The One And Only Gospel

Introduction:

I. Shh, don’t speak too loudly or someone might hear you.

A. They might hear you say there is only one church

1. They might hear it is mandatory for a person to be baptized to be a Christian

2. They might hear you disagree with their understanding of the gospel.

3. Shhh, don’t let anyone hear you.

B. Paul was not like that at all.

1. He stood his ground when it came to the gospel of Jesus Christ

2. Ephesians 6:13-14 "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,"

3. Paul was a man who would stand up and shout out if there was anyone teaching falsehood.

II. Paul did just that to the Galatian church when he heard of the conflict within the church’s hearts

A. When others had stood up and questioned Paul’s validity as a minister of the gospel.

1. They questioned how a man who had been a persecuting Jew could ever been close to Jesus.

2. How could Paul had seen Jesus?

B. It wasn’t a long trail down that path of thinking before the very message he was proclaiming was questioned.

1. When Paul receives the message he is appalled not because he is on the hot seat, but because the Galatians have chosen a false gospel.

2. A gospel that was tangled in legalism.

3. Tangled with the precepts of the law, which had been fulfilled by Christ.

4. So Paul chose to stand up for the gospel and speak boldly for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Body:

I. Paul says there is ONE Gospel. (6-7a)

A. There is only one church

1. With thousands of churches in each region of the world claiming to be Christians, what do you tell someone who asks which one is real.

2. The Bible claims that Jesus only built one church.

3. Remember Peter’s confession "Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:16-18)

4. Jesus built one church on the confession of Peter and no more.

5. So which one is the true church?

6. It would be the church that taught the true gospel.

B. There is only one Gospel Paul preached

1. The gospel is very simply a story about the man Jesus of Nazareth.

a. The good news is that he gave his life freely as a free will sacrifice for the sin of the world.

b. He was a perfect sacrifice given to cover the iniquities of the world.

c. After dying he was buried in the tomb of rich man, and three days later he rose from the grave defeating death.

2. When speaking of the gospel we are often not talking about the plain story of Jesus Christ.

a. The Judaizers were not discrediting these previous things, the were discrediting the actions necessary for a Christian to be created.

b. Today it is really the same thing.

3. So what is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

a. Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 6 that it is a reenactment of the death, burial and resurrection.

b. We are to have faith, trusting in the promises of God.

c. We are change our attitude toward sin (dying to sin)

d. We must confess Jesus as Lord. (Rom 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil 2:11)

e. Then be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (Rom 6:3ff; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27)

C. Have we bought into falsehood.

1. Our nation, our world wants us to live a life without conviction and without standing up for our faith.

a. Have you bought into it?

b. When you told someone goes to church, is that enough in your mind to be a Christian?

c. Does it matter where you go?

d. Does it matter how you act?

e. Does it matter if you obey the gospel of Christ.

2. There is one gospel of Christ

a. It demands obedient faith that relies on the promises of God through his free grace.

b. One must obey the gospel of Christ.

II. Paul sees someone has caused confusion. (7b)

A. Illustration – The Premise to Joe Somebody. Starring Tim Allen and Jim Belushi.

1. Joe was an average working man with a job he didn’t really love, but did his duties.