A Personal Appeal

Bill Connors

Dear Church: A Study of Galatians • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Galatians 4:12–20

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B: 4:12-20

Housekeeping Stuff & Announcements:

Welcome guests to the family gathering, introduce yourself. Thank the band. Invite guests to parlor after service.

Tonight following our evening service, our Adults on Mission group will meet, and one of our members (name on the screen for security) will be sharing about his overseas mission work this past summer. Miller Hall at 6:30 pm.

Marilyn Roe passed away this past Monday, and her memorial service will be tomorrow at 2pm here. Keith Buchanan’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, at 10 am here.

Mission New Mexico State Mission Offering thru September and October. Goal is $8,000. Received so far: $7,256.

Opening

Galatians 4:12–20 CSB

12 I beg you, brothers and sisters: Become like me, for I also became like you. You have not wronged me; 13 you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a weakness of the flesh. 14 You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So then, have I become your enemy because I told you the truth? 17 They court you eagerly, but not for good. They want to exclude you from me, so that you would pursue them. 18 But it is always good to be pursued in a good manner—and not just when I am with you. 19 My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you. 20 I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you.

Pray

I have a confession to make: I really struggled in preparing to preach this morning. If I’m going to preach the Scriptures thoroughly, sometimes I am going to have to preach passages that make me uncomfortable to preach. This is one of those passages.

In what we looked at last week,

Galatians 4:11 CSB

11 I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

In what we looked at last week, Paul ended with this statement. He’s been making the argument to the Galatians that justification is only by faith in the Gospel: that God has chosen, by His grace alone, to give His perfect Son, Jesus the Messiah, to die in our place in substitution for our imperfection. Since Jesus has died in our place, we are saved only by faith in His completed work on the cross, and those who belong to Jesus through faith will live forever with Him because He defeated death by rising from the grave.

But Paul’s argument is that justification can only be by God’s grace through faith, and having to earn it makes it no longer by grace or by faith. If we can earn it by our own work and merit, then Jesus didn’t actually have to die at all. The Galatians have started down this path of trying to earn what they’ve already been given, and as a result, the pure message of the Gospel among the churches of Galatia, and Paul’s own missionary example and work, are at risk of being ruined.

So it’s as if Paul’s emotions—his pastoral love and care for the churches that he planted—now overflow following this statement that his labor may have been wasted. Remember that a church is the people, not the building or the activity. He loves these people and cares deeply about the spiritual deception that is threatening to overtake them. He had a relationship with these people, even though he was not physically with them at that moment. It’s been clear throughout the letter that he’s struggling with what’s going on so far away. In fact, it’s the whole reason he’s writing.

I believe that my responsibility in preaching on Sunday mornings is primarily “to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness,” which is .

Granted, I need to be doing that in other ways as well, but this is the only place and time that I get to encourage our entire congregation, both those who believe and those who have not yet believed, in one shot. And not only that, but there are people who will be listening to this message on the Internet who may or may not have a direct personal connection to Eastern Hills, but who listen every week.

Since this is the case, my desire and calling each week is to preach the message of the Gospel from the biblical text by the direction of the Spirit, encouraging each of us (myself included) to either trust Christ and begin to walk in faith, or to trust Christ more deeply and keep on walking in faith, with grateful obedience flowing out as a result.

This passage has really challenged, encouraged, and resonated with me as a pastor. But how do I bring this perspective to our church in a way that preaches the message of the Gospel, so that we are all equipped and built up, unified in Christ, and that is useful for our being matured together into Christ-likeness?

It all starts with Paul’s purpose, which he has held since the beginning of the letter:

1 Timothy 3:1 CSB

1 This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.”

Paul’s pastoral purpose - v 12 and 19

1) Paul’s pastoral purpose

I love this passage of Scripture, because it’s as if in this passage Paul is jarred into kind of an emotional parenthetical following verse 11:

Galatians 4:11 CSB

11 I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

Paul had preached the Gospel to the Galatians on his first missionary journey. It was the reason that he went there. Paul would later be imprisoned for proclaiming the Gospel, and would say that he was a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” to the church at Ephesus and to his friend Philemon. This was Paul’s life purpose: to preach the Gospel. And on that first missionary journey to Galatia, Paul had come not with a set of rules to follow, but with a message of hope and freedom in Christ.

He had come

Paul begins our focal passage with this statement:

Galatians 4:12 CSB

12 I beg you, brothers and sisters: Become like me, for I also became like you. You have not wronged me;

The Galatians had been deceived by people who had come in after Paul had shared the Gospel with them, people who said that you needed Jesus PLUS the Jewish law in order to truly be saved. These folks were called Judaizers.

He’s pleading with them to go back to being free in the Gospel: that they would stop trying to earn their salvation or favor from God by following the Jewish law. When Paul had been with them, he had put aside his Jewish customs in order to show that salvation was not based on these sorts of things. But now, they were trying to be justified on the basis of law, not by grace through faith.

Some people might take this statement from Paul, and others like it, and accuse him of being arrogant. He’s not being arrogant. He’s a teacher. A coach. An example.

So it’s as if Paul’s emotions—his pastoral love and care for the churches that he planted—now overflow following his statement that his labor may have been wasted. Remember that a church is the people, not the building or the activity. He loves these people and cares deeply about the spiritual deception that is threatening to overtake them. He had a relationship with these people, even though he was not physically with them at that moment. It’s been clear throughout the letter that he’s struggling with what’s going on so far away. In fact, it’s the whole reason he’s writing.

So here in verse 12, he’s begging them: He’s begging that they would “become like [him], for [he] also became like [them].” Some might take this statement by Paul, and other statements like it, and decide that Paul was arrogant or proud. Consider a couple of other related passages:

1 cor 4:15-16

1 Corinthians 4:15–16 CSB

15 For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

1 Corinthians 11:1 CSB

1 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.

But this isn’t the case. He’s not being arrogant. He’s a teacher. A coach. A trainer. An example.

So is Paul being arrogant? No! He’s not being arrogant. He’s a father. A teacher. A coach. A trainer. An example. We don’t assume that parents are proud or arrogant when they teach their children how to talk or use manners. We never get angry at a math teacher for teaching math. Coaches and trainers are not our enemies because they show us how to do an exercise or play a sport. Paul isn’t being arrogant. He’s being what he’s supposed to be.

But this isn’t the case. He’s not being arrogant. He’s a teacher. A coach. A trainer. An example.

Back in our focal passage, Paul is pleading with the Galatians to go back to being free in the Gospel: that they would stop trying to earn their salvation or favor from God by following the Jewish law. When Paul had been with them, he had put aside his Jewish customs in order to show that salvation was not based on these sorts of things. But now, they were trying to be justified on the basis of law, not by grace through faith.

When Paul shared the Gospel in more “Hebrew” contexts, he had no problem following the Jewish regulations, because he knew that it did him no harm to follow them… the commands aren’t sinful. When he was in more “Gentile” contexts, he had no problem setting those same regulations aside, because he knew that his salvation was not dependent upon them. The thing that he never changed was his message:

Galatians 1:6 CSB

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

Galatians 1:6–7 CSB

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:19–23 CSB

19 Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law. 21 To those who are without the law, like one without the law—though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ—to win those without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.

Paul lived this out as his driving purpose: ALL of this, he did because of the Gospel, so that he could share the message of hope in Christ and people could hear and be saved.

Is this who we are? Are we willing to take this same kind of attitude—that we would be willing to meet people where they are with the message of the Gospel? I’m not saying that we wade into sin in order to reach people. But most of the lost people aren’t in here. They’re out there. And so are we most of the week. Are we going to engage people with the message of the Gospel out there?

Sure, it can be a messy business, but Paul has told us to follow his example. And this is the example he laid down. The message of the Gospel isn’t tied down to a single culture. If missionaries and going to be effective, then they learn to engage the culture they are serving in. We are missionaries as well. The thing that we cannot compromise on is the message of the Gospel itself. Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus Christ.

So Paul uses his life as an example for the Galatians to follow so that they can understand that it is by faith that we are saved, and not by our outward actions. As he said to the Corinthians, he is their spiritual father. With the Galatians, though, Paul’s imagery is not only paternal, but maternal as well:

Galatians 4:19 CSB

19 My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.

In the Greek, this is a very interesting way to say this. To paraphrase this, Paul says, “My little children, it’s like I’m in labor again until you are pregnant with Christ.” Strange, right?

Paul has already “been in labor” for the Galatians: when he came and preached the Gospel to them in the first place. He wants them to mature in Christ: to have Christ “formed in” them… for them to mature spiritually so that they bear the fruit of their salvation.

This is Paul’s pastoral purpose: that he preach the Gospel wherever he is given opportunity, without being a stumbling block, so that people might be saved, and then glorify Jesus in how they live out that good news. Paul didn’t preach that people had to DO anything to be justified. He preached that they simply needed to trust in what Jesus had already DONE.

This week, while I was preparing this sermon, I read a quote from Jared C. Wilson, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Spurgeon College:

“If you win people to biblical principles but fail to win them to the biblical Christ, you simply create religious people who lack the power to change. We create tidy unbelievers.”

We don’t preach Christ just to make people nicer. We don’t preach Christ just to make people happier. We don’t preach Christ just to make people better employees or citizens or husbands or wives or children or friends or neighbors. We preach Christ, and Christ crucified, so that people would believe the Gospel and be saved and be filled with the Holy Spirit, and so that those who are saved and filled with the Spirit might go and show the world what it looks like when someone’s life is transformed by the grace of God in the Gospel. Those other things should flow out of a life transformed by the Gospel, but that is not the primary point.

Yes, obedience should flow out of a life transformed by the Gospel, obedience in becoming more and more like Jes

You can follow biblical principles without belonging to Jesus and be bound for hell, because adhering to principles isn’t what saves. Jesus Himself saves. And once we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus, then He begins a work in our lives by His Spirit, making us more like Him. The obedience flows out of the saved life by the power of the Spirit.

I don’t want there to be any “tidy unbelievers” in this room this morning. If you are trusting in ideas for your salvation instead of in the individual, Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Lord, I call on you to repent today, believe the Gospel, surrender to Christ, and be made new.

So Paul’s pastoral purpose had taken him to Galatia, and now he writes this letter, continuing in that purpose, that they might have Christ formed in them. And in doing so, as we’ve said earlier, he shows his pastoral passion for his people.

Philippians 3:17 CSB

17 Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.

Protecting and preventing the Galatians from turning aside from the truth of the Gospel of Christ into legalism is the underlying reason for everything he has been talking about here. He starts with it and repeats it several times throughout the letter.

Christ formed in you. 2 Cor 13:5 pregnancy picture.

2) Paul’s pastoral passion

Christ formed in you. 2 Cor 13:5 pregnancy picture.

When we look at the middle part of our focal passage, we see Paul’s warm remembrance of his time in Galatia, and how they had received him:

he’s already done this once.

MAKE SURE YOU START WITH 12b

Galatians 4:12–15 CSB

My purpose: that we would believe the Gospel and live out that faith:

We don’t know what “weakness of the flesh” Paul was referring to in verse 13. Some commentators think that maybe Paul had contracted malaria or something of the sort. Others guess that, because of the reference to the Galatians being willing to give him their eyes, perhaps Paul had had some struggle with his eyesight while he was there. Some think that maybe it was the “thorn in the flesh” that Paul spoke about in :

Start at 7b:

2 Corinthians 12:7–9 CSB

7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

There’s no way for us to know for sure what this “weakness of the flesh” is that Paul is talking about in Galatians.

I personally like to think that he was referring specifically to the reception that he received in Derbe while on his missionary journey to Galatia. Remember in what we looked at last week that he had been stoned and left for dead outside of the city of Lystra after the Jews had stirred up the mob against him. The next day, he and Barnabas left and went to Derbe, which is where their missionary journey stopped and turned around. Look at what Luke records:

Acts 14:21–23 CSB

21 After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 14:20–23 CSB

20 After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 21 After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Stoning was an extremely violent death. In this case, it seems that there was no trial—just that the Jews “won over the crowds” and they stoned Paul, and believed that they had killed him, they just dumped him outside the city. These people had just hit him with so many rocks that they believed that he was dead. He certainly was going to be in need of medical attention. He spent one night in hiding in Lystra, and then the next day, they went to Derbe. Look again at what he said about the love he had been shown:

Galatians 4:14–15 CSB

14 You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

gal 4:14-

Physical maladies, especially in pagan cultures, were a sign of divine displeasure. The people of Derbe could have rejected him on this basis. But they didn’t. They received him as if he were an angel, or even Christ Himself. There is no record of any problems for Paul in Derbe. In fact, it seems quite the opposite: Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel and made many disciples.

They had shown him such love and care, and he had shown them his love as he preached the Gospel. They had both been blessed by the relationship.

But now Paul asks this question: “Where then, is your blessing?” Basically, “What happened to the joy of our relationship?” Paul is certain that they would have given his their eyes if it would have been helpful, but now they reject him (which we will see in verse 16 momentarily).

This phrase about giving their eyes doesn’t necessarily mean that he needed help with his vision, although it could. It probably just means something along the lines of us saying that we would “give my right arm” for something. Having that thing (in their case, Paul’s health) was worth a great sacrifice to them at the time. They loved him, and he loved them. It had been a joy to care for him, but now that was gone.

Basically,

By way of truly personal application to this point, I just want to say that I so appreciate the love that this church family shows me, and has always shown me. I’m not an apostle, like Paul, but I am a pastor. Serving in this body of believers is so often a joy. Thank you for that. It turns out (completely unintentionally) that today is “Pastor Appreciation Day.” So I just want to show some appreciation for the love that you all show me, and the other pastors on staff, in so many ways, right guys?

Paul’s pastoral passion - v 12b-15

We are to be a blessing to one another in the body of Christ. It’s part of how we live out the Gospel. Jesus even said that how we love one another would be how the world would know that we belong to Him in . We should care for each other deeply, because we truly belong to one another in Christ, according to . We should outdo one another in showing honor, according to 2:10.

1 Corinthians 12:25–26 CSB

25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

1 corinthians 12:2-526

Unfortunately, Paul’s pastoring of the Galatians had run into a problem due to the Judaizers and their lies. This is our third point to look at:

3) Paul’s pastoral conflict

This is the part that I really struggle with preaching. That’s because I’m not a fan of conflict. I don’t like to run from it, but I don’t tend to seek it out, either. Also, as soon as a pastor starts preaching about conflict, three unfortunate things tend to happen:

People in the congregation start to wonder what kind of conflict there is in the church. As far as I know, there is very little conflict going on in Eastern Hills at this moment, just so you know. Two and three are related:

People with whom the pastor has a bit of a conflict feel like he’s pointing them out or using the pulpit to do battle with them, and it bothers them that that might be happening, and rightly so; and

The pastor actually is tempted to do just that, and hopefully it bothers him that that temptation is happening, and rightly so.

Conflict is a reality in the church at times. I’ve been a member of Eastern Hills for 30 years, so I’ve seen a lot of stuff. There have been, in the past, seasons marked by conflict in this church. Interpersonal conflict is one of the most difficult parts of pastoring. To have brothers and sisters in the church family at odds with each other is a painful and stressful thing to deal with.

Interpersonal conflict is one of the most difficult parts of pastoring. Look around. There are about 300 people in this room right now. I cannot possibly pastor all of you well. I can’t even pastor half of you well.

Not only that, but look around. There are about 300 people in this room right now. I cannot possibly pastor all of you well. I can’t even pastor half of you well. And right now, for the ways I have failed, and the ways I will fail… I apologize and ask for your forgiveness. But these failures of mine will sometimes cause conflict, even though we love each other.

And now, because of the Judaizers, Paul is facing conflict with these believers that he loves:

Galatians 4:16–18 CSB

16 So then, have I become your enemy because I told you the truth? 17 They court you eagerly, but not for good. They want to exclude you from me, so that you would pursue them. 18 But it is always good to be pursued in a good manner—and not just when I am with you.

The Judaizers had begun to convince the Galatians—these people who had shown Paul such great love—that Paul was their enemy because of his Gospel message.

The sad thing is that Paul had told them, literally, the Gospel truth. And he had done so because of his pastoral passion for them. But the Judaizers were trying to get the Galatians to follow them instead, so they had to “court” the Galatians away from Paul. Why? Because Paul would keep telling the Galatians that following the law didn’t save them, and the Judaizers were apparently getting something out of having the Galatians follow them instead. The Galatians couldn’t follow both, so for the Judaizers, Paul had to go.

Verse 18 might be a little confusing. Paul is saying that he is pursuing the Galatians in a good manner, even though he is not with them physically (his letter is the proof), as opposed to the Judaizers who were courting the Galatians NOT for their good. The important thing is that it is Paul doing the pursuing in verse 18.

Over the years of student ministry, I’ve been

This is a great passage to see that Paul was not trying to make a huge group of fans to follow him—he just wanted them to follow Jesus because he loves them. This is what we are to be about, brothers and sisters, not making converts to ourselves, but to Christ. If you are a pastor, or a deacon, or a Bible study teacher, or a youth worker, or a children’s worker, or play an instrument or sing in the choir, our goal should be to make much of Jesus, so others would make much of Jesus too.

John Calvin said this:

“If ministers wish to do any good, let them labor to form Christ, not to form themselves, in their hearers.”

Brothers and sisters, I pray that my ministry points you to Jesus, and not to me. If it points to me, I’m in the way. I only want my ministry to point to me insofar as it makes much of Him:

Hebrews 13:7 CSB

7 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.

The other side of this is that the Galatians themselves were choosing to follow the Judaizers, and Paul

That’s the only way I’m of any worth as an example: as far as my life and preaching points you to Jesus.

One last verse and we’ll finish up:

The other side of this is that the Galatians themselves were choosing to follow the Judaizers, and Paul wished he could be with them so that he could see them and talk instead of writing.

Galatians 4:20 CSB

20 I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you.

If my initial argument about when this letter was being written is correct, and it’s just before the Jerusalem Council in , it makes sense that Paul couldn’t leave himself and go to the Galatians. He was dealing with an issue of monumental importance for the whole church, and it was the same issue he was addressing with the Galatians: did Gentile believers have to follow the Jewish law?

For the moment, however, we can hear Paul’s sadness and frustration, much like a parent, in the close of this verse: “I don’t know what to do about you.” He’s burdened, but has no ability to do more than write this letter. We catch a further glimpse of his pastoral burden in conflict in 2 Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 11:28–29 CSB

28 Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

There’s a definite weight to pastoring: you know, beyond a doubt, that you can only lead well in God’s strength, but at the same time, there is that responsibility to do what God has called you to. And you love the people. It’s hard to pastor when people just want to stay in their sin. It’s painful to pastor when the people struggle with things and you just feel completely inadequate and helpless to do anything practical to help them. You find yourself in a position of complete desperation for God’s hand to move in the lives of your people every time you pray. So please pray for your pastoral staff, because we need it.

Closing

Hebrews 13:17 CSB

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

How he came to them (Derbe?),

Thorn in the flesh?

How they cared for him (no record of conflict in Derbe), but he certainly would have needed much care.

Why have they lost this blessing? Do they no longer see it as such?

Their love for him.

Paul’s pastoral conflict v 16-18, 20

His burden for all the churches

look back to the example picture from point 1

Closing

My prayer is that the first part of this message especially has found fertile soil in the heart of someone here, and you’ve heard the Gospel and believe it. Come and share that with one of us, so we can celebrate with you.

Remember to go back to the “tidy unbeliever”

Maybe there is someone here who has believed their whole lives that doing the right things made you a Christian. You’re a “tidy unbeliever,” thinking that somehow your good deeds will make God love you, make God save you. Well, that’s not the case. Trust Jesus for your salvation, and not yourself. Maybe you’ve been a church member for 30 years, and you’re just now realizing this. Don’t be afraid to come and share with us, so we can celebrate together your salvation.

If God is calling you to come and be a part of this church family, come and let one of us know during our invitation song.

If there is something else that God is working in your heart, you can come and pray with one of us, or come and pray at the steps if that would be helpful to you.

As the band comes, let’s pray.

Pray

Invite to Parlor

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