Scripture: Galatians 1:6-12

SERMON SUMMARY

Why is being clear on the Gospel so vitally important?

1. If you distort the Gospel in any way, you destroy it.
2. The true Gospel of God’s grace has come to us from Jesus Christ Himself.  

SERMON SCREENSHOTS & KEY POINTS

This week, we’re continuing to unpack the question: Why is being clear on the Gospel so critically important? In the first 12 verses of chapter 1, Paul has “draw a line in the sand.” He is adamant that there is only one Gospel. He insists that any change or modification to the Gospel destroys the Gospel. So, Paul confronts those who were trying to influence his friends in Galatians with a different “gospel” that was really no Gospel at all. These false teachers were basically saying that the real Gospel was: Jesus + obeying the law of Moses = salvation. And for Paul, adding anything to what Jesus has done for us through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension back into heaven brought out his strongest condemnation. For Paul, you cannot mix grace and law-keeping in any way, shape, or form.

This is not in the sermon, but a helpful way to pull together what Paul is saying in these first 12 verses to read Paul’s thoughts here backwards. So, instead of reading verses 1 to 12; read the verses 12 to 1.

1:10-12 Paul says, “The Gospel I preach came directly from Jesus Himself.”

1: 8-9 Some have come to you preaching a different gospel.

1:7 This different “gospel” distorts the true Gospel and disturbs the church.

1:6: This different “gospel” has led you away from the grace of God that has come to you in Christ.

1:5: God is worthy of all glory and praise...

1:4: Because by His will alone He rescued us through Jesus.

1:3: That we might experience true grace and peace.

1:1-2 My Apostleship (and my Gospel) did not from men or through man, but from Jesus Himself...

See it? Did you notice how the thought in verses 10-12 and in verse 1 bookend this passage? Again, in this case, reading backward can help us see his “big idea” a bit more clearly.

The question asked and answered in the sermon is this: Why is being clear on the Gospel so vitally important?

1. First, because if you distort the Gospel in any way—if you add to it or modify it even just a little bit—you destroy it.
2. Second, because the true Gospel of God’s grace has come to us from Jesus Christ Himself.  

This is very much the same theme as Jason’s message last week. But because this question and these two answers are so crucial to understanding how the Christian life is to be lived, we’re spending a second week digging deeper into it.

Onscreen points are as follows:

• The Gospel that saves you, is the Gospel that sustains you.
• The “Judaizers” taught that Jesus + obeying the Mosaic Law = salvation.
• Paul taught: Jesus + anything = nothing — Jesus + nothing = everything.
• Martin Luther said: “There is no middle ground between Christian righteousness and works-righteousness because there is no other alternative to Christian-righteousness but works-righteousness. If you do not build your confidence on the work of Christ, you must build your confidence on your own work.”
• The Gospel is “because of,” not “in order to.”
• Discussion of the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22, specifically focusing on Matthew 22:10

*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.

SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS                  

Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. In fact, some of these questions may prompt other questions that may be important to group members. So, feel the freedom to explore other questions as long as they don’t become “rabbit trails.”

1. From the sermon, what does the interaction among the hobbits at the beginning of "The Fellowship of the Ring" reveal about the mindset and attitude of the people of the Shire? How does the Hobbit’s conversation relate to real-life situations?
2. How does the analogy of the impending doom and rescue of the Shire relate to the concept of rescue and salvation in Christianity?
3. Read Galatians 1:1-12, then read the main points of this passage above backward. Then ask: How does this help you understand the point that Paul is trying to get across?
4. As you understand it, what is the "Good News of the Gospel" according to the passage?
5. How does the idea of the Galatians deserting the Gospel of the “grace” of Christ (v6) relate to the “nutshell” Gospel stated in v4?
6. Why is the book of Galatians more of a book for Christians rather than non-Christians?
7. How would you explain what the Gospel is and what the Gospel isn’t to a child?
8. What point was being made in the discussion about the relationship between justification and sanctification? What do you get if you mix the two? What is the relationship between the two?
9. How is it possible to forget or confuse the Gospel of grace by adding something to faith in Christ?
10. Have you found yourself questioning your own or someone else’s salvation based on how well you or they are living the Christian life?
11. True, not everyone who says they’re “saved” is saved. But how does the Gospel of what Jesus has done for us, not what we do for Him, factor into our understanding of who may be a Christian and who might not be a Christian?
12. How does the book of Galatians address the questions of what makes a person right with God and what keeps a person right with God, and how are these questions relevant to individuals both inside and outside the faith?
13. What else?