Building a Church on Truth and Relationships

From Acts[1] 

As preached at Rolling Hills Church on 17 Oct 2010

What does a church look like when it is built on truth and relationships? I think we can get a picture of that from the book of Acts. It looks like a church on mission empowered by God. Acts is a narrative of the establishment of the early church. It is Luke's continuation of His gospel; the first about the story of Christ on earth, the second – Acts – about the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit through the Church. Acts is more about God than about the church; and a healthy church is more about God than about itself, isn't it!

Acts 1:1-8

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,

2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me;

5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Prayer.

I want to make some observations from Acts that I believe stand firm in the Epistles to the church as well. When a church is built on truth and relationships…

Mission is clear and central. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

This church knew what they had to do. When a church has a mission that is clear and agreed on, so much difficult is avoided from within. It still comes from without, but at least the church is largely unified and focused on the work! Their mission – take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Our mission? It's the same. It motivates the church to see people come to faith in Christ and grow and reproduce!

When a church is built on truth and relationships…

Holy Spirit power is required. Wait here in Jerusalem, Jesus said. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. We are in the same boat; we need the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do; our work is simple obedience! We share the gospel, but He brings to life dead sinners, convicts of sin, draws women to Christ, and saves them. We need His power to even speak, read, or discuss the message of Christ!

When a church is built on truth and relationships…

Gospel truth is the focus. This is both in the church and out of it. Christ is preached to the lost and to the saved. In fact, speeches and sermons are a full one-third of the book of Acts![2] The church's central message in Acts is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire gospel was preached; He IS the Messiah, Salvation is in Him alone; He died due to and for our sins, and God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of these things. Church, gospel truth must be central to us today; we can't get away from this into mini-kingdom building, program-generated excitement, or any other fad the church sees coming. Listen; we must be built on the rock of the gospel truth! Let me say this for us to consider; a reading of Acts shows that gospel evangelism appears to come easier when the church is persecuted. It is certainly more consistent. What is our persecution level compared to theirs? What is our evangelism output level?

When a church is built on truth and relationships…

Prayer is essential and frequent. Prayers are not avoided in Luke's records, but rather they are focused on. It was the work they did while waiting on God (Acts 1:14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, Acts 13 praying when called to mission), and it was the work they did after they were persecuted. It was intercession for the lost (Acts 7), it was begging for power to stand firm in the gospel (Acts 4), and it was praise for God's good mercies in saving the lost (Acts 15).

When a church is built on truth and relationships…

Fellowship is truth-based. Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. This is all through the book that love grows when people grow in the gospel. Jew/Gentile barriers were taken down with truth and with love. Here's what happens when people believe Christ and become part of the church; Christ unites different people in love. Paul loved Barnabas the godly Jewish man, and he loved Timothy, the godly half-Jew, and he loved the Ephesian elders who were Gentiles. Why? Jesus Christ. Fellowship was based on truth, and love grew from that truth being central in the lives of the church. Love was evident and growing, and it was based on the gospel. Acts 2:44-45 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. This wasn't planned or commanded; it was a natural response to those in need that they knew and loved.

When a church is built on truth and relationships…

Trouble is coming. False teachers mixing the gospel with Judaism, persecution from the threatened dead religions, financial people who see loss due to faith, sickness and death, people falling away… it's coming. How do we prepare for it? Knowing it's coming is half the battle, isn't it? Thus the value of weather forecasts! We can know a hurricane is coming, or that conditions are right for a tornado. We can see a blizzard coming across the northern plains toward us, so we can prepare for it. We can't avoid it, but we can prepare for it. But we can safely prepare for such trouble by considering what we've already seen today…

Stay on mission: preach, teach, and share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray much and often. Remain devoted to Bible truth. Remain in fellowship based on truth.

What does a church look like when it is built on truth and relationships? It looks like a church on mission empowered by God. Our mission is to magnify God, mature in our faith, and multiply believers, small groups and churches. We won't accomplish this alone, and we can't accomplish it half-heartedly. We must be devoted to God, the work, and each other. Let's pray for God to re-focus us on our work. As we begin to go through Jonah next week, evangelism will come up; let's prepare for God to use us more in our communities.

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[1] All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved

[2] Page 213 of Baker Exegetical Commentary on Acts, by Darrell L. Bock. Published by Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, © 2007 by Darrell L. Bock.

Boasting in the Cross

Gal 6:11-18[1] 

Preached at Rolling Hills Church on 10 Oct 2010.

 The theme of the book of Galatians is grace by faith alone. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. No human work is needed nor desired by God; our righteousness is a gift, imputed to us through faith in Christ. Circumcision was being preached to these people as necessary for salvation. Paul was obviously strongly opposed to such teaching. Now as he comes to the close of this letter, he again drives the theme home in the summary. Let's read the text…

Gal 6:11-18

11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.

12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Message: Our boasting is in the cross.  We'll briefly examine this passage with three contrasts; what is here and what is not, what to boast about and what not to boast about, and what doesn't and what does count. First off…

Closing: what's here and what's not

Here: autographical certification (2 Thess 3:17), concluding exhortations, the peace blessing, and the grace benediction[2].

Missing: Personal greetings, rejoicing and praise. The tone and the theme of this letter are too serious to suddenly change to 'all is well'; Paul was very concerned for these people and for their grip on the gospel. There is even a warning; don't let these false teachers cause me trouble any more! This is very unusual for Paul's epistles, but we do see similar warnings of other troublemakers in Timothy's letters and in Philippians 3. So that is what is here and what is not. Now…

Boasting: what not to and what to boast about

Not in the flesh. Not in accomplishing goals of turning entire evangelical churches in to pseudo=Jewish congregations. Not in gaining a few more proselytes to Judaism who then believed Christ and could be numbered in both camps.

Boast in the cross. Now we can accept this rather smoothly; we sing it, say it, and we are grateful for what Christ did there. However, we must gain a 1^st Century perspective. F.F. Bruce wrote that it is a major problem for us after centuries of seeing the cross as a positive symbol, "to realize the unspeakable horror and loathing" which the mere thought of the cross would have provoked in Paul's day[3]. You see the cross would have been described as ugly, horrible, shameful, publicly humiliating, and devastating. Embarrassing wouldn't even begin to describe what having your leader die on a Roman cross would be! And yet Paul uses one of his favorite phrases (far be it from me, may it never be, God forbid) to make certain he would NEVER NOT boast in the cross. We can't be ashamed of our Lord, of His suffering, His death; you see, that death is our only hope! Let me read one of the most powerful laments ever written of the cross; and it was written about 725 years before the cross…

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Yes there is shame, humiliation, and horror with the cross; but it was OURS. Our Lord, who was righteous, never deserved that death. The fact that He took our sins upon Himself is our source of joy, regardless of how backward that may seem to an achievement-driven, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world. Our boasting is in the cross. So we see what is here and what is not, and what to boast about and what not to boast about. Now to finish up…

 

Final Tally: what doesn't and what does count

Circumcision doesn't. Paul's entire argument is that circumcision in and of itself doesn't matter. Circumcision as a way to seek righteousness, is dangerous; in the context of salvation, it defiles the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not sin; it is not evil; it has no saving value, yet it is heresy to teach that it DOES have any saving value. If you learn anything from this letter, learn that Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and that to the glory of God alone. No other work, no human work, no help needed; God saves us through faith in Christ Jesus, the Lord. That death on the cross has satisfied the wrath of God. Circumcision, to be counted in the Old Covenant is unnecessary when faith in Christ counts us right in the New Covenant, the one in His blood.

New Creation does. This is what Christ came to do, and what was accomplished on that cross; to make dead men live; to make sinful men righteous, to turn enemies of God into sons and daughters of God, and to transform condemned souls into new, forgiven creatures. THAT matters. It matters that God has seen us as righteous, having been counted such through the death of His Son Jesus Christ. When we die and stand before God it won't matter whether or not we were identified with the covenant of Moses; what will matter is whether or not we were in Christ! Church, our boasting is in the cross.

 

Let us celebrate and glory in the cross by having the Lord's Supper together to remember the death of our Lord Jesus on that cross. But before we do, let me ask a few questions…

Do you know that God has made you a new creation?

Have you been to that cross to confess your sins and place all your hope there in Christ? I mean for forgiveness, for right standing with God, for eternal life – do you believe Christ purchased that for you?

Are you, as a Christ-follower, growing to hate sin the way God does?

Are you, as a Christ-follower, growing in your love for Jesus, His love, and saving grace?

 

Let's contemplate such things while the brothers pass out the elements and we prepare to take the Lord's Supper together.

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[1] All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved

[2] As noted in the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary Volume 14, on Galatians, by Gerald L. Borchert, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, IL © 2007 by Gerald L. Borchert

[3] ibid.

Sowing and Sticking With It

Gal 6:6-10[1] 

As preached at Rolling Hills Church, 03 Oct 2010

Harvest time is here in Wisconsin. The corn is brown and drying, and much of it is already in the grain bins, or on barges weaving it's slow way down the Mississippi. The harvest requires hard, persistent work; it's only ready for a time, and winter is coming. It requires work to gather in this blessing because somebody took the time to plant it back in April and May. Fields were prepared (mostly no-till around here now), and equipment was checked and readied, then the planting began. Sowing and reaping take place right before our eyes here in Southwest Wisconsin. But it is taking place in this body of believers as well. Let's read the text here in Gal 6:6-10.

6 One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

According to Paul's wisdom in Galatians 5-6, we are to use our freedom in Christ to walk in the Spirit, and bear fruit of the Spirit, sowing seeds of faith and obedience and generosity to the Spirit.  That is the message summed up that we're seeing here in this passage. It seems to break down naturally into four commands…

·      Share all good things.

·      Believe the law of the harvest.

·      Learn persistence and patience in doing good.

·      Do good in your days here.

Let's pray.

Share all good things. I'm going to have our elder, Dan Hauk, come and speak to this for a few minutes.

Believe the law of the harvest. What you sow is what you will reap. It sounds very simple in a farming country, doesn't it? When you plant corn, you'll reap – corn. It's the same with beans or alfalfa. I've diligently sown dandelions in the south side of my yard, and in the spring I get the beautiful yellow crop. This law is God's law; it does happen, whether you believe it or not (hence, do not be deceived). Earnest Hemingway, a well-known writer from the 1920s-1950s, was deceived. He publicly snubbed God and set out to prove that he could live any moral code he chose, and no 'god' was going to punish him for it. He even wrote an antithesis "Lord's Prayer". He had four wives, reveled in debauchery, and claimed that his own life would prove that a person could do anything they wanted without paying the consequences. Hemingway considered moral laws religious superstition that had no relevance. How did that work out for him? Some of you know; his filthy life led him to such complete despair and hopelessness that he put a bullet in his head in Ketchum, Idaho. He mocked God, but as it turned out, God isn't mocked at all[2].

In our approach to life, we have those who would deceive us nearby. The world (the system of thinking and acting that is under the rule of Satan, not God) would lead us to disbelieve th is law. The devil, as he did with Eve in the garden, would have us ignore this law. And our flesh, Judas that it is, tries hard to convince us that we won't reap; others might, but we'll get away with it.

Don't you believe it, Paul says. You sow seeds of faith in God, and works of the Spirit of God, and you will reap eternal life with God. You sow seeds of flesh (5:19) and you'll reap corruption; rotting, nasty, stinking, death. Have you ever seen a deer that's been hit by a truck on the side of the road? There are at least four raccoons dead between my house and Livingston. Watch what happens to their bodies over the next few days; that action will model this word, corruption. Since deceivers are nearby, we must cling closely to the truth, and keep it even nearer; we must hide it in our hearts, lest we sin against God. This truth is here; sow to the Spirit, church. Sow faith in Christ, and sow good deeds as a result of that faith in Christ. Go about serving and loving the body, it's what the context of this passage is firmly couched in. Walk in the Spirit, in love serve one another, bear one another's burdens, and help the weak in faith.

Church, we only have two fields and two kinds of seeds; it's either to the flesh (that indwelling sin remaining in believers, fighting their pursuit of Christ), or to the Spirit. And the crops will come up. Do not, Paul says, do not be deceived. This somber warning must lead us to contemplate our sowing; and to repent of our sin! Also, this is good encouragement to sow to the Spirit; we will see a harvest!

Learn persistence and patience in doing good. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Now we know that we will reap what we sow; but we often get weary of waiting for the crop! It's common among us to desire to sow and reap the same day! Wise financial advisors counsel young men and women to begin saving for retirement in their 20s, not in their 40s. That's because you make money in the stock market over a course of 10 years, not 10 days or 10 weeks; that may happen here and there, but the long haul is the constant best bet. The difference between beginning to save and invest in your 20s and beginning to save in your 40s can be hundreds of thousands! But you put away what you worked for many years before you see it. Often it is this way in the kingdom of God; we sow, we sow, and we sow; weariness sets in, and still – no crop. Paul understood this, so he encouraged us to Going good in the face of opposition, difficulty, or trials was Paul's modus operandi. He knew from the beginning of his ministry it wasn't going to be easy: Acts 9:16 "For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." What kept Paul going? The words he heard from Christ that he shared with us at the end of his ministry: 2 Tim 4:7-8 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

And yet Paul, being aware of what a drain this in on our souls, constantly encourages us to persevere in doing good. Listen to how his words near the end of the first letter to the Corinthian church: 1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. Growing weary and losing heart are common foes of our faith and obedience. Some give up the fight due to spiritual weariness. Some give up because of spiritual laziness, though; others because of spiritual hypocrisy (hearing and talking about serving Christ and His body, but doing little of it)[3]. Sharing the gospel, walking in the Spirit, receiving correction, giving correction, loving enough to help bear burdens. How do we gain this perseverance? We look past our toil and weariness to Christ, to our reward! Heb 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

So; Share all good things. Believe the law of the harvest. Learn persistence and patience in doing good. And lastly…

Do good in your days here. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. I believe Paul is summing up his teaching from Gal 5:1 where he begins to discuss walking in freedom of the gospel. Many think this while we have opportunity phrase means when we run into a situation periodically. Certainly we should be ready to help those on the side of the road, but I believe this means while we are here on earth. The word for opportunity literally refers to a fixed and distinct period of time[4]. We are here only a few years in light of eternity, and they pass swiftly, don't they? We do good to all, but especially the household of faith. There's not a turning away from obvious need in our neighbor's house to the advantage of the church; but there is a priority on the church. I think there are two reasons we are to emphasize the church in our 'doing good', our sharing, our sowing to the Spirit and giving.

1)   Love for the body is strong proof of our faith in Christ. 1 John 3: 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. You've received grace from God through Christ, and His shed blood on that cross, have you? Then we'll see that evidence, as you love others who believe. This is a deeper tie than country, team, or platoon – even family, when Christ isn't Lord in your bloodline. We are members of one body.

2)   The world won't long take care of the church; disrespect will turn to persecution. So our love for one another often requires food, money, lodging, labors, or time. It has happened many times in many places since Christ rose from the dead, and it will happen around the world until He returns; a government grows weary of the gospel and begins to push the church aside. On that day, it's critical that we've learned to give to one another, work for one another, and share with one another.

Don't pass up chances to bless. It brings blessing to others, joy to you, and glory to God.

So let's review Paul's words to us.

Share all good things.

Believe the law of the harvest.

Learn persistence and patience in doing good.

Do good in your days here.

Church, this is what our freedom in Christ is to be used for, to walk in the Spirit, and bear fruit of the Spirit, sowing seeds of faith and obedience and generosity to the Spirit.  This we do because, through the death of Jesus Christ on that cross, we were set free from the law of sin and death, from stifling selfishness to joyful generosity and love! Let freedom ring through the church in good deeds, in grace, and in sharing.

 

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[1] All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved

[2] From John MacArthur's New Testament Commentary on Galatians, © 1987, Moody Press, Chicago

[3] ibid.

[4] More from Mr. MacArthur, ibid.

Fulfill the Law of Christ

 Gal 6:1-5[1] 

 Rolling Hills Church 

 26 September 2010

Sometimes it is hard for us to grasp something and put it into practice. It is hard for us to ACT, not just know. We may be able to nod, agree, or understand, but we haven't come to the point of conviction that is OBEDIENCE. This happens in Christianity. This happens in life. How many of us know we need to lose weight, eat better, and exercise? We know how, we've talked about it, maybe even tried it, but – we haven't DONE it. I saw a friend this weekend who has lost 35 lbs. HE saw a picture of himself five years ago alongside of a recent picture, and it stung him; it stung him to ACT, not just KNOW.

That hits close to home in the land of brats and cheese, right? Ouch! But it's a realistic example. Today my sermon is Fulfill the Law of Christ, and it's from Gal 6:1-5. There is that direct element – KNOW but not ACT – very often applied to this particular passage of Scripture. to the message we see from the Scriptures today, church; let's read this text, as today we're in

1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.

5 For each will have to bear his own load.

Let's pray. The message is the title; fulfill the law of Christ. Seek to mature in your faith and obedience; and seek to help others mature in obedience. When I see brother or sister in sin, I am to gently, humbly restore the brother. I am to help, not condemn; I am to assist, to serve because I love. So let's unpack it a little…

Three commands here:

·      Restore those trapped in sin (remembering it could be us)

·      Bear one another's burdens (and so fulfill the law of Christ)

·      Test your own work (because we will stand before God)

But really, the summary is found with the second one verse 2: Fulfill the law of Christ.

Two truths/warnings to us:

·      We can easily be deceived about our sinfulness

·      We will all bear our own sin before God

That is the simple, direct outline of the text; I want to guide us to think it through by asking a few questions, five to be exact.

1. Can we define who is spiritual? Yes, I think so. Based on the context, it is someone with a good grasp on the gospel of grace that loves his or her fellow believers. Why do I say that? Let me show you…

Gal 1:11-12 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 any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Those who have received the gospel as from Christ.

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Those who live by faith in Christ.

Gal 3:22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Those who believe the promise by faith.

Gal 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Those who have received the Holy Spirit by faith, and are heirs with Christ.

Gal 5:13-14 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Those whose freedom in Christ leads them to the law of love, not a law of circumcision or man-made righteousness.

So we get here to chapter six and he says you who are spiritual. A spiritual believer is one who has a grip on the gospel that leads them to walk in the Spirit and love the body. In this church, it would define those who have latched on to the gospel and their grip has not weakened with all this circumcision hullaballoo going around the church. Now…

2. What is a burden? It is a sin that has overtaken a brother or sister (caught in any transgression). They are weak in their faith and obedience right now.

3. What exactly are we supposed to do? Ask them about what you see or hear that concerns you. Pray with and for them. Offer your assistance to them if they need it. We're talking about a brother or sister weighed down with sin, not one reveling in it.

4. How am I supposed to do it? Gently and humbly. Log/Splinters. As if it were you, but for God's good grace.

5. Why me? First because God through this Scripture tells you to.  Second, because of love. Love for Christ, love for His body. Think this way…

This is life and death. This is not a game. What does sin do when it goes unchecked in a church? It brings death. DEATH. But often, when it comes to sin, we do play games in the church.

Responsibility games. It's not my responsibility. Others should do something. Pastor, she's sinning; go fix her.

Relationship games. I don't know him, he's not in my small group, he's not my friend.he might not receive it well.

Rationalize games. Hey, it's not really that bad, right? It's not going to be a big deal. I sin all the time too, so maybe I shouldn't say anything.

What makes us quit playing games and obey God? What makes us approach our brothers and sisters, or help our brothers and sisters?

Love. This is the law of Christ.

John 15:12-13 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

When we see sin bringing shame, pain, loss, coldness, and hardness of heart to a fellow member of the body of Christ and we do nothing, we prove a lack of love for that person. We display a mis-guided sense of pride in our own self.

Responsibility; we are the body of Christ. We are members of one church; we must love enough to do something. I must love enough to do something!!

Church, let us fulfill the law of Christ. Seek to mature in your faith and obedience; and seek to help others mature in obedience. When I see brother or sister in sin, I am to gently, humbly restore the brother.

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[1] All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved

Walk in the Spirit Part II

Gal 5:16-26[1]

As preached at Rolling Hills Church on  05 September 2010

Last week we looked at this text from the perspective of conflict, influence, and evidence. Today we want to give some thought to what it means to Walk in the Spirit. Let's read this text again today.

Gal 5:16-26

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The context of this command (v 1) is a) we are justified by faith alone, we do NOT need circumcision (nor any other law-work) to be saved, and b) we will bite and devour one another in our freedom if we don't walk in the Spirit. Remember this conflict between our flesh and between the Holy Spirit living in us; it is constant and hard. Last week I focused on the players in this conflict; the people who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit indwelling them, and indwelling sin or the flesh. Today the message is practical, and I pray, helpful for us to evaluate with this question and answer:

Question: Are we walking in the Spirit? 

Answer: What does the fruit say?

If we are, let us by faith continue and grow! 

If we are not – why not? Let's take a look at the Holy Spirit foundation laid for us in Galatians…

Gal 3:2-5 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—

This text shows that we received the Holy Spirit by faith, when we repented from sin and unbelief, and believed in Christ for salvation. FAITH is how we received the Holy Spirit.

Gal 3:14 redundantly verifies this truth: so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Gal 4:6 shows that God sent Him to us because we are sons of God! And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

Gal 4:29 explains the fight we're examining in this text; the flesh fights the Spirit in us. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

Gal 5:5 teaches that we await the coming of Christ through the Holy Spirit by faith. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
Church, from before you were born to before you were born again to your conversion and through your entire life in Christ, and to the end, the Holy Spirit's work in us is by faith and is critical! Our regeneration, our drawing to God, our conviction of sin, and our conversion were works of the Holy Spirit through the gospel of Jesus Christ! Christ is our Savior; He works through the Holy Spirit to do this work.

We are saved by faith, filled with the Holy Spirit by faith, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit's work through faith!

The Scriptures teach that we are enabled to live an empowered, sin-and-bondage-breaking life in the Holy Spirit's power. And it is His power working in and through us; yet our will MUST be exerted fully in this fight; it is to believe!

I would, in light of that background, say that v 25 is the insight, the truth behind or under that helps us obey v 16, church. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us recall, for our joy and hope, our confession is verified by fruit, not just our words. If the fruit is v 19-21, we are dead, unsaved, lost, and headed for hell forever. Since we have received the Holy Spirit (begun in Him), let us walk in Him. I would like to address three things from this text, four if there is time…

1)   We must receive the Holy Spirit by faith in God. We must believe that He has come to live in us, to indwell us, to spiritually baptize us into the body of Christ, and to illuminate what He has inspired, and to live the life of Christ through us. As we believe God is with us, for us, and empowering us, we will grow in dependence, and in sensitivity to His leadership.  But before we can get caught up in what we must do, we must sink the cornerstone for this life of faith down deep in what HE has done. This goes back to the cross, church. There, at that bloody cross on a lonely hill, Jesus purchased pardon for all who would believe in God for forgiveness and eternal life!

2)   We must walk in the Spirit by faith the way we received the Holy Spirit by faith. Comparison to salvation: Col 2:6 Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. We received Him by faith, and we must now walk in Him or by Him by faith. (Faith fall, new believer trusting God for help).

3)   We must expect His leadership to be largely into, through, and by the Scriptures. In other words rather than speaking new or fresh words to us, the Holy Spirit will largely speak through the Scriptures to us. This is called the doctrine of illumination. You see the Holy Spirit has inspired the Scriptures; He also illuminates them to the believer. Let me give you a definition of illumination as Robert Reymond wrote: "The Holy Spirit's enabling of Christians generally to understand, to recall to mind, and to apply the Scriptures they have studied."[2] Believing in the Holy Spirit's guidance means we look for it, we long for it, we soak in the truth, and we seek for Him to bring to mind this good truth as we need it!

4)   Death to the fleshly lusts is enabled by this power in us. We can see victory in our lives through this beautiful Holy Spirit working in and through us.

Are you walking in the Spirit? If you are, it is by faith, and it is a fight, but you are seeing God's power to help you, day by day. Not perfection, but power to crucify, to kill the power of the flesh. Praise God for His work in you: stand firm, and take heed, lest you fall.

If not, why not? Why are Christians enslaved to sin?

I would submit to you, based on this book and other Scriptures, four thoughts on that…

1)   They trust in some form of the law/works instead of the Holy Spirit. Law-living (rules, do's and don't's) is defeated, rebellious living; it is not the Christian life. That's what this whole book of Galatians is about; being saved AND living by faith in Jesus Christ alone. They might believe Jesus saves, and they may even be saved, but the power of the Holy Spirit for sanctification's progress is hindered by faulty or weak faith. They may believe they haven't earned this power, when it was given to sinners who never COULD earn such!! Paul asked the Galatians earlier, "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now going to be perfected by the flesh!?" They may trust in their own ability to do good. These believers resist losing control to God.  Trusting the Holy Spirit takes complete control out of the hand of the believer; it's scary to the control freak. Serious! I don't mean some hyper-spiritual 'fly me to Africa for life' work of the Holy Spirit, I mean, "I can break this sin-love in you" work by the Holy Spirit, but the man's pride/control reflex is used by indwelling sin to fight the very work of God in him.

2)   Their faith has weakened significantly in the fight.  These people no longer believe the power of God is really in and for them. Discouragement coupled with the constant whispers of the devil have drained the hope and belief of the child of God that He cares, He is able, and the He is willing to help defeat the flesh in their lives. Sad state of affairs.

3)   They are blinded by sin and deceived by the devil. They've never heard – despite it being preached, read, or brought up many times – they've never heard the command or the truth; their ears have been filled with indwelling sin's lie, with the devil's lies. Eve listened, Joseph didn't. Eve proved powerless, yet Joseph was empowered to flee.

4)   They aren't Christians. They were deceived into thinking they were made right when God when there was no real repentance; they still live this first list with a clear conscience, even steeped in church life. They were deceived into believing they could

Now here's the fruit list again, church…

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

 So what fruit is more consistent in your life? What is being crucified, put to death? What is being borne out in your life, and by whom – the Holy Spirit bearing good fruit, or the flesh bearing sin-fruit?

Matt 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Are you walking in the Holy Spirit? If so then by God's grace, continue, and abound still more!

If not, then let me ask you this: were you born of the Holy Spirit? Today would be a good day to repent of your sin, of the powerlessness of your empty, flesh-gratifying life, and to be made new in Christ!

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[1] All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved

[2] As given on page 1042 of Wayne Grudem's excellent Systematic Theology, © 1994 by Wayne Grudem, published jointly by Zondervan Publishers and Inter-Varsity Press. All Rights Reserved. 

Walk in the Spirit

Gal 5:16-26[1]

Preached at Rolling Hills Church,  29 August 2010

 Today we are going to learn some basics about walking in the Spirit from Paul; we won't cover it all, because I want to lay a foundation for understanding this conflict. So let's dig in.

Gal 5:16-26

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

This will be a two-part message; there is simply too much to cover in one sermon. It is about walking in the Holy Spirit; but for today we will consider this perspective: this text is about conflict, influence, and evidence. Here we read of the conflict within Christ-followers between the Spirit of God and the flesh. It is about whom we are going to listen to, depend on, and follow; and this determines what evidence or fruit is exhibited in our lives. What we will reflect is either the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit.

This is the epic battle of God's good glory and sin's wicked deeds carried out in the frail human heart! First we'll look at the people and the opponents, then we'll look at the opponents in this conflict – the Holy Spirit vs. Flesh, and lastly we will consider submission. First let me talk about people: who we are, and there are two options here…

1)   Lost people. Spirit, soul, and body – and dead to God. We are by nature sinners – dead in trespasses and sins – opposed to God from birth (Eph 2:1-4, Rom 3:23).

a.     Now when we are lost, Scripture says that we sin because we are sinners, not vice-versa. If Christ hasn't come in, despite any religious activity or experiences – if Christ hasn't saved you and if you haven't received the Holy Spirit by faith when you were converted, you are still spiritually dead, and separated from God. Ruled by this flesh. There is no battle here; the lost person glorifies sin and Satan. You may be restrained by the law or influences, but you are dead.

2)   Christ-followers. Christians. Saved. This speaks of those who have believed in Christ, received Him, and received the Holy Spirit upon conversion (Rom 8:9, Eph 1:13). This is humans who have believed in and received Christ, been brought to life, that have been filled by the Holy Spirit. New creation, new life. Here is where the battle rages, in the believer.

a.     When we are converted, have been saved, have received Christ, His Holy Spirit has come in, and we have received a new nature, new life, and power to live for, love, believe, and follow Christ.

Those are the people; this text deals with Christ-followers. Now for the opponents in this battle raging inside the Christ follower…

1)   The Holy Spirit. This is the very Spirit of God, who seals, indwells, fills, and empowers believers upon their conversion from dead sinners to living Christ-followers. He is the third person of the Trinity. He is completely and fully God; time-to-time you'll hear Christians refer to the Holy Spirit as 'it'. I humbly suggest we not do so; He is God.

2)   The flesh. Now if you are a Christ-follower, you are a new creature in Christ; the power of sin and death has been broken in your lives. But there is a remnant of the human sin nature there to deal with; some theologians call it 'indwelling sin'[2], and others call it 'unredeemed humanness'[3]. Regardless of the term, it is important to know that this is that part of a believer that remains in us until complete redemption with Christ, and is often referred to in Scripture as 'the flesh', and it fights the will of God and the Spirit of God in us. It desires sin and debauchery and death.

 

The Spirit is the Holy Spirit of God; He is the third member of the Godhead, the Trinity: One God, yet Three in One. He is the One who regenerates (brings to life, Eph 2:5, Jn 6:63,) believers, and who baptizes them, seals them, and fills them when they believe. He is the God who indwells believers from their conversion from unbelief to belief in Christ. He is also the One who gives us power to obey God's Word.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  So there's a bit about people, and the opponents in this conflict; now let's look briefly at submission. You see we will submit to the Spirit of God or we will submit to the flesh. Either way, fruit and evidence will flow.

Submission to the flesh is not complicated; just ignore the Word of God, fellowship with Him, and the conviction and leading of the Holy Spirit. You see how it turns out.

Submission to the Spirit of God is not complicated either, but it is harder due to the fight.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. We would do well to pause and consider these words; they are very scary, very deadly, and very serious.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Submitting isn't passive; it is active human will working to obey Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit! But it is not 'let go and let God'; it is not like we've learned from the Keswick tradition (movement in England years ago). Hannah Whitall Smith wrote a book called, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, teaching how we don't struggle, we simply submit and passively trust. Not true, unfortunately; we are involved in this conflict! But while working with all our might, we are still completely dependent upon the Holy Spirit's help and power! I think this text from Romans 8:1-9 helps us see a bit of this struggle…

Rom 8:1-9

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Our mindset, our focus of thoughts and dwellings, these are critical here! It is the same truth as is taught in John 15, abiding in the vine. The branch makes nothing; the branch holds and displays that which the vine produced through it.

There is much more to learn here, but when we are submitted to the Holy Spirit, walking in the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, we are believing in Christ, in God's Word, and setting our eyes, affections, hopes, and faith completely upon Him!

Church we must remember that cross; there He died by the power of the Holy Spirit so we could live by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So this lays a background for our learning next week. We've seen the people, the opponents, and a couple of thoughts about submission.

This text is about conflict, influence, and evidence.  The conflict in believers is strong; who will influence us depends on whom we submit to.

There is much more to consider in this text, but I would challenge you to read it, pray through it, and meditate on it until next week. Let's pray now…

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[1] All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved

[2] John Piper's view

[3] John MacArthur's wording

Free to Love

Gal 5:13-15[1]  Rolling Hills Church 

 22 Aug 2010

 

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Paul has been, to this point in the book of Galatians, tearing down the notion that being circumcised would bring a measure of righteousness to the believers in Christ. He adamantly taught, warned, illustrated, and allegorized the truth that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Justification is only by faith in Christ Jesus! He put forth the 'what not to believe' and the 'what to believe'; he has 'swept out the house and put it in order', like in Matt 12:45. So what would fill the void of seeking to gain righteousness through the law? In other words, this might be the thought Paul is addressing: "OK, so if we don't have to gain righteousness through living the law, then; how DO we live? Here in this little three verses in chapter five Paul puts forth a model for the church; through love serve one another. And what did he tell them this would do? Fulfill the law.

So let's pray, and let's spend these brief minutes considering the message of this text: I believe it can be worded like this: Gospel freedom is not freedom to gratify the flesh; it is freedom to love and serve one another. Let's pray, shall we?

Called to Freedom: This call is the gospel call, church; not just a call to the church to be good; this is the call to repentance and faith in Christ. Called to follow Christ – that is freedom. What all were we freed from when we were called to believe in and follow Christ?

We were enslaved in it, hopelessly bound to do what sin dictated, pawns of our own fleshly lusts, the devil, and the lies of this world. But Christ has set us free! When He died on that cross, He paid the debt that all of us owed God 'in Adam'. He satisfied the wrath of God, and He rose from the dead to purchase new life, freedom for all who would repent of their sins and believe in Him. What kind of freedom did He purchase us, and call us to?

We are free from our bondage to sin. It's power no longer owns us, for a greater power, the Holy Spirit of God, has taken over our lives, and in Christ, we are free!

We are free from the penalty of sin. Scripture says the wages of sin is death. When we were lost, apart from Christ, we were dead in our trespasses and sins, and we were slated to die and be cast into hell forever for our offense against Holy God. God is just; there is no escaping His right judgment! But when we are called to Christ and we respond in faith, we are freed from this wrath of God!

We are free from works and earnings. Folks, as Paul so unwaveringly teaches in this book, Christ alone can make a man or woman right with God! Our striving for self-improvement or merit-earning is over, and we're freely MADE RIGHT with God.

We are free from death. We will never die; our call is complete and eternal in Christ! So we celebrate this joy, and we are set free from slavery to fleshly temptation.

With freedom comes responsibility. Because the doctrine of total depravity is true, and because indwelling sin fights us even when we're redeemed, the only way to avoid anarchy in a family, church, or a society is to keep freedom and responsibility connected. We are cautioned not to use our freedom to gratify our selfish desires. 'Opportunity for the flesh means "opportunity to follow your fallen, sinful desires and act contrary to God's moral laws[2]."' When freedom is divorced from responsibility, bad things happen. There is a statement repeated throughout the sad narrative of Judges: In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges17:6). If you know that story, you know they went from bondage to freedom, to self-gratification, back to bondage time and time again. It is a miserable read. A King would bring order, purpose, and responsibility for the nation; otherwise, we saw what happened.

Paul teaches in Romans 6:11-14 that when we are free, when we receive grace, we are to submit the members of our body for moral service to Christ.

With freedom in Christ comes love and service. Peter's mother in law was sick; her affliction, her bondage was physical. The Lord walked in to the house and He promptly set her free from this sickness. How did she respond? Matt 8:14-15 And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. Our Lord did not set us free to set about blessing ourselves. He did not free us from the law so that we could live lawless and immoral – by no means! We are free from being justified by keeping the law; but we are free to fulfill the moral law for God's glory! When we're free in Christ, we're free to serve.

Freed to receive love. After all, love starts with God! 1 Jn 4:19 We love because he first loved us. Let me trail along a few verses from John's gospel and his first letter that show this thought line…

Jn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 Jn 3:16-18 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Jn 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

1 Jn 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

God loved, God gave and served. We have God's love in us, it will result super-naturally in giving and serving! So in essence, we are freed by the gospel to serve one another. Paul called himself in Gal 1:10, Rom 1:1, and Phil 1:1 a bond-servant of Christ, a willing servant. He willingly signed up to serve Christ, which meant to serve Christ's people.

Service is the life; love is the motive, and the means. Love being in us, shed abroad in our hearts, works its way out in service to one another. Love led Jesus to serve us, folks:

Mat 20:28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Serving for serving sake wears out; serving the body for Christ through Christ's power fulfills us, rejuvenates us, blesses us, and brings us joy! One of the most fulfilling things I do as a pastor is to go to nursing homes and sing and preach the gospel for the otherwise forgotten few. JeriAnn takes her boys there often to minister to those precious older folks, and it is humbling how much you receive by giving there.

Paul wants this outfit to know this; "If you want to turn back to circumcision and thus the law, then hear this; you can fulfill the law if you do this; love your neighbor as yourself."

Church, what are we doing with our freedom?

How are we serving one another?

Or is it possible that our freedom is being misused on ourselves? If that is the case, then here is the warning from Paul about what will happen among us…

Biting and devouring. In this conversation we have to remember that Paul is teaching the Galatians not to listen to, not to give in to those Judaizers who lie and say circumcision is mandatory for righteousness before God. So when he says 'bite and devour one another', there is a thought from Philippians 3:2 that comes up… "2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh." Bite and devour one another like dogs – just made me chuckle.

When a pack of wolves is starving and begin to endanger a human being, there is a way to escape them; shoot one of them, and when they see and smell the blood of their own, they often turn on the wounded one. The enemy of our souls loves shoot one of us to see if we will serve, heal, and bless that member, or begin to bite and devour that member. I have seen too much of this in churches! Walking wounded who have been bitten by those who are supposed to love them, or even teach and shepherd them. God help us! When we turn on ourselves, who will be there for us, church?

Seriously, will we fight over carpet color, buildings, names on a nursery list, or a perceived snub? I've seen it. Bites of gossip, anger, division, and even hatred IN THE CHURCH. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be.

Is that the love of Christ in us?

I think not.

The love of Christ looks like selflessness, humility, service, and joy. Love is the means to our service, and love is the motive for our service. Sin is the means and motive for our biting and devouring; that is misused freedom, church.

So… Freedom. Responsibility. Love. Service. Biting and devouring. What sounds better? What reflects Christ better to a lost and dying, biting and devouring community!?

Here's the simple message from this text today: Gospel freedom is not freedom to gratify the flesh; it is freedom to love and serve one another.

I want to close with some words of Christ for us to consider…

Matt 7:12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Matt 22:37-40 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

 

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[1] All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved

[2] This is a good footnote to Gal 5:13 found in the ESV Study Bible, © Crossway Publishing, 2001-2010