Let Freedom Ring
Part One: Free to Serve Jesus, Gal. 1:1-10
By Louie Marsh, 6-2-2024
Intro – New Bible Trans – Map of Galatia,
To be free to serve Jesus I need to know 4 things:
1) Know WHERE my loyalties lie.
"1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead— 2and all the brothers with me, To the churches of Galatia:" (Galatians 1:1–2, BSB)
This gives me…
1Paul, an Apostle, not from man or through men's authority but directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father, the One who raised Him from among the corpses. 2And everyone with me, to the congregations in Galatia. Galatians 1:1-2 (LIV)
Not a translation or a paraphrase – but a Paralation!
2) Know THE GOSPEL
"3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Galatians 1:3–5, BSB)
"3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. 6After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles." (1 Corinthians 15:3–7, BSB)
3) Know the COUNTERFEITS
"6I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!" (Galatians 1:6–9, BSB)
"4For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily." (2 Corinthians 11:4, BSB)
4) Know that I can't please EVERYONE.
"10Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, BSB)
So I must choose to please either…
