1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,960
We're going to be in our text quite a bit this morning, so if you have your Bibles with

2
00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:11,480
you that would be absolutely fantastic, but before we get into the text that we have before

3
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:19,080
us, would you please join me in asking our Father to help us understand it.

4
00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:23,360
Father God, we are so thankful indeed that we are here this morning.

5
00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:30,200
Lord, we never take this for granted that we are in a country that we can proclaim the

6
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,760
Gospel, that we can meet so very publicly.

7
00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:40,040
Father, we ask this morning as your word is open to us that by your spirit you would

8
00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:47,120
speak to us, that we would be changed by the truth, that your Son Jesus Christ would be

9
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,520
glorified in our midst for the sake of Christ in your glory.

10
00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:56,000
We ask for this in Jesus' name.

11
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:06,640
Believe it or not, Pokemon is the single most valuable media franchise in the entire world.

12
00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:13,920
So it's little wonder that an entire illegal industry has grown up around the franchises

13
00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:19,440
most enduring collectible, Pokemon cards.

14
00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:27,200
My kids absolutely love these little cards with these little Japanese characters on them,

15
00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,200
but herein lies the problem.

16
00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:37,120
Though the cards are fun to collect, trade and play with, scammers have come in and introduced

17
00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:43,880
counterfeit cards which are tricking younger, less discerning fans into buying these things

18
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:49,320
that at the end of the day are completely worthless.

19
00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:55,840
That is CardPlayer.com reports, thankfully for the younger fans of the genre, the vast

20
00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:03,960
majority of these fake cards are easy to spot and sift out, but only once you know what

21
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:09,400
to look for and have handled the real thing.

22
00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:14,600
And I mentioned that to you this morning because for the past few months we've been in the

23
00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:23,960
book of Galatians and looking at the true gospel of Jesus Christ over and against the

24
00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:31,800
counterfeit which false teachers had bought into the churches there in Galatia.

25
00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:37,760
Now they didn't want to trade Jesus for something obviously fake but essentially wanted to bring

26
00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:46,280
in something to add alongside the work of Jesus which was the keeping of the law of

27
00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:47,920
Moses.

28
00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:54,080
You see they said yes, Jesus is good but you really need the law of Moses as the key to

29
00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:59,960
genuine holiness if you really want to be saved.

30
00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:04,680
Essentially they taught that you had to be circumcised and adopt the festivals and the

31
00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:12,480
dietary requirements of the law before God would be really willing to save you.

32
00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:18,800
And as we've seen it was a total counterfeit to which the true gospel of Christ had been

33
00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,600
revealed by Jesus.

34
00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:26,520
This is the thing the Galatians were falling for it.

35
00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,720
That's what this book has been about.

36
00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:36,640
There is a true gospel that has been delivered once and for all and it saves anyone who believes

37
00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:43,360
but there's also counterfeit brands of so called Christianity that have crept into the

38
00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:50,160
churches which attempt to rob Christians of their freedom and grace and leave them with

39
00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,080
something completely worthless.

40
00:03:54,080 --> 00:04:02,480
And so our dear apostle has pled and reason with the church saying know the real from

41
00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:03,480
the fake.

42
00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:10,520
Seer for what it is and turn back from absolute disaster.

43
00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:17,200
And as we'll see here in our passage this morning our apostle has one final thing to

44
00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:18,920
say on the matter.

45
00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:25,360
First before his book and our series in the book of Galatians comes to an end.

46
00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:31,000
And I want to show you this one last thing in just two points this morning.

47
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:38,640
First in verses 12 and 13 we'll see Paul bring our attention to some of the traits of the

48
00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:43,480
counterfeit so that we might spot them and turn from it.

49
00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:49,840
And then second in verses 14 and 15 we'll see Paul bring our attention to some of the

50
00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:58,160
traits of the true gospel of grace and he'll show us why we must hold on to it.

51
00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:04,120
So if you have your Bibles with you here this morning have a look with me at verses 11 through

52
00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,080
to 13.

53
00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:12,280
We read, see what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand.

54
00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:17,080
Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be

55
00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:18,840
circumcised.

56
00:05:18,840 --> 00:05:25,120
The only reason they want to do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

57
00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,840
Not even those who are circumcised keep the law.

58
00:05:28,840 --> 00:05:36,120
Yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.

59
00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:44,200
I don't know if you've ever written a text message where you've had to be really, really

60
00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:52,040
serious about what you want to communicate and emojis just aren't cutting it anymore.

61
00:05:52,040 --> 00:06:00,440
Well aren't caps locks, cap locks or however you say it, the most wonderful option to use

62
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:07,080
when you really are serious and wanting your friend or family member to really get the

63
00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:08,080
message.

64
00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:14,480
Well that's the exact kind of vibe that we're meant to be getting here as Paul once again

65
00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:20,120
pleads with his brothers and sisters in these last few words.

66
00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:27,040
You see Paul has spent his time in this letter reminding these precious people how Christ

67
00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:35,600
got hold of him and revealed to him the gospel of grace and his painstakingly taken the church

68
00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:43,040
back into the Old Testament and shown them that God has always saved his people through

69
00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,760
faith and not by works.

70
00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:52,880
And he's meticulously shown that though the law is good that it was never given so that

71
00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:58,800
we might then take it and use it to earn our own righteousness.

72
00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:05,840
But again that's the exact kind of counterfeit gospel that the Galatian churches were being

73
00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:06,840
sold.

74
00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:14,520
They were being taught if you just sign up to the law, if you just dedicate your time

75
00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:24,560
to being obedient to all of these requirements then and only then will Christ be of any benefit

76
00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:26,280
to you.

77
00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:34,440
An absolute falsehood says our apostle, an absolute twisting on the truth.

78
00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:42,760
And so it's here that our apostle puts caps lock on and points out to us some of the traits

79
00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:50,120
of the counterfeit and shows us why it must be avoided at all costs.

80
00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:57,560
First, he says that those who were coming into the church and wanting people to sign

81
00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:05,520
up to a workspace righteousness, well not even they were keeping the law perfectly.

82
00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,280
We see that there in verse 13.

83
00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:16,240
Now Paul could say that because he knows the human condition and he knows that for sinners

84
00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:24,800
like us perfect obedience to God's law which is what he requires for us to be fit for his

85
00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:33,320
presence for all eternity is absolutely impossible to do in our own strength.

86
00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:41,880
And so our apostle exposes these false teachers because no one but no one can boast in their

87
00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:50,840
law keeping abilities before God because quite simply no one can keep the law in the way

88
00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:55,320
in which it was required to be kept.

89
00:08:55,320 --> 00:09:01,720
So we might ask the question how were the Galatians able to be sold on something that

90
00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,760
is impossible to do, we might wonder.

91
00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:11,560
How could they fall for something that says that your works add credit to your place in

92
00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:12,560
heaven?

93
00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:19,800
Well, the only way for that to happen is for people to amend what God has revealed in his

94
00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:29,080
word and to downplay his holiness and to see our sin as just a bit of a mistake here and

95
00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:30,400
there.

96
00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:36,960
Essentially to believe that you can earn your way into heaven as something that's quite

97
00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:45,760
plausible and doable is that you have to adjust God's demands of moral perfection and redefine

98
00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:52,320
our depravity as just something that's just not that bad.

99
00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:58,120
It's then and only then that you can begin to boast in your own works like you've actually

100
00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:04,360
kept God's law in the way it's meant to be kept.

101
00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:08,480
That's just not reality according to Paul.

102
00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:15,400
People may have downplayed the law and the consequences of it but in light of the real

103
00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:21,080
deal they're far from perfect.

104
00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:29,040
I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity to watch a guy called Ray Comfort on YouTube.

105
00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:33,120
His videos are absolutely fantastic.

106
00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:39,160
He's a New Zealander that rides around with his little pet poodle on the front of his

107
00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:46,760
bike and he rides around America and he asks random people on the street where they think

108
00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:51,320
they're going to go after they die.

109
00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,600
Usually they say, actually nine times out of ten, they'll say, well I've been a good

110
00:10:55,600 --> 00:11:00,200
person and I think that God will accept me.

111
00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:06,520
And it's interesting because as soon as Ray asks if they've ever been told a lie they'll

112
00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,800
usually admit that they have.

113
00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:16,120
When he asks if they've ever stolen anything they usually say yes.

114
00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:26,480
When he asks if they've ever looked upon someone with lustful intent they sheepishly will agree.

115
00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:33,760
And so by their own admission in just a few things from the law as Ray points out they've

116
00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:40,240
admitted that in the eyes of God they're a liar, a thief and have committed adultery

117
00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:41,880
with the heart.

118
00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:47,280
Which they'll usually say, well I've been a pretty good person and I'm sure God will

119
00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:50,000
accept me in the end.

120
00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,080
This is Paul's point.

121
00:11:52,080 --> 00:12:00,320
The only way to feel like we're not really that bad, well we have to downplay what the

122
00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,640
law actually requires of us.

123
00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:10,800
That's why it's so tragic when people are lured into certain denominations that promise

124
00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:17,680
them that if they just attend that certain church, if they just pray this many times

125
00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:24,640
a day, if they just give this amount of money that God will be happy with them and have

126
00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:27,400
to accept them for who they are.

127
00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,040
But this is the thing.

128
00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:37,040
There is no way to keep God's law in the way in which God requires people to keep it if

129
00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:44,520
they're to be saved, which as we've seen is to keep it flawlessly.

130
00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:50,200
And those that tell you that they can, they have a count of it.

131
00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:56,240
As they've downplayed the requirements of the law and built up their own righteousness

132
00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,240
in their own heads.

133
00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:07,560
It's the first sign of a fake gospel, a downplaying of God's righteousness and our sin.

134
00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:10,160
But that's not all our apostle has to say on the matter.

135
00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:17,800
No, in fact he dives much deeper into the mindset of those who were peddling the count

136
00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:18,800
of it.

137
00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:23,960
And he shows us the motivation of why they were doing it.

138
00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,280
That's the second thing he points out.

139
00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,760
They were motivated by fear.

140
00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,040
Look with me at verse 12.

141
00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:37,200
Paul says the only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of

142
00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,280
Christ.

143
00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:45,040
Notice that these false teachers wanted people to like them and be like them with this outward

144
00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:51,720
show of piety because at the end of the day the preaching of Christ and his work on the

145
00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:56,520
cross is incredibly offensive to people.

146
00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:03,560
And they wanted to avoid preaching about that because without the cross then essentially

147
00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:11,640
like every other religion in the world they made people's own good works the focal point.

148
00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:18,240
And thus the offensive pointing people to Christ alone through faith alone was taken

149
00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:22,720
away.

150
00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:29,080
And this is still the case today brothers and sisters.

151
00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:38,280
The cross is an absolute offence to people's pride because it reveals to all people what

152
00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:47,480
sin cost God and what he had to endure on behalf of us so that we might be set free

153
00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:52,360
from the curse of our law breaking.

154
00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,320
That is the preaching of the cross.

155
00:14:55,320 --> 00:15:01,120
It's to take anyone from any walk of life from anywhere and to point them to Calvary

156
00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:08,400
and it's to say that the innocent pure sinless Lamb of God had to take your place and mine

157
00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:12,480
in order that we might be set free.

158
00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:18,680
It's not a matter of turning over a new leaf and starting again or making some adjustments

159
00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,080
or growing as a human.

160
00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:28,360
No the cross confronts us all and it says that the wrath of God eternal damnation hell

161
00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:34,400
is what you and I deserve for our absolute high-handed rebellion.

162
00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:40,600
And the only way that we might be reconciled to our Creator for all eternity was for Jesus

163
00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:49,520
to give his all so as to set us free from being under the law's curse.

164
00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:58,800
I don't know about you but that is an offence to one's pride if there ever was one.

165
00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:04,920
Because the cross reveals to you and me that there was nothing that you and I could ever

166
00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,160
do to set ourselves free.

167
00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:16,160
Nothing that you and I could ever do to deal with the guilt and make ourselves clean.

168
00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:22,240
No amount of works, no amount of good doing, no amount of religion or church could ever

169
00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,240
clear the slate.

170
00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:29,720
The cross dear ones is offensive and for those who would preach it, for those who would

171
00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:36,760
proclaim it, for those who would maintain it, well not all people will praise you for

172
00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:38,760
the good news.

173
00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:43,480
And that's the third thing that Paul points out here.

174
00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:50,000
These false teachers, they wanted praise, they craved it and this counterfeit product

175
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,240
was going to get it for them.

176
00:16:53,240 --> 00:17:00,120
Look at verse 12, Paul says, those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are

177
00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:03,320
trying to compel you to be circumcised.

178
00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:11,080
And again in verse 13, they want you to be circumcised so that they might boast about

179
00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:15,400
your circumcision in the flesh.

180
00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:21,640
Essentially Paul is saying to us that these people, well they wanted so desperately to

181
00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:31,160
boast to their colleagues that they had another convert, another notch on the belt so to speak.

182
00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:36,960
And the more that they could convert, the more that they would be celebrated and looked

183
00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:44,880
at as great teachers in the eyes of their colleagues.

184
00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:48,120
And so do you see Paul's point here?

185
00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:53,760
They were doing all of this not because they cared about the Galatians.

186
00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:59,320
No, this was all about themselves.

187
00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:07,840
This was all about how their own evangelistic efforts would be perceived by others.

188
00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:15,000
I'm sure, I'm convinced of it that if they had an Instagram account that they would have

189
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:22,480
tons of selfies of themselves preaching and doing charity work with the hashtag, blessed

190
00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:29,280
so that everyone could see their religious efforts and give them a good thumbs up.

191
00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:32,160
And that was their motivation.

192
00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:36,600
And isn't that an interesting thing to observe with these people?

193
00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:43,280
They peddled the counterfeit because at the end of the day it didn't cost them anything.

194
00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,400
It didn't really cost them all that much.

195
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:53,160
You see fear and praise was their motivation in coming and infiltrating the church of Jesus

196
00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:54,160
Christ.

197
00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:59,680
And that's what these people were all about, which strikingly shows us all something here

198
00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,520
this morning.

199
00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:12,200
And that's that outward religious works and legalism leads us to end up worshiping something.

200
00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,640
And that's ourselves.

201
00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:17,200
Think about the book of Galatians.

202
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:21,760
Think about this very point that our apostle makes.

203
00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:26,080
These false teachers didn't want people hating them for what they preached and they wanted

204
00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:30,840
people to be impressed by them for all that they had done.

205
00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:39,080
At the end of the day they had hijacked Christianity and they had made it all about themselves.

206
00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:44,480
And brothers and sisters, that's really what sits at the heart of the counterfeit and what

207
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,240
we have to spot and run from.

208
00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:53,600
It's a downplaying of God's holiness and our sin.

209
00:19:53,600 --> 00:20:00,240
It's a fear of the gospel message in its fullness and it's a deep seated desire to want people

210
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:04,360
to adore us for our own good works.

211
00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:11,240
At the end of the day the counterfeit isn't about God and obeying Him or loving others.

212
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:17,200
No, it's all about me, myself and I.

213
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:25,800
And how I'm perceived and how this makes me look in front of others.

214
00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:30,840
That's a Christianity that is worthless.

215
00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:34,880
That's verse, that's the counterfeit.

216
00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:39,000
Which we need to spot and sift out.

217
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,840
But how do we do that?

218
00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:47,640
How do we sift out the counterfeit from the real deal?

219
00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,640
Well it's by knowing the real deal.

220
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:58,560
And we can know the true gospel that was once and for all delivered because we've seen it

221
00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:03,560
given to us over and over and over in this book.

222
00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:09,280
But Paul ends this entire passage on three traits that we should explore.

223
00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:19,720
First, true and authentic Christianity is about taking joy in all that Christ has done

224
00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:21,960
on our behalf.

225
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:32,280
Verse 14, Paul says, may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

226
00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:34,640
Remember those who were pushing the counterfeit.

227
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:41,040
It was about their boasting, their converts, their achievements, their works.

228
00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:47,200
But the true gospel isn't all about us, but all about the Lord Jesus Christ and what He

229
00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:51,760
has done for us, His people.

230
00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:58,440
Authentic Christianity Church is about proclaiming that we can have true and eternal peace with

231
00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:07,360
our Creator even after smashing His law and walking away from Him because God, because

232
00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:10,200
God took the initiative.

233
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:18,480
The counterfeit focuses in on and causes us to boast in ourselves while the true gospel

234
00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:28,920
focuses in on and causes us to delight in all that the Son of God has done on behalf

235
00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,720
of us.

236
00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:39,520
As we've seen our pride consistently wants to make us the hero of our own stories.

237
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:45,640
But the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in our lives strips that pride away and leads

238
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:52,520
us to boast and adore all that Jesus has done on our behalf.

239
00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:56,520
He took our cross to Calvary.

240
00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:04,080
He came under the wrath which you and I absolutely deserved.

241
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:14,080
I wonder this morning, is that what you boast in?

242
00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:20,720
You stand on that day and point to all that you've done.

243
00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,360
Will you say that I went to that certain church?

244
00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:25,680
I prayed that many times.

245
00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:31,920
I tithed that amount of money.

246
00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:39,840
Or on that day will you boast and all that Jesus has done on your behalf?

247
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,720
That makes all the difference.

248
00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:53,360
The cross of Jesus Christ makes all the difference because second his work on the cross is applied

249
00:23:53,360 --> 00:24:00,360
to us and it changes us.

250
00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:05,000
Paul has spoken a lot about the cross in the book of Galatians.

251
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:12,640
He speaks a lot about it because it has to do with something called substitutionary atonement.

252
00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:18,880
Now if you've never heard that phrase before, substitutionary atonement simply means that

253
00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:31,240
Jesus took our place and all that was his by faith is given to us.

254
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:39,720
So not only are we totally cleared for all eternity from the penalty of our law breaking

255
00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:50,560
which he took upon himself but we're also credited with the very sinless, perfect life

256
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:55,960
of Jesus which he gives to us.

257
00:24:55,960 --> 00:25:05,040
16th century German theologian Martin Luther, he sums it up by calling it the great exchange

258
00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:13,720
where the sinner's rags are given to the sinless, spotless land and the king's riches are given

259
00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:17,480
to his people.

260
00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:24,840
All that to say Paul again he brings, he employs this language of crucifixion to remind us

261
00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:35,480
that when we become a Christian our entire worldview and reason for living changes.

262
00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:41,120
Verse 14, the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.

263
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:46,280
It's interesting there's a double homicide there right?

264
00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,720
The world dies to us.

265
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,480
We die to the world.

266
00:25:52,480 --> 00:26:00,000
All this to say faith in the real deal, in the true gospel, it brings something to bear

267
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,360
in the life of the Christian.

268
00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:08,680
It changes us and calls us to no longer be ruled or directed or in love with what our

269
00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:13,840
flesh or the world has to offer.

270
00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:20,800
This is the exact opposite of what the counterfeit pushes.

271
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,720
This is the thing as we've seen we wrestle with our flesh.

272
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:30,040
We wrestle with these things on this side of eternity but the Holy Spirit, he supernaturally

273
00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:38,200
gives us hearts that desire to want to follow Jesus more than anything else in this world,

274
00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:42,880
even more than our own wants and desires.

275
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:52,680
The cross is absolute foolishness to this world but to the people of God, to those who

276
00:26:52,680 --> 00:27:00,440
are being saved, it is precious as it's the wisdom of our heavenly Father.

277
00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:08,120
If you've called upon the name of the Lord then you have been set free.

278
00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:10,360
You've been set free.

279
00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:16,680
You've been set free from the curse of the law and also the demands of your own sinful

280
00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:24,800
nature and the demands of this world so that you might serve and follow our Lord with all

281
00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,240
that you are and do.

282
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:35,120
The authentic gospel, it boasts in the cross of our Lord and Savior because it shows us

283
00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:38,240
that we have been crucified with him.

284
00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:43,560
Third, it shows us the real deal that we are a new creation.

285
00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:52,360
Verse 15, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything what counts is a new creation.

286
00:27:52,360 --> 00:28:00,440
Again, our apostle, he repeats himself just one last time here.

287
00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:09,680
Imagine with caps lock on and he says to the church, your work, it won't save you.

288
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:10,680
It won't save you.

289
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:16,440
No, none of what you try to do to get yourself into heaven matters.

290
00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:21,240
You may have grown up in church, you may have been baptized, you may have done mission

291
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:25,200
week, you may have preached sermons, you may have been the pastor of a church, you may

292
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:30,320
have helped out in kids' church, you may have been in a church band, you may have been on

293
00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:35,560
the welcome team, you may have done a whole bunch of amazing things, but none of it means

294
00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:41,080
anything if you haven't been born again.

295
00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:49,560
None of it, our apostle says you can do whatever nice and good things you like, but none of

296
00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:54,920
it means diddly squat in the scheme of things.

297
00:28:54,920 --> 00:29:01,360
All that matters is a new creation, which is to say the only thing that matters on that

298
00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:08,960
day when we stand before the holy living God Almighty is whether you've been born again

299
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:13,520
or not.

300
00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:16,320
That's what counts.

301
00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,040
Church has always been counterfeit gospels, always.

302
00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:25,680
There's even been more that have developed since the time when Paul wrote to the Galatians

303
00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:33,920
that still try to slither into the church and tempt the people of God to fall away.

304
00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:39,320
And they all try to attempt to do the same thing.

305
00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:45,920
The counterfeit will always try to convince you to put yourself first and God and others

306
00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:48,200
second.

307
00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:53,560
The counterfeit will always promise to never really cost you all that much.

308
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:59,440
And the counterfeit will always seek to lure you into putting yourself in the center of

309
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:06,600
it all to be the hero of your own story.

310
00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:11,520
Brothers and sisters, we have to be mindful of these things in real time because that

311
00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:18,080
kind of lifestyle, it appeals to our old selves.

312
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:24,600
It appeals to our fear of what people think of us and what we want from the world and

313
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,360
its praise.

314
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:34,800
And so in light of everything that we've looked at this morning, does that describe you?

315
00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,920
Does that describe you?

316
00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:40,920
Does that describe what you've bought into?

317
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:48,800
Well, if it does, then you're here by absolutely no mistake this morning.

318
00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:54,560
God has you here to weigh that counterfeit thing that you've been sold in the scales,

319
00:30:54,560 --> 00:31:01,200
to weigh that dead religion against the glorious truth of the gospel of grace that has been

320
00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:03,160
presented.

321
00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:06,200
And it's this, there is eternal peace.

322
00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:15,240
For anyone who looks to the Lord Jesus Christ and his finished and final work that he achieved

323
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:26,760
for his people at Calvary, anyone, anyone, no matter who you are, what you've done from,

324
00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:33,400
where you've come from or what you've done, anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord

325
00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,920
will be saved.

326
00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:41,440
That is how we are crucified to this world and become a new creation.

327
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:42,960
That's how we're born again.

328
00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:52,360
It's by believing God and calling upon the name of the Lord and putting all our hope

329
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:58,080
to him, all our hope in all that he has done.

330
00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:04,960
You must be born again to enter the kingdom of God, says Jesus Christ.

331
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:12,400
So dear ones, search your hearts in light of the gospel because nothing else compares

332
00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:20,040
to knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your only hope in life and death.

333
00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:28,440
Let's pray.

334
00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:36,600
Lord Jesus, we are so thankful for the work that you did on the cross on our behalf.

335
00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:44,760
Lord Jesus, might we never be guilty of watering down what you have commissioned us to go and

336
00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:47,000
do?

337
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:53,640
We're so thankful, Lord, for the next generation of Christians that are coming up, not only

338
00:32:53,640 --> 00:33:00,080
in our midst but with various ministries around Perth, but Lord, as your word says, might

339
00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:08,240
one generation tell the next generation, the younger generation of your good deeds?

340
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:12,080
Might we never be a church that falters on the gospel?

341
00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:18,240
Might we go and make disciples of you and not of culture or ourselves?

342
00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,080
And where we're doing it, Lord?

343
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:22,240
Where we are doing it?

344
00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:27,960
Where we have bought into certain things and we've let the world creep in, we ask that

345
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:35,280
you would help us to spot these things so that we might repent and turn from them.

346
00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:41,200
Where your spirit has been grieved, where your spirit has been quenched, might we be

347
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:48,000
a church that proclaims Christ in His fullness?

348
00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:52,000
We ask this for your glory and for your sake.

349
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,000
We ask this in Jesus' name.

350
00:33:54,000 --> 00:34:23,000
Amen.