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welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God on this Sabbath evening for our call to worship you can turn with me to the prophet Isaiah Isaiah chapter 53 Isaiah 53 there are four servant songs in the prophet Isaiah and the 52nd and 53rd chapter is the last one certainly it prophesized concerning the suffering of the servant on behalf of the people that the father had given to him so Isaiah 53 beginning in verse one who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground he has no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we did not esteem him surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we esteemed him stricken smitten by God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by His stripes we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before it's Shearer's is silent so he opened not his mouth he was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare his generation for he was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people he was stricken and they made his grave with the wicked but with the rich at his death because he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he has put him to grief when you make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many for he shall bear their iniquities therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors Amen well please turn in your hymn books to him number 275 hymn number 275 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and our Holy Father it's a privilege to gather in your name again in this place we thank you for this beautiful day we thank you for the sunshine and for the the creation around us as it magnifies and declares and proclaims your majesty and your glory and your righteousness and God we thank you for the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ which proclaims your righteousness and your justice and your grace and mercy and love and God as we gather together tonight for worship I pray that these things would indeed cause us to respond to you with that gratitude and praise and adoration that is fitting for such a great God we acknowledge that you are from everlasting to everlasting we acknowledge that you are try UHN you are God the Father Son and Holy Spirit and one who is worthy to be glorified we thank you and we praise you that you have dealt with our sins we praise you that you have sent your son into this world and as we just read in the prophet Isaiah please Yahweh to bruise him and Lord God we know that this was because of that that great decree that plan and purpose to save his people from their sins and so we rejoice tonight as we gather together not only for worship but as well to remember in a special way our Lord's death on our behalf we thank you for the supper that you've given to the church and for this blessed means to sustain weary pilgrims along the way and we would pray that tonight and all that we do you would be glorified we ask that you would forgive us for our sins and our transgressions we ask that you would cleanse us in that precious fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness wash us and purify us and cause us to know that that clear conscience that enables free access to the throne of grace as we saw this morning in the book of Hebrews God we have that that that boldness to enter into the presence of the Living in the true God not based on our works or our merits but based solely and alone upon the life and the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ how we thank you Lord God that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him and as we gather together this evening may you strengthen us and may you encourage our hearts and may you confirm us in our faith and cause us to grow in the Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we ask father that you would be merciful to those who've entered into this place that are that are still dead in their trespasses and sins we would rejoice to see sinners born again by the power of the Holy Spirit we would rejoice to see those drinking in that living water and our Father we know that this is a work that is impossible with men but possible with you so father we ask that you would be merciful and gracious that you would open hearts and cause the Word of God to find the mark in their hearts and may they know that conviction of sin and may they see that Christ is altogether lovely in chief among 10,000 we ask our Father that you would bless the Saints and Surrey we thank you for the church there we pray for pastor Kirkpatrick that he would continue to labor in the word and doctrine we pray for our brothers and sisters in that local church that they would know the nearness and the presence of God as their good we also pray Lord that sinners from their community would come in and would hear the gospel and would be saved we pray for the work in Vernon we are encouraged and we pray father that you and in your in your timing would would put a man there to labor with those brethren to be a faithful Shepherd and to be a man that would be able to preach and teach the whole counsel of God Almighty be merciful in that community as well and Lord we pray throughout Canada that you would raise up good gospel churches those places that preach the the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified we praise you father that you have blessed local churches throughout the history of the the new covenant era and that you have used these in many ways to extend the kingdom of Jesus Christ on this earth so father we pray that those that are full of heresy those that are corrupt those that are synagogues of Satan would be closed down that you would raise up places where there are faithful pastors faithful brethren and faithful places where sinners can go to hear the truth as it is in Jesus Christ our Lord and our Father we pray that you would be merciful to the governing authorities in this land we know there's an election coming we know that you are sovereign over all things we know that the King's heart is in the hand of the Lord and that you turn it the way you do the waters and so our Father we pray that you would in your mercy and in your kindness give us men and women that have wisdom men and women that that do what is right according to the to the God of heaven and earth and our Father we pray first and foremost for those who serve in such capacities that they would kiss the son lest he be angry and they perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little and father for those that will not and those that engage in lawlessness and immorality and wickedness we pray God in heaven that you would have them removed from office and our Father we pray for the persecuted Church and thank you for faithfulness and the brothers and sisters that undergo sufferings and hardships that we know little of here in the Western world we pray father that the gospel would go forth in these nations we pray father that you would be pleased to extend the kingdom of Jesus Christ to every tribe tongue people and nation and in a special way we pray for the work in Myanmar and for the Hamiltons involvement and for this man Peter and for the the great turmoils that that are constantly going on in these places we just commit these orphans to you we commit these people to you and we pray for your blessing and for your mercy in these places so God please continue with us now and help us as we sing to ponder these rich doctrines and to return them to you celebrating the glory of God in and through our Lord Jesus Christ and it's hid in his most blessed name that we pray amen well you can turn with me and your hymn books again to number 195 number 195 again we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] we could turn with me in your Bibles to galatians chapter 1 for our meditation before the supper tonight galatians chapter 1 our focus will be on the first five verses as the apostle there introduces two themes that he will deal with in the epistle first his apostolic ministry we'll spend a bit of time there but mainly the nature of the gospel itself so i want to read the whole chapter it will hopefully be reminiscent to our studies in Acts chapter 9 so we referred to this in many of those sermons so beginning in galatians 1:1 paul an apostle not from men nor through man but through jesus christ and god the father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren who are with me to the churches of Galatia grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory forever and ever amen I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel which is not another but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ but even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached do you let him be accursed as we have said before so now I say again if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received let him be accursed for do I now persuade men or God or do I seek to please men for if I still pleased men I would not be a bondservant of Christ but I make known to you brethren that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man Brian either received it from man nor was I taught it but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ for you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my father's but when it pleased who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me but I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and remained with them 15 days but I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother now concerning the things which I write to you in deed before God I do not lie afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia and I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ but they were hearing only he who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy and they glorified God in me amen well let us again ask God's blessing as we look at this passage father we need the Holy Spirit the one who gave us the word to guide us in our understanding of it and we would pray to that end even now that Christ would be magnified and glorified as we consider this blessed passage in Galatians chapter one how we thank you for the gospel of our salvation how we thank you for the truth that Christ came down from heaven for us men and for our salvation and we pray that he would be exalted and glorified as we as we receive the word of God and as we receive this bread and wine may you cause us to reflect upon his his death in particular on behalf of of guilty sinners and how we praise you that you have made us participants in this glorious gospel how you have forgiven us of our sins how you have given us a righteousness that avails with God how you have granted every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places to us in Christ Jesus and God be glorified we pray and again forgive us now for our sins and for our transgression and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well as I said verses 1 to 5 are the greeting official greeting of the Apostle Paul to the Saints in Galatia but they function not only as a greeting but they highlight to fames that Paul will deal with his apostolic ministry and the nature of the gospel itself if you look specifically at verses four and five there is a summary of the gospel the major headings of the Christian faith are found contained in these two verses of the Epistle as a whole J Gresham machen said this he said the Epistle to the Galatians is a polemic a fighting epistle from beginning to end what a fire it kindled at the time of the Reformation may it Kindle another fire in our day not a fire that will destroy any fine or noble or Christian thing but a fire of Christian love in hearts grown cold I think that is a very good and powerful statement concerning the utility of the book notice in verse 6 you see something of that fighting epistle I marvel he says that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel which is not another but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ essentially what you had was what was called the Judaizers these persons that said that faith in Christ was good but you also had to attach to that obedience to the to the Mosaic ceremonies in this case specifically circumcision so Paul right out from the shoot right out from the gate goes after them and says I marvel that your turning away but even prior to that he establishes the gospel as the foundation for the letter and he will develop that in further detail as the letter moves on so I want to notice first of all the greeting proper and then secondly the two themes introduced by Paul in verses four are in verses 1 to 5 notice the sender Paul and apostle and then he highlights very specifically that it's not according to man he says not from men nor through man but through jesus christ and god the father who raised him from the dead it wasn't a group of men that said you know paul you're a good speaker he seemed to have a gift in you and we want you to go out represent christianity the gentiles that's not what happens on the road to damascus christ comes to him very specifically and saves him for that purpose so that he can witness so that he can testify to Gentiles to kings and to the children of Israel and he highlights that several places in this particular epistle for this very reason the Judaizers had to undermine the Apostle Paul in order for their message to take root in the lives of the people that's why he defends himself here that's why he highlights that it's not according to man that he received this call but it came directly from the Lord Jesus Christ so the Judaizers would come and they'd say well you know Paul didn't have the experience of a Peter Paul doesn't have the experience of a John Paul is just sort of a second-tier or a second-rate guy and he has now come to - to say and preach these things they had to undermine him in order for their message of Judy icing to take root in the lives of the people in the churches of Galatia the recipients are there specified all the brethren who are with me to the churches of Galatia now this epistle is probably the first one written by the Apostle Paul it's probably written in about AD 49 and the churches of Galatia are seen in the first missionary journey in acts 13 and 14 they include pasilla in Antioch in acts 13 Iconium in acts 14 Lystra in acts 14 and then dhurbey in acts 14 so these are the churches in this particular region of Galatia and then notice the greeting proper as is common in the Apostles letters he says grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ but this isn't just empty fodder this isn't just something that people did at that time but it's legit this is what Paul wants for the churches of Jesus Christ that they would know this grace and peace that comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ that Christ Jesus is coordinate a coordinate with God the Father indicates something of his deity indicates something of the fact that he along with the father is the source of the Grace and the peace that comes to the churches and in terms of grace and peace Martin Luther makes this comment he says moreover these two words grace and peace do contain in them the wholesome of Christianity now listen to what Luther says grace can the remission of sins peace a quiet and joyful conscience for peace of conscience can never be had unless sin beat first forgiven so again it's not a cheap wish it's not an empty or a hollow ring but rather this graced you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ is what Paul wants for the churches he wants them to know that grace from on high that provides for that forgiveness that brings that peace to the people of God this is what we should desire when we come to the throne of grace this morning we looked at that apostolic prayer meeting in Acts chapter 4 in the midst of persecution in the midst of opposition to the apostolic ministry they do not pray to the Lord God Most High take away from us the suffering take away from us this persecution take away from us this hardship that's not what they pray they pray God give us boldness to speak the truth as we ought to speak it and the same sort of thing is here it's not the case that in the churches of Galatia they were rich and wealthy and they had all these good things and so therefore they should be praying for that no Paul sees what is absolutely crucial and necessary is that they need a Grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and the father and the son are completely at 1:00 in the bestowal of grace and peace in man's salvation the grace which lies behind this salvation is indiscriminately called the grace of God in the galatians 2:20 1 it's referred to as the grace of christ in chapter 1 verse 6 and the peace which salvation produces is indiscriminately called the peace of God in Philippians 4:7 and the peace of Christ in Colossians 3:15 they are coordinate with reference to them being the the source of the origin from whence these blessings flow so Paul says here specifically that he wants the people of God to know this grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ now notice the two fames the nature of his Apostleship and then the nature of the gospel of christ the negative statement paul an apostle not from men nor through man but through jesus christ and god the father who raised from the debt dropping down to verses 11 to 22 or 24 rather he highlights his early ministry and again the reality that he didn't sit at the feet of the other apostles he is not discarding them he is not disregarding them he's not suggesting that they are somehow an unimportant but Paul's claims of having met Jesus on the road to Damascus were true and he wanted the Galatians to know that it was in fact true and that anything these Judaizers said to try and usurp that was absolutely false Paul takes a similar tack in second Corinthians much of second Corinthians sounds like Paul is defending himself and it sounds like that to some degree here in Galatians chapter 1 he is defending himself insofar as if his reputation is compromised than the message that he has preached is compromised it's not that Paul is on some you know kick where he has to be esteemed and revered by everybody around him but Paul knows that if the Judaizers in Galatia or those super apostles in Corinth can cause the people of God to doubt the Apostles ministry then that will jeopardize their position in Christ relative to the gospel that he had breached so Paul defends himself insofar as the gospel may be compromised that's why he does what he does again machen says the Judaizers had not been able to gain an entrance for their false teaching so long as the authority of the great apostle remained beyond dispute so they had proceeded to undermine that authority as best they could they had said that Paul was at best an apostle of the second-ranked that he had not been with Jesus in Galilee as had Peter and the others of the original 12 and that consequently whatever authority he possessed had come to him only through them that's why he maintains that what we saw in the book of Acts in Chapter 9 is valid it is true it is legit that's what happened and so out of the gate Paul highlights that in order to assuage the fears of the doubts of the churches in Galatia such that they should not pay attention to these Judaizers as they try to trash the Apostles agree and that will ultimately compromise the gospel now notice the nature of the gospel of Christ again in verses 4 and 5 we're going to just take each clause and look at it in particular in the first place we notice the death of Christ was voluntary on his part the death of Christ was voluntary not on Paul's part on his part Jesus part notice who gave himself for our sins as we come tonight to eat this bread and drink this cup we need to remember that the Son of God came into this world sinners to save and he did so willingly he didn't do so against as well he didn't do so in some sort of compelled manner but rather the son of God willingly gave himself for our sins in Matthew 20:28 when he is pointing to how the disciples should conduct themselves in terms of their relationships with one another he says first of all look at the Gentiles they lord it over others they like this power structure where there's a man on top and everybody just does his bidding Jesus says no that's not the way it's supposed to be with reference to my disciples he goes on to say for the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many Christ in the Gospel of John on several occasions says how it was his meet to do the will of the Father who sent him Christ was not an unwilling participant in our salvation we need to remember that I think there is this conception that God saves and sort of a hesitatingly way God saves a sort of a miserly way God saves in the way that you or might capitulate to our children well okay you can go ahead and do it that's not the way the triune God operates in the salvation of sinners as we move through this passage we'll see that it was the father's purpose and plan for the sending of the son into this world sinners to save and we see here specifically that Jesus gave himself for our sins he was an active and willing participant in the gospel of our salvation as we eat this bread and as we drink this cup we remember the one who not only did it but he did it happily he did it voluntarily did it because it pleased God and it secured our salvation turn to John's Gospel specifically John chapter 10 not only do we have the general statements littered throughout John's Gospel that Christ always does what the father sends him to do but we have specifically with reference to his laying down his life in John 10 11 he says I am The Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd gives his life for the Sheep you see that's what a good shepherd does he voluntarily lays down his life for the Sheep he wants to protect them he wants to secure them he wants to make sure that they are not devastated or decimated verse 15 as the father knows me even so I know the father excuse me as the father knows me even so I know the father and I lay down my life for the Sheep and then again in verse 18 no one takes it my life from me but I lay it down of myself I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this command I have received from my father so if you ever have this idea that there might have been some sort of you know difference in terms of the mind of God with reference to salvation banish the thought the three persons of the Trinity share one will but with reference to the humanity of Christ he has a human will and a divine will and with reference to the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ it always aligns to what the father sent him to do and he does that voluntarily on our behalf and in the book of Galatians specifically turn to chapter 2 and verse 21 of the most glorious passages in the book of Galatians is Galatians 2:20 now I know that's a very subjective statement but it's at least one of my favorites notice in Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God notice who loved me and gave himself for me this is what Christ does he loved me and gave himself for me and before we move on can you say that can you imitate the Apostle here you say that he loved me and he gave himself for me much of our Bible and much of Christianity and much of the Jewish religion that we find in the Old Testament has a as a corporate orientation God loves the gates of Zion more than the dwelling places of Jacob but that corporate sort of orientation is made up of individuals individuals that can say he loved me and he gave himself for me are you able to confess that has God saved you do you have faith in Christ do you have a right and a title to this bread and to this wine later on we're going to say that if you're not a believer tonight don't take the bread and wine it is not for you rather it is for those for whom Jesus died for whom that body was broken and for whom that blood was shed is it the case that you have a right to the table tonight has Christ loved you and gave himself for you this is a most blessed use of personal pronouns in the gospel of our salvation now notice secondly back in Galatians 1:4 we have first the death of Christ was voluntary on his part who gave himself secondly the death of Christ consisted in penal substitution penal substitution notice he gave himself for our sins he didn't give himself first and foremost for our example I just want to show you how to live life on this earth that's not the first order with reference to the Lord Jesus Christ the priority in Christ's life was not exemplary the priority in Christ's life was Redemption the priority in Christ's life was to give his life a ransom for many and specifically highlighted here is that he gave himself for our sins now as we sort of develop this in a bit more detail this is a constant refrain in the scripture you have in the gospel records the reality in Matthew Mark Luke and John that Jesus was crucified that Jesus was raised the third day and certainly in Matthew Mark Luke and John you have theology you have explanation you have sort of articulation you have amplification in other words you have the bare fact that Christ died for our sins but then the Gospel writers develop why it is the case that he did die for our says in Matthew 1 21 for instance he shall save his people from their sins you're not supposed to forget that when you get to the passion narrative and when Christ is dying on the cross here to remember Matthew 1:21 he shall save his people from their sins and the means by which he does that is through his life and his death in his resurrection so you have theological commentary in the gospel records just certainly have it in the epistles You certainly have an expansion on that you have theologizing say for instance at the hand of the Apostle Paul to give us the the rationale as to why this Jesus came down from heaven took on our humanity and live for us and died for us and rose again for us you have it saying Romans 4:25 he was delivered up because of our offenses he was raised for our justification you have it in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 the reality that he was that he was crucified that he died he was buried he was raised the 3rd day and all according to the scriptures but Paul amplifies it and explains the theology behind that so we not only have the fact stated but we have the facts interpreted for us and specifically this concept that he gave himself for our sins is a constant refrain in the New Testament just consider these statements he died for our sins 1st Corinthians 15:3 he died for us 1st Thessalonians 5 10 he gave himself for our sins Galatians 1:4 he died for the ungodly romans 5 6 he died for all 2nd Corinthians 5:14 and the all there is not universalism as the context makes clear as well in 1st Corinthians and a brother is one on whose on whose behalf Christ died first Corinthians 8:11 his death is an offering for sin Hebrews 10 18 one sacrifice for sin Hebrews 10 12 the blood of him who offered himself Ebru 9 14 the offering of his body once for all Hebrews 10:10 his death makes expiation Hebrews 2:17 expiation is a gospel word we really haven't developed a lot we usually stick to propitiation and redemption of reconciliation but expiation consumed concerns the removal of guilt I think that scapegoat the Day of Atonement represents well the doctrine of expiation remember the one goat is killed and the high priest takes the blood he takes it into the Holy of Holies and He pours it on the mercy seat but there's a second goat that's alive and the high priest takes his hand places among the goat confesses the sin of Israel and then the goat is sent out in the wilderness that is a picture of expiation the removal of guilt that is no longer attached to the guilty it is sent away by God in His grace as well there is propitiation in his blood Romans 3:25 we are justified in his blood Romans 5:9 we are reconciled by his death Romans 5:10 he gave himself a ransom first Timothy 2 6 he redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Galatians 3:13 Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us first Corinthians 5:7 so 2 in Matthew 20:28 which I've already cited and then again in first Peter 1:18 and 19 now hat tip to Johnny D because that's out of his commentary on Ephesians but you'll agree that this is a steady and constant refrain in the New Testament documents we see it as well prophesied in Isaiah 53 he gave himself for our sins this is the means by which God is propitiated Romans 3 25 and 26 the means by which reconciliation is effected according to Ephesians chapter 2 verses at verse 16 and it's the means by which redemption is wrought notice in Galatians 3 at verse 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith and then in Galatians 4 4 and 5 we considered this glorious passage this morning in our study of the confession of faith chapter 12 of adoption Galatians 4:4 but when the fullness of the time had come God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law notice to redeem those who were under the law he doesn't make man redeemable he doesn't make them save a ball but he actually reveals he actually saves he actually secures he actually is that strong refuge that by grace the righteous run to and are safe and in the end of verse five it says that we might receive the adoption as sons listen to Luther on this passage he says let us learn here of Paul to fully and truly believe that Christ was given not for feigned sins feigned means faked nor for small but for great and huge sins now again Luther is not suggesting go out and commit great and huge sins I mentioned this morning if I suggest in this society that I love apples people say well why do you hate oranges just because we love one thing doesn't mean we hate everything else just because we highlight the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus Christ we're not advocating gross sin so that persons can experience that great redemptive power of the blood of Jesus Christ but we need to realize that there is great redemptive power in the blood of Jesus Christ so back to Luther let us learn here of Paul to fully and truly believe that Christ was given not for feign sins nor for small but for great and huge sins not for few but for many not for conquered but for in vincible sins that's the emphasis of the apostle Galatians 1:4 who gave himself for our sins now notice thirdly the death of Christ secure deliverance from this present evil age the death of Christ secured deliverance from this present evil age notice in the middle of verse 4 he gave himself he gave himself for our sins and then thirdly that he might deliver us from this present evil age there are two ages according to Scripture this age and the age to come in fact look at Ephesians 1 where you see this in Ephesians chapter 1 at ver 19 this is a demonstration of the power of God in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephesians 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come we live in this age and this age is punctuated by evil by depravity by lawlessness by wickedness in fact John Calvin makes the observation whatever delight men may take in their fancied excellence they are worthless and depraved not indeed in their own opinion but in the judgment of our Lord which is here pronounced by the mouth of Paul and which ought to satisfy our minds we live in this present evil age and what Christ does in terms of His redemptive work on our behalf is that he delivers us not from the material world but from the evil that is everywhere in the material world such that we can be in the world but not of the world this is one of the aspects of Christ's work for his people in this present evil age to deliver us to keep us to secure us to guard us to watch over us to preserve us while we live in this present evil age but the power of Christ is such that there is this deliverance from this present evil age now notice fourthly in terms of his summary in terms of the nature of the gospel the death of Christ was determined by the father the death of Christ was determined by the father we know that Christ was voluntary we know that Christ was willing a participant that was willing in this work of salvation but it's according to the will of God Almighty and this is what Paul says he gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father this is divine initiative it's not man that was seeking after God it's God who comes after men it's not us that run toward heavenly to the heavenly Father but it's the heavenly father sending the son of his love to go on that mission of mercy to redeem us to save us to wash us from our wickedness and our sin we know that this is the case say from in Ephesians 1:4 just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that a glorious thing to contemplate as we eat this bread and we drank this cup it's according to the eternal decree of God Almighty this is the outflow of consequent and affect and effect off or a fruit of what God had purposed in Christ Jesus before the world ever was our salvation is not an afterthought in the mind of God our salvation is not a plan B in the mind of God our salvation isn't reactionary on the part of God it was always purposed this way it was always going to be this way according to the will of him who sent his son into this world sinners to save you see this in the old testament genesis 3:15 i will put enmity this is the historical application of the eternal decree this is what god determined before the foundation of the world and it's affected in history genesis 3:15 god says i will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel genesis 22:8 remember that scene when Abraham takes Isaac his only son the son that he loves up to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him in obedience to God Almighty Isaac is a sharp enough young man to say hey we've got the wood we've got the fire but where is the sacrifice and J bruh Hamm says my son God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering isaiah 53:10 and 11 we read at the outset of worship yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him the NASB renders it it pleased the Lord to crush him because that is what happens on the cross it is the Lord ultimately that is in charge it is the Lord certainly Herod and Pilate and the unbelieving Jews are complicit and responsible and wicked and vile and law and all of that but this plan was according to the predetermined purpose of God Almighty so Isaiah the prophet says it pleased the Lord to bruise him he has put him to grief when you make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many for he shall bear their iniquities you get sort of all these things that are that are that are being outlined here by the Apostle in verses 4 and 5 already stipulated prophetically in Isaiah 53 but in the New Testament again John's Gospel John 6:38 240 Jesus says I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me this is the will of the Father who sent me that of all he has given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day we saw this morning in that apostolic prayer meeting they ascribe what is happening in terms of Herod and pilots enmity against Jesus as having occurred according to the predetermined plan of God Almighty on the day of Pentecost when Peter is preaching he says that specifically in Acts chapter 2 at verse 23 him Christ being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death and then of course Romans 3 25 and 26 we consider that a few weeks ago in a sermon on on the Justice of God maintained in the gospel but in Romans 3 25 and 26 it says whom God set forth as a propitiation not whom Herod set forth not a pilot set forth now ultimately these were agents ultimately these were instruments ultimately these men were complicit responsible and had they if they never repented ER are suffering the wrath and fury and vengeance of God even now but it was according to the purpose and plan of God and that is precisely what Paul highlights here in his summary statement even before he gets to the to the letter itself did you understand this is the greeting I've often mused that there's more theology in the table of contents of a Puritan volume than probably what you'll find in the house of James unless they happen to have a Puritan volume look at say John oh and volume 10 and just read the contents just read the title to the essay of the death of death in the death of Christ there's more theology in that title then then there is a you know mounds of books by modern authors well Paul is doing that here in the space of two brief verses that are functioning as an opening greeting stuff that he will amplify and explicate as he moves on in the Epistle if we stop at verses 4 & 5 we'd have an accurate understanding of the gospel these are all vital components this is what the gospel is about the death of Christ was voluntary on his part the death of Christ consisted in penal substitution the death of Christ secured deliverance from this present evil age and the death of Christ was determined by God the Father such that when we consider salvation Romans 9 16 ought to be emblazed over our minds it does not depend upon Emma wills or upon him who runs but on God who shows mercy Paul does not celebrate free will Paul celebrates free grace and then finally this gospel the death of Christ promotes the glory of God who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory for ever and ever amen this is the only place in Paul's letter where doxology is found in the greeting and I would suggest it's found in the greeting because of the articulation of the gospel itself in verse 4 these vital components of gospel truth the nature of the gospel elicits from the Apostle this doxology or this praise to God Almighty the words he can't contain himself as he considers the glory of Christ he can't contain himself as he considers the voluntary nature of Christ's suffering on our behalf the reality that he secures deliverance for us from this present evil age the reality that this plan and purpose is according to the will of God Almighty that it's redemptive in focus and nature it's it's penal substitution he doesn't just say well here's some data or here's some information but he follows it up here in verse 5 by saying to whom be glory for ever and ever amen this is why when we consider those SOLAS of the Reformation solely Sola Sola daya Gloria is in there too God be glory alone this grace alone faith alone Christ alone salvation redound to the glory of God Almighty and that founded upon scripture alone and this isn't the only place that makes the connection between the redeeming power of God Almighty and the glory that should read down to that god of redemption turn to an Old Testament sample in Ezekiel 36 Ezekiel 36 certainly this connection could be multiplied in Scripture I want to give you one old one new the reality that the death of Christ the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ promotes the glory of God Paul says to whom be glory for ever and ever amen now many of you will know that Ezekiel 36 is a promise of the new New Covenant it's a promise of what God will do in the time of Messiah in the time that Jesus Christ comes in fact if you look ahead in Ezekiel 36 at around verse 24 he says for I will take you from among the nations gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean I think this is what Jesus has in mind in John chapter 3 when he speaks of being born of water in the spirit and then Nicodemus is sort of stumbling on this and Jesus chides him and says you're the teacher of Israel and you don't know this I mean this was prophesied there's going to be water it's symbolic in terms of God's having cleansed his people from their sins but notice in verse verse 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your father's you shall be my people and I will be your God I will deliver you from all your uncleanness 'as I will call for the grain and multiply it and bring no famine upon you and I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields so that you need never again be a bear the reproach of famine among the nations remember that new covenant promises in the Old Covenant are couched and Old Covenant language in other words if Hezekiah's add Jesus will voluntarily give his life as a ransom for your sins that would have been sort of a mind set that they couldn't have tracked with but he's using concepts and theology and language and themes that they would be able to sink their teeth into verse 30 I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations now notice our part notice the part of the the participant in Salvation then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations not for your sake do I do this as the Lord God let it be known to you be ashamed and confounded for your own ways o house of Israel so all of this emphasis on what God will do I will I will I will I will I will and then when it comes to man here's what you will you will loathe ourselves for your abominations and your violation of the Covenant so that's the that the promise of the New Covenant but in verses 22 and 23 he highlights the purpose for this it is for the glory of God and I think that the people of God who understand this rejoice in it yes our salvation means great things for us but it means great things for God it means glory praise adoration honor and then verse 22 this is what he specifies therefore say to the house of Israel thus says the Lord God I do not do this for your sake o house of Israel but for my home namesake which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went and I will sanctify my great name which has been profaned among the nations which you have profaned in their midst and the nations shall know that I am the Lord says the Lord God when I am hallowed in you before their eyes and then in Romans chapter 11 Romans chapter 11 the Apostle ends with doxology now the specific referent is 2 chapters 9 to 11 and there the Apostle is dealing with election with sovereignty with predestination with the priority of God's will in the saving of sinners with the place of ethnic Israel and Gentile inclusion in the covenant of grace he's discourses on how all of this is according to the purpose and plan of Almighty God and he summarizes or rather he ends this on this crescendo of praise unto God in verses 33 to 36 in Romans 11 notice in verse 33 oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out for who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his counselor or who has first given to him in it shall be repaid to him verse 36 for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever amen you see the glory of God is primary in the salvation of sinners and the sinners who are saved have no problem with that whatsoever the sinners who are saved are very good with that we want to know that God is magnified we want to know that God is glorified we want to know that when one is called out of darkness into marvelous light that person now proclaims the excellencies of our God according to 1st Peter we need to see that this is the grand purpose in view it is the glory it is the exaltation it is God God God elevated to whom be glory for ever and ever amen the salvation of sinners does not provide a context for the congratulations of said sinners but for the glory of God Almighty well there's the nature of the gospel in two brief verses that function as a greeting to the churches of Galatia i want to consider first in terms of application the focus of the Apostle Paul certainly he does talk about himself I mean again if they are trying to ruin his reputation and the endgame will be the ruin of those who should listen to him that he will seek to vindicate his own name but as far as Paul's personal reputation Philippians chapter one he knew there were people that were preaching the gospel not because they were you know what's the word I'm looking for altruistic they weren't doing it with good motivation Paul didn't care as long as the truth of the gospel was breached if they were saying you know this Paul he's he's in jail and he's kind of a shady character Paul doesn't care if it doesn't compromise the gospel but in Corinth and here in Galatia the reputation of the Apostle is intimately connected to the message of the Apostle and if the reputation is compromised then the message may be and then there will be a destruction for the hearers but the focus of the Apostle is upon the cross matron says Paul was not like some modern preachers who are inclined to mention the Blessed doctrine of the Cross only when they are taken to task for neglecting yet Paul that that was in the you know the early part of the 20th century when we got guys pastors celebrity preachers that wouldn't go near the cross even if they were told they're neglecting yet that's just not even part of the orientation the emphasis is about you the emphases about us the emphases about our fulfillment I mean Steven Furtick sees us in the name of God in Exodus 3:14 that is blasphemous heresy I am Who I am has nothing to do with us achieving something in our own life or having some realization in our own life it's about the revelation of the self-existent God and to do that sort of thing is absolutely atrocious but it's not just him it's going on all over the place gospel so-called God for breach a is simply self-help it simply do-goodery it simply feel good re it's simply a boost in the arm for your busy work week ahead brethren if in the early part of the 20th century machen was able to observe some men will only preach the gospel when they are told they they neglected it what would nature think about today where men are so far from the gospel so far from the cross so far from anything that that reeks of a redemptive religion that it's absolutely it's it's it's nonsensical that the professing people of God put up with such nonsense it's unfortunate that we live in such a day anyways he says Paul regarded in the cross as the very foundation of the Christian life and when it was belittled as in Galatia he put his whole heart into its defence isn't that what Galatians is he puts his whole heart into its defence you know right look at the blogs you know not not many because there's just so many anybody can blog nowadays I mean you just want a blog you can blog there's no checks there's no balances there's no ecclesiastical Authority anybody and everybody can start their own blog but even the guys that are good and even the guys that properly are probably are you know approved by a police ecclesiastical bodies a lot of them are writing things that really don't matter they just don't matter I mean you know weird Studies on whatever it's like the gospel the cross is everything that's where the church falls or Rises the doctrine of justification by faith alone the glorious gospel of our salvation the reality that Christ was crucified buried raised again the third day this is what ought to occupy Christian pulp eggs and am I not sore is this the reality are we supposed to be engaged in self-help or do-goodery no now again there is the do-goodery associated with justification by faith they'll always be sanctification and from whence comes good works and all that sort of thing and James speaks to that we we do deal with those particular things I I don't think anybody could go into our catalogue of sermons on sermon audio and say well you know there's never any law there's never any Christian duty or there's no right no we we deal with all that the brethren the emphasis ought to be on Christ and him crucified that's what you need to hear when you come here on Sunday you know we get this idea that well we got to we got to be leading our people on how to think through current events yeah learn the gospel and then you'll figure out how to think through current events learn the truth as it is in Jesus learn what the book of Deuteronomy is about learn what the Book of Leviticus is about you don't need me to guide you by the hand to how to think about certain current events you need to hear about Christ and him crucified you need to hear about him resurrected you need to hear about life relative to that cross and then you will be oriented to deal with the various things that confront you in this world a second observation with reference to this brief passage is the deity of Jesus Christ it's not only the fact that Christ is coordinate with the father as the source or origin of grace and peace but if you look at verse 1 Paul an apostle and then parenthetically not from men nor through man but to who Jesus Christ now Jesus Christ was a man that Jesus Christ was more than a man the hypostatic union of Christ is the two nature's in the one percent and Christ is God and Paul knows that and Paul confesses that and Paul highlights that one commentator says such statements relating Jesus Christ to God are truly astonishing particularly so when we stop to realize that they were written by a monotheistic Jewish Christian with reference to one who had lived on earth with in recent memory you see what Paul says here is incredible it is powerful it is an ascription of the deity of Jesus Christ on two points not from men nor through man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father yet the coordinate source of Paul's apostolic ministry and then the coordinate source of the Grace and peace that com to the people of God in verse three thirdly we ought to appreciate that the Apostles insist upon the atoning work of Jesus he doesn't come out in verses 4 and 5 and say you know Jesus that's a great example of how we ought to love one another and how we ought to care for one another now Paul does that Peter does that certainly there is the exemplary nature of Christ and we should seek by grace to follow him and do what Jesus did but that's not the emphasis in the New Testament the emphasis is on the reality that he gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of God the Father it is redemptive it is atonement it is blood shedding that Paul celebrates and Paul highlights again I want to end with Galatians 2:20 and if you can say with Paul what he says in verse 20 of chapter 2 then eat the bread and drink the cob eat the bread and drink the cop because the Lord Jesus loved you and gave himself for you if you cannot say this if you do not have faith to profess this then please don't eat the bread and drink the cup believe on him look under Jesus Christ the Lord for salvation there's no salvation by eating the bread in the cop that the salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and once one has done that by God's grace then eat the bread and drink the cup verse 20 I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me there's a world of encouragement and comfort in that brief statement and my hope and prayer is that all of us can echo all of us can imitate all of us can take Paul's words in Galatians 2:20 and make them our own he loved me and he gave himself for me well let us pray our Father we thank you for this brief statement concerning gospel truth and glory in this greeting to the to the to the Galatian churches our Father we thank you for the voluntary nature the death of the Lord Jesus we thank you that it was according to the purpose and plan of God the Father we thank you that it was for our sins and that it does secure deliverance for us from this present evil age and Lord we do that it would all redound to the praise and the glory and the honor of our great and glorious God may Father Son and Holy Spirit be the bee worship and glorified and praised even in this place tonight as we rehearse the supper as we engage in this act of remembrance of our Lord's death on our behalf may it be with that that view to bring honor and glory unto the living and the true God and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you could turn with me to Matthew chapter 26 as we transition now into the time where we take the bread and and the cup and just a couple of things that we need to remember with reference to the supper first of all it is and the ordinance of the Lord's Supper is for believers only I've already tried to stipulate that and make that clear if you're not a believer tonight please do not take the bread and do not take the cup it's not that we want to be mean it's not that we want to be unkind it's not that we want to be harsh or vicious or intolerant or whatever you know the world might say concerning that it's simply the way it is Jesus is the lord of the Covenant Jesus has Dominical authority Jesus gave this to the church Jesus gave this for a specific reason it wasn't to convert sinners but rather it was for converted sinners to reflect upon and remember the death of the Savior as well the ordinance of the Supper is for believers who are dealing with their sin in a manner that is consistent with God's Word you see that developed in first Corinthians chapter 11 one can be a believer but if that believer is not living according to God's will God's Word as it's revealed the will as it's revealed in the word then we are not to take we need to repent we need to forsake we need to ask God to forgive us and certainly you can do that you don't have to wait five years or months or you know you can't well I just can't do it right now you can pray to God to forgive you that's the the beautiful and glorious thing about the redemptive religion of Christianity enough to go to a special place for forgiveness remember that whole emphasis in John 14 you know that I'm sorry John for that Samaritan woman said our our fathers worshiped on this mountain you Jews worshiped on that mountain what well what's the right mountain can Jesus says the aurochs coming and now is it's not this mountain it's not that mountain but the the worshipers of God will will come in spirit and truth and God is seeking such as to worship Him so so you can confess your sins you can ask God to forgive you of your sins and you can participate in the Supper as well we need to remember that the bread and the wine remain bread and wine this is not the doctrine of transubstantiation we're not changing the elements into something that they are not we are simply using these elements as physical tangible reminders of what Christ has done on our behalf what he says this is my body this is my blood he doesn't mean literally he doesn't mean that we're actually ingesting human flesh or human blood we are actually ingesting bread and wine which represents which symbolizes which attaches to our physical senses the reality that Christ gave himself for us and on a real practical level the juice is in the outer ring when the when the elements come around the wine is in the outer ring the juice is in the inner ring if you're so constrained to take untied juices in the outer ring it's a great big note here on the pulp and I still mess it up the juice is in the outer ring and the wine is in the inner ring but either way juice or wine they are not changed into the blood they represent they symbolize they help us to connect because as physical creatures God in His mercy gives us physical things he gives us baptism he gives us the supper so that we can use these things to remind ourselves and to remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ and then ultimately the focus of the Supper is on Christ it is about Jesus brothers and sisters John Murray as I've quoted before says it is the Lord we are remembering so frequently believers become so introspective that preoccupation with themselves excludes preoccupation with Christ certainly you should see yourself as guilty vile helpless weak but go to Christ spotless Lamb of God is he full atonement can it be hallelujah what a savior preoccupation with Jesus Christ ought to be what we're about when it comes to the supper well if the brothers would come and pass out the bread when they do so we'll read the section in Matthew 26 that is appropriate to taking the bread we'll pray and then we'll take the bread together but as the brothers pass out the bread you can turn in your hem books to number 283 number 283 please remain seated and we'll sing together [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] in matthew 26:26 we read and as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed a blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body well let us pray Our Blessed God and our holy father we thank you for those things we've seen in Galatians 1 4 and 5 we thank you that Christ gave himself for our sins and that according to your plan and according to your purpose thank you for making us blessed recipients of the redemptive work of our Lord Christ thank you for so great a salvation for the forgiveness of sins for deliverance from this present evil age and for the reality that we have an inheritance laid up for us in heaven God we bless you for these blessings and we give praise to you and glory and honor and we pray now through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll take together well please turn again to number 341 number 341 remain seated as we sing [Music] [Music] [Music] we read in verse 27 then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it when I drink it new with you in my father's Kingdom and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives well let us pray Our Blessed God we thank you for the blood of Jesus Christ your son which does cleanse us from all sin all iniquity and transgression we rejoice in this blessed fact in this reality that we are accepted in the beloved through whom we have redemption through his blood God we pray that you would encourage our hearts that you would strengthen us with might and the inner man that you would cause us to love and adore and the worship and to glorify Father Son and Holy Spirit for so great a salvation we thank you for the prophecies concerning the New Covenant we thank you for this inauguration of that covenant by our Lord Christ and we thank you that he confirms that he secures it in his own death upon the cross we ask now that you would bless and and and strengthen each of our hearts and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll take together well let's turn to 352 as it is a wonderful summary statement of gospel truth and we'll stand and sing together Man of Sorrows what a name [Music] [Music] [Music] now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete and every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in a sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever amen God go with us now cause your face to shine on us cause us to know that blessed peace and security that comes from you and lord help us to shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and give us the boldness and the courage to hold forth your word of truth bless the children as they return to school may you cause them to first and foremost remember their Creator in their youth and God caused them to believe the gospel of salvation and to know the joy of everlasting life go with your people now and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen you