Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.08UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.09UNLIKELY
Joy
0.65LIKELY
Sadness
0.57LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.62LIKELY
Confident
0.27UNLIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.87LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.71LIKELY
Extraversion
0.41UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.81LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.78LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
We’ve worked through Galatians and along the way wrestled with what it looks like to live a gospel-rooted life.
In today’s passage we will zoom in on what a Christian life, one focused on the gospel, exactly what that means.
Paul presents a wonderful picture of a Jesus-connected life.
We’ve noted Peter’s hypocrisy in Antioch which landed him strong rebuke by Paul.
At the same time, Paul addressed the Galatian problem of turning from the true gospel to one that is no gospel at all.
We noted last week’s passage was a continuation of Peter’s rebuke and, at the same time, an opportunity for Paul to speak on justification.
In our passage this morning, Paul brings a positive message; he describes a well-lived Christian life.
To get us started, we might consider Paul’s own words:
In the center of the Christian life is the idea of being crucified with Christ.
The book of Galatians is saturated with references to the crucifixion.
There are easily 13 references within the short confines of this letter.
Galatians is firmly anchored on the truth, the factuality, of the death of Jesus on the cross.
Jesus is the number one example of suffering and persecution.
Paul notes his suffering and persecution while all along pointing to Jesus’ most excellent example, of the type of suffering and what all Christians must consider in order to be a true follower of Jesus.
When you place the suffering of Jesus before, anticipate your own possibility to suffer for the sake of others, you willingly pick up your cross to imitate Jesus.
If the gospel message is truly in your heart, God will not allow you to conform to the pattern of this world, but will transform you into the likeness of Jesus:
What does this mean?
Your life will increasingly become known for selfless giving of yourself and everything at your disposal for the sake of others.
Your life will transform in to a gorgeous gospel garden blessing all who enter.
TRANS - Let’s begin with vv.17-18.
PRAY
Christ is no minister of sin.
Catch that, “is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!”
Paul pursues sharing the gospel while all along keeping the cross of Jesus first, foremost, and center in his life.
Paul is concerned with telling the Gentiles the great good news about Jesus.
But catch this, in order to tell folks about the gospel, Paul knows he must live among them and build relationships with them.
Recall how Paul put this over in the book of 1 Corinthians:
Another way to say that: eat, play, and share in life with others in order to share the gospel with them.
There is something else happening here.
Paul is making the Jews mad.
Some of the Jews even dare say Paul is going too far.
They say Paul is hanging with Gentiles and starting to act like them.
They build on their own line of thinking to conclude that makes Jesus, Pauls messiah, an accomplice to sin.
You know Paul, like Jesus, had to put up with this sort of treatment from the pious one on a regular basis.
Look again at v.17:
You know what is interesting, Paul doesn’t recoil like Peter nor does he try to defend what he is doing.
Instead, Paul, loudly I imagine, denies that his behavior makes Jesus a servant of sin.
Look again at v.18:
The only way Paul goes backward, goes against God, is if he does what Peter had done in Antioch.
If Paul were to stop ministering among the Gentiles he would started up again what Jesus stoped.
He would rebuild the wall that divides the Jew from the Gentile the “dividing wall of hostility” as noted in Ep. 2:14.
Contrary to what the Jews claim, Paul in not violating the Law of God; he is magnifying it among the Gentiles (v.21).
TRANS - Let’s now turn our attention to vv.19-21a
Ministry has a cost.
Paul knows the Jews could label him a sinner.
He knows the price he pays to do his ministry.
His ministry to the Gentiles leaves him open to an attack by the Jews.
They simply need say he claims to be a faithful Jew, but is a sinner with the Gentiles.
Paul was open to attack and could be punished if labeled in violation of the Law.
That is why he’d visit a synagogue only to be flogged based on charges raised by the Jews.
Recall Paul’s word to the Corinthians:
Makes it a bit hard for us to complain about being mildly inconvenienced when serving Jesus.
Look again at v.19.
Note how Paul speaks about being marked by death:
Paul has to pay a big price to do ministry.
The price may be his own life.
But note this, the Law, the Jews, the fear, none of that had the hold on Paul’s life.
Paul remained true to Jesus and no longer feared other people.
Unlike Peter who withdrew at the mention of the Jews showing up, Paul stood his ground and proved his faith genuine.
Paul lived a life of firm conviction as we note in v.20:
Paul lives a life as one crucified with Christ.
On trial, charged falsely, and like Jesus punished as a transgressor.
Paul reminds us the student is not above his teacher or a servant above his master.
The cross bearing, Christ-centered, price paying life is intended for every Jesus follower.
Don’t be surprised if you suffer a little.
The is a price to pay for your ministry.
You are unlikely to see the gospel advance through your life unless you come to terms with the cost you must pay.
You must be conformed to the life of knowing you are crucified with Christ.
God works though people who are crucified with Christ.
It is this sort of life that grows the flowers of the gospel garden.
It was God who raised up Howell Harris, George Whitefield, John Wesley, Billy Graham, and Adrian Rodgers.
These men died to Christ in order to life for Him.
How is your gospel garden.
Is it alive with blooms or a field of dead flowers?
You can chose to restore it to life, keep it green and blooming, or let it dry up and die.
TRANS- Let’s move to our next point and consider what living for Jesus looks like in the this garden.
First, look with me, if you will, at our last two verses vv.20b-21
Living the Resurrection Life
Last week we discussed how we place our faith in Jesus’ faithfulness.
We noted Paul’s literary pattern of building up, one thing upon another.
We noted the Bible’s treatment of justification through faith.
Jesus took all sin to the cross and our part is to trust in what He did, His faithfulness to obey God, and that makes our lives sooo much better.
Once we are dead to sin and alive in Christ, we have new lives.
We get to live the “Resurrection Life.”
This is how Paul stands unafraid before the crowds.
This is why Paul in not intimidated by the opinions or what others say.
Paul is not consumed with what others think; their approval or disapproval does not prevent Paul from sharing the gospel.
When comes to the Law:
Paul is not afraid because he knows that Jesus endured the curse of the Law when He was on the cross.
We’ll discuss that more when we get to chapter three.
For now consider Gal.
3:13:
Christ was both banished from God and recieved vindication from God; He took our punishment and recieved approval because He is righteous.
Paul got what Jesus did on the cross.
That is why Paul tells us it does not stop at death.
Paul goes on to describe the resurrection; the reason for why he lives as he does.
Look again at v.20:
Like Jesus, Paul is tired, executed, raised, and lives to honor God.
Paul’s life bears the mark of the cross and is sustained by the power of the resurrection.
You should know that a gospel-rooted life puts the cross first; before the person’s own self-interests.
The gospel-rooted person is constantly crucifying, dying to sin.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9