It is the Message, Not the Messenger

Transcript

GR1160
09/01/1999
It is the Message, Not the Messenger
Galatians 4:12-16
Gil Rugh



We are going to be in Galatians 4. The book of Galatians and the 4th chapter. The book of Galatians is a very intense letter because the apostle Paul is dealing with the subject of eternal importance and significance. Really two concerns are evident as Paul writes to the Galatians. The number one concern of course is for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. False teachers had come into the churches at Galatia and were undermining the truth of the Gospel. They were alternating the truth by adding to it the provisions of the Mosaic Law. Paul used some very strong language in dealing with this subject, in dealing with those teachers. In chapter 1 verse 6 at the end of the verse he referred to the fact that the people were deserting Christ for a different Gospel which is not another Gospel. Paul is saying any change in the Gospel makes it something other than the Gospel. There is only one Gospel, the truth of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the payment in full for sin. Any addition to that so changes it. It is not the Gospel any longer. Any subtractions from that so changes it so that it is no longer the Gospel. It no longer can bring about the salvation of a soul. And Paul spoke very strongly when he said in verse 8 of chapter 1, "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a Gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is accused", anathema, doomed to hell.

So Paul is very passionate and intense as he walks through the issues of the truth of the Gospel. But Paul is not just concerned about theological truth in abstract. But let me say truth is truth and that truth is important because any alteration in it is a reflection on the character of God and an attack on His person and His work. But Paul is not just concerned about theological facts as facts but he is concerned for the personal situation of the Galatians and so he writes because he is concerned for their spiritual health and well-being. In fact their eternal destiny is at stake in this matter. You cannot be saved in believing an alterated or changed Gospel. And Paul is concerned for the salvation of the Galatians. You cannot grow unless you feel upon the pure, unalterated milk of the Word of God as Peter said in 1 Peter 2. And he is concerned for the growth of the Galatians.

And verses 12 to 20 of Chapter 4 Paul breaks into his strong doctrinal argument with a very intense personal section where he just opens his heart to the Galatians and calls them to think back to the time when Paul brought the Gospel to them and the warmth and love there was in their relationship and the salvation, blessings and joy that flooded the souls of the Galatians as they responded to Paul's preaching. Then he wants to know what has happened. Why the change that is now present in your lives and attitude toward me.

In no way does Paul indicate that their personal relationship to him superseded the truth. In fact, he had said in chapter 1 verse 8, "Though we [including himself] or an angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel then we would be accursed too. But he is concerned that the change and attitude toward him is joined together in a change and attitude toward the Gospel which he preached. In verse 11 of chapter 4 Paul expressed the concern of his heart, "I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain." In chapter 1 verse 6 he said, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different Gospel." So he has addressed them very sternly. They're in a process of an act of desertion, turning from Christ to another Gospel. You see something of the seriousness of the issue. Now in chapter 4 verse 11 he says, "I have a fear in my heart that perhaps my labor in bringing you the Gospel and nurturing and nourishing you in the truth was empty." Maybe you didn't believe at all.

And with that he turns to a very personal section to open his heart to them. Verse 12 says, "I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are." The word order as Paul wrote this in the Greek text is a little different. First statement in verse 12 in the Greek text is, "Become as I am, for I am as you are. I beg you brethren." Interestingly, that statement "become as I am," is the first command given in the book of Galatians. Paul has spoken forcefully, directly, but this is the first time in the book of Galatians that Paul gives a command, an imperative, present imperative. Become as I am. Look at me. Become like me.

This is not unusual. Paul on several other occasions in letters to other churches exhorted them to be imitators of him, to pattern their lives after him. Turn over a few books to Philippians. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. Just two books past Galatians, the book of Philippians and the third chapter. Philippians chapter 3 verse 12, "Brethren, join in following my example." It's a similar kind of exhortation. Pattern your life after me. Be as I am. Follow my example. Observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. Pattern your life after others like me, like the apostles. Why? "For many walk of whom I have often told you and tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ." Similar kind of context we have in Galatians. Paul says, oh, pattern your life after me. Because he's so wonderful? No, but because he is a faithful servant of God whose bringing them the truth of God and there is great danger, danger from those who are enemies of the cross of Christ. "Whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things."

Isn't is amazing that you have to write to those who are believers in Jesus Christ and warn t hem of teachers who can be described as enemies of the cross of Christ, those whose end is destruction. But Paul is passionately concerned that believers will be influenced and led astray by such teachers. So look to me Paul says become like me.

Back in Galatians again. Now Paul's point Galatians is expressed a little differently than it is other times when he talks about imitating him. Here he has a particular area in mind. He says in verse 12, "Become as I am for I also have become as you are." Become like me for I have become like you. What is he saying? Paul's point is simple. If you've been following us in the book of Galatians, Paul was a Jew but to experience the salvation in Christ, what did he have to do? He had become like a Gentile, not trust in the Law, not believe by obedience to the Law, the Mosaic Law. He could become righteous before God. He had become like a Gentile and realize his only hope was to cast himself on the mercy of God and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. So he had become like the Galatians. So he tells the Galatians now you become like me. I became like you. I abandoned any hope in the Mosaic Law or anything else as a way of salvation. Now you become like me. Don't go to the Law. Become like me. I became like you. When he came to Galatia. Paul didn't preach to them the Mosaic Law. He didn't tell them they had to observe certain days and eat certain foods and not eat other foods and so on. No, he came to them just like a Gentile and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Back up to Galatians chapter 2. In the middle of verse 14 Paul said to Peter when Peter became unfaithful. Remember when Peter came he was eating like the Gentiles, eating with the Gentiles, but when Jews came from Jerusalem, then Peter quit eating with the Gentiles. And Paul rebuked him. In the middle of verse 14, he said, "If you being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews." And that's what Paul is saying about himself in chapter 4. Become like me for I became like you. I live like the Gentiles. When I came to you in Galatia with the Gospel I didn't come as a Jew to call you to believe in the Law. I came just like a Gentile, not observing the Law and proclaiming Christ. "How is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews." And that's what the Judaizers were doing. And here you see even the apostle Peter under pressure had become like a Judaizer. Verse 16, "Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we [Jews] have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."

So back in chapter 4 verse 12, "Become like me because I have become like you." I as a Jew had to become like a Gentile, not depend on the Law or anything else. And I would encourage you as Gentiles to stay like I am. Don't try to go under a Law which could never save.

Then he says, "I beg of you, brethren." And the warmth of this appeal softens the concern of verse 11. It doesn't remove it because down at the end of verse 20 he's going to say, "I am perplexed about you." Something is wrong. And Paul has a confidence. He says, "I beg you, brethren." You see there is something of a paradox going on as he's convinced that they have truly believed in Christ and there was evidence and yet something's wrong. Why are they open to the teaching of the Judaizers? Why have they begun to adopt certain requirements of the Mosaic Law? As verse 10 says, "You observe days, months, season and years." So there's that nagging doubt. Did you really understand and believe? But I'm sure you have. That's where he is. “I beg of you brethren.”

"You have done me no wrong." Now some would take this to mean that Paul is telling them I don't take this personally. It's not a personal thing with me that you have followed after the Judaizers. Obviously, if you know anything of Paul's writers in Galatia or anywhere else, when people abandon the Gospel, it was a personal issue because they were rejecting his Lord. And when rejecting his Lord, they were rejecting him. Context indicates when it says, "You have done me no wrong." He is talking about when he ministered to them at Galatia. He uses the tense here normally used for a past tense in Greek. Looking back when he came to Galatia they had done him no wrong. And then he goes on to explain how they treated them when he came to Galatia with the Gospel. So you did me no wrong. You didn't treat me wrongly when I brought the Gospel to you in Galatia.

"But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the Gospel to you the first time." This is an interesting insight into Paul's ministry. Acts chapters 13 and 14 talks about Paul's ministry in Galatia. In chapter 13 we are told how he left Pamphylia and traveled up to the churches in Galatia. But there is nothing said in Acts about any physical problems. That's interesting because Acts was written by Luke the Physician whom we think might have brought in this touch of Paul's physical problems. But he does not. And there's nothing more said than what we have in this context here. The expression bodily illness could refer to any kind of physical sickness or weakness. As the context will indicate and we'll look at in a moment, this was a severe illness and whatever it was it was repulsive to other people. So it had the symptoms that made other people want to avoid you. It would be easy for them to find you repulsive.

So he says, "You know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the Gospel to you the first time." And you'll note the human reason why Paul took the Gospel to Galatia is he got sick. It expresses purpose. You know that it was because of a bodily illness. That expresses the purpose humanly speaking. How did Paul end up in Galatia? Well, you read the Acts account and you just assume he went through the region of Pamphylia and decided to go up into Galatia. Now you find out that it was his illness that necessitated the trip to Galatia.

There's been no end on these speculations about what Paul's problems were. We'll say something about the possibility of an eye ailment in a moment. It will come up in verse 15. That's a possibility. Some say Paul was suffering from the afflictions he had endured as an apostle--illness, beatings, deprivation and so on. We alluded to in 2 Corinthians 11. Some of that already had begun. One of the more probable explanations was he developed malaria. And I just say a probable explanation. We have no idea. But it has been suggested by some that Paul may have contracted Malaria because Pamphylia where he was before he went into Galatia is in the low coastal region and it was malaria country. Went you go up into Galatia you cross the Taurus Mountains. You go up in elevation to about 3600 feet above sea level, come to the region of Galatia. And that would be a reason if he had contracted malaria in the low country naturally be looking to escape malaria region if you will. Get out of that area, get up in some elevation where he might recover. One commentator wrote, "Pamphylia and the coastal plain were districts where malaria fever raged. It is more than probable that Paul contracted this malaria and his only remedy was to seek the highlands of Galatia. This malaria recurs and it is accompanied by a prostrating headache which those who have experienced it liken to a red hot bar thrust through the forehead or a dentist's drill boring through the temple." We really don't have any way of knowing for sure but it was illness that Paul sought relief by leaving the region of Pamphylia and traveling up into Galatia, which is a little bit strange. We think if it was just an illness what you'd do is not travel and travel up into the mountains was a rather difficult journey. So that's why some have conjected the malaria explanation.

Some connect it with Paul's thorn in the flesh. Just before Galatians, 2 Corinthians 12:7. Paul had been given many revelations from God. Then we're told in verse 7 of 2 Corinthians 12, "Because of the surprising greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself." In other words, God had revealed so much to Paul it could have been an occasion of pride for Paul. People would be in awe of what he could tell them. He himself could have began to think of himself as someone special. "There was given me a thorn in flesh," a splinter in the flesh, some kind of physical problem, "a messenger of Satan to torment me." So Paul had some kind of reoccurring physical ailment which he said was a demonic being that was given opportunity to cause him physical trouble. And we know demons can. The book of Job Job suffered tremendous physical affliction at the hands of the Devil. We know it's recurring because Paul says in verse 8, "I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me." Paul received the answer from God, "My grace is sufficient for you." The answer is no. The answer is yes. No, I won't remove the physical ailment. Yes, I will give you sufficient grace to accomplish the work I have called you to do. This problem in Galatians 4 may well be a reoccurrence of his physical affliction. We don't know.

Come back to Galatians 4. I want you to see though some insight into Paul's ministry and all that it entailed. It is not just a time of sickness. He got the flu or he wasn't feeling well. Look at verse 14, "And that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe." Now you see here there were symptoms associated with Paul's sickness that were a trial to the people around him or came in connect with him. And he uses some strong words here. "You did not despise or loathe my condition." That word "loathe" means to spit something out. It gives you the idea. Something's repulsive, loathed, despised my condition. "It was a trial to you." So when you came to see Paul, when he had this physical illness, you may have to hold your nose and close your eyes so to speak. It would be something that people could repulsive, that we would say would turn them off. Yet the Galatians did not respond that way. "But you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself." Now he's not saying as a literal angel or literally as Christ but shows how openly they received him as though he was a messenger from God, as though Christ Jesus had come. And in a sense he had because Jesus said he who receives you, receives Me. He who receives Me receives My Father. So indeed Paul stood as he said in 2 Corinthians 5 "in Christ's stead and beseeched them, be reconciled to God." And that's how the Galatians received him. They weren't put off by his illness, by the repulsiveness of his physical condition. What mattered was not the messenger but the message.

That's an indication and is an evidence to Paul that their response to the Gospel was genuine, that his condition, his situation did not become an excuse for them to find him repulsive and reject him. Rather they graciously receive him as from the Lord. I find this section intensely encouraging and challenging. Romans 1:16 says, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." Now you have the messenger who is weak and unappealing even in his present situation, repulsive, but that is not an obstacle to the Gospel performing its powerful work in transforming the Galatians. We are reminded that even at his best Paul probably was not a striking figure and his enemies often used his physical appearance and characteristics to try to turn people away from him.

Back up just before Galatians again into 2 Corinthians into chapter 10. And this is a section in Corinthians where Paul is also dealing with false teachers who want to lure the Corinthians away from faithfulness to Paul and the truth of the Gospel. And you know what they say about Paul, these false teachers say about Paul, verse 10 of 2 Corinthians 10, "For they say his letters are weighty and strong but his personal appearance is unimpressive and his speech contemptible." In other words, they would say if you would see Paul you wouldn't be impressed. And if you heard him preach, you'd be even less impressed. He's not much to look at and he's sure not a spellbinder of a speaker. Paul gives the point over in chapter 11 verse 6 of 2 Corinthians, "But even if I am unskilled in speech," maybe I'm not the best speaker, maybe I'm not the most interesting talker, but I have knowledge, "I have the truth of God." Verse 21 he'll say maybe I am weak in comparison to the false apostles and I didn't try to dominate you.

All this to say I think if perhaps the apostle Paul would walk up here to be the morning speaker, we might say oh my. No, I don't think he's got it. And when he'd open his mouth, we'd probably be convinced. But you know what? The power was not in the messenger. The power was in the message. Now I'm not saying we shouldn't do all we can to be everything God by His grace will enable us to be but we ought not to turn from the truth that the power is in the message preached.

Back in 1 Corinthians 1. Look at verse 21, the middle of the verse for time, "God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." You note where the emphasis is. It's on the message preached. Paul told the Galatians it was through bodily illness that I preached the Gospel to you. What was the focus? The message preached. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation. The Word of God is alive and powerful.

Turn back to 2 Corinthians again chapter 12. Look at what God said to Paul when Paul asked him to fee him up from his physical affliction. We can understand it. Paul had to travel to carry the Gospel to various places, to constantly be sick, to constantly to have physical problems was just an added burden. It would be easy for Paul to think, oh what I could do for the Lord if I was only healthy. Oh, what I could do for the Lord, if. What did God say in verse 9 of 2 Corinthians 12? "He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'" You ought to have that underlined in your Bible. Power is perfected in weakness. What's Paul response to that? "Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weakness so that power of Christ may dwell in me." If the weaker I am, the more powerful Christ is in me, bring on the weakness. "Therefore I am well content with weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." And you ought to underline that seeming paradox. "When I am weak, then I am strong." And Paul includes all kinds of weakness here as he just enumerated. Physical sickness, illness, insults, persecutions, difficulties, you name it. You know how often do we want to drop out. I'm not feeling good. So that becomes . . . I'm going to get back in it when I what? It's the very difficulty, it's the very weakness that's enabling the power of God to work in and through me. And if I don't remember this, I may bail out and miss the greatest blessing and the opportunity to have the greatest impact.

What's Paul doing in Galatia? He's sick. We might say that's humanly why he's in Galatia but what is Paul doing in Galatia? Here's a man whose appearance would make you sick. And he's presenting the Gospel and people are getting saved. Two thousand years later we are reading the letter to the Galatians who got saved when Paul was repulsively sick. How'd you saved? I went in and held my nose, closed my eyes. My ears were open. Paul told me the Gospel and I got saved. Oh, let me go get my friends. Oh, let's wait. We want to have somebody who you know, maybe's done something great, maybe's a Hollywood celebrity, maybe he's made a name for himself. You look at him and you say wow he looks like he ought to look. And boy when he speaks everybody just sits on every word. Those are the kind of people I want to bring my unsaved friends to. But are we trying to convert them to that person? Or are we trying to see the power of God change their heart with the power of the Gospel.

Do you realize when we throw up those excuses, we are really rejecting the grace of Christ. Oh, God can't use me. Oh, not in my condition. I'm not feeling well enough. Not . . . What do you mean? Is God's grace not sufficient? Did He not say my power is perfected in weakness? We really believe when we are weak then we are strong? No we really believe when we're strong, we're strong. We look at those we think are strong physically and we think they are the ones who can really do it. Why do people bail out when they get to retirement age? Well, you know I don't have the physical strength I used to. You mean God's power sort of wears out like a battery? That grieves my heart. I see people reaching retirement age and bailing out. Why? I'm too old. I'm young enough to go and do a lot of things but I'm too old you know . . . Forget it. When you're weak you're strong. Maybe you have an enduring physical affliction. So what? The power of God is perfected in weakness.

We must do it God's way. We've got our way. Oh, yes, we want to make our services as attractive as can be. And I'm not saying there's any value, particular value, put on ugliness, sloppiness. I mean there's no sense in having me and Bill Mize and a couple of other men form a quartet. No, no value in that. I mean, there is a balance. But you know the church has become consumed with appearances and we put more emphasis on appearance than we do substance. We are more concerned with pleasing personality and we do that at the extent of a powerful message. Methods, the messenger have replaced the message.

You know, I want to be the best preacher I can, but you know the most eloquent man in the world cannot change a heart. The Gospel is the same Gospel put in the mouth of someone who stumbles in speech. The apostle Paul whose speech was contemptible, who's appearance was nothing and at times was repulsive in his illness, who in the history of the Church had a more powerful ministry than the apostle Paul? Who would you want to hold up as been more influential in leading more people to Christ and establishing churches 2000 years later? By the grace of God sufficient for Paul in his weakness. We sit at his feet and learn. That ought to be an encouragement to each one of us. That God has entrusted and placed in earthen vessels the truth of the Gospel as he wrote to the Corinthians. Why? That all the glory and all the honor might go to God. You know what happened when a person went heard Paul present the Gospel in his loathsome sickness, was gloriously saved, no one said it was because Paul was so eloquent. That Paul had that magnetic personality that drew people. All they could say was the Gospel's powerful. He used him on his sick bed, in his repulsive condition, and I'm saved. Why? The Gospel is powerful.

Come back to Galatians 4. "Where then is that sense of blessing you had," verse 15 begins. The word "blessing," makarismos, the Greek word for happiness, joy, blessing, same word that's used in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. "Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."

Turn over to Romans chapter 4. We are talking about salvation blessings. That's what the Beatitudes are talking about, the joy and happiness and blessing that belongs to one who comes to salvation in the Messiah. In Romans chapter 4 Paul uses this word. Look at verse 6 and he's talking in the context again of circumcision and the Gospel as he battles this same issue in writing to the Romans. But he says in verse 6, "Just as David also speaks of the blessing." There's our word. "On the man to whom the Lord reckons righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those who lawless deeds have been forgiven, whose sins have been covered, blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account. Is this blessing then on the circumcised or on the uncircumcised also? For we say faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness." You see, he's talking about salvation blessings. The blessing, joy and happiness that comes when your sin is forgiven. You are cleansed. Paul says to the Galatians, "Where then is that sense of blessing you had, the joy and happiness that came to your heart and life when you believed the Gospel that I preached to you? What has happened?"

Back to Galatians 4. What a fitting question. "For I bear you witness," Paul goes on in verse 15, "that if possible you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me." And this passage causes some to believe that Paul had an ongoing eye affliction, an eye affliction that it occur in biblical times where the eyes became very unsightly, pussy and running all the time. That would naturally fit. Look at Paul and see eyes that are pussy and oozing fluid. And you know, it just seems like something you wouldn't want to look at. That could be a possibility. Later in chapter 6 Paul will say I wrote to you with large letters, and some would say the large letters would indicate Paul's eye ailment, that he had a struggle to write. We note he used a secretary so to speak, an amanuensis, for the penning of the letter that he wrote. That may be the ailment here.

Also I'd recognize that this is a proverbial expression. We would say in our day he would give you the shirt off his back. Well, if somebody reads that in a 150 years or 500 years or 2000 years if the Lord didn't come, they might say well the real problem was those people were cold in the Nebraska winters and they needed additional clothing. That may be a possibility in a certain sense, but it's also a general proverbial expression that what? They'd do anything for you. We'd say they'd give you the shirt off their back. I mean, they will do anything they can to help you, anything for you. Well, this is a more pointed expression, clearer even than that. There is nothing more precious than the eyes, particularly in biblical times. And so to say they would give their eyes was a way of saying in a more pointed way they'd give you the shirt off their back. What Paul is saying is there's nothing you wouldn't have done for me. Isn't that true? A person . . . they've come and heard the Gospel from Paul and experienced the overwhelming joy of salvation. Oh, there wasn't nothing you won't do for me. Not that they were honoring Paul but that joy . . . You'd look at that . . . When you look back, the person who shared the Gospel with you, you didn't see any imperfections. You didn't notice any flaws. You go out and somebody criticized you . . . I mean, wait a minute, wait a minute. That's not the case. Why? You are overwhelmed with joy in the message that person has brought you.

So that's their attitude toward Paul. Back in those days when he came to Galatia. They had every reason humanly speaking to have turned away from him, to have found him repulsive. To say at a more convenient time I'll hear from you. But they didn't. They were thrilled, joy and happiness. Salvation blessings flooded their soul and they would have done anything for Paul. Now the pointed question of verse 16. So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? Remember back. You would done anything for me. Now I've become your enemy because I told you the truth. Striking question.

Paul had proclaimed the truth of the Gospel to them on his first visit. He continued to remind them of the truth of the Gospel right through this letter. This put him in direct conflict with the Judaisers. This was putting him in conflict with the Galatian churches and the people there because in verse 10, "You observe days, months, seasons, and years." Chapter 1 verse 6, "You are deserting Christ." That means they are standing now against Paul because Paul stood with Christ and for the truth of the Gospel. Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

Turn back to the book of Jeremiah. That's a sad question but not a new one, not a new situation. Look in Jeremiah. Right about the middle of your Old Testament--Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 30, "An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land." We are talking about what's happening in Israel. "The prophets prophesy falsely. The priests rule on their own authority and my people love it so. But what will you do at the end of it?" Isn't that a terrible indictment of Israel? The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule on their own authority and the people love it. It reminds me of what Paul warned Timothy of in the later days that people as the churches won't tolerate the teaching of the truth, but they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.

Look over in Jeremiah chapter 20. You know, when the people of Israel turned to false prophets, turned away from the Lord, they also turned against Jeremiah. So in Jeremiah chapter 20 verse . . . Look at the last part of verse 7, "I have become a laughingstock all day long," Jeremiah says, "for each time I speak I cry aloud. I proclaim violence and destruction because for me the Word of the Lord has resulted in reproach and derision all day long." Paul's question have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? Jeremiah could say yes, I've become your enemy because I tell you the truth. I'm rejected by you, scorned by you. The Word of the Lord has resulted in reproach and derision all day long. Jeremiah says in verse 9, "If I say I will not remember Him or speak any more in His name, then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, I cannot endure it." What Jeremiah says is all right, if they don't want to hear it, I'm not going to tell them. He says it's like a fire burning in there. I can't keep it in.

You know, Spurgeon talks about preachers who started out giving pure wine in their ministry, pure truth. Then he said they began to offer water and wine mixed, the truth diluted. Then he said pretty soon they were just giving water. I wonder about the genuineness of those kind of men. Jeremiah couldn't keep the truth in even when it made him the enemy of everyone around him. The truth was too powerful. In Jeremiah 15:16 he says, "Your words were found and I did eat them. And your word became for me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts." He says I have no choice. I am called by the name of the Lord. His Word fills and thrills my heart and soul and I can't keep it in but it results in derision and he became the enemy because he told them the truth.

Come back to Galatians 4. Paul could make no adjustment in the message and you note what happens. As the Galatians turn from faithful commitment to truth, they also turn against the one who brings them the truth. So it's not just the Gospel truth that becomes their enemy but Paul the messenger of Gospel truth has become their enemy.

One writer put it this way, "Ministers of the Gospel today have much to learn from Paul's constancy in dealing with the fickle Galatians. We must remember that the pastor is not called to be popular but to be faithful. He has been commissioned by the Lord of heaven to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. He must not fail in this divine assignment whether he be applauded warmly or shunned as a leper. For the man of God there is an arena of approval infinitely superior to the opinion of his congregation or the applause of his peers or the approval of some denominational bureaucracy." Paul is clear he cannot change. The truth cannot change, but the Galatians need to stop. Has Paul become our enemy because he tells us the truth?

Let me walk back with you quickly over a few points that come out of this section we've looked at. Number one, the terms of salvation are the same for everyone. Jew and Gentile alike must let go of anything and everything else they are relying upon and trusting in to take hold of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. That's verse 12, "Become as I am for I have become as you are."

Number two, the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. Verse 13. Because of bodily illness I preach the Gospel to you. It's not the messenger, it's the message. Paul could be in a deteriorated, repulsive physical condition, the Gospel is just as powerful at any time ever. We are going to wait till we're stronger, till we're feeling better, till the situation is better. Do you understand the Gospel is the Gospel is the Gospel! I may be weak, I may be sick, maybe I can't hold my head up, the Gospel's not any weaker. The Gospel's the power of God, not the messenger. We better not confuse it.

Number three, God uses our trials for His purpose. God is sovereignly behind Paul's illness. Paul is going to Galatia by divine appointment but the means used is physical sickness, severe sickness, unpleasant sickness, repulsive illness. But God uses our trials for His purposes.

Number four, connected to this, human weakness is not a detriment to the Gospel, verse 14. Many people in the region of Galatia did not believe the Gospel but it had nothing to do with the fact that Paul was a weak, sick, repulsive-looking person. The elect heard and believed. Human weakness is not a detriment to the power of the Gospel.

Number five, remember the early days of your salvation. Some of you are here on Sunday evening and we've been reviewing the churches of Revelation 2 and 3. We've noted how often the churches are told remember, remember. Here Paul tells them remember, verse 15. Where is that sense of joy and happiness and blessing in your salvation? Remember those days. Go back. It's good for us. We don't want to live in the past, but we don't want to forget those initial days of God's glorious work of saving us and the blessing and happiness and joy that was ours and that unreserved commitment that everything could be given for Him. You'd have given your eyes. Is that the way it is today? If not, we are deteriorating and we better stop and remember that we might recapture . . . Is our salvation any less blessed? Does it get weaker with the passing of time? But oh yes new Christians they are overwhelmed with joy and happiness. They are thrilled with the blessing of their salvation but after time they become like a battery. You know, the light's there but it's yellow and deem. It's not the way our salvation is. It grows more wonderful. We are to be growing more like Him. His work is increasing in our hearts and lives and I should be cooling. I want to be overrun with people so passionate in their love for the Lord they make new Christians look like what they are--babies just starting. Oh wait till you serve the Lord for thirty years, forty years. The joy and blessing will all but consume you. You'll think I can hardly take another day on this earth. I think I'm going to explode. I'm so ready for heaven. The joy that God has brought to my heart in anticipation of Him.

Number six, do not be selective in your response to the truth, verse 16. You know the truth is the truth is the truth. The problem was the Judaizers came and taught something the Galatians now thought they wanted to hear and others were believing it. You know what? I can't be selective with the truth. And I have to be careful. Oh yes, that was the truth. It's wonderful. I love it. It was great. But now I find the truth being brought to bear and it's not so pleasant. It's rebuking me, it's correcting me. It's pointing out error. It is attacking the false teaching and the false teachers and I say I don't like that. The truth is the truth. Don't be selective in the truth. God forbid that I should ever fail to teach you the truth. God forbid that I should ever become your enemy because I teach you the truth. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for your grace. Thank you for a salvation that is altogether wonderful. Thank you for the power of the Gospel that has transformed our lives and made us new. Lord, thank you for the salvation blessings, joy and happiness that flooded our soul when we turned from our sin and believed in the Saviour. Lord, may we never forget those early days. May that passion for truth, that passion and love for the Savior, that passion and love for those who bring the truth, may it not cool or dim in any way. May our love for You grow stronger, may our love for the Gospel grow stronger. May our love for those in the Body who teach and nurture and nourish and fellowship together with us in the ministry of truth grow stronger. May our lives individually and our testimony as a church be strong until Christ comes and that will be a testimony also to Your grace in our lives. And we pray in Christ's name, amen.