International Gospel Hour

Jeff Archey: Can you imagine people turning away from the greatest message of all, that being the Gospel? You and I know many that turn away towards something else. Let's turn our attention today to this study coming up from the International Gospel Hour.

J Webb: Hi, this is J Webb for International Gospel Hour. Welcome to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, Churches of Christ have proclaimed God's Word through our broadcast. Just ahead is another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archey of International Gospel Hour. Let's begin.

Jeff Archey: Well, thank you always to our J Webb. Greetings and hello, everyone. It is an honor to have you join us for our studies here from the International Gospel Hour. Maybe you'd like to reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you. If nothing else, just let us know where you hear our broadcast from.

Also, please know that our offers that we have, study offers and material, they are always free. All you have to do is ask. You can write us at PO Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee, 37334. That's PO Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee, 37334.

You can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab and leave us your information. Again, that's internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contact tab and leave us your information. Or a simple toll-free call at 855-444-6988. That's 855-444-6988. We'd love to hear from you and thank you for always tuning in to the International Gospel Hour.

And I tell you what, while I've got you right here, let's share with you one of our free online offers and then we're going to come back for our study today.

J Webb: We want to tell you about addedtothechurch.com. That's addedtothechurch.com, a wonderful effort by D.J. and Sarah Curry of Parkersburg, West Virginia. You'll have access to some exceptional Bible articles and you can subscribe free to two digital publications: The Mountain Messenger and the New Testament Expositor. Please check them out at addedtothechurch.com.

Jeff Archey: Friends, can you imagine individuals that hear, obey, and walk in the greatest message of all, the Gospel, and then they walk away and leave it, quit living faithfully? You know, friends, it happens too often. Listen to what happened to the Christians all throughout Galatia in the first century.

From Galatians 1, beginning with verse 6, Paul said, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to another or a different gospel, which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."

Paul marveled. In other words, he was astonished, he was stunned and amazed at their change. You know, maybe if we knew a little bit more about their background and culture, it's possible somehow that culture played a part. And I mean, we're warned to not to love the world or the things in the world, First John 2:15.

But let's look at a little bit of background. The residents among Galatia were known as the Gauls, G-A-U-L-S. Things you read about them: they were restless people, quarrelsome, treacherous in their dealings, and they were easily discouraged by failure. They were fickle, they were fond of change, impetuous and impressible, eminently intelligent, but at the same time, they were changeable, inconstant.

They were fond of show and, as we noted earlier, quarrelsome, the fruit of excessive vanity. Now, when you take a look at the background of the Galatians, those that were brought to the Gospel, look at what they had to overcome. So, could it be some culture that could be affecting the churches in Galatia?

I mean, think about it. Individuals discouraged by failure. Something happened in their life, so they have a tendency to pull away from God. How they're fickle, can't make a right decision, fond of change, impressible. "Oh, let's hear this. Let's hear that." Even changeable. Friends, we well know how culture can affect the church.

I mean, do we not see that in our day and age? How we want the Bible to conform to our way of living, rather than us conform to what the Bible says. Paul said it best in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

He's writing here to the Christians in Rome. And he tells them, and it would stand true for those throughout Galatia, it would stand true for anyone: do not be conformed to this world. You're transformed by the renewing of your mind. He's writing to Christians, telling them, you need to renew your mind to be transformed, a constant walk in faith, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Friends, we come to a section of Galatians Chapter 1 that clearly expresses the following. Now, the first one, a lot of folks in the religious world will say, "Oh, I don't know about that," but friends, a Christian can fall away from the faith. One can fall from the faithfulness of Christ.

In Hebrews 3 and verse 12, they were warned, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." He called them brethren. They were Christians and warned them to take heed lest they would fall away.

In the same book of Galatians, chapter 5, we learn of how those that would choose to go back to the Law of Moses and not embrace the law of Christ, that they had fallen from grace, Galatians 5:4. I think Peter's description clears it up in Second Peter 2, beginning with verse 18.

He said, "For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness," warning people of false teachers, "they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: 'A dog returns to his own vomit,' and 'a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.'"

Friends, was Cain's sacrifice acceptable to God? You think about it. Cain offered a sacrifice. He had to understand what God wanted. But in Genesis 3, his sacrifice was not acceptable. There's Nadab and Abihu from Leviticus 10, priests of God, and was their offering acceptable? In Leviticus 10:1 and 2, absolutely not.

We can be unacceptable to God with our offering to Him. We could be going through the motions and not the devotions. Here's a second lesson to learn, friends: not all religious teaching is true. Whether you're listening to us on a radio station, maybe a podcast option, a variety of different religious programming, folks, not all religious programming is true.

Now, that may sound a little bold and a little arrogant since we are a religious program, and I want you to know that I do everything in my power to make certain that I'm sharing with you what is truth and what is right. But yet, I can see titles of lessons and hear broadcasts that the teaching is not in accordance with the Word of God.

In Acts 17, verses 10 and 11, they were taught there in Berea to hear with a readiness of mind and then search the Scriptures whether those things are so. We would encourage you with any broadcast you hear, but especially from us here at International Gospel Hour, search the Scriptures.

Jesus in Matthew 7:15 said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." In Matthew 15 and verse 9, "But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Friends, not all religious teaching is true, and we must use our Bibles, the Scripture, to affirm if it is true.

Here's a third thing we learn, and we see this overall: the Gospel of Christ is the soul-saving message. Going back to the first and second verses of Galatians Chapter 1, the power of Christ brought forth through the Gospel. Friends, there is no Peter Gospel to the Jews or Paul Gospel to the Gentiles.

There is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that He sent to all the world through His followers. And when one is removed from that Gospel, they are like broken cisterns that can no longer hold water as depicted in Jeremiah 2 verse 13. No more do they have the water of life.

Their hearts are no longer engaged, just like the warning back in the days of Isaiah, in Isaiah 29 and verse 13, and in Matthew 15 verse 9 as Jesus warned. There's more motion, no devotion, and there is no more grace wherein one stands, Romans 5 and verse 2, and one rejects the gift of God.

We must carefully consider, friends, what we would lose if we allowed the Gospel to be taken from us. And as we look at this context of Galatians 1:6-9, let us be ready, let us embrace the warnings therein to always search for the truth according to the Word of God.

J Webb: Have you tried our long time free Bible study course by mail? Give it a try by calling toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address and just say "home study". You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab, and leave us the same information: name, address, and type "home study" in the message box. Ask for your free Bible course by mail today from International Gospel Hour.

Jeff Archey: Well friends, thank you for joining me today for the International Gospel Hour and our study from the book of Galatians, of which we will study together at another time. Again, I appreciate you being with me. I'm Jeff Archey and friends, keep listening.

J Webb: Thank you for listening today. To God be the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com and join us next time.