Sermon Tone Analysis

Called to Freedom

Galatians II: Deserting God

Galatians 1:6-9

January 6, 2013

PRAYER

SCRIPTURE READING: Galatians 1:3-9 (Marilyn)

Q How many of you READ GALATIANS last week?

~* Now read it a SECOND TIME, in another TRANSLATION.

As I said, the churches in Galatia would have gotten this as a HANDWRITTEN letter, HEARD it read in their home church, COPIED it, and sent it on to the next church.

As they sat there, HUDDLED AROUND, on the floor, window sills, crammed in everywhere, the first five verses would have sounded mostly normal, but it was just a little to curt.

They would have been waiting for the OTHER SHOE to drop:

NIV Galatians 1:6-7 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all.

Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

Normally Paul begins a letter by THANKING God for something about the recipients.

This is the only letter with NOTHING.

A REAL SLAP IN THE FACE

For New Year’s Eve, we watched “ROBIN HOOD, Men in Tights.”

In one scene, the bad guy gets slapped across the face with a metal gauntlet.

That is about the IMPACT of this verse.

~* Even the CORINTHIANS got something.

Paul has more GOOD THINGS to say to a church filled with sexual IMMORALITY, DISUNITY, DRUNKENNESS and chaotic worship than a church that seems to have its ACT TOGETHER but was trying to EARN SALVATION through works.

~* God would prefer that you be a METH ADDICT than trying to EARN God’s ACCEPTANCE through being good.

But that is like saying I’d prefer you be killed by CANCER than a CAR WRECK – one is obvious and easy to see months in advance, then other is subtle and you don’t know till it is too late.

FREEDOM FROM THE CLIFFS

There are two great dangers, two great PERVERSIONS of GRACE.

The life God desires for us, walking in OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP with our Lord and Savior is a NARROW PATH, with cliffs on both sides:

~* 1st cliff: DESTRUCTIVE DISOBEDIENCE – Jesus is not LORD.

~* 2nd cliff: ATTEMPTING to EARN God’s FAVOR – Jesus is not SAVIOR.

Paul’s theme to Galatians, and God’s great desire for us, is that we be free from both cliffs:

NIV Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

The YOKE of SLAVERY Paul is warning against is trying to be saved by OBEYING the law.

Yet he said don’t be burden again.

~* Had they TRIED to JUSTIFICATION by the law before?

No.

The previous slavery was slavery to their former lives of sin.

The Galatians understood the DANGER of SIN – they had been saved from PAGANISM, IDOLATRY, SEXUAL sins, and DARKNESS, just as many of you have been.

But they were just about to do a CANNONBALL over the cliff of LEGALISM, earning their salvation.

They were being ENTICED by “ANOTHER GOSPEL which isn’t a gospel at all.”

LEGALISM IN OUR MIDST

This is OUR STORY – we are easily enticed by LEGALISM.

Think back to Paul’s response to the GALATIANS vs. the CORINTHIANS:

~* Just because everything LOOKS GOOD in the church doesn’t mean everything is FINE.

There might not be any DIVORCES, no one being ARRESTED crimes, no massive DYSFUNCTION bubbling up.

Legalism LOOKS GOOD – better tithes, more Sunday school teachers, etc.

~* But we could still be in a LOT of TROUBLE.

Q What is OUR LEGALISM?

How do WE JUMP of cliff of legalism?

1. Earning Salvation:

On the most OBVIOUS level, many church goers think they have to perform for God.

I recently talked to a woman who grew up in church, but lived in CONSTANT FEAR that she had not DONE ENOUGH.

2. Earning Points.

More SUBTLE is thinking that by doing the right thing, we are EARNING POINTS with God, and that we are in better standing with him than those who don’t.

~* It is awesome to SERVE, awesome to GIVE, awesome to TEACH Sunday School, but they don’t EARN you any POINTS.

The Christian who walks into the church 5 minutes AFTER SERVICE starts, leaves BEFORE it is OVER, NEVER SERVES or gives has earned JUST as MANY POINTS as the BAKERS or KAPLANS who pour themselves out for the church – ZERO points.

~* SERVING has its OWN REWARD, as well as SELFISHNESS, but both can do NOTHING to add their STANDING before God.

Helpful distinction: UNION vs. COMMUNION.

Living a life pleasing to God doesn’t change our union with God, but does affect our communion.

~* If you go on DEPLOYMENT for 6 months, you would still be just as MARRIED, but your CONNECTION would be HURTING.

3. Special practices.

Many Christians have SPECIAL PRACTICE that they use to feel like they are better and closer to God.

4.

More and better theology

For others, it is KNOWING more.

LOVING GOD’S WORD and desiring to understand it is awesome, but with it come a TRAP.

~* God’s warning to me about the possibility of having to “CUT off my RIGHT HAND.”

JESUS PLUS

In all these cases, we DOUBT that GRACE is ENOUGH, that is could REALLY be THAT easy.

And we are JUST as PRONE to this CLIFF as the other.

MORE PRONE, in fact, because it is MORE ACCEPTABLE.

~* There is a CONSTANT SLIDE to try to ADD to Jesus with these things, to try to take what he has done and IMPROVE on it.

We create our own little systems of “JESUS PLUS...”, good works, special beliefs, being more faithful, etc.

~* God forbid that we just be REGULAR CHRISTIANS saved by GRACE!

DESERTING GOD

Q But really, how BIG of a DEAL is legalism?

I mean, sure your can be filled with SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, but not necessarily.

Sure there can be ARROGANCE.

I am not saying it’s good, but isn’t it OVERLY DRAMATIC to say “I’d rather you be a METH ADDICT than a legalist.”

Q Be honest, isn’t that what YOU are thinking?

When I prepare to preach passages like these, typically the first thing that I do is translate it from the GREEK for myself.

It is not that the Greek gives me some MAGICAL INSIGHT; it forces me to SLOW DOWN and notice every word.

I realized how easily we make the FOCUS on LEGALISM and gloss over the MAIN POINT, as I just did: Notice WHAT it is that they are DESERTING:

NIV Galatians 1:6-7a I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all.

Q Is it a WHAT or a WHO?

When you leave the GOSPEL and go to LEGALISM, you are not just committing a DOCTRINAL ERROR, you are DESERTING GOD.

You are abandoning your RELATIONSHIP with JESUS.

~* You have to understand – this is all about RELATIONSHIP.

In the first four verses of Galatians, Paul calls God “FATHER” three times.”

We are so BLASÉ about this: “Oh yeah, the Creator of the universe adopted me.

But did you see the playoff game!?!”

TRAITORS

The word “DESERTING” is a very STRONG TERM, used to describe TRAITORS, switching from one side to another.

This is no minor doctrinal stance.

If you give up on the GOSPEL, you are SWITCHING SIDES.

Jesus rescued us from “this present evil age,” and you are trying to go back.

The GREAT EVIL of LEGALISM is not the ARROGANCE and SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS that comes from it, it’s ABANDONING God.

Q HOW is it abandoning God?

~* You CANNOT hang on to God, you LACK the STRENGTH to follow him; legalism is the DISASTROUS ATTEMPT to RELY on OURSELVES.

EG: If you were to be REPELLING with your dad and decide to cut the rope because “I got this,” your only hope would be that he catches you at the bottom.

CONFUSION

Without MINIMIZING the Galatians’ CULPABILITY, Paul now changes his focus to the FALSE TEACHERS: