Freed to Serve One Another
Freedom With Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsLiving by the Spirit compels us to care for other people.
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Transcript
When we were last in Galatians, we were talking about living in the Spirit and not the flesh. We pick up tonight with the practical implications of that.
The word for tonight is for anyone who has ever had a difficult time with anything. Raise your hand if that is you.
I’ve had lots of difficult times in my life...
But really, we all go through different struggles, and we have all seen others go through things, struggle with sins. This passage has something to say to everyone of us about this tonight!
READ AND PRAY
Living by the Spirit compels us to care for other people.
Holding One Another Up
Holding One Another Up
It’s our responsibility as Christians to care for one another spiritually and physically.
Most of you probably know that I’m a huge MCU nerd. That’s Marvel Cinematic Universe for you people who have better things to do. Ever since the first Avengers movie, I’ve thought the whole concept was awesome.
I was watching Iron Man 2 the other day with the boys, which is just a lot of fun as a dad. I look forward to when they are old enough to watch the movies and to really understand them. We’re just going to take a whole weekend and watch them all! It’ll be great! Anyway, watching Iron Man 2. This is the one where Nick Fury first approaches Tony Stark about the idea of the Avengers. Tony’s first response is, “No thanks, I’m not really looking for a sidekick.” The most Tony Stark response possible. He was the guy who didn’t want help because he was too proud. He didn’t think he needed it. As Iron Man or as Tony. He’s dying through most of that movie but he doesn’t think anyone is smart enough to help him so he never really tells anyone.
Through the course of the movie though, he realizes he needs the help of others. That he can’t handle everything by himself. The Christian life is the same way, we can’t do it on our own.
Paul tells the church that they have to take care of one another, and it’s the same for us today.
First he tells them that when a brother or sister is caught in sin, reach out with a gentle spirit and pull them out! Or try at least.
This is a good thing! People want to say, “judge not or you’ll be judged” or “only God can judge me”, or “he who is without sin cast the first stone”. This is a misunderstanding! Scripture tells us to call each other out when were are stuck in sin!
It says to get the log our of your own eye before trying to get a speck out of someone else’ s eye, but over and over Scripture tells us to hold each other accountable for the good of our souls.
There is a pattern for this and it’s laid out in ...
So if your friend is partying, gently call them on it. If they are vaping, out of care for them, tell them it’s not honoring God (and it’s also really bad for them!). If they’re sexually active, go to them with God’s Word and show them that God has something better for them!
But Paul also warns us to not end up falling into the sin ourselves.
If your friend won’t listen to you when you tell them not to go to the party, don’t think it’s a good idea for you to just go into the party with them to look after them!
You’ll end up falling into sin too! Don’t take that chance! Look out for each other, but don’t end up falling into sin yourself.
Paul tells us to carry one another’s burdens. This goes beyond just holding each other accountable. He’s saying to help each other through life.
We all have junk in our lives. It’s difficult. It’s too much for one person to handle alone.
We need to help each other. And this will inconvenience you, when you help others. Paul knew this, he still told us to do it. Jesus was very familiar with this.
Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.
So yes, helping with put a burden on you. That’s ok.
Find ways to help other people carry their burdens...
This is the law of Christ. Jesus says in that his command is for us love love one another.
Then Paul gives us another warning, don’t think you don’t need help.
Don’t get that Tony Stark attitude. Your pride is your enemy.
If you think you don’t need the help and support of your brothers and sisters in Jesus, you are deceiving yourself and you’re in danger. You can’t do it on your own.
Paul finishes this section by telling people not to let themselves get puffed up and prideful because of the struggles other people face.
We all have issues. We all struggle with sin. They might be different, but we all have them. Don’t look at mine and feel like you’re awesome. Don’t look at your peer who is partying every weekend and think, “I’m awesome” when you’ve been lying to your parents about your grades.
God is not comparing your sin to others, He’s holding it up to the life of Jesus. So Paul says to just look at yourself and boast in how clean your life is. But here’s what Paul knows and we all need to understand; none of us will have any reason to boast because we all have sin and we all have junk!
So we all need to do two things: let others help us and help others.
And if you’re wondering what another way you can help others is, Paul has one in the chamber for you!
Invest in God’s Kingdom
Invest in God’s Kingdom
Paul says to give to those who teach the Gospel. Yea, we’re about to take up a love offering tonight!
He is telling us to invest ourselves into God’s Kingdom, not the kingdom of this world, because the kingdom you invest in will be the one that you receive the reward from.
Bring a couple students up and have them “invest” something into two different things. One disappears and the other doesn’t pay anything back at first, but eventually pays back big.
If you sow into the kingdom of the world, you will reap from it. If you sow into God’s Kingdom, you will reap from it.
Just so we’re on the same page, this is talking about farming. You sow seed and you reap, or harvest, what you sowed...
Paul goes from the previous section on helping one another into an example of how to do that, be generous with those who teach the Gospel. This is a real way to sow into God’s Kingdom.
Let’s be clear; Paul is not saying they need to pay him. He’s talking about the people their in Galatia with them, the teachers in that church.
This isn’t the only place this concept is put forward...
The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and, the worker is worthy of his wages.
1 Timothy
And that quote is from the Old Testament. Giving to the spiritual teachers goes back all the way to the Temple...
Let me just tell y’all about our pastor for a second...
Mike (Hickman) is putting in more than a full time job’s worth of effort.
I’m just whining about school lunches being awkward...
Paul goes on to say that when we invest in God’s Kingdom this way, and any way really, that we will have an eternal reward.
The wicked man earns an empty wage, but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward.
We have to be patient though, because these rewards are not immediate. Since they are not of this kingdom, we won’t fully receive them in this kingdom.
So invest into God’s Kingdom and be patient waiting on the return on your investment. Think more about eternity than tomorrow.
And give your tithe when God brings some money your way. Do nice things for your pastor and your life group leaders. If your grandma makes some bomb cookies, bring some Sunday morning to give your Life Group leader. Run a few of those things over to Mike’s house!
Let these people know you appreciate what they have done for you! They have accepted a call from God to teach the Gospel to you!
The Gospel that Paul has been trying to remind the Galatian church about through his whole letter. And he grabs the pen for one last reminder about it here at the end.
Boast in Jesus’ Work
Boast in Jesus’ Work
Boast in Jesus’ Work
Boast in Jesus’ Work
So here is the way Paul wrote his letters… (explain dictation)
He remind them one last time that keeping the law of circumcision, and any other laws, do not give them the right standing before God that they need. Only the work of Jesus can do that. This is the Gospel!
Paul says the world is dead to him! He’s saying the favor of men, worldly accomplishments, these things are worthless to him because they are of no spiritual value.
They are of no value to you either. Only new creation through faith in Jesus is of true value to you
Don’t put your trust in your ability to be good enough, because you don’t have that ability!
Remember ...
You have to put your faith in Jesus for your forgiveness and righteousness!