Upholding the Gospel Amidst Controversy and Distortion
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In order to continue to preach the same gospel that saved you, the biblical gospel, you will have to endure controversy. Now if it's early and you're not good at early, that is the main thing I'm going to say. I'm going to say it again, in order to continue to preach the same gospel that saved you the biblical gospel you will have to endure controversy. [00:00:10]
Paul an apostle, sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead, and all the brothers with me, to the churches in Galatia. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of God our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever amen. [00:06:08]
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ, but even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned. [00:07:31]
Friends, Christ gave himself to accomplish all of this, and the life of every true Christian here in this room knows the reality of that. Oh, we've been experiencing that even today, even this morning, his Rescue of us the way Paul puts it here. We are hopelessly lost in the tossing, threatening, growing violence of our own sinful Rebellion against God. [00:13:44]
The Galatians' confusion was about the gospel itself. Pastor, there is no theological idea or no understanding in the minds of the members of your church that you should care about so much as their understanding of the Gospel. Look at verse six: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. [00:18:15]
Friends, moral scandals involving Sex and Money tarnish a Church's Witness. Family feuds can tear at a church. Gossip and envy, worldliness and selfishness can eat away at it, but teaching a false gospel kills it from its very core and Center. It sets the whole course wrongly, its data is dirty, its assumptions are erroneous, its material is unsound. [00:23:04]
Paul was willing, rightly willing, to stir up controversy, to lay down niceness, to cause a stink, to make things awkward, to risk not being liked. I don't know how many different ways I can put it. He was willing to do all of those socially uncomfortable things in order to be a faithful messenger conveying the message that he had been given to Those whom God had called him to love. [00:41:40]
The responsibility of discerning and upholding the gospel extends to the entire congregation, not just church leaders. Paul addressed the churches in Galatia, indicating that every believer has a role in safeguarding the truth. This communal responsibility is vital in maintaining the integrity of the gospel. [00:44:10]
If you want to learn about how to spot a counterfeit, don't spend time studying the counterfeits, study the real thing. That will get you prepared for every counterfeit. Study the Bible. Realize that you not only have the ability but you have the responsibility to discern the main points of the Gospel in the Bible and to keep those clear for your congregation. [00:46:56]
It is our responsibility to believe the real gospel for ourselves and to make sure that it is taught to others, even if it involves Us in unpleasant controversy. Brother pastor, choose your controversy bullets carefully. You won't have a lot of them. Make sure you use them up on that which is most essential. [00:51:14]
We sit here today enjoying the fruits of the controversies that others were willing to wage out of faithfulness to the gospel, which Paul preached, and more to the point for which Christ died. Can we pastors today do any less? [00:52:34]
Theological controversy certainly may be unpleasant, but it may every bit as certainly be necessary. Martin Luther King Jr said that the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of Challenge and controversy. [00:50:32]
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Paul an apostle, sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead, and all the brothers with me, to the churches in Galatia. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of God our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever amen. [00:06:08]
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ, but even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned. [00:07:31]
Friends, Christ gave himself to accomplish all of this, and the life of every true Christian here in this room knows the reality of that. Oh, we've been experiencing that even today, even this morning, his Rescue of us the way Paul puts it here. We are hopelessly lost in the tossing, threatening, growing violence of our own sinful Rebellion against God. [00:13:44]
The Galatians' confusion was about the gospel itself. Pastor, there is no theological idea or no understanding in the minds of the members of your church that you should care about so much as their understanding of the Gospel. Look at verse six: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. [00:18:15]
Friends, moral scandals involving Sex and Money tarnish a Church's Witness. Family feuds can tear at a church. Gossip and envy, worldliness and selfishness can eat away at it, but teaching a false gospel kills it from its very core and Center. It sets the whole course wrongly, its data is dirty, its assumptions are erroneous, its material is unsound. [00:23:04]
Paul was willing, rightly willing, to stir up controversy, to lay down niceness, to cause a stink, to make things awkward, to risk not being liked. I don't know how many different ways I can put it. He was willing to do all of those socially uncomfortable things in order to be a faithful messenger conveying the message that he had been given to Those whom God had called him to love. [00:41:40]
The responsibility of discerning and upholding the gospel extends to the entire congregation, not just church leaders. Paul addressed the churches in Galatia, indicating that every believer has a role in safeguarding the truth. This communal responsibility is vital in maintaining the integrity of the gospel. [00:44:10]
If you want to learn about how to spot a counterfeit, don't spend time studying the counterfeits, study the real thing. That will get you prepared for every counterfeit. Study the Bible. Realize that you not only have the ability but you have the responsibility to discern the main points of the Gospel in the Bible and to keep those clear for your congregation. [00:46:56]
It is our responsibility to believe the real gospel for ourselves and to make sure that it is taught to others, even if it involves Us in unpleasant controversy. Brother pastor, choose your controversy bullets carefully. You won't have a lot of them. Make sure you use them up on that which is most essential. [00:51:14]
We sit here today enjoying the fruits of the controversies that others were willing to wage out of faithfulness to the gospel, which Paul preached, and more to the point for which Christ died. Can we pastors today do any less? [00:52:34]
Theological controversy certainly may be unpleasant, but it may every bit as certainly be necessary. Martin Luther King Jr said that the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of Challenge and controversy. [00:50:32]
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