Sunday's Message - The Book of Galatians: Set Free. Live Free (One Gospel - Galatians 1:1-10)

During most of the Summer, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church will explore the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians and consider how we might claim the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. During our time together, we'll explore the following:

• May 26 - One Gospel (Galatians 1:1-10)
• June 2 - Grace Changes Everything! (Galatians 1:10-2)
• June 9 - Getting the Gospel Right (Galatians 2:1-2)
• June 16 - Don't Be Stupid! (Galatians 3:1-14)
• June 23 - Children, Not Slaves (Galatians 3:15–4:7)
• July 7 - Don't Look Back (Galatians 4:8-20)
• July 14 - Effort Vs. Grace (Galatians 4:21-31)
• July 21 - Set Free! (Galatians 5:1-12)
• July 28 - Living Our Freedom (Galatians 5:13-26)
• August 4 - Sowing and Reaping (Galatians 6:1-18)

On Sunday, we started the series by looking at Galatians 1:1-10. Below are a recording and the text of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDST) 

As you can see in the bulletin, this morning we’re starting a new series that will take us through most of the summer entitled The Book of Galatians: Set Free. Live Free. You see, for ten weeks, we’re going to look at Paul’s entire letter to the Galatians. In other words, we’re going to look at what he had to say to a collection of churches he’d founded but which had drifted away from an essential element in what he taught. Simply put, we’re going to focus on what he had to say to them in order to get them back on track. And then we’re going to relate it all to ourselves and consider how we might avoid the distractions that messed up the Galatians so that we can maintain our focus on what, according to the Apostle Paul, should be most important. Now that’s what we’ll be doing right to the first Sunday in August.

And you know, I think it’s interesting; as we start talking about this fundamental problem faced by the Galatians, namely how they became spiritually distracted which caused them to drift, we’re about to celebrate an extremely special day that I think has sort of drifted away from its original focus over the years. And of course, I’m talking about Memorial Day. Now, historically, it has its roots in General Orders, No. 11, issued for the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for United States veterans of the Civil War. This was what it said:

The 30th day of May, 1868 is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit. [Headquarters Grand Army of the Republic, General Orders, No. 11]

Now that’s how this special day got started. And you know, it’s continued with this same focus, at least officially. For example, in August 12, 1998, Congress passed this: 

The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation—

(1)calling on the people of the United States to observe Memorial Day  by praying, according to their individual religious faith, for permanent peace;

(2)designating a period of time on Memorial Day during which the people may unite in prayer for a permanent peace;

(3)calling on the people of the United States to unite in prayer at that time; 

and

(4)calling on the media to join in observing Memorial Day and the period of prayer. [36 U.S. Code § 116 - Memorial Day]

Now that’s what Memorial Day is supposed to be all about. 

And yet, it seems to me, this really isn’t how we, as a country, tend to celebrate it now-a-days. In other words, we may have drifted a little bit. I mean, just look around, we’ve kind of strayed from solemn prayer to exuberant patriotism. And our attention has shifted from those who died to those who serve. And our focus has moved from “fitting services and testimonials of respect” to checking out the sales and opening up the pool and firing up the grill. That seems to be what Memorial Day means in 2024. But before I go any further, please don’t get me wrong, patriotism is wonderful, and that’s why we celebrate Independence Day. And those who’ve served in the military should be honored, and that’s why we celebrate Veterans Day. And although sales and pools aren’t really my thing, I almost never turn away anything coming from a grill, and that’s why we have summer. But having said that, for me, Memorial Day was intended to be different. It was set aside for prayer and for remembrance and for respect. But sadly, as a people, I think we may have gotten a little distracted. And as a result, we’ve drifted from the original intention.

And you know, I think that same thing can also happen in our faith, and I’m talking about our understanding of God and our relationship with Jesus Christ and our connection through the Holy Spirit. In other words, I think in some pretty important ways, we’ve drifted a little bit away from what’s at the core, the center of the gospel. Of course, that’s actually understandable; man, we’re surrounded by a lot of distractions, aren’t we? I mean, the world is changing so fast, it’s easy to feel both discouraged and scared. For example, Friday evening, as I was looking at some articles on my phone, I ran across one that had about thirty pictures and said, right at the top, something like “you’re officially old if any of these were in your home growing up.” Well, I’ve got to tell you, they all were, thirty out of thirty: everything from the wood paneling and shag carpet to the avocado refrigerator and instamatic camera. I’m not officially old. Now that’s discouraging. And as to being scared, how many times today will someone on television tell us that we should be afraid, and I’m talking about afraid of him or afraid of them or afraid of it? No wonder our faith gets distracted. I mean, no wonder sometimes we find ourselves straying from the one who has, for the last two thousand years, stood at the center of Christianity to someone or something else that will save us. And no wonder sometimes we find our attention shifting from what he actually taught to what we wish he had taught, while ignoring anything we don’t want to hear. And no wonder often we find ourselves moving from doing what we’ve been called to do, you know what I mean, expressing love for God and showing love to others, to protecting ourselves from a world we’ve been told to fear and pretending that God is only with us when things are the way we want them to be. You know, just like with Memorial Day, if we’re not careful, I think our faith can become distracted too. And as a result, well, we drift. 

And you know, I think that’s exactly what had happened in the Galatian churches to whom Paul addressed this letter; they had also drifted away from what was really most important. You see, as we’ll discuss in later messages, even though they accepted with exuberance the message Paul brought them, a message of unconditional love and undeserved grace, and even thought this gospel absolutely changed their lives, these very sincere and dedicated believers got distracted when a group of Jewish Christians from Jerusalem told them something a little bit different from what they’d been taught and what they’d come to believe. You see, these fine men from church headquarters told those impressionable Galatians that, even though believing in Jesus Christ was fine and trusting in God’s love and grace was all well and good, if they wanted to be even better followers and better believers and better Christians, they should start obeying the Jewish law, beginning with circumcision. Now that’s what they were told. And so instead of simply trusting Jesus and accepting the gospel they’d received, man, they started circumcising everything in sight. And instead of believing that simple message of grace and faith, they started to scan scripture for other laws they could enforce. And instead of living as a united community with a shared mission, we broke into little legalistic groups, with each one judging the others as being somewhat less than righteous and each one competing with one another to show who was most worthy of God’s love and attention. You see, just like what can happen to us, as it related to their faith, the Galatians became distracted and started to drift.

And you know, I believe that was the reason Paul wrote what he did right at the beginning of his letter. I mean, to those Galatians who had once been so focused in their faith and strong in their relationship with God and with one another and committed to the gospel, Paul told them to reclaim what they knew was right. Just listen to what he wrote: 

I am shocked that you have so quickly turned from God, who chose you with his gift of undeserved grace. You have believed another message, when there is really only one true message. But some people are causing you trouble and want to make you turn away from the good news about Christ. I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn’t matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed.

I am not trying to please people. I want to please God. Do you think I am trying to please people? If I were doing that, I would not be a servant of Christ. [Galatians 1:6-10, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote. You see, even though he didn’t pull any punches in condemning those who were causing the Galatians all kinds of trouble and turning them away from the truth, he still reminded them of the message that was true, the message that he’d taught them, and I’m talking about the good news about Christ and about the God who chose to give them his gift of undeserved grace. Now, for Paul, that’s the one gospel they could reclaim.

And I’ll tell you, what he said to them back in the day, I believe he’s also saying to us right here and right now. In other words, I believe we also can also reclaim what we know is right and true, and I’m talking about that one true gospel. And I’ll tell you why that’s important. Although their words and motivation might be different, there are still plenty of folks who seem to be in the business of leading sincere and dedicated folks astray. In fact, they’re the kind of men and women I think Paul had in mind when he wrote this to the Corinthians. 

I plan to go on doing just what I have always done. Then those people won’t be able to brag about doing the same things we are doing. Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. So why does it seem strange for Satan’s servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve. [2 Corinthians 11:12-15, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote. But you know, regardless of their character or their motivation, like the Galatians, we have and we will face plenty of “false apostles and dishonest workers” who try to distract us by offering a message that’s different from that simple good news of Christ.

But you know, also like the Galatians, we don’t have to follow the lead of these distractors. And if we slip and become distracted, we don’t have to continue wandering away from the truth. Instead, we can intentionally and deliberating follow the advice Paul offered his protégé Timothy when he wrote, 

Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. [2 Timothy 3:14-17, CEV]

You see, no matter how distracted we’ve become and no matter how far we’ve wandered from the good news of undeserved grace and no matter how frightened and discouraged we’ve become by folks who may be serving themselves rather than God, we can reclaim the things we’ve been taught. And we can turn to the Holy Scriptures that can make us wise. And we can get ourselves up and dust ourselves off and to start doing again all those good deeds which the servants of God have been trained to do. And I’ll tell you, not only will doing this kind of thing enable us to refocus on what we already know is true, it’ll give us the strength to face the challenges of the present with courage and the unknowns of the future with confidence. And I’m talking about the kind of courage and confidence about which Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians:

Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God’s justice protect you like armor. Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Let God’s saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God’s message that comes from the Spirit. [Ephesians 6:14-17, CEV]

You see, we don’t have to stay where the Galatians were, all distracted and confused. And we sure don’t have to drift away from the truth. Instead, we can reclaim the good news on which our faith was built and move forward into a future that’s securely in the loving hands of God. In other words, we can regain our focus and stop drifting.

And you know, I think we can also do the same sort of thing tomorrow, and given the fact that the Sligo community has a special Memorial Day service in the cemetery on the hill beginning at 11:00, that’s actually pretty easy for us to do.  You see, although the other distractions will be around, man, on the one day a year set aside to remember the fallen, we don’t have to stray from solemn prayer. And we don’t have to shift our attention away from those who died. And we sure don’t have to move away from spending at least part of the day looking for opportunities to recall and to show respect for those who, whether it was their intention or not, sacrificed so very much in service of something greater than themselves. You see, we can choose to reject the distractions and to stop drifting so that we can focus on what’s simple and basic and true. 

And I’ll tell you, we can do the same thing in our faith, and I’m talking about our understanding of God and our relationship with Jesus Christ and our connection through the Holy Spirit. And I believe we can do it, because that’s exactly what Paul challenged the Galatians to do when they’d drifted away from that one gospel he’d shared. And next week, we’ll focus on what that gospel is all about and how it can change our lives.