Thank you, Pastor Wes. I hope already you have been impacted by the truth this morning. In our worship already the texts that we have interacted with are unbelievably powerful. They ought to be unbelievably powerful to us personally. They're unbelievably powerful eternally. The things which we have sung about this morning, if they weren't true, there's no point in us being here this morning. Take your Bibles and turn with me to Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15. Have you ever had a conversation and didn't realize until sometime later How significant that conversation really was. Maybe someone was talking with you and they were talking in actualities and you were talking in possibilities. And you didn't realize that in the conversation you were actually agreeing to something rather than just a possibility. And then when they come back to you afterwards with the expectations that you've agreed to something and you didn't realize you had, that conversation was a whole lot more significant than the one you thought you were having. Ever been there? Ever have children say to you, but you said, and then when you say, yeah, and they said, but you said, and you did say that. But you were kind of on different wavelengths. Children are masters of knowing when to talk to you. You ever notice that? Like, they know how to slip a question in when you really are not completely conscious. That's why I have learned to say, no matter if I know for sure, other than God and His sovereign plan changing the course of human history, that we're going to do it, I still say, we'll see. Because we will see, whether we do it or not. So you gotta know how to answer. But have you ever been caught in one of those conversations and afterwards you're like, whoa, I, ooh, yeah. I actually had a scenario in high school. This is another reason why I'm against high school dating, by the way, against high school dating. The older my daughters get, the more I'm going to get it too. But anyway, I had a guy in school one time ask me about the possibility, it was just a possibility of dating a particular girl. And I said, yeah, I think so. And then Monday, go back to school, and he was like, where were you? I was like, where was I when? Well, you said, oh, I didn't say that. But yeah, you did, you said, and I told her. And this guy went out with his girlfriend and this other girl and no me. There wasn't any possibility of a second date either, by the way, at that point. But you got to be careful sometimes to understand the true nature of the conversation. Have your brain fully engaged. In my Bible reading plan, I'm using Dr. Horner's reading plan, and you read the Scriptures all the way through in eight months. But as you do that, there's certain passages of Scripture that you read multiple times. And I'm very thankful that as I go through it, I'm actually reading Proverbs and Acts every month. And I will tell you, the text that we come to today is one of those texts that we tend to have the conversation without fully realizing the conversation we're having. Because we tend, in a kind of a historical narrative, like the book of Acts is, we get caught up in the action. Paul and Barnabas, they're out there traveling, they're in different cities, they're encountering different people, and man, he just got stoned! Can you imagine what that was like? That, by the way, meant something totally different in Paul's day. But anyway, you know, when you actually come to Acts chapter 15, it kind of, it settles down. A little bit of commentary, and I had to go up and have this meeting, and church meetings usually aren't all that fun. You have a meal beforehand, then they have a church meeting. I don't go to those. I hope, by the way, that's not you, but you know, church meetings, there's typically aren't, we're coming to Acts chapter 15, and we're, in a sense, coming to the first church meeting. And I'm here to tell you this morning, as we come to this chapter, we dare not miss this conversation. This is probably, this juncture in the book of Acts, the most crucial, pivotal...that's not even a word...pivotal turning point for the church in its history. We come to a chapter where we encounter what has become known as the Jerusalem Council. And you could read this chapter and read the way that the author lays it out for us and blur right through it and miss the point. But we're not going to miss the point. I'm probably going to take more time in this chapter than I have any other chapter in the book of Acts. Because we must understand this chapter. Because this chapter, folks, is about the gospel. What it is. Why it's important. What it's not. What it does. What it does not do. What its demands are. What its demands are not. And I will tell you to be wrong on any of those statements I just made, puts eternity in the balance. And so we've got to understand, why were they meeting? What were they talking about? What was being said? Why was it crucial? And what is the impact for them in the decision that is made? Some things about the decision that is made could hit us as pretty strange. And then why is that important to us? What should that mean for us? Folks, I'm here to tell you that there is in evangelicalism today a shallow misunderstanding of the gospel. And it's being hoisted upon the churches. We don't believe the gospel. You say, wow, pastor, that is a big statement. We believe the gospel, Jesus came, He lived, He died, He was buried, He rose again, and if I put my faith in Him, I'm saved. Yes, that's the gospel. But do we truly believe that the gospel alone is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it? To the Jew first, and also to the Greek. And do we believe that that gospel genuinely has built into it the dynamic power of God to radically change every life that it possesses and that possesses it. Do you believe that? And I'm here to tell you today that the evidence among evangelicalism is we don't. And thus, we don't look for changed lives. It was Paul that said, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. And I will tell you, we aren't willing to stand up to the demands of the gospel that says, if you are not evidencing the change of a new creation in some way in your life, you need to question whether or not you're of the faith. But I'm here to tell you folks, a gospel claim that doesn't authentically change a life is empty. Either that or the gospel doesn't work. You see, the reality of it is we, because of not believing that, and so many of our churches have fabricated another whole system of sanctification. We've got to come up with a way to change the lives. And so we manufacture a whole set of good rules. But you got to do this, and you got to do that, and you got to do this, and you got to do that. And now you will evidence what should be the change of the gospel in you. And I will tell you, we are now living in a generation of people who have lived in a box of changed lives that never belonged in the box because they didn't get in by the door of the gospel. And so what does church become? Church becomes a bunch of guys who get in a pulpit, who put together some really slick rhetoric, so that somehow at the end of the day, you leave feeling guilted into doing good things. You better come to church, and you better give your money, and you better go out and witness, and you better do these things, because I'm the one who holds the measuring stick as to whether or not you're spiritual. And you wanna know why pastors are leaving the ministry in droves because of burnout? Because we truly don't believe the gospel. And we're trying to manufacture a system to make people be what we believe they should be. And I'm not saying the things that they put together are not good things, they are. But we believe they should be, and rather than a true reliance on the gospel to accomplish the fruit of the Spirit in a man's life, to the working of the Holy Spirit in his life, we are trying to find ways to bring it about. And so rather than adding, as Peter says, to your faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge, and to knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience, loving kindness, we set that aside and we say, now how can I come up with a program that is going to build in people virtue? Let's get a little virtue program over here. It'd be a great thing to do on Wednesday night. And we do this, at the end we'll have some virtuous people. And maybe over here we'll put together this program and it'll help people put together loving kindness in their life. And we try and we try and we try to run the program. And the reality of it is, folks, It is the power of the gospel as it takes root authentically in the heart of a changed man that will bring him to the place in a persevering walk with God that his faith will have added to it virtue. And it'll bring him to the place where he incorporates more knowledge. And that knowledge is transforming him as it takes root in understanding and is applied to life and wisdom. And that wisdom now will enable him to live the life of God through him. You say, wow, pastor, where'd all that come from? That is what's going on in Acts chapter 15. Do they have to practice Jewish ritual to genuinely be saved? And as we study this chapter together, the title of my message and messages on this chapter is going to be Christianity, Cults, and Culture. Because the reality of it is we're going to look here at the dynamic of a cult. What it is, how it works, where it's located, where it comes from, why it got formulated, and that's the first half. And then at the end, we're going to see the answer as these men answered. Paul and Barnabas are going to speak. Peter's going to speak. James, as the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, is ultimately going to speak with the conclusion of this council. And we're going to see what they have to say. And then at the end, we're going to look at this answer that they give. And we're going to see now the understanding of Christianity and culture. What were they addressing? What was important? And boy, I will tell you, if there's anything we better grasp today, both in the negative and the positive, it is a proper understanding of Christianity and culture. Because the reality of it is, most churches have a culture known as churchianity. It's our own culture. And because of that, I think we violate Acts 15. Because we in our own minds think we must incorporate people into churchianity for them to be right with God. And much of churchianity God is no part of. So this is an important chapter. I dare say this morning, this is not a conversation that you can afford to be in and afterwards not understand how significant it is. This is the conversation of the church in the book of Acts. So let's begin, Acts chapter 15 and verse one. And certain men, which came down from Judea, taught the brethren." By the way, read with your thinking caps on. Okay? Don't miss anything in this chapter. Who was talking? Who were they talking to? What were they telling them? Why were they telling them? Why was it important to them? What does that mean to me? Don't miss it already. Certain men, came down from Judea, okay? We got people coming from the church in Jerusalem, and they taught the brethren. This is not evangelism. This is not another wave of the Great Commission. This is somebody with an agenda coming already to those who are now new believers in these churches. They come down to Antioch and said, Don't miss it. Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. Don't miss that. Okay, it says exactly what it says. There was something more than the gospel necessary for salvation in all of its forms, salvation and sanctification. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension, I like that language, no small dissension and disputation with them. You know what that means? They had an all-out brawl. There's no small dissension and disputation. They went at it. I mean, that's what this says. This is using the kind words to describe through the negative what the positive was. Paul and Barnabas said, what? What are you saying? They had a huge discussion. They, and the they there, by the way, is not Paul and Barnabas because they determined that Paul and Barnabas. So somebody made a determination. It wasn't Paul and Barnabas. The they here is the church. The church at Antioch determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Venice and Samaria declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees, which believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter." And as He always does, God will add His blessing to the reading of His Word. Today I want us to look at the clarifying force of the gospel. The clarifying force of the gospel. We must, we must, we must focus on the centrality of the gospel if we are going to avoid falling into cultic formalism on the right or cultural fanaticism on our left. Let me give that to you again. We must focus on the centrality of the gospel if we are going to avoid falling into cultic formalism on the right or cultural fanaticism on the left. And that's what we're gonna look at in this passage of Scripture. Set the historical stage. We just finished the first great missionary journey, right? I mean, you look at the end of chapter 14, you'll see what is taking place as they come back there to Antioch, verse 27, and when they were come and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them and how He had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. By the way, what is that? There is, if you want, a proof text, a biblical text to say it's a good thing to get together and have a testimony service. That's exactly what they did. They gathered the church together, which by the way shows us a lot of things. It shows us who sent them. Why did they come back and get the church together? Because the church had sent them out and they came back to give a report of those that sent them. That's a great, by the way, thing for a missionary to do. Come back and give a report. This is what God is doing. As you have been praying and as you have been sending, this is the work that God has been doing. But they were doing more than that. This wasn't just an accountability session. They were coming back to share the authentic working of God in their lives and through their lives. And I would love to hear the stories. What would it be like for Paul to recount what they had experienced as they made this first journey? What was the church thinking? Can the gospel really go to the ends of the earth? Will God really do it? Will there be open hearts? Will there be open doors? How do we do it? Is the gospel gonna spread? Do you just kinda go in and put up a sign and say, come hear the gospel? And these two men come back and they report, listen to what God has done. And notice how they describe that. They rehearsed all that God had done with them and how He had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And then they abode there a long time with the disciples. The church, she is a changing. That's what they said. God is taking the church global. Gentiles are believing. As we come to Acts chapter 15, we're kind of at the tipping point because now the reality of it is the church is more Gentile than Jew. And there are some people really uncomfortable with that. What we have to understand is that the predominant culture of the church to this point would have been Jewish. Oh, they wouldn't be going necessarily through all the rituals and things without understanding Christ. But understand, folks, Paul was a Jew, and Jesus was a Jew, and they carried out the temple worship, they carried out the sacrificial system. Paul was still engaged in that. We're going to see later on in the book of Acts, Paul is still going to make his way, and he's still going to carry out Jewish worship. For the church in Jerusalem, that was the flavor of the church, and they didn't want to lose that. The reality was as they come into this encounter, they want Christ, but they don't want to lose Judaism. It's precious to them. It's their culture. It's the way they do things. It's their standard code. It's the way they live, and they desperately want to keep it. And so there's a wrestling match. It's out of this, we'll see them here described in this initial phase, as those who were from the sect of the Pharisees, and they're described as believers. And so, they were Jews, but they were Pharisees when they were Jews, and when they got saved, they became believers, and they're in the church. The Pharisees were legalists when it came to the law. If anybody knew the standard codes that they had there in Judaism, it was these men. From this point on, we're going to see them begin to get a different name. They're going to be known as Judaizers. They hold to Judaism and their goal is to go into the churches behind Paul to the Gentiles and cause trouble as they call men to add Judaism and its practices. faith in Christ. And so they're out now going, it's interesting, Paul and Barnabas go to the Jew first and then to the Greek. They always go out and they make their way to a Jewish crowd. They'll look for a place where Jews are gathering. If there were seven households, then they would make their way there to, you know, a tabernacle. If there weren't, they'd make their way to a water source outside of town where Jewish families would gather to carry out Jewish worship. And so they go to them and they bring to them the gospel. These Judaizers almost work in reverse. As Paul has been to an area and a church is planted, they go into an area and they go to the brethren. They go into the church. And now they go to that church and they are now trying to bring Judaism into the church. But I want us to understand what is being said here. This wasn't just to add some kind of practice. Don't miss the opening statement. Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. So first of all, as we come to this, let's look first at the essence of Christianity. The essence of Christianity. What is Christianity? Biblically. Because it's a term that's used widely today, isn't it? Folks, I'm here to tell you this morning that everything that claims to be Christian is not Christian. It's not. In fact, I'm here to tell you this morning that most of what claims to be Christian per this passage of Scripture is not Christian. It is not because somewhere in the complex of what we claim to believe there is a place for Christ that it's now Christian. That is not Christian. According to this passage of Scripture as we look at this, only that which leaves a place for Christ alone and nothing else is Christian. Because of the exclusivity of the nature of the gospel, it's all of Christ and nothing else. And so we've got to understand the essence of Christianity, and here we're going to see the issue at hand. It's this debate. In order to fully understand this contextually, by the way, there's some things we have to understand. I hold to what is known as the South Galilee or Galatia theory, the south or southern Galatia theory. What does that mean? It's with regard to the book of Galatians. Who is it written to and when was it written? I won't go into the details of that, but I believe that it was written to the southern portion of the Roman province of Galatia. Why? Well the churches that would be in that portion are the churches that Paul and Barnabas have just planted, Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch in particular. And in reading the book of Galatians, it's clear that the context of the letter does not refer to the decision of the council at Jerusalem with regard to the definition of the exclusivity of the gospel. And therefore, with regard to dating, I believe that Paul probably penned the letter during his extended stay in Antioch in 1428, or actually during his journey up to Jerusalem for this council. And that becomes unbelievably important because the language of what was actually being debated in Acts 15 is the language of the book of Galatians. And it gives us a whole different understanding of what is Galatians about. Why does Paul seem to be so energized in the book of Galatians? It's a different flavored letter than any of his other letters. I mean, he doesn't go through this big flower introduction. He just like, boom, I cannot believe that you're departing from the gospel so quickly. Why so quickly? Because he just left them. And these men have come in behind Paul into those cities, and we're saying, look, I know what Paul said, and yes, that Jesus thing's important, but unless you do these things, you're not saved. By the way, do you see now why Paul thought it was so important to go back through those churches for the purpose of grounding them in the truth? Because there were errorists coming, and they were coming intentionally to prey on these new believers. What a call to us, folks. I want to call to us, if we believe the gospel, we will go to extreme pains in discipleship. It's not enough just for somebody to pray a prayer of a profession of faith in Christ for us to say, good job, that's wonderful, now you're saved and you're on your way to heaven, and hopefully leave them to their own. Yes, they will grow, but God's plan for them to grow is that we would one another each other in the context of a local body. That we would disciple, that we would teach, that we would train, that we would ground. Why? Because the most fertile soil for the cults is shallow faith. Say that again. The most fertile soil for the cults is shallow faith. Sometimes in our handling of the gospel, we've done nothing but accomplish a great job of making people feel extremely guilty and extremely insecure, and they know they need something, but the default setting of all men is self. You hear that? The default setting of all men is self. Self-righteousness, self-justification, self-works, self-esteem. And so we create this atmosphere of guilt, and somebody else comes in and says, hey, let me tell you how to fix that. There is something you can do. Let me give you something. So the issue at hand is the gospel, folks. That is what they're going to debate. So when Luke describes the setting of the Jerusalem council, the book of Galatians provides some kind of additional background information. And it is my understanding that our text in Acts 15 has to be read in conjunction with the book of Galatians, and especially chapter 2. Listen to Galatians chapter 2 verses 11 through 16. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles. Do you hear that? He had no understanding of this Judaistic practice that had to be there in order for us to have fellowship until certain people came down from Jerusalem. But when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. By the way, let me say, separation is absolutely important and essential for the church. But whenever we separate unbiblically, it does not please God. This confrontation between Peter and Paul was over unbiblical separation. Peter should not have...in fact, it's interesting, he should have separated from the people that came down from Jerusalem and he didn't. And then he did separate from these Gentile believers. And so this chapter has much to say about what is the nature of separation. And by the way, the issue is the gospel. The issue is the gospel. Verse 13 of Galatians chapter 2 says, and the other Jews dissembled likewise with him. He caused a faction in the church. Peter's life had an influence. He separated himself and other people looked at him and said, well, if he's separating from them, then I am too. There is no place, by the way, for mindless separation. Well, if he does, I am. There's no place for mindless separation. Verse 14, but when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel. Why did Paul make this decision? What were the grounds for the confrontation? It wasn't, you know what, that's just not good fellowship practice. You know, you separating from those Gentiles, you know, that's not kind. It's not that, well, because we don't all do this, that we don't get along, that it's not a big deal. Paul looked at that scenario and he said, the gospel is at stake. Peter, you're out of step with the truth of the gospel. Why? Because when the gospel puts us together where we're supposed to fellowship and we don't, we sin against God. Aren't there Christian brothers who have offended you that you're not talking to? It's a matter of the gospel, folks. It's not just, well, you know what? My life works better if we don't talk. You need to ask yourself, do I believe the gospel? Because the reality of it is, we don't. And that's why so many of our churches are being destroyed. It is a matter of the gospel. Paul was willing to stand up to Peter. That was a big task. In fact, verse 14 goes on and says this, I said unto Peter before them all, this was a public confrontation, intentionally, if thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles. In other words, you were doing these things. and not as do the Jews, why do you compel...why compel us now, the Gentiles, to live as do the Jews? When these people weren't here, you lived like they did. You ate with them. The gospel was greater. But now that they're come, and you're interested in what they think, you want to be respected by them, fear has replaced faith, whatever the scenario was. Why are you turning to these Gentiles and saying, You've got to live like a Jew. Now understand, you've got to live like a Jew for us to fellowship." That's what he was saying. Because what had happened? He'd refused now to fellowship with them. And what you're saying to them is, now you get this together and then we can fellowship again. And what was the issue in the fellowship? The gospel. The gospel. Verse 15 says, we who are Jews by nature, we're born that way, and not sinners of the Gentiles. We weren't Gentiles. Verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. You know what Peter was confronted with by Paul? Paul stood up in front of that crowd and he said, Peter, you are a hypocrite. You're a hypocrite. That was something at this stage in the church, folks. Yes, James had become the pastor of the church of Jerusalem, but as far as the apostles went, there was one to the Gentiles, Paul, one to the Jews, Peter. And you've now got a major church conflict. It's no accident when Paul writes to the church at Corinth, two of the people that were highlighted as being the heads of the parties were Paul and Peter. So this is major. This is watershed. So as we turn back to Acts chapter 15, let me quickly wrap up this first section. First of all, notice the audience. These Judaizers demanded circumcision and law keeping were not evangelists. They weren't evangelists. And we're not preaching their message to Gentile pagans. They were Jewish believers of the Pharisaic party who were targeting newly saved Gentiles. It's interesting to me how some are more than willing to let others do the evangelizing only to prey upon those new converts with their distorted doctrines. It's interesting to me. In fact, it's not a new thing. And so you see the audience. Who are they going after? Which ought to be a challenge to us, by the way. Who should we be going after? Should I be pouring effort into new believers with the truth? Because notice, not just the audience, look at the additions to the gospel as we're understanding the essence of the gospel. Look at the additions to the gospel. At first glance, what these Judaizers were demanding may not have seemed that much to ask. They wanted the Gentile converts to undergo circumcision. The Jews being circumcised was viewed as a commitment to live under the law of Moses as the Old Testament Israelites did. In our text, the implications of circumcision are going to be spelled out by Peter in just a few verses. Paul strongly opposed that added requirement of circumcision as heresy. Galatians 1, 6 through 9 says this, I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would, listen to it, pervert the gospel of Christ. It sounds like the gospel. The gospel, even as we gave it to you, may be there, but there's something that is perverting it. And then he says this. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." And folks, we must understand the language. Don't miss the conversation. We've got to understand the language of Paul's rebuke, and we've got to understand the target. You see, the language that Paul uses is the strongest possible language, and he intentionally repeats it so that it cannot be missed. Verse 7, which is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. That word there, to pervert, is an interesting Greek word. It means to cause a change of state with emphasis upon the difference in the resulting state, to change, to turn into, to cause to be different from, to transform. The word literally means to distort, particularly through the means of addition. It's the gospel with something added to it. And Paul's clear conclusion is this, that is not the gospel. Did you hear that? Though we might look and see the gospel there, if it's the gospel with something added to it, Paul says, that is not the gospel. And friends, if there is not authentic gospel, it is not authentically Christian. Listen to verse 8 of Galatians 1, but though we or an angel from heaven preach any other, and the word there is alas, and it's actually the same idea of addition to the gospel, a gospel on top of a gospel, preach any other gospel unto you. Though it be an angel from heaven, then that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. When he says that if somebody, anybody, no matter who they are, angel, apostle, prophet, teacher, pope, preaches a gospel that requires additions to the cross of Christ, they are to be accursed. Don't miss that word. The word is anathema. The word does not denote punishment intended as a discipline, but being given over or devoted to divine condemnation. It denotes an indissoluble vow, a change in status that cannot be changed. Galatians 3,11-16 says this, But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident for the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men. Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannoys it or addeth there too. And to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ." Folks, Paul wasn't making some kind of apostolic or papal pronouncement upon these teachers for their error. Much as he was stating the fact that if they truly believed what they were teaching they were in fact Damned because they didn't truly believe the gospel They are accursed if they believe it's Jesus plus something They are anathema if they don't believe it's Jesus and nothing else and See the precious truth of the gospel. Maybe it'll help us to understand. Let's listen to what Paul does to explain it. We, all men, became accursed, anathema, through the fall and curse of Adam as the representative head of our race. That's where all of us were. All of us were anathema. All of us were in a fixed state of condemnation under Almighty God because of Adam's fall into sin and our inheriting his sinful nature. Every single person. Christ bought us back from this curse through becoming anathema for us by hanging on Calvary's tree in our place. That's what Paul just said. He became accursed for us. Anathema. A scene that is punctuated with the words, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani, the Aramaic expression of the suffering Christ as He declared, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me? The reason was that He had authentically become accursed for us as the sin bearer of the world. And any man that does not accept the exclusivity of the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ as our one and only cause for redemption remains in the condition of anathema before a holy God." That's the essence of the gospel, folks. It's important. I'm going to make some big statements. But if a man truly believes that it's Christ and baptism to go to heaven, he is not saved. That's what Paul says. If a man believes it's Christ and some other work that I do somehow to appease my guilt and sacramentalism, hear me folks, According to Paul in the Jerusalem Council, that is not Christian. Don't miss the conversation. This is the essence of Christianity. That is the language that Paul uses. And as I close this morning, I don't want you to miss the potential targets. These were not made to some distant stranger, some remote false teacher, some distant group that's off teaching somewhere. Paul goes on in his epistle to the Galatians to describe how he rebuked Peter and other Jews, namely Barnabas, for their hypocrisy when they separated themselves from Gentile believers at Antioch. This was right. at home in the church. These were Paul's closest friends. This is pointed. Text raises the most critical question we can ever face. The question which is decided once and for all by the apostles. How is a man saved? By faith alone or by faith plus some work? And the answer of the apostles is absolutely clear. It's Jesus Christ and his cross work plus and minus nothing. That's the essence of the gospel. But as I leave this text this morning, I want us all to be aware that the backdoor entrance for error into a tainting of the exclusivity of the gospel came in this setting and has come in every setting by the way of a teaching on sanctification. Yeah, that changes your status. That'll get you to heaven. But this is how you need to live. And folks, that is the entrance for error into most evangelical churches. Whether that be a call for liberalism, you know what? The gospel sets you free. You need to live this way, otherwise you don't truly understand the gospel. So if you don't do this, and you don't do that, and you don't do this, you're a legalist judging everybody else, and you know what? I question your faith. Or the other side. If you don't practice this, and you don't practice that, and you don't go here, and you don't do that, and you don't do these things, and you don't live in this bubble of our churchianity, then I question whether or not you're sane. And I will tell you there's the danger of cultic formalism and cultural fanaticism. And the answer, the answer, the answer for the church is understand the gospel. Do you? Let me ask you this question today. Is it authentically changing your life? Can you look on your walk with God and say, oh, I'm so far from perfect, but God, I am watching you bring about the fruit of the Spirit in my life. You are changing me. Are you changing? Let me ask you a question. Are you more passionate in your walk with God today than you were last month, than you were last year, than you were 20 years ago? If not, Is it the gospel's fault? Has it lost its power? Is it no longer transformed? I'm here to tell you this morning, there's nothing wrong with the gospel. Is it changing you? Oh, what we sang this morning. Oh, what we contemplated this morning. How precious really is it to you? discouraged Christian, lover of God, who looks at our culture and is overwhelmed and lives now with a downcast brow because of the state of our culture. I ask you this morning, do you believe the gospel? Because if you do, there is no room for despair for the child of God. It hasn't lost its power. The question is, how shall I hear without a preacher? Are you declaring it as a kerux, a proclaimer, one who trumpets out God's message to a watching and listening world? And yes, there will be those who reject and those who scoff and those who mock. But every single encounter recorded for us in the book of Acts says, and some believed. And Jesus builds His church. Do you believe the gospel? I hope this morning, at some time during the week, somebody won't say something to you and it'll hit you. Wow, I missed that conversation. This is one the church can no longer afford to miss. Let's pray.