Sermon #10 Galatians Series

Title: “Christ Crucified - Our Preservative”

Text: Galatians 3:1

Reading:

Subject: The replacement of the gospel, or apostasy from Christ

Date:

Tape #

Introduction:

The Galatians received the gospel which Paul had preached unto them with very great enthusiasm. It seems that these Galatians were a very warmhearted, but fickle people; and Paul found, to his great grief, that while he had been away from them, certain false teachers came in among them and turned them aside from the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. He was thus constrained to speak very plainly in this matter. In this verse he uses strong terms. “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?” I hope that no such witchery has fallen upon any of our assembly, and that it never shall. Yet, being men, we are all subject to the dangerous doctrines of devils that take men’s faith off of Jesus. I know that there are bewitching doctrines in the air at this very time, so that many are found throughout the churches of this land to whom these words might be properly addressed.

Here Paul reminds them of their wonderful conversion. “Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you.” The word here translated “evidently set forth,” is a word that refers to the placards that were publicly displayed in a forum or in an agora, in a market place, for all the citizens to see. Having no newspapers, public announcements were made in this manner. They were placed in areas where the public mingled, so that everyone could read them. When Paul preached the gospel to the Galatians, they could see the Lord crucified among themselves. They, in imagination and by faith, followed the procession of the Roman soldiers through the streets of Jerusalem. They heard the ringing of the hammers as the Lord was nailed to the cursed three. They heard the Saviors sobs, his tears, his cries of agony and pain. They felt his suffering as his blood flowed from his head, his hands, and his feet to encrimson the ground. Seeing him thus crucified, they were convicted in their hearts, they forsook their paganism and idolatry, being born into the kingdom of God. They became new creatures. The old life, the old world, the old ways, the old pleasures were passed away, and all things had become new. They were regenerated by the sovereign power of the Spirit of God through the hearing of the Word of faith. They forsook their old gods and embraced the true and living God, even Jesus Christ our Lord. It was a new and wonderful day for the Galatians.

Beloved, here we have a marvelous testimony to the message which Paul preached. What was the theme of his sermons? It was this, “Christ died for ours sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.” When Paul preached, he preached the gospel (1 Cor. 9:16). Christ and him crucified was this man’s message (Acts 9:20; 1 Cor. 2:2). That is the faith. That is the substance and the essence of Christianity. The beginning, the middle, and the end of the Christian faith is “Jesus Christ and him crucified.” When Paul preaches the gospel that washes away our sins and saves us from death, he is preaching Christ. When John writes of the revelation of the Father and eternal life, he is writing of Jesus. When James speaks of the great Lawgiver and judge, he is talking about Jesus. When the author of the epistle to the Hebrews speaks of the Great High priest in heaven, and the mediator between God and man, he is talking about the Savior. The Christian faith is Christ. Take that away, take the Lord out of it, and it is nothing.

This is the gospel that Paul preached and the power and effect of it upon the Galatians was glorious. It placed the light of heaven upon their brow. Their lips cried, “Abba Father,” and the presence and power of Christ was in their hearts. In Christ they had liberty and life. Paul gloried in their spiritual transformation.

But now Paul’s astonishment is aroused by something else. The Galatians had been taken away from their hope in Christ, by false teachers who entangled them again in the yoke of the law. They had taken their minds off of Christ and focused them on something else. And, beloved, this is a danger of which we need a word of caution in our day. The only way that we can escape this evil, which Paul so severely condemns, is the use of proper cautionary means. Only as the Holy Spirit shall keep us, will we be preserved from the fascination of heresy, and kept true to the gospel of Christ.

Proposition:

We will be kept from error concerning our Christian faith only if we keep our hearts and minds fixed by faith upon Christ as the all and all of the faith.

Divisions:

1. The subtle peril.

2. The singular preservation.

3. The senseless perversion.

I. The subtle peril.

A. The dangers to which we are exposed.

1. The Apostolic Christians were not free from the subtle dangers of heresy.

NOTE: It was hard work to preach the gospel among the heathen. Men had to lay down their lives to do it. But, eventually, converts were made. But soon those who were supposedly converted were bewitched by Satanic perversions of the gospel. The Apostles had many dangers to refute.

a. Judaism subverted the gospel in many quarters.

b. Gnosticism arose early in the Christian church.

c. Asceticism crept in quickly among Christians.

d. Annihilationism plagued the church at Corinth.

2. Very shortly after the days of the Apostles Arianism crept in subverting the souls of many be a denial of the deity of Christ.

3. Augustine in his day fought hard against Pelagianism, which denied the moral guilt of man, and rendered the work of Christ unnecessary.

4. During those long dark years of Roman, Papal supremacy, the superstitions of Rome prevailed almost universally.

5. Shortly after the protestant reformation, the church of England began to return to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church.

6. During the days of Dr. John Gill and John Brine Unitarianism and Socinianism crept into a great many Baptists assemblies.

7. In our day there is a great perversion of the gospel.

a. Overt heresies are clearly seen on every side.

· Russellism.

· Campbellism.

· Armstrongism.

· Mormonism.

b. More subtle heresies have crept into our evangelical churches.

· Arminianism.

· Decisionalism.

B. The difficulties which we encounter.

1. Some say that Jesus is not God. If this is so, then he was a liar, an imposter, and can be of help to no one.

2. Some say that man is the one who ultimately decides his own destiny.

a. Then Jesus died in vain.

b. Then God is not sovereign.

c. Then the Holy Spirit is not omnipotent.

d. Then man is his own God.

How can we be kept from falling into these terrible heresies?

II. The singular preservative.

Beloved, if you want to be kept sound in the faith, you must get the proper subject fixed in the center of your heart - Christ and him crucified.

A. Jesus Christ is the subject of the ministry.

1. Wherever Paul went he set forth the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

a. Away with religion that has little of Christ in it.

b. Christ must be the Alpha and the Omega of our faith.

· He is the Foundation.

· He is the Cornerstone.

· He is the Top Stone.

c. Christ is all our Hope

d. Christ is all our assurance.

2. Paul not only preached Christ, but he set him forth. He took pains to make Christ and him crucified clearly beheld by his hearers.

a. This was his main doctrine (Acts 9:16, 20; 1 Cor. 2:2).

b. This doctrine will preserver you from all the bewitching doctrines of our age.

· He is our Prophet.

· He is our Priest.

· He is our King.

· He is our Sacrifice.

· He is our Altar.

· He is our Husband.

· He is our Friend.

· He is our Brother.

· He is our Father.

· He is our Counsellor.

· He is our Provider.

· He is our Heaven.

· He is our All.

c. Make Christ and him crucified the center of every doctrine.

d. Let us set him forth clearly among men, that they may embrace him.

B. Jesus Christ is the sovereign of men.

1. He is God - This Paul preached.

2. He is the Creator.

3. He is the Judge.

C. Jesus Christ is the Substitute of mankind (2 Cor. 5:21). We must behold him personally.

Application:

1. Shun every doctrine that takes away from the glory of Christ.

2. Build every doctrine upon Christ.

3. Be bold to proclaim Christ.

4. Judge every ministry by this standard - What does it make of Christ?

II. The Senseless Perversion.

A. The senselessness of the false gospel.

1. The law is powerless.

2. Feelings are powerless.

3. Philosophy is powerless.

4. Ritualism is powerless.

5. Free-will is powerless.

6. Morality is powerless.

B. The simplicity of the full gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

1. It is a simple message.

2. It is a sovereign message (Rom. 1:15-16).

· This message transforms sinners.

· This message comforts saints.

· This message honors God.

3. It is a satisfying message.

Application:

1. May God enable us to cling to the old gospel.

Tell me the old, old story,

Of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory,

Of Jesus and His love,;

Tell me the story simply,

As to a little child,

For I am weak and weary,

And helpless and defiled.

Tell me the story slowly,

That I may take it in -

That wonderful redemption,

God’s remedy for sin;

Tell me the story often,

For I forget so soon,

The early dew of morning

Has passed away at noon.

Tell me the story softly,

With earnest tones an grave;

Remember I’m the sinner

Whom Jesus came to save,

Tell me the story always,

If you would really be,

In any time of trouble,

A comforter to me.

Tell me the same old story,

When you have cause to fear

That this world’s empty glory,

Is costing me too dear;

Yes, and when that world’s glory,

Is dawning on my soul,

Tell me the old, old story,

Christ Jesus, makes thee whole.

____________________________

I love to tell the story,

Of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and His glory,

Of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story,

Because I know ‘tis true;

It satisfies my longings

As nothing else can do.

I love to tell the story,

For those who know it best

Seem hungering and thirsting

To hear it like the rest.

And when in scenes of glory

I’ll sing the new, new song,

‘Twill be the old, old story

That I have loved so long.

2. This is the message sinners need - “Christ crucified.”

3. This is the message saints need- “Christ crucified.”