New Creation with Christ's Marks
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I. Spirit living full of concern and compassion
Introduction - Apostle Paul’s exhortation in chapter five of Galatians was for all believers to be birthing Christ and letting the Spirit to be free in their lives.
Previous main thought: Christ in me sets the Spirit free.
What’s the concern in church of Galatia? Rival Teachers who preach a message contrary to the gospel of Paul. The heart of Christianity is for all to be one as they as crucified together with Jesus Christ.
Therefore, our relationships stretch further than vertically to God, but also horizontally to anyone who is a baptized believer. Which is why Paul writes chapter six reminding the church to not follow the paths of the rival teachers who proclaim a message of division between Jews and Gentiles, but to come together as God as established through the crucified Messiah.
Paul instructs those who are full of the Spirit to be filled with both concern and compassion upon one another in Galatians 6:1-10. Read the scripture together.
Healthy churches are made up of Christians who are concern and compassionate for others and themselves. Four areas Paul is challenging the church to grow in their spiritual life.
Restoring our spiritual family with gentleness
Bearing one another’s burdens
Bearing our own load
Stewarding our money for sound teaching
What does a restoration of spiritual family look like…(John 7:53-8:11) Acknowledging the truth of the sin and gentle call to action of repentance.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
We are obligated to speak truth, but never without love and compassion for their soul. Spirit filled people are like Jesus…waiting for the right moment to bring up the sin and ask them to change.
Jesus restoring his fallen brother Peter (John 21:15-19). Why restore people? So they follow Jesus again.
The second is bearing one another’s load. Why do we hate this command? We believe it’s not our job to care for them.
Illustration of Saint Patrick and his bearing the load of the Irish people. He was enslaved, became free, and yet returned to bear the burden of those enslaved to sin. His conviction and Spirit told him to care more about others than himself.
We should celebrate St. Patrick’s day not by drinking beer and dressing up green outfits, but look for our sibling in Christ who can use our help today.
Before we forget the ultimate friend who bore our burden, we must see Jesus. He became a living sacrifice and bore our sins on a cross for our deliverance. You can I cannot do this, but we can begin somewhere smaller. We can be like Saint Patrick and return to those around us.
The third call for Spirit filled believers to to take care of their own load. What does this mean? Pay our bills, do your laundry or lift some weights. No, bear your own load is speaking about taking care of the only thing you can do which is cultivating your spiritual soul down in your heart.
Jesus focused on his interior world so we would too. Now we in the second week of Lent we remind ourselves how Jesus was bearing his own load for ministry (Luke 4:1-13).
He provided daily times for God and fasted and prayed regularly as it was the formation of his spiritual life with God his Father.
No one could do this for them, and the same is said of us. We have to invest in our own spiritual load and developed a deeper relationship with God.
When we grow in our faith we become more concerning and compassionate for others our ourselves.
Lastly, we see how to treat those who teach the word. You get for what you pay normally. Don’t say tell your church leaders they deserve a family discount. Pay them what their worth for sharing the word of God with you.
Illustration with food - what’s better for you organic or conventional? One is known for having possible negative side effects the other isn’t.
You know Jesus didn’t work a full time job either once he started ministry? (Luke 8:1-3) Paul says to pay your elder’s with double honor which means fair pay, because this work is eternal. Preaching the word saves soul, preaching is always in season.
When the church lives in community together we represent the new creation and we carry the marks of Christ on us.
Let’s be the church that takes heaven to earth. A church that is crucified together with Jesus and his mission. A family who is known by God and others.