RoboPreacher

in a different way A sermon on the beginning of Paul's Galatian epistle : You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to realize that St. Paul isn’t happy with the folks at Faith Lutheran in Galatia. After a brief introduction containing his credentials and succinct greeting praising the liberating work of God in Christ Jesus, Paul turns his attention to the Galatians. And he doesn’t beat around the bush with them, either. “I am astonished ,” St. Paul says. And before you can wonder if he’s astonished in a good way, he lets you know what’s got him so flabbergasted. “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ…,” Paul says.   What’s got St. Paul, a man whose nearly seen it all before, so taken aback, is that he’s never met such a group of fast turncoats before! “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting ,” breathes Paul. And do you know what the Galatians have gone and done that has provoked St. Paul’s ire so? Well, they wen...

get right with the Lord A sermon from Galatians : All you have is your reputation; and Paul’s had seen better days… Paul founded the congregations in Galatia.  While he was away working with other congregations, though; some other missionaries showed up… And when they found out Paul had been the one to start those congregations, they couldn’t hold their tongue. “Oh Paul . You know, he isn’t authorized from HQ, right,” they ask rhetorically. Paul’s pedigree didn’t cut the mustard… But that wasn’t all. Because it wasn’t just Paul’s bona fides that troubled those other missionaries. It was his entire message … The infiltrators said Paul’s message was too simple .  They accused Paul of telling the Galatians what they wanted to hear. That Paul made the Gospel easy , because he was trying to gain the favor of his audience, the Galatians. That Paul was a people-pleaser. All you have is your reputation, and these other missionaries were suspicio...