The Gospel! Can You Hear The Music?

For Those unfamiliar with an Anglican Service. There are four readings prior to the Sermon. Today's readings were 1 Kings 17: 8-24; Psalm 146; Galatians 1: 11-24; and Luke 7: 11-17

A family from a remote area .... was making their very first visit ... to the big city.

They checked into the grand hotel and stood in amazement .... at the impressive sight.

As Dad signed in at the reception desk, .... Mom and daughter came near the elevator entrance.

They had never seen an elevator before, ....and they just stared at it, ... unable to figure out what it was there for.

An old man hobbled towards the elevator and went inside. The door closed.

About a minute later, the door opened ... and out came a stunningly good-looking young man.

Mom could not stop staring.

Without turning her head, she patted her daughter's arm and said, "Honey, ...... Go get your dad." (Pause)

Well.... Unlike the elevator ... the Gospel of Jesus Christ.... The Gospel of the Cross ... truly does make a difference.

In the passage we considered last week, ... the apostle Paul made some strong arguments ... against what he called a ... "Different Gospel.

Which Paul went on to say .... really was NOT a Gospel ... at all.

Any message ... other than the Gospel of Christ ... the Gospel of the Cross .... was truly not .... Good News.

In today's passage .... from the letter to the Churches in Galatia, .... we take a deeper look ... at the other side of the coin.

Today we look not at a ... different gospel, ... but the one true Gospel.

And we shall see that it is a gospel .... that unlike the elevator or the counterfeit gospels .... makes a real difference... (Pause)

So ....... what is the difference between the gospel of Christ ... and those that are perverted or counterfeit?

It seems to me .... that there are three truths .... three life changing differences .... between the Gospel of Christ ... and that of the Counterfeit.

First I would like to consider the difference in the Source of the true Gospel.

For.... The true Gospel of Jesus Christ is "Transcendent".

It transcends culture.

It is not of human origin.

It was revealed through Jesus Christ and is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Hear Paul's Words: BIBLE "I want you to know, brothers and sisters, .... that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; ?for I did not receive it from a human source, .... nor was I taught it, .... but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." END (Galatians 1:11-12)

The true good news is this: ... that salvation from sin ... can only be found in the sacrificial death of Christ.

This is no man made message.

It is so simple .... yet so magnificent ....and yet for many ... so difficult to comprehend.

It is a transcendent message, .... a message from the heart of God.

In opening sentence of Paul's Galatian letter.... Paul makes it clear that he is ... an apostle, .... a representative.... sent not by man, .... but by God.

And here in our text today ... Paul makes the same point ... concerning the Gospel Message.

This Message ... the Good News ... was also sent by God.

For Paul the two are inseparable, ...... God is the source of his authority .... And God is also the source ...... of this God sent ... Gospel Message.

These False teachers did not deny Paul's teachings outright ...... but wanted the Galatians to improve on "the gospel" .... by adding to it.

Adding ...... new requirements, new ceremonies ...... new standards.

What is at least implied ...... is that the faith that these Galatian believers have ......is not sufficient, ...... some-thing more is needed.

Paul needed to respond .... And respond immediately. (Pause)

For Paul was preaching the Gospel that he received by revelation .... from Christ Himself."

The significance of this ... is that we ... we who call ourselves followers of the Christ.

Cannot must not alter parts of it ... according to our pleasure ...... or to make it more acceptable to ourselves ... and to our society.

Yes ......... (Slow) we need to communicate the message with relevance .... to make it understood.

But we cannot change the Gospel.... We cannot altar the Gospel.

The Gospel message is the same yesterday ... today .... and forever.

Once for all, in every time.... in every place.

Christ died for sinners.

Those who submit to his authority and reach out in faith ...... Accept Him as Savior and Lord.... are saved by His sacrifice.

It does not matter what type of Society you live in ... even a society like ours.... that is uncomfortable with the concept of sin.