Galatians 1:1-5

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What is an apostle? Why is it important for Paul to start his letter off by highlighting his apostleship?

2. We see in verse 2 that Paul is surrounded by other believers. Why do you think leadership is sometimes lonely? What can we do to make sure our leaders aren’t lonely?

3. Why is “grace” and “peace” so crucial to the Christian faith?

4. What is the significance of the fact that we were “delivered from the present evil age” by Jesus’ death on the cross?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

A few years ago, my family and I had an incredible opportunity to go on a cruise with some of our extended family. It was a fantastic trip.

But! For someone terrified of heights, it was also a nerve-wracking trip.

I'm not sure if you know this or not, but cruise ships are tall.

Like, real tall. So, as a parent of two children who think they’re part monkey, I would have nightmares of my kids climbing over the side rail and jumping off.

Because of this fear, I would never let my kids get remotely close to the side of the boat. In fact, if I could read minds, I wouldn't have even let them think about the side of the boat.

Anytime one of them got close to the rails, I would raise my "dad voice" and shout, "Hey! Get back here now!"

Out of my deep love for my children, I would raise my voice in hopes of keeping them from danger. I would use strong language to communicate the seriousness of the threat they were heading toward. We go to great lengths to protect those that we love.

Here's what I think we will discover as we work our way through the book of Galatians: There is not a more significant danger presented to humanity than the danger that comes from rejecting or abandoning the gospel.

If faith in Jesus leads to life, then trusting in anything or anyone other than Jesus will lead to death. Therefore, the apostle Paul is like a distressed parent crying out to keep his kids from danger.

We will find Paul yelling at the church in Galatia, "Guys! The path you are walking down will lead to your demise! You are abandoning your only hope! Come back to safety! Come back and find refuge in the one who loves you!"

In this letter, you will find a tension of deep affection and deep anger. The church in Galatia had drifted from the gospel and began to pursue God's favor through their obedience to the law. They were exchanging freedom and joy that is found in Jesus with chains and bondage. And it disturbed Paul to see brothers and sisters that he loved so profoundly abandon the gospel and head for destruction.

The book of Galatians teaches us to prize and value that which is most valuable. The book of Galatians is calling the church back to trusting in God's gospel.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Now, let me quickly give you a bit of historical context to set the stage here.

Once upon a time, there was a man named Paul (Saul). Paul was a Jew, and Paul hated and persecuted the church. This man gave his life to destroying the church until Jesus revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus.

After Paul encountered Jesus and was called and commissioned by Jesus, he began to travel far and wide, taking the gospel to neighboring regions and planting churches in those regions. One of those regions was Galatia.

***Galatia is about where present-day Turkey would be.

After the churches were trained and equipped, Paul would leave these young churches and go to a new region. And as he was doing this, he would keep in contact with these churches via letters. And one of these letters is the letter we're about to study today.

Many commentators and historians believe this letter is likely Paul's earliest letter, dating it around AD 48 or 49, which tells me that it didn't take the church in Galatia long to drift from the gospel. And if it didn't take this church long to drift from the gospel, it probably doesn't take us long to drift from the gospel, either.

The current that seeks to push us away from the cross is swift. Therefore, we must cling to the cross daily.

So, in summary, the church in Galatia heard the gospel ("Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified"), and they believed and received the Holy Spirit. Yet, at some point, after Paul left, a set of teachers began to creep in and teach the churches in Galatia that Paul's gospel was a lawless gospel.

These false teachers began to essentially teach the church that to be included amongst God's people, they needed to observe the law and be circumcised. And this teaching began to fracture, divide, and tear down the church that God was building.

Therefore, in this letter, Paul boldly says to the church, "Don't abandon the gospel!"

The book of Galatians will teach us the truth that (1) we never outgrow our need for the gospel, and (2) to help the gospel is to hurt the gospel.

The gospel isn't something we need past tense. It's something that we desperately need every second of every day.

And the blood of Jesus is enough. You tread into dangerous waters when you begin to depend upon your obedience to God. You are in great danger if you start to believe that how you live benefits your standing with God.

If we were drowning in a pool, the Christian faith is not a ladder that we walk up to get to safety. The Christian faith is that God reaches into our chaos and plucks us out of the water onto dry land.

The Christian faith is one of hope, not because of something you have done, but because of something God has done on your behalf. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is your only hope for salvation. And this is what we celebrate as Christians.

GALATIANS 1:1-5

So, today we're going to look at the first five verses of chapter 1. Here in these five verses, you will find Paul's greeting to the church, and in this greeting, you will discover Paul masterfully introducing the message of this letter.

Let's dive in.

"1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through 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 our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

I will go out on a limb and say that many of you likely haven't written a letter in years. I will go out on another limb and say that some of you maybe haven't even written a letter.

So, let me educate you for a moment.

In the typical format of a letter in our day and age, you will find the recipient's name at the top, then the writer's name at the bottom.

A famous example of this would be Alfalfa writing to the love of his life:

Dear Darla,

I hate your stinking guts. You make me vomit. You're scum between my toes.

Love,

Alfalfa

Recipient -> Body -> Author

So, although we might not write many letters, we're familiar with how they are structured.

Well, ancient letters were structured differently. You would typically find both the writer and the reader's name in ancient letters in the introduction. In the introduction portion of the letter, the writer would first identify himself, clarify who he's writing to, and then extend a greeting to the reader.

A tangible example of this format would be in Acts 23:26, which says, "Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings."

So, because of this format, we can safely conclude that Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia. There's really not any disagreement here.

But, these introductions were typically brief and concise in ancient times, as you can see by our example in Acts 23. Yet, if you look in your Bible to Galatians 1, Paul's introduction is neither brief nor concise.

So, Paul's long-winded introduction has to be purposeful. He must be communicating to us something important. Which begs the question: what is it that he's trying to convey here?

Well, if you'll notice, Paul is amplifying both the first and third portion of this greeting. He expounds on (1) who he is and (2) the greeting he's extending to his readers.

So, that's what we're going to spend most of our time looking at today, the first and third portion of this greeting.

PAUL AN APOSTLE

Let's first look at how Paul identifies himself in verses 1-2. Here we see Paul refer to himself as "an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers with me…."

The first obvious question we need to ask in order to understand what Paul is saying here is, "What is an apostle?"

Well, in a general sense, the word "apostle" means "one who is sent." An apostle is a special messenger with a special title taking a specific message to a specific people.

So, Paul is saying that the one who sent him is God. The message he is bringing to the church is God's message. This is not man's message. This is God's message.

Now, the word apostle is a word that we see used pretty often throughout the NT. We specifically see Jesus refer to his 12 disciples in this way.

Where Jesus had many disciples who followed him, he chose twelve men and named them "apostles" and sent them out to preach.

We see this in Luke 6:13 and Mark 3:14.

"[13] And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles…" — Luke 6:13

"[14] And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach…" — Mark 3:14

The 12 disciples were referred to as apostles. These were men who personally walked with Jesus, who were personally called by Jesus, who were personally taught by Jesus, and who were personally sent out by Jesus to preach the message Jesus had taught them.

Due to Judas' betrayal, we see Mathias become one of the 12 apostles in Acts 1, and in Acts 2:42, we see the early church devote themselves "to the apostles teaching…."

So, this small group of men was given the authority to teach God's people God's message. And the church had begun to devote themselves to their teaching.

These would be what I would call [A]postles. In this context, the title "apostle" was a specific title given to a few to distinguish them as God's appointed messenger. And here Paul is saying that he's a part of that unique group. He was not commissioned and sent by man. He is a [A]postle who was taught, commissioned, and sent by the one who possesses power over life and death.

Paul wants the church to know that the message he is proclaiming is God's message. The message of the cross is not man-made. It is God-breathed.

Paul is not beating his chest so that the church will ask for his autograph later. He's beating his chest so that the church will stop abandoning the message that he proclaimed to them.

Paul is an apostle, he's heralding God's truth, and we see in verse 2 that he is not alone.

PAUL IN COMMUNITY

At the start of verse 2, he says, "…and all the brothers who are with me…."

We don't have time to camp out here, but I want you to think about that for a moment. Paul, an apostle of God, is walking through life with other believers. He is surrounded by brothers who love Jesus.

There's a temptation to think that leaders don't need community. But, that wasn't the case for Paul. Leadership should never be lonely.

If the apostle Paul is surrounded by brothers, immersed in community, how much more should we?

You, like the apostle Paul, need to be surrounded by Godly men and women who love you and who are committed to preserving the truth of the gospel with you.

Church, don't overlook your leaders. Check on your leaders. Pray for your leaders. Walk with your leaders. Leadership should never be lonely.

Well, at the end of verse 2, we see that Paul addresses the churches of Galatia, and in verse 3, he extends to these churches grace and peace.

But, he doesn't just extend to them a superficial grace and peace. He extends to the church a divine grace and peace.

Look at verses 3-5.

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

These three verses are rich with truths that are foundational to the Christian faith. And these three verses set the stage for the rest of the letter.

GRACE & PEACE

It is God's grace and peace that we all desperately need.  Yet, it is God's grace and peace that these churches had lost sight of.

It is God's grace and peace that are the pillars that hold up the church. They are what breathes life into our bones.

If you were to remove grace and peace from the Christian faith, you no longer have good news. If you take away grace and peace, the church comes crashing down.

If you want to understand God and his message to you today, then you have to start with grace and peace.

So, what is grace? What is peace?

Grace is God giving you a good gift that you do not deserve. Where you deserve wrath and condemnation and shame because of your sin, God (through Jesus) extends kindness and forgiveness and mercy. Where you deserve to be cast out and ostracized because you rejected him, God (through Jesus) extends peace and reconciliation.

Peace is harmony, tranquility, the state of well-being, and unity. The Christian message is a message of peace.

When you look throughout the Bible, you will see that this peace is multifaceted. It is trifold. You will find the Bible talk about peace with God, peace with one another, and internal peace.

So, because of Jesus' death, we most importantly have peace with God.

Once we have peace with God, we then have peace with God's bride, his church. Peace with God leads to relational peace with God's church. Biblical community is a byproduct of having peace with God through faith in Jesus.

And once we have peace with God, we have peace within (inner peace). Amid the storms of life, we find inner rest and tranquility through a reconciled relationship with God.

God's peace leads to peace with our neighbor and peace within ourselves.

But, peace with God doesn't start with us. It begins with God. It is peace “from God!"

Man cannot manufacture true peace. Genuine peace can only be received as a gift from God. Peace is not manufactured from the bottom to the top. Like a river, peace is only able to flow downward. Your experience of peace is a result of grace, not your efforts.

As we see in verse 3, the one who gives us grace and peace is the one who gave himself for our sins. Peace with God can only be obtained through the sacrificial death of Jesus.

The cross teaches us that God is full of grace. He delights in giving good gifts to the undeserving.

So, are you weighed down with guilt and shame today because of your sin?

If so, please know that the gracious King of Kings has his hands extended to you today, offering you peace.

CHRIST OUR RESCUER

Paul then goes on to say that Jesus gave himself for our sins to "deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…."

The word deliver here is a strong word used to convey a type of rescue from danger. This is the Greek word "exaireō," which is used eight different times in the NT.

This is the same word used in Matthew 5:29 and Matthew 18:9 to communicate the tearing out or plucking out of one's eye. "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out (reach in and pluck it out) and throw it away."

This is the same word used in Acts 7:10 and 7:34 to describe the rescue of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. God saw the affliction of his people in Egypt and came down and acted on their behalf by rescuing them.

This is the same word used in Acts 12:11 to describe the rescue of Peter from both prison and the hand of Herod the King. So, Peter was asleep between two guards, bound with two chains, while guards were watching the doors, and an angel of the Lord came and rescued/delivered him from prison.

This is the same word used to describe the rescue of Paul from an angry mob that was about to lynch him in Acts 23:27. Paul is about to get lynched, and Claudius Lysias intervened on his behalf, leading him to safety.

Why is that important?

That's important because, in each of these instances, you (1) someone or something taken out or removed from something, and (2) you see someone in grave danger unable to save themselves and someone else intervening on their behalf.

To rescue someone is to remove them (pluck them) from pending danger. It's you frolicking in a pool, unable to make it to safety, and someone reaches down and pulls you out.

Church, this is the centerpiece of the gospel. The gospel is a message of rescue.

Let me be blunt and maybe a little rude for a moment. You are awful. You are far worse of a person than you could ever imagine.

You choose to be selfish when you should be selfless. You hold on to bitterness when you should forgive. You would rather fantasize about the beauty of someone else's spouse than your own.

When God says turn left, you turn right. You are a sinner, trapped in an evil age.

And because of your sin, you find yourself in a place of desperation and hopelessness. Yet, God (being rich in mercy) intervenes on your behalf and extends to you grace and peace.

What kind of lifeguard would see someone drowning and throw them a book on how to swim? A good lifeguard would act on behalf of the hopeless by entering into the chaos of the pool and rescue the drowning.

That’s what Jesus did for us!

Sometimes, I fear that some of us think God wants us to read the law and figure out how to live righteously while drowning in sin.  But, we must understand, that's not the message of the Bible. God didn't throw us the law from heaven and say, "Good luck! Do what the law says, and you'll be fine!"

No, God wants us to know that he knew we were going to sin, and he had a plan of redemption from the beginning. The giving up of Jesus on the cross for our rescue was according to God's will. And if it was a part of God's will, then that tells us that the cross was a moment of power, not weakness.

The cross did not catch God by surprise. It was a part of his predetermined plan. God planned to use the death of His Son as the means to which he would take us out of the kingdom of darkness and put us in the kingdom of light. God planned to dive deep down into the water, giving himself up on the cross, and pulled you out of death.

All of humanity is drowning in despair. Like Israel in Egypt, we are enslaved to this world. Like Peter in prison, we are bound by the chains of sin. Like Paul surrounded by the mob, death is creeping in.

But, God, being rich in grace, had a plan to rescue us. And that plan was to crush his Son on our behalf. The Christian hope does not rest on the shoulders of you and me. The Christian hope rests on the shoulders of God.

The scandal and beauty of the gospel is God pursued sinners! The scandal and beauty of the gospel is that God pursued you!

And the only proper response is worship!

If I saved you from drowning, the only thing you could do at that moment is, "Thank you!"

J.I. Packer once wrote, "Any theology that does not lead to song is, at a fundamental level, a flawed theology." So, if you understand the theology of the gospel, then you can't help but worship!

"The one who gave himself for our sins deserves the glory forever and ever." There is not a day that goes by that Jesus is not worthy of glory! So, may we be a people that joyfully give him the glory every day of our lives!

Singleness pt. 3

Discussion Questions:

1. What were some major takeaways from this miniseries on singleness?

2. How are you managing your time for discipleship? Do you feel like you’re stewarding your time and energy well for discipleship?

3. How can the church, as a whole, better walk alongside their single brothers and sisters in the church?

Singleness pt. 2

Discussion Questions:

1. How is the “the grass is greener on the other side” mentality a dangerous mentality to possesses, especially when it comes to singleness and marriage?

2. How should the brevity of life impact the way we live our life as believers?

3. How should the greatness of heaven impact the way we view singleness and marriage?

4. What do you think it means to be “free from anxieties (1 Cor. 7:32)?”

Singleness is a Gift?

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean that both singleness and marriage are a gift from God (1 Cor. 7:7)? How should this impact the way we view and treat the season of life we are in currently?

2. How does the truth “God’s church is being built through spiritual descendants, not biological descendants” impact the way we view singleness?

3. Why and how is the comparison of gifts so dangerous to the life of a believer?

Proverbs: Conclusion

Discussion Questions:

1. On Sunday the point was made that “the goal of Proverbs is not to show us how to become God’s people. The goal of Proverbs is to show God’s people how to walk like God’s people.” Why is that an important distinction to make?

2. How is God’s eagerness to extend wisdom in Proverbs 8:1-5 a declaration of his love?

3. How should the truth that God wants his people to be wise shape the way we study the Bible?

4. In light of the way God’s wisdom is described in Proverbs 8:6-9, how should we respond whenever we come across counsel in the Bible that goes against our hearts desires?

Proverbs: How can I glorify God with my money?

Discussion Questions:

1. How can we “honor God with our wealth and with the firstfruits of all our produce?”

2. What does generosity to the poor look like practically? Do our budgets reflect the generosity of God?

3. Do I need to change how I manage my money?

4. What some examples of God's faithfulness when we have been generous?

Proverbs: How can I glorify God as an employee?

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it important for the world to see Godly men and women in non-leadership positions at work?

2. What do you think “fearing” your boss looks like at work? Why is it difficult to do this sometimes? Why do you think God calls us to “fear our king?”

3. Why do you think Solomon tells us in Proverbs 10:2 that “treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death?”

4. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 says that he worked hard while proclaiming the gospel. Why should we adopt that same order of priorities (gospel proclamation > work production)?

Proverbs: How can I be a Godly leader?

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it important for leaders to be willing to submit to the counsel of others? Why is it important for leaders to be selective in the counsel they receive?

2. In what areas do you find yourself in a leadership position? How do you make an intentional effort to care for those that you are leading?

3. In what ways do you find yourself tempted to not lead justly? How can you do a better job at treating all people fairly?

4. What does your leadership style say about the God you serve?

Proverbs: Laziness

Discussion questions:

1. What does the Bible say about work?

2. What do you think makes us susceptible to falling into the sin of laziness (or sloth/sluggard)?

3. What are characteristics of the sluggard?

4. What are some ways you think that you have acted like the sluggard?

5. How does the gospel help us put to death the sluggard in us?

Proverbs: Is it wise to drink alcohol?

Discussion Questions:

1. Is it always sinful to drink alcohol? Why or why not? **Use the Bible to answer this.

2. Proverbs consistently speaks on the danger of alcohol. Why do you think that is the case?

3. Proverbs 23:31 says to not even “look at” wine. What does that mean? And how do we personally apply those words to us today?

4. How can we as a community group help protect one another from drunkenness?

Proverbs: How can I glorify God during conflict?

Discussion Questions:

1. When it comes to the topic of conflict, why is it so important to start with the gospel?

2. Read Proverbs 15:1. Discuss how this verse calls us to handle conflict.

3. Why is dishonesty so detrimental to unity and peace?

4. Why is assuming motives so dangerous? And why do we often times prefer to assume motives over seeking out the truth?

5. What are some of the biggest points of tension in the society we live in today? How can we, as Christians, be examples of peace keepers when it comes to these areas?

Church Health (Romans 12:9-13)

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is the gospel so important to the health of a church?

2. In verse 9 we see a call to “let our love be genuine.” What does a genuine, non-hypocritical love, practically look like?

3. Why is “outdoing someone in showing honor” so difficult? Why is it so important to church health?

4. What does it mean to not be “slothful in zeal,” and to be “fervent in the spirit?”

5. How can we better live out verse 13?

Proverbs: How can I glorify God as a parent?

discussion questions:

1. How does Proverbs 20:20 and 30:17 remind us to apply the gospel to being a child and a parent?

2. What are some practical ways parents can engage in training their children?

3. How can the church partner with parents?

4. What are some areas that it is easy as a family to chase “good” things at the expense of what is best?

5. How can we help our kids see our passion for Christ?

Proverbs: How can I glorify God in my sex life (pt.2)?

Discussion Questions:

1. How is God telling us “no” to sexual freedom a display of his love?

2. Why does God tell us not to pursue sexual intimacy with someone who is not our spouse?

3. How can we avoid the temptation to find sexual satisfaction with someone who is not our spouse?

4. Solomon was birthed out of a relationship that began out of adultery. How does this truth comfort us in our struggle with sexual purity?

Proverbs: How can I glorify God in my sex life?

Discussion Questions:

1. Would you consider sex to be a positive or negative thing? Why?

2. Does the Bible call Christians to avoid sex?

3. What does it mean to have a gospel-centered sex life?

4. How should we respond to friends outside of the church who think our sexual ethic is outdated or absurd? What about those inside of the church>

5. What testimony of God’s grace could you share in this area of life?

Proverbs: How can I glorify God in my marriage?

Discussion Questions:

1. When it comes to topics on marriage and sexuality, why is it important to first draw our attention back to how God designed his creation to work in the garden?

2. On Sunday we learned that an “excellent wife” means a “strong wife.” Why is that significant?

3. Why is the fear of God foundational to the health of both singleness and marriage?

4. In Proverbs 31, we see that an “excellent wife” cares for the needs of both her family and her neighbor. How does such selfless generosity glorify God?

Proverbs: How can I glorify God in my friendships?

Discussion Questions:

1. Read Proverbs 19:4,6 and Proverbs 17:17. Discuss the differences between the two different types of friends being described here.

2. How does Jesus’ actions demonstrate to us how a true friend should act (Jn.15)?

3. Proverbs 18:24 teaches us that, when it comes to friendships, quality is better than quantity. Why is that such an important truth for us to embrace?

4. Proverbs 25:17 teaches us about the importance of boundaries. What is a health balance between living in community and spending time alone?

5. Proverbs 27:6,9,17 teach us that Godly friends are willing to wound with truth. Why should we deliver difficult truths to our friends? How should we deliver difficult truths to our friends?

Proverbs: Giving and Receiving Advice

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it important that we seek counsel from others? Why is it so difficult to receive advice sometimes?

2. Read Proverbs 12:5, Proverbs 15:22, and Proverbs 24:6. Who should we take counsel from?

3. What is the importance of the Holy Spirit being considered a “counselor?”

4. Is there ever a time that we should act against the counsel given to us? Why or why not?

Easter Service: He is Risen!

[1] Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. [2] And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. [3] His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. [4] And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. [5] But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. [6] He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. [7] Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” [8] So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. [9] And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. [10] Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Proverbs: How can I glorify God with my words?

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean in Proverbs 18:20-21 that “death and life are in the power of the tongue?”

2. Why is it important to “guard our mouths (13:3)” and “restrain our words (12:27)”? Why is this so difficult?

3. In looking at Proverbs 31:8-9, what does it practically look like to “open our mouths for the mute” and “defend the rights of the poor and needy?”

4. Why is being gentle and honest with our words so important to the Christian faith?