder of his promise.

This letter is all about

how you and I can be made righteous.

we can be made and declared to be justified.

Not in the eyes of our fellow human beings,

but way more importantly,

in the eyes of the God

who made us and loves us.

And the reason that this letter

is so explosive and counterintuitive

is that is 0% due to us.

And it's 100% to do with Jesus.

You see, here is this man called Paul.

Get into the letter here.

See the third word that he uses there.

We're going to hear more about his story

of coming to know Jesus next week.

But for now, notice what he calls himself.

He's an apostle.

That word apostle tells you

Paul is someone who received his message

about Jesus, not secondhand.

He received it, not hearsay,

but he received it from Jesus himself.

That's what that word means there.

He's how he's using it.

Can I suggest, friends,

that that really matters?

Really, really matters.

In our world of AI deep fakes,

in our world of fact checking,

reliability of your source

is absolutely everything.

When Paul uses that term,

what he's saying is that his message,

he's got it, if you like,

straight from the horse's mouth.

That's what he's saying.

He's an apostle.

And in this letter,

he's writing to a group of churches

in what today is central Turkey.

Just on the map,

they're trying to locate

where this is going.

Galatia is a region

that Paul traveled to

on his first missionary journey.

You can think of those things like

the Jesus preaching,

church starting roadshow.

That's what a missionary journey is.

Paul does three of these

in his lifetime.

You can read about the first one,

Acts 13.

And during it,

he speaks about Jesus

to people in the cities.

Just clock them there.

Poseidon, Antioch,

Iconium, Lystra,

and Derby.

Not in the Midlands, okay?

What's happened as he does this

is that God,

through this message

of the Jesus who came,

the Jesus who lived,

the Jesus who died,

the Jesus who rose,

the Jesus who has ascended,

is that message has gone out.

People have come to faith

and churches have started

because God,

through his Holy Spirit,

is at work.

Churches start in these places.

So what's interesting

is that this letter

is dated probably AD 50.

But why that's important

is that because these Christians,

Paul left them

probably only about a year

after first visiting them.

Right?

Significant.

And that's usually surprising

as well as significant.

You've got to ask ourselves,

why?

Because you'll imagine

some 2,000 odd years ago

before the iPhone.

Paul's not set

a yearly reminder

in his calendar

that I better check in

on these guys

after a year.

This letter

isn't the equivalent

of the

I wish you were here

postcard.

There's a reason

that Paul is writing

after such a short time

ago having been with them.

And here's what I want to do

as we take in the first

10 verses here

and we're going to read it

in a second.

I want you to think

about why.

Here's the question

I want you to ask yourself

as we get into

the first 10 verses together.

How would you describe

his tone?

Are you going to come with me?

Let's read it together.

The first 10 verses.

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.

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

forever and ever.

Amen.

I'm 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

that we preach to you

let them be

under God's curse.

As we've 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 trying

to please people

I would not be

a servant of Christ.

Now friends

rhetorical question

what word would you

use?

I've written down

here concerned

probably understating

it a bit

I've written down

here concerned

and anxious

right?

I've got three words

but I can go with it.

He's anxious

isn't he

and we've got

to ask ourselves

why?

What has he heard

has happened

in Galatia

that is making him

so concerned

about these Christians?

Well as we make

a beeline

towards answering

that question

over the next

20 minutes or so

here's what I want

to do

I want us to see him

say to them

two things

in this text

in these opening verses

you ready for this?

If headings help

note these down

here's the first thing

he wants them to see

how costly

their rescue was

you know it was

the late John Stott

who called Christianity

a religion of rescue

a religion of rescue

and this is where

he got it from

you see that word

in the text?

That word rescue

maybe some of your

translations might have

delivered

do you see it?

here's what that word is

Paul's using it

like a hyperlink

you know when you

get an email

or you're reading

an article

on BBC News

and there's certain

words that are maybe

bold and underlined

and if you click them

it takes you to

another page

that's what Paul's

doing with this word

Paul's wanting

to take them

and us

back

in the Bible

to the Exodus

right

Genesis

Exodus

the events

that happened

there

that's the hyperlink

okay

the Exodus

this mighty

work of God

whereby he rescued

his people

from their biggest

enemy

he took them

out of slavery

in Egypt

triumphing over

their enemies

so that they

could live for

delight in

and worship

this God

forever

ever

so that the

world will know

that there is no

one like Yahweh

there is no one

like the Lord

it's not a

a message that's

constrained to the

nation of Israel

the nation of Israel

always supposed to be

a people that

declare the mighty

works of God

to the world

there is no one

like God

no one

compares with him

he has no rival

he has no equal

this God

specializes

in saving

he takes

slaves

he rescues

them

he saves

them

and he

transforms

them

into sons

and daughters

now hold that

thought for where

this letter ends

in a few chapters

time

this God

specializes

in taking

slaves

and turning

them into

sons

and just

when we're

thinking to

ourselves

can anything

top the

exodus story

it's as if

in Galatians

Paul says

hold my glass

and let me

tell you about

how that was

but the

warm-up act

for the

greater

exodus

that God

would achieve

in the gospel

see friends

here's the deal

right

humanity

we

out with

Christ

out with

faith in

him

we've

got a

double

problem

we are

sinners

and we're

slaves

we are

utterly

powerless

to save

ourselves

and we

are utterly

powerless

to reform

ourselves

that whole

word

rescue

what does

it imply

that we

need help

from

the outside

we are

powerless

to do

these things

what Paul

is saying

here is

that the

gospel

is the

double

solution

to our

double

problem

do you

see that

in verse

four

just track

the logic

he said

Christ

what's

the words

and he's

going to

return to

this word

later

what did

Christ

do

he gave

himself

do you

see that

he gave

himself

his body

nailed to

a Roman

cross

that's what

Paul is

saying

he gave

himself

why

try the

logic

for our

sins

for

for our

sins

for the

rhythm

of

that

yeah

logic

remember

it

recall

it

for our

sins

Christ

gave

himself

for

our

sins

that word

for there

tells you

that there's a

purpose in

Christ dying

and it is

the language

there of

substitution

he died

in our

place

and took

the penalty

on himself

that our

sin

our cosmic

treason

against a

holy God

deserved

and he

took it

on himself

that is

known as

the doctrine

if you want

to be

stretched a

little bit

the doctrine

of

substitutionary

atonement

right

that sounds

a long

phrase

but here's

what I want

you to

know

that is

foundational

to the

Christian

faith

Christ

gave

himself

for

our

sins

for

our

sins

one of

those

things

it's

like a

game

of

Jenga

friends

if you

take

out

that

truth

of

the

Christian

faith

the

whole

thing

crumbles

but we're

not just

the doctrine

police

we fight

for that

for our

joy

Christ

deals

with

our

sin

problem

!

That's

what that

phrase

for our

sin

means

he deals

with

our

sin

problem

and as

wonderful

as that

is

see if

our

gospel

as it

were

ends

there

it's

half

baked

we can't

stop there

because Paul

doesn't stop

there

again see the

logic

why did he

do this

to deliver

us

again see the

Exodus word

from the

present

evil

age

now Paul's

point

now Paul's

point

is that

believers

with their

sins

forgiven

and

identified

with

Christ

verse 1

in his

triumphant

resurrection

friends we

belong to a

whole new

state

of affairs

to be a

Christian

isn't just

to be like

everyone else

in the

world but

you make a

few ethical

and moral

decisions which

are questionably

different from

everyone else

take the

language from the

text to be a

Christian is to

be somebody

who has been

delivered from

this present

evil age

and called

into God's

kingdom of

marvelous light

how often we

just underestimate

it how

wonderful it

is we've got

a friend called

Trevor in London

always says

that it's a

wonderful thing

to be a

Christian

and this is

why

and who

has this

planned you

see it was

according to

not our

efforts

it's according

to the will

of God

friends here's

the thing

right

say it's a

control freak

like myself

who wants to

control everything

that happens in

this world

are you like me

here's what this

does wonderful

freedom to be

found here

it's always good

to remember

and be reminded

that God

has been here

a lot longer

than we have

and that God

will be here

a lot longer

than we will

be here

and it's good

to be reminded

that this

holy God

that we've been

singing about

is so far

above the

things of

this earth

and it's good

to be reminded

that his plans

his promises

are so much

deeper than

my wisdom

and my finite

minds can

comprehend

and all of

that is tied

up in that

phrase

according to

his will

do you see

how comprehensive

that phrase

is

friends the

salvation that

God offers

here is no

New Testament

novel idea

our salvation

rests entirely

on God's

sovereign initiative

Genesis 3

15

God says

he's going to

deal with our

sin problem

he makes a

promise that

he is going to

do it

he's going to

send the

serpent

crusher

all we are

is people

needing rescued

God's plan

from the

fullness of

time is to

call out a

people of

faith

saved by

Jesus

animated

and indwelt

by his

spirit

whose very

reason of

existence

is now the

praise of

his glorious

grace

and if

that doesn't

give purpose

to our

lives

I don't

know what

will

what's

interesting

is that

this is the

only place

in the

New Testament

where Paul

talks about

the gospel

as being a

message

of rescue

that interesting

remember that

comes up in a

pub quiz

you can play

that one

right there

okay

but that's

really interesting

we've got to

ask ourselves

why

I imagine

it's to

underscore

the central

message of

his letter

right up

top

that our

salvation was

a hundred

percent

Jesus

friends here's

the salvation

equation you ready

for this if you're

taking notes

here it is

how are we

saved

it's going to

be the message

of this letter

salvation is

by grace

alone

through faith

alone

in Christ

alone

it's not

my idea

the anthem

of the

reformation

way back

in the

day

salvation

is by

grace

alone

through

faith

alone

in

Jesus

alone

he wants

them to

see how

costly

their

rescue

was

and because

that's

true

he wants

them

secondly

to see

how deadly

their

deserting

is

can I just

pick out

in the

time that

we've got

two d's

in these

verses

the first

one of

which comes

at verse

six

and it's

the word

deserting

it's the

kind of

word that

you'd use

when somebody

runs away

from the

army

right

they're

run away

from the

rest of

their troops

they kind

of run

away

desert

them at

the post

abandon

them

it's the

kind of

word that

Paul's using

here and

it's really

strong

and notice

if we

pay real

close attention

to the text

notice that

it is not

a what

they are

deserting

do you see

it

verse six

it's not a

what they

are deserting

so much

as it's a

who they

are deserting

to turn away

from this

message they

are walking

away says

Paul from

Jesus himself

how are they

doing that

well here's

the second

d and it's

the word

different

and this

takes us

to what's

happening

in Galatia

that Paul's

so concerned

about

a group of

teachers have

turned up

in Galatia

after Paul

has gone

and they're

teaching these

new believers

something completely

different to

what Paul

taught them

I don't

imagine they're

denying that

Jesus existed

I don't

imagine they're

denying that

Jesus died

I imagine

they're not even

denying that

Jesus rose

but what they

are probably

saying to these

young believers

goes something

like this

listen I know

Paul said

it's 100%

Jesus

yeah guys

almost right

think of

Jesus more

like a good

start

think of him

like the

deposit that

you needed

to buy

your house

and now

that you're

in

it's kind

of up to

you to

keep up

the monthly

repayments

to keep

yourself in

oh by the

way how do

you do

that

well you

do it

by your

good works

in fact to

keep yourself

in God's

favour you

really need

to start

behaving

like a

Jew would

begin with

obeying the

ten commandments

and the law

that's a

wonderful place

to start

oh and by

the way

you really

need to be

circumcised

if you want

to be in

God's favour

that's the

pitch

for different

reasons I

imagine due

to the

probably the

long history

of Judaism

compared to

the relatively

recent events

surrounding

Jesus

all of that

sounds quite

plausible

to people

but we've

got to see

that to

that Paul

says not

interesting

theory

Paul says

different

gospel

and he

says let

them be

under God's

curse

now we'll

return to

that curse

language in

a couple

of weeks

time okay

but it's

worth seeing

it here

how strongly

strongly

Paul says

these things

you see

friends to

walk away

from Jesus

is to

walk away

from that

double

cure

and to

walk back

into the

double

problem

because you're

still on the

hook for the

penalty of

your sins

again if you

think you can

do it by

yourself you

can add to

what Jesus

has done you

may as well

go to the

cross go up

take him

down and

put yourself

back on it

that's what

he's saying

you're still

on the hook

for the penalty

of your sins

and the things

you're relying

on have no

power to

internally

transform you

these false

teachers are

telling you

to rely

on yourself

they're trying

to persuade

you that you

can somehow

top up

what Jesus

has done

like you

would the

credit on

your burner

phone

by what you

do

and if you

do that

you'll experience

God's favour

I'm writing

to tell you

that if you

swallow that

and start to

live like that

not only are you

walking away

from Jesus

but you're back

to being

the double

slave

here's what

Paul perceives

and maybe

carry this

with us

through the

rest of

this letter

friends

do you

remember

that Frank

Sinatra song

what he said

about New

York

he said

if you

make it

there

you'll

make it

anywhere

you know

that line

so almost

as if

Paul is

singing

here to

the

Christians

in

Galatia

and to

us

about

the

gospel

see if

you go

wrong

here

you'll

go wrong

everywhere

and this

is important

not just

in terms

of how

we become

a Christian

but it's

massively

important

in terms

of how

we continue

to grow

as Christians

and by way

of immediate

application

of this

it means

that we

as a

congregation

should be

always up

for

discerning

what's

being said

up here

not rating

the sermon

like some

kind of

strictly

come

dancing

judge

but smelling

the teaching

like some

trained police

sniffer dogs

with the

scent of

truth

in our

nostrils

and why

because only

this message

gives life

the gospel

is as my

American

friends would

say

it is our

true north

it's what we

do isn't it

every Sunday

as we gather

through what we

sing and what we

read and what we

hear and what we

speak to each

other we

are all

helping each

other we

set the

compass of

our lives

back to

Christ and

his gospel

because we

all default

into thinking

that it's all

wrapped up

with our

performance

so what I

do we

leak gospel

during the

week and

we come in

here having

drifted and

we're reminded

wonderfully that

it's 100%

Jesus

it's 100%

him

friends our

time is

gone that

brings me

just as we

close to the

difference between

Christianity and

every other

religious and

moral impulse

in us can I

tell you my

beef with

Bob the

Builder

as we get

ourselves back to

the centre of

this message

my beef with

him is not so

much in who

he is never

met the guy

sure he's

lovely but my

beef with him

is about what

he teaches us

about work in

the theme song

repeat after me

Bob the

Builder

Bob the Builder

friends catchy

lyrics wonderful

advertising can I

tell you terrible

theology

everything else

out there screams

to us yes you

can

yes you can

go and do it

can I tell you the

difference in

Christianity

every other

religious impulse

in us

the gospel

says Christ

has done it

not you do it

the gospel

says Christ

has done it

and here's what

you wouldn't have

learned for your

maths teacher at

school but you'll

learn it for Paul

the apostle

the equation

that's at the

heart of the

Christian faith

you ready for

this it's this

Jesus plus

nothing equals

everything

it's the

difference between

do and done

no one puts this

better I think

and we'll close

with this with

these lyrics from

hymn writer from

many years ago

called Augustus

Top Lady now

they don't do

names like that

anymore do they

but wrote this

wonderful hymn that

has been the anthem

of the church down

the generations

and it goes

like this

nothing in my

hand I bring

simply to the

cross I cling

make it come to

thee for dress

helpless

look to thee

for grace

fall I to

the fountain

fly

wash me

savior

or I die

friends the more

that I've got in

tune with that

song I'm convinced

he was reading

the book of

Galatians as

he wrote it

it's all or

nothing Jesus

and so friends

let's just

close by these

reading these

words from

Isaiah 55

for my thoughts

are not your

thoughts

neither are your

ways my ways

declares the

Lord

as the heavens

are higher than

the earth so

are my ways

higher than

your ways

and my thoughts

than your

thoughts

as the rain

and the snow

come down from

heaven and do

not return to

it without

watering the

earth and

making it

bud and

flourish so

that it yields

seed for the

sower and

bread for the

eater so is

my word that

goes out from

my mouth it

will not return

to me empty

but will

accomplish what

I desire and

achieve the

purpose for

which I sent

it and so

Lord we thank

you today for

what we've seen

and what we've

savoured

Lord I thank

you that your

Holy Spirit

is so much

better a

pastor than

I am and

so I pray

that he would

be at work

in our

lives as we

continue to

mull on your

words may your

spirit as he

takes the word

and applies it

deep to our

lives may it

have the

desired effect

that you want

to have it

so lift our

eyes to your

greatness and to

your gospel we

pray in Jesus

name amen

miracle