#324 - Sermon - The Approval Trap - Galatians 1.10
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- In Galatians 1:10, the Apostle Paul exposes the dangerous trap of seeking human approval over the approval of God.
- The bait of the approval trap is not money or power, but the desperate desire for the crowd's acceptance.
- Whoever you feel you have to please ultimately owns you, and living for human approval always compromises the truth.
- True freedom comes from realizing that in Christ, the verdict is already in and you are completely accepted in the Beloved.
- Instead of seeking endless accolades and applause, believers should look to the scars of faithful service as the true proof of devotion to God.
Paul had just called down the curse of God on false teachers. Twice. And the very next thing out of his mouth is a question about himself: do I seek to please men?
Somebody had called him a people pleaser. In one verse Paul answers the charge, and in answering it he exposes a trap every one of us walks past. The bait is not money. It is not power. The bait is approval.
Is the crowd's approval worth it?
- The Pull. Why the crowd is so hard to resist. It took down a king and silenced men who believed.
- The Players. Who the troublers really were, and the scorekeeping world they came out of.
- The Pretenders. The men crying "people pleaser" were the people pleasers.
- The Price. Whoever you have to please owns you, and it costs you the truth.
- The Proof. Paul got out, and his life proves it. Scars, not accolades.
- The Prize. You already belong to the only One whose approval settles anything.
No. Approval is a trap. You end up the slave of whoever you have to keep happy. In Christ the verdict is already in. You are accepted in the Beloved.
For sermon notes and more visit www.brianoverturf.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the approval trap discussed in Galatians 1:10?
The approval trap is the dangerous human tendency to seek the praise and validation of people rather than focusing on pleasing God.
Why is the crowd's approval so hard to resist?
The crowd's approval is a powerful bait that has historically ensnared kings and believers alike by playing on our innate desire for belonging and acceptance.
What is the cost of falling into the approval trap?
Whoever you have to please ultimately owns you, and living for human approval inevitably costs you the truth.
How can believers overcome the trap of people-pleasing?
Believers can overcome people-pleasing by anchoring their identity in Christ, knowing that His verdict is already settled and they are fully accepted by God.