North Anderson Baptist Church
On Mission In Anderson & Beyond
Sunday, December 10th, 2023 Today's Liturgy Call To Worship 0 Our God Saves / Joy To The World Welcome & Missions Moment - Stephen Rollins, Associate Pastor RA/GA Christmas Presentation Worship Through Fellowship Advent Reading - The Byce family Choir Presentation - O Holy Night Today's Sermon - Galatians 3 Invitation To Respond - What Child Is This Worship Through Giving Doxology & Benediction
Locations & Times
North Anderson Baptist Church
2308 N Main St, Anderson, SC 29621, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Galatians 3:1 “You foolish Galatians!...”
Paul calls them foolish – the Greek word used here doesn’t mean mentally deficient but rather a word that describes someone who can think but fails to do so.
Look at the rest of verse 1 “You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”
Who has put a spell on you? King James – “who has bewitched you”
Paul doesn’t literally mean that the Galatians were under some spirit of sorcery but Is saying that in giving an ear to message of the Judaizers, in giving credence to their work, it was as if they were under some spell and their thinking was clouded.
ESPECIALLY SINCE: “before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”
Portrayed – Word used to describe a public notice that was issued announcing property was for sale
We might use the word “billboard” – Pauls message was preached all over the region of Galatia.
He’d painted a picture of the shed blood of Jesus, the sacrifice made for our sins, the substitutionary death of the Messiah and the sufficiency of it all…and they’d seen the billboards all over town!
The picture that Paul had painted for them in his sermons was so cross centered, so memorable, so vivid, that it was as though they themselves had seen Christ on His cross!
AND NOW they were rejecting that?
HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOOLISH? YOU KNOW BETTER!
To bring them back to reality, Paul asks them a few questions.
1. HOW WERE YOU SAVED?
The decisive evidence of salvation by faith is the reception of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children”
Galatians 3:2 “I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard”
Did you earn the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Is that how you came to faith? Was it your works?
Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ"
2. HOW ARE YOU BEING SANCTIFIED?
Sanctification – the process that begins at the moment of conversion where we’re becoming more like Jesus
Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?”
Paul is saying: You mean to tell me, that you that though your salvation is dependent upon Gods power, your sanctification depends on your own?
3.WHY DID YOU SUFFER?
We know from Acts 14 that Paul and his companions suffered terrible persecution in this region (stoned and left for dead). Undoubtedly, that suffering spilled over onto the congregations that he left behind.
Galatians 3:4 “Did you experience so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing?”
Think about it, brothers and sisters, were you persecuted because you kept the traditions of man? Because you were striving to follow the Law of Moses? NO – You suffered because of the Gospel.
4.HOW DID MIRACLES OCCUR?
Throughout the entire region of Galatia, signs and wonders were authenticating the Gospel message that Paul was preaching
Galatians 3:5 “So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard?”
Paul’s question – How and why did this miracles occur?
Because you were checking all the right boxes? Because you earned it?
NO – Because of Grace through faith!
Three Thoughts To Take Home:
· While it is beautiful to have a tender heart, it’s dangerous to have a tender head
· We are as dependent upon the Lord for our sanctification as we were for our salvation
· Grace cannot be improved upon
Paul calls them foolish – the Greek word used here doesn’t mean mentally deficient but rather a word that describes someone who can think but fails to do so.
Look at the rest of verse 1 “You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”
Who has put a spell on you? King James – “who has bewitched you”
Paul doesn’t literally mean that the Galatians were under some spirit of sorcery but Is saying that in giving an ear to message of the Judaizers, in giving credence to their work, it was as if they were under some spell and their thinking was clouded.
ESPECIALLY SINCE: “before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”
Portrayed – Word used to describe a public notice that was issued announcing property was for sale
We might use the word “billboard” – Pauls message was preached all over the region of Galatia.
He’d painted a picture of the shed blood of Jesus, the sacrifice made for our sins, the substitutionary death of the Messiah and the sufficiency of it all…and they’d seen the billboards all over town!
The picture that Paul had painted for them in his sermons was so cross centered, so memorable, so vivid, that it was as though they themselves had seen Christ on His cross!
AND NOW they were rejecting that?
HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOOLISH? YOU KNOW BETTER!
To bring them back to reality, Paul asks them a few questions.
1. HOW WERE YOU SAVED?
The decisive evidence of salvation by faith is the reception of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children”
Galatians 3:2 “I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard”
Did you earn the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Is that how you came to faith? Was it your works?
Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ"
2. HOW ARE YOU BEING SANCTIFIED?
Sanctification – the process that begins at the moment of conversion where we’re becoming more like Jesus
Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?”
Paul is saying: You mean to tell me, that you that though your salvation is dependent upon Gods power, your sanctification depends on your own?
3.WHY DID YOU SUFFER?
We know from Acts 14 that Paul and his companions suffered terrible persecution in this region (stoned and left for dead). Undoubtedly, that suffering spilled over onto the congregations that he left behind.
Galatians 3:4 “Did you experience so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing?”
Think about it, brothers and sisters, were you persecuted because you kept the traditions of man? Because you were striving to follow the Law of Moses? NO – You suffered because of the Gospel.
4.HOW DID MIRACLES OCCUR?
Throughout the entire region of Galatia, signs and wonders were authenticating the Gospel message that Paul was preaching
Galatians 3:5 “So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard?”
Paul’s question – How and why did this miracles occur?
Because you were checking all the right boxes? Because you earned it?
NO – Because of Grace through faith!
Three Thoughts To Take Home:
· While it is beautiful to have a tender heart, it’s dangerous to have a tender head
· We are as dependent upon the Lord for our sanctification as we were for our salvation
· Grace cannot be improved upon