The Foundations of Authentic Christianity

1. Read: Galatians 1:1-3

2. About the Text:

1) There was a problem in the churches of Galatia.

2) Some were perverting the gospel.

3) They wanted to return to the Law of Moses.

a. “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved’” (Acts 15:1).

b. “But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses’” (Acts 15:5).

4) Many Christians in these churches were taken with their teaching.

5) Christianity was being changed and this needed to be addressed.

3. Why do we need to talk about authentic Christianity today?

1) Since the book of Galatians was written, there has been a lot of corruption.

2) What does it take to restore a building to its original character and design?

3) Men have sought to change Christianity to suit their desires.

4) There is only one way to have authentic Christianity.

5) We must go back to the original source – The Bible.

6) “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11).

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Human beings are not the solution!

1) This is the great conflict.

2) Men are always trying to insert their own ideas in place of God’s.

3) “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12).

4) “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; ??It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).

5) “?These people draw near to Me with their mouth, ??And honor Me with their lips, ??But their heart is far from Me. ??And in vain they worship Me, ??Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).

2. I, personally, am not the solution.

1) But it is more personal than that.

2) Postmodernism has elevated the desires of self.

3) For many, their opinions, thoughts, and desires constitute right and wrong.

4) But, my own thoughts and ideas frequently conflict with God.

5) “The heart is deceitful above all things, ??And desperately wicked; ??Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

6) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, ??And lean not on your own understanding; ??In all your ways acknowledge Him, ??And He shall direct your paths. ??Do not be wise in your own eyes; ??Fear the LORD and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7).

7) Neither I nor you are the ones that make Christianity authentic.

8) Authenticity does not come from within me; it comes from Jesus Christ.

1. He was raised from the dead.

1) This is clear objective proof that Jesus Christ is the standard.

2) In contrast to man/self as the standard of right and wrong, Jesus Christ is that standard.

3) “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

4) “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

5) “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).

2. He gave Himself for our sins.

1) He has the moral authority to be that standard.

2) “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

3) “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

4) “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” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

3. Jesus Christ is the foundation of authentic Christianity.

1) “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

2) “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone’” (Acts 4:10-11).

1. Authentic Christianity delivers/rescues us from evil.

1) There is evil within each one of us.

2) “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” (Isaiah 53:6).

3) “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

2. The present age is evil.

1) The world we live in is evil.

2) We need to be delivered/rescued from it.

3) “And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation” (Acts 2:40).

4) “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

5) “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

3. Jesus delivers us from evil.

1) “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

2) “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:3-6).

4. The world is a degeneration of God’s creation; to be authentic Christians, we must come out of it.

1. The Foundations of Authentic Christianity …

1) Not From Men

2) Through Jesus Christ

3) Deliver/Rescue From this Present Evil Age

2. Invitation