If you have your Bibles with you please turn with me to Galatians 1 - starting at verse 10.  Or, you can use a blue Bible someplace under a chair in front of you.  Unless you’re in the front row and then you don’t get one.

We are in the beginning of a study looking at Paul’s letter to the Galatians.  If you were with us last Sunday you’ll remember that we saw that Galatia was a Roman province that covers what is today a good chunk of central Turkey.  Galatians - unlike letters that Paul wrote to specific churches like Philippians and Thessalonians - Galatians was written to Galatians - a whole lot of followers of Jesus spread out over Galatia - mostly in the southern part in cities like Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium. 

Last Sunday we also mentioned Galatians 5:1 - which is the theme of Paul’s letter.  Would you read this with me:  “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.”

Which is a warning to Christians - siblings in Jesus who’s desire is to follow Jesus.  Galatian Christians - even Christians in the greater Merced metroplex.  Christ has set us free.  We need to live free.  Set Free.  Live Free.  Share that with someone near you.  “Set Free.  Live Free.”

Its possible even for a follower of Jesus Christ - even for someone knows what it means to be saved by grace - to be set free from the penalty for our sin - from guilt - set free to live life with God - the abundant Spirit-filled life that Jesus talked about - experiencing deep contentment and joy and confidence in our everyday life with God - now and forever.  Its possible for even a follower of Jesus Christ to live in bondage - to live in slavery.

Beth Moore - in the study some of our Creekside women are going through - Beth Moore writes this:  “A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for him or her.”

Whatever’s holding us back from what God has for us binds us - enslaves us.

Which is what we experience.  Isn’t it?  Daily each of us struggles against sin.  That daily struggle - desiring to live free - but struggling against where we’ve come from - set free but struggling against what may bind us to the crud of this world - what may pull us into sin - to where we find ourselves living in bondage.

That’s what Paul is writing about - what we’re exploring together.  How we can stay free - stand firm in our relationship with Jesus and live the life that we were created to live.

Which brings us to the section of Galatians that we want to look at this morning.  Galatians 1:10-24.  The focus of verses 10 to 24 - Paul’s main concern in this section - is found for us here in verse 10. 

Would you read verse 10 with me? 

Verse 10:  For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?  Or am I trying to please man?  If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Approval is like a credential - a diploma - an award - a recognition that someone gets by gaining approval - satisfying some requirement -  from a school or some association.  We’ve all seen these hanging on the wall of some office we’ve been in.  Right?

“To please man” has to do with trying to live up to the opinions or desires of others.  What we’re willing to do to gain the approval of others.

(Far Side Cartoon  “Laboratory Peer Pressure”)

That’s Paul’s focus.  Peer Pressure.  Conformity.  What we’re willing to do to gain the approval of  others.  Paul’s main concern - knowing Who’s approval to seek.

A few years ago psychologist Ruth Brenda carried out an experiment with teenagers.  Always interesting to mess with the minds of teenagers.  The experiment was designed to show how a person handled group pressure.  Maybe you’ve heard of this or something like it?

The plan was simple.  They brought groups of ten teenagers into a room for a test.  Each group of ten was instructed to raise their hands when the teacher pointed to the longest line on three separate charts.  What one person in the group didn’t know was that nine of the others in the room had been instructed ahead of time to vote for the second longest line.

Regardless of the instructions they heard - once they were all together in the group - the nine were not to vote for the longest line - but always vote for the next-to-the-longest line.  We’re tracking.  Right?

The experiment began with nine teenagers voting for the wrong line.  Typically the one teenager test subject would glance around - frown in confusion - and then slip his or her hand up with the rest of the group.

The instructions were repeated.  The next card was raised.  Time after time - the self-conscious test subject would sit there saying a short line is longer than a long line - simply because he lacked the courage to challenge the group.

75% of the time that kind of conformity went on.  The percentage was about the same whether it was small children or even adults.  (1) 

Peer Pressure.  Conformity.  What we’re willing to do to gain the approval of  others.

What’s important for us to process is that Paul is writing to believers.

The obvious Sunday School answer to Paul’s question - who’s approval counts more - God’s or mans - the right answer we all know is... God’s.  Anybody here want to disagree with that?  Because if I’m trying to please people I’m not trying to please God.

But let’s do a reality check.  Because we all know - when the rubber meets the road of what goes on out there - that “God” isn’t always the answer we come up with.  Way too often we’re living trying to please people - to conform to peer pressure - not God’s approval.

Real Christianity, means real - 100% - daily commitment to Jesus Christ.  Living a life of faith isn’t faith unless our life is on the line - 100% committed to what we believe - to choose to obey Jesus regardless of the cost.  Anything less than that is a compromise - a conforming to something or someone else.

Paul is writing to a group of Christians - Jews and Gentiles - that had trusted Jesus as their Savior - but they were being taught a type of religion that took the truth of the gospel and twisted it with Old Testament Law and Jewish tradition.  A twisted combination that we’ll explore as we get more into Galatians.

There were a number of people running around Galatia teaching that to be in spiritually you had to conform to that teaching and all that went with it.  This is what we say it means to be a follower of Jesus.  Conform.

Today we have that same kind of call to conformity in what’s become a Christian sub-culture.  Over the years that culture’s been described a number of different ways.  “I don’t smoke and I don’t chew and I don’t go with girls who do.”  Heard that?  Good Christians don’t drink alcohol.  They don’t play cards.  They eat fish on Fridays.  Whatever it takes to be in.

We pass around emails with cute spiritual stories that we’re suppose to pass along if we love Jesus.  What’s in is whatever’s being sung about on K-Love or posted on Facebook or the latest book that everyone’s reading - or whatever someone’s got as a burr up their saddle - or whatever the latest whatever is.

In the Christian sub-culture its hard to tell the Christians from the not yet Christians - and it seems like that’s okay.  Its okay when - when looking at what someone says or how they act - we can’t tell the Christian kids from the not Christian kids at school.  Or the Christian adults from the not Christian adults at work. “He goes to what church?” 

It seems like in the evangelical Christian sub-culture we’ve tacitly approved of mediocrity - of a kind of milk-toasty passive just live moral PC Christian existence.  Just don’t mess up too bad.

In the Christian culture we don’t hear a lot about loosing one’s life or the greatest is the least.  Or at least we don’t see it.  But that’s okay.  The way of the cross doesn’t allow for sports on Sunday or family events instead of worship - living outside the box radical following Jesus discipleship.

If we’ve been around for a while we’ve heard all this before.  For most people in this room we’ve heard all this said several times.  What’s amazing is that our evangelical Christian sub-culture makes it acceptable to hear all this and to do nothing.  Or at least nothing that would get us out of step with the people around us.

It seems like its human nature that we figure ourselves out based on what other people say about us.  Who defines for you what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ?  God may use our Christian siblings.  But we better be really sure they’re listening to God.  Because if we're all listening to each other who’s listening to God?  Who’s expectations are we conforming to? 

Paul’s question cuts to our hearts and we need to be listening.  Let’s not just come up with some Sunday School answer and head off to the coffee.  Let’s be honest.  We’re not always listening to God.  The approval we’re seeking may not always be God’s.

Starting in verse 11 Paul shares from his own life what he’s learned about conforming - about knowing Who’s approval to seek.

Starting at verse 11 - let’s read this together:  For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.  For I did not receive it from mean, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 

Let’s pause there.  How did Paul receive the gospel?  Verse 12 - through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

We know the account.  Right?  Saul/Paul on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians.  Jesus breaking through into his life.  Jesus making known to Paul the reality of the living Messiah.

Talk about hearing the voice of God.  “Can you hear Me now?”

The word that Paul uses here in Greek for “revelation” is the word we get “apocalypse” from.  Its that kind of heaven getting ripped apart moment.  God personally stepping in and making known what was hidden.

Same kind of thing happened to the Apostle John and out came the Book of Revelation - otherwise known as the... Apocalypse of Saint John.

Happened over and over again in the Old Testament.  God choosing to speak through His prophets - men and women from all walks of life - educated and uneducated - choosing to speak through them often in strange ways - often with an unpopular message.  God giving them the responsibility to speak His revelation regardless of the personal cost to them.

When Paul writes, “I wasn’t taught this by men.  Jesus revealed it to me” on that road to Damascus probably no one was more surprised at what happened than Paul.  The Old Testament God of the prophets choosing to reach down and appoint Paul a proclaimer of the gospel that he - Paul - was trying so hard to destroy.  “What happened was frightening - miraculous - unbelievable - a tearing open of the curtain that hid God from me.  Jesus is the source of this message.”

Let’s go on - verse 13:  For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.  And I was advancing in Judaism beyond man of m own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.   

Let’s pause there.  We’ve heard about Paul’s former life in Judaism.

Paul writes that he was a persecutor of the church.  Paul is over the top zealously hunting down and killing anything that went against his religion.  He was the out of control persecutor of the church.  Paul’s leading field trips with the blessing of the highest religious leadership of the day.  There’s huge approval in that. 

Then Paul writes,  “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age” 

Paul was outstripping his contemporaries.  He’s the child prodigy.  The Prof’s pet.  The guy in Torah school that everyone else was chasing.  In the game of one upmanship he’d buried the competition.  Paul was the student most likely to succeed.  There’s huge approval in that.

Paul was zealous for the traditions of his fathers.  Paul was Mr. Judaism.  A keeper of traditions.  A defender of the nation - the culture - of everything Hebrew.  He’s known - gained approval - for his patriotism.

Grab Paul’s point:  Paul’s approval rating was off the charts.  He was famous.  He had name recognition and was hob knobbing with the best of them.  Paul was in.  

Grab this:  Everything the Galatians were attracted to Paul had.  Everything they were looking for in this twisted version of following Jesus and Old Testament law - whatever they were thinking of conforming to - Paul already had… and more.

Let’s go reading - read with me at verse 15:  But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles,

Let’s pause there.  Who set Paul apart?  God.  When did God set Paul apart?  Before Paul was born.

Remember David - Psalm 139:  “You knitted me together in my mother’s womb… in your book were written… the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”  (Psalm 139:13,16)

God tells Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  (Jeremiah 1:5)

To Paul - his life did a 180 on the Damascus road.  To God - it was all part of the plan.  God had granted to Paul his calling and gifts as an apostle before Paul was even born.  He was called from His mother’s womb - before Paul had an opportunity to learn anything or impress anyone - before Paul could gain anyone’s approval - his calling from God had taken place.

God called him “through His grace.”  That word “grace” speaks of being given by God what was unearnable.  God didn’t look down the line at Paul’s future history and see all that Paul was going to achieve and so God said, “Hey, I better grab that guy” and so God called Paul.  Paul’s calling wasn’t something that Paul could have earned.  God called Paul through grace not by accomplishment.

Paul says that God’s Son was revealed - literally - “in” me.  Paul was God’s chosen vessel through whom the Lord Jesus would be revealed as Paul preached the message of salvation to the Gentiles.  God’s plan - purpose - God’s use of Paul that pushed the gospel out to the far reaches of the known world.

Are we together on Paul’s point?  The gospel message - Paul’s calling in life - all that came by means of a revelation - a breaking through of God into Paul’s life.

God doesn’t recruit heroes.  Christianity isn’t attractive or true or commendable because all kinds of wonderful people embrace it.  Because the most intelligent, prosperous, powerful, winners in the game of life, the “in” crowd choose to follow Jesus.

The gospel - the church of Jesus Christ - God attracts His enemies - the losers - the wounded - people who can’t seem to love themselves - people who are genuinely messed up - who’ve failed, often miserably.  Just look around.  Share this with someone near you.  “We belong here.”

God makes something out of sinners - out of hurting people - struggling to do life. He lifts us up.  He cleans us up.  He heals our wounds.  Forgives our sins and sets us out to accomplish great things that we could never imagine ourselves having a shot at being a part of.

To us that’s a surprise.  We think that we found God on our Damascus road.  But really its grace.  God reaching to us - created in His image people - that He’s known His plan for - before we were even formed in our mother’s wombs.

Grab this:  When we try to conform to the approval of anyone but God we reject the very purpose for which we’ve been created.

Let’s go on.  Read with me going on in verse 16:  I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.  But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.  (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)   

Let’s pause there.  What Paul is writing about here is what he did after the Damascus road experience.

He went off to Arabia - a huge desolate desert wilderness east of Palestine.  Paul’s purpose in going was not to “consult” with anyone.  Literally “consult” has the idea of bringing someone else along to give counsel - instruction.  Paul went to Arabia to get alone with God.

Its what a professor of mine - way back when - used to call earning a BD degree - a Backside of the Desert Degree.  A number of God’s servants get called to a wilderness experience in preparation for heading out in ministry.

Moses spent 40 years in the Sinai wilderness in Midian as a sheepherder preparing to lead God’s people to the Promised Land.  David spend years in the Judean wilderness - hiding in caves - running from Saul - preparing to be king of Israel.  Jesus was baptized - then spent 40 days being tempted in the wilderness - then went on to ministry.

In the wilderness God taught Paul his theology.  Not Rabbinic or Pharisaic theology.  But God’s theology from the mouth of God.  That would be one class worth taking.  Wouldn’t it?

Probably what we have in these letters of Paul - here in Galatians - is a direct result of Paul earning his BD degree.  Hang on to the importance of our own alone time with God learning from His word.

Then Paul says he went from the wilderness to Damascus and three years later from Damascus to Jerusalem - headquarters for the church.  Notice who he saw there - verse 18.  Cephas - the Aramiac version of Peter - and James - the brother of Jesus.  And that’s it.

Paul’s point is that he didn’t go to Jerusalem to seek the approval of the apostles.  Some grand appearance before the Apostolic Council.

Paul’s visit to Jerusalem is recorded by Luke in Acts 9.  It was about a 15 day visit that took place probably in 36 A.D.  (Acts 9:26-30)

Luke tells us that when Paul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to associate with the disciples but everyone was afraid of him.  Not surprising given Paul’s past.  But interesting that the brethren in Jerusalem didn’t know what to do with Paul.

For those three years that Paul is off in Arabia and Damascus there’s no record of Paul ever converting anyone - ever planting a church - ever writing an epistle.  Nothing.  In fact the Jews in Damascus wanted to kill him.  Apparently the people in Jerusalem hadn’t really heard a whole lot about Paul’s conversion.  When he showed up in Jerusalem they were thinking Saul not Paul.

Barnabas took Paul and brought him to the apostles - we believe only Peter and James.  And Barnabas told them about what had happened to Paul on the way to Damascus and how Paul had been speaking boldly for Jesus ever since.  Paul being dependent on Barnabas’ good name to be accepted in Jerusalem.

When Paul finally starts sharing the gospel with the Hellenistic Jews - the Jews from Greece living in Jerusalem - their response is to try an kill him.  So that - Luke tells us - the brethren in Jerusalem sent Paul packing out of town.

Paul didn’t get a lot of kudos - he didn’t go to Jerusalem seeking approval.  He really didn’t come away with much approval.

Let’s read together at verse 21:   Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.  And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.  They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”  And they glorified God because of me.

Tarsus was Paul’s hometown where his family lived.  Tarsus is located in the region of Cilicia which is right on the border of Syria.  Paul went home fro about 10 years - back to where his parents and the whole clan lived.

And again we really don’t know a whole lot about what happened to Paul during those years.  We know that a some point Barnabas shows up and asked Paul to go to Antioch and Paul immediately jumped at the opportunity to do ministry in Antioch.

What’s crucial for us to lock on to is Paul’s comment in verse 23 about how the churches of Judea responded to him - probably as he was traveling outside of Jerusalem and maybe even what he writes here is reflective of the response in Cilicia and Syria. 

They didn’t know a whole lot about me but they did hear it said that the Paul who used to persecute the church was not now preaching the faith he’d tried to destroy.  Bottom line:  They glorified God because of me.  Who got the glory?  God.

Paul’s reputation - his over the top approval rating came as the boy wonder - Mr. Judaism.  Now - he isn’t even known as a great apostle or a great teacher - but as a convert who causes fear and problems wherever he goes.  His claim to fame - if we can call it that - his claim to fame is that God - by God’s grace - according to God’s purposes - saved Paul.  To God be the glory.

Grab this:  When we seek to conform to what God approves of God is glorified.  And that is the purpose for which each of us has been created.  To God be the glory.

Thinking about Paul’s original question back up in verse 10:  Are we seeking the approval of men or God?  Who’s approval are we conforming to?  I’d like to share two truths that I think will be helpful to you.

Many many many years ago Karen and I were on a flight to Montreal and we had Andrew along with us - who was about 2½ at the time.  Toddler stage.  It was a long flight for a 2½ year old.  So Andrew was toddling up and down the aisle and I was following along while he was doing laps around the plane.

I remember thinking to myself, “I wonder what these people think about this toddler wandering around the plane bumping into things and getting under foot?”  I started getting stressed out.  These people are probably think I’m a lousy father.  They’re probably getting pretty annoyed.  Maybe they’ve even talked to the stewardess.  They’ll probably have to land and let us off.  I was thinking that maybe I should take Andrew back to his seat and duct tape him in or something.

When it hit me that I’d probably never see any of these people again.  That their opinion didn’t really matter a whole lot compared to the value of my child and Andrew’s well being.  And who were they anyway to think such things about us.  And they should just keep their lousy opinions to themselves.

Ever been there?  Ever thought or done or said things and you knew that the whole bottom line was based on what other people thought not what made sense?

Grab this:  The Almighty sovereign God of creation designed you - planned out the days of your life - even before you were born - before creation was creation He knew you.  And He loved you.  Loves you so much that He came and died in your place to pay your penalty for your sin so that you could live forgiven - restored - according to the incredible purposes for which He - the Almighty sovereign God of Creation - your Heavenly Father - has created you.  Not because your potential approval rating is so high that you deserve it.  But, because God is the God of grace who chooses to be gracious to you.

Why - given that reality - why would we ever get off track trying to conform to the shifting and empty opinions of any one else?  May we learn to get a grip on what is really important here.

Truth Number One:  In the reality of life the only approval we need is God’s.  Let’s say that together.  “The only approval we need is God’s”

Second Truth:  God’s approval sets us free.  Let’s say that together.  “God’s approval sets us free.” 

Paul Taylor - over at Peninsula Bible Church compared it to Bumper Cars.  Ever been on Bumper Cars?  There’s no rules except we’re all going that way - sort of.  No ultimate objective.  No relationship.  Just trying to hit other people as hard as you can.  Bumping others and trying to avoid getting bumped ourselves.

Imagine marriage like that.  Or relationships at work or school.  Siblings.  Life in the church.  People bumping into each other all trying not to look bad - or trying to somehow earn approval - maybe even at the expense of someone they love.   People who’ve bought the message that they don’t measure up trying to somehow compensate.

Bound to the opinions of others.  Bound to this game of competing against each other - measuring our self-worth by how we stack up against the next guy.

God’s grace - the gospel - is so different than that.

Ethnicity - social status - wealth - education - abilities - whatever we achieve on our own - it all gets leveled by grace.  We’re set free when we begin to process God’s approval of our lives.

Paul Taylor compares the message of the gospel to carnival swings.  Have you been on those?  The big center pole that turns a bunch of swings on long chains hanging off the side.

Paul Taylor writes, “That’s what it looks like to be properly related to God as Father:  all of us connected to Him and thus free to interact with each other not competitively but cooperatively, not using each other, but loving each other.  That’s what the gospel does; it moves us from bumper cars to carnival swings.” (2)       

There is such huge bondage being enslaved to the opinions of others and such wonderful freedom living in Christ.

Who’s approval are you living for?  Man’s or God’s?

_________________________
1. James Dobson, Hide Or Seek - quoted by Chuck Swindoll, Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes.
2. Paul Taylor, Are You My Father?, Galatians 1:1-10

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.