Galatians 1 Sermon Recap

Honest Confession: Even though I actually preach the sermons I sometimes cannot remember much detail about the sermons (even just one week after). It really helps me to go back over outlines. This not only helps me to remember important truths, but it also helps me to see the unfolding big picture. Here is a summary/recap of Galatians chapter 1, which we will finish tomorrow. 5 Sermons in all…

1. A Heart Set Free (1:1-5)- First, we were introduced to Galatians as the Magna Carta of Christian Liberty, the Christian’s Declaration of Independence, and the manifesto of the protestant reformation. In verses 1-5 we realized that in times when our spiritual vitality is on the line (as in Galatia) we must address our core spiritual needs by:
   1. Listening to the Apostolic Teaching of Paul (1-2)
   2. Living and Loving with hearts set free by God’s grace (3-5)
2. A Challenge to be Healthy Christians (1:6-9)- False teachers were distorting the Gospel and leading Galatians astray. A challenge from God’s Word was thrown down by Paul to the Galatians and Christians everywhere. This challenge must be accepted if we are to be healthy Christians:
   1. Must do whatever it takes to stand in the gospel of grace (6-7)
   2. Must discern every teaching I hear in light of Scripture (8-9)
3. Freedom From People Pleasing (1:10)- False teachers were saying that Paul had tampered with the Christian message so that people would like him. As a defense, Paul offers two facts that make it hard to believe he was a people pleaser: (a) his hard words to the Galatians and (b) his hard decision to be a servant of Christ. The Apostle Paul cannot be a people pleaser and neither can we!
   8 Informing and Freeing Truths About People Pleasing:
   1. People pleasing definition
   2. People pleasing is sometimes good
   3. People pleasing is most times really bad
   4. People pleasing is a struggle for everyone
   5. People pleasing is something Jesus never did
   6. People pleasing is inconsistent with serving Jesus
   7. God wants me to be free from people pleasing
   8. God has given me a way to be free from people pleasing

4. The Vertical Gospel (1:11-17)- False teachers were also saying that Paul was just another student of the Jerusalem gospel but that he had dropped out before graduation. Paul defends against this claiming His Gospel came directly and vertically from Jesus (not horizontally from Jerusalem).
   3 Validations of the Vertical Gospel in My Life:
   1. A story that cannot be explained by horizontal factors alone (11-14)
   2. A sense that your life has been commandeered by Jesus and his grace (15-16)
   3. A desire to share God’s word more than question it (16-17)
5. 16 Words (1:18-24)- Paul is continuing to give validations of having received the Gospel directly and vertically from Jesus (not horizontally from Jerusalem or man). The false teachers were saying that Jerusalem leaders were furious with what Paul had done with the gospel they gave him and that Christians in Judea were highly troubled by Paul. To this Paul responds by swiftly recounting that a) he had a 2 week stay with Peter and James, and b) all the Christians in Judea glorify God b/c of his testimony and reputation.
   The true gospel changes my relationships and gives me a heart for the Church:  
   1. Through the gospel I have a meaningful connection with Jesus Christ’s people- the Church (18-20)
   2. In the Gospel I have a reputation of life-change and ministry that builds up the Church (21-24)