Everybody Ought to Know

Last week we talked about the great privilege of being adopted from slave to royalty. Today we see how the slide in the other direction creates unnecessary conflict with others.

Before music videos had been created or the idea of creating, sharing & projecting videos was even conceived, we learned simple songs by echo and memorized them by repetition. Since they were often sung around a campfire or somebody’s den, songs sheets were impractical and singing was often accompanied by one guitar to keep rhythm and tune.

I’m fortunate to have my parents visiting today. Mom usually led children’s music time so she is credited with my earliest music memories. My dad often led youth group when volunteers could not be found in our small church. But no matter what volunteers he found, he ALWAYS found someone besides himself to lead singing! We learned songs like: No You Can’t Get to Heaven on roller skates, you’ll roll right past those pearly gates.

or Gimme Oil in my Lamp keep me burnin.... My favorite verse was “Gimme Hot Sauce on my Taco” I didn’t learn until much later that Tacos come from central America and Morocco is in Northern Africa, but the rhyme worked. We even sang a verse that I later learned would bless Jeff Harshman’s heart. “Gimme Gas in my Ford, keep me truckin’ for the Lord, cause the Lord won’t drive a Chevrolet.

As I was reading about today’s passage, I came across the phrase “Ought to Know” which reminded me of this childhood song.

Everybody ought to Know. <<https://youtu.be/7OrOflzELtA>>

What everybody ought to know from today’s text is that when we slip from royal sonship into legalistic slavery, it robs us of joy and cultivates conflict with others.

This loss of joy is the point of the Apostle’s sharp question in v.15. What then has become of your blessedness? When we forget that we are blessed, our joy often turns into a critical spirit. This change from blessed to critical shapes the whole passage we are studying today.

I doubt that any of you woke up this morning after a short night and said, “I need to go to church so Pastor Dave can straighten me out” BUT some of you MAY have said, “I’m having trouble in some relationships, I wonder of being with God’s people might renew my joy.

Transition: To people in your condition, the Holy Spirit prompts the Apostle Paul, with great sensitivity, to describe...

A Current Relapse (Galatians 4:8-11)

Joy had been replaced by legalism (vv.8-9)

Notice the formerly in v.8 and but now in v.9 Something had changed and v.15 connects this change with forgetting they were blessed.

The Judaizers had manipulated them into a weak mindset.

Let me clarify what Legalism is and what it is not. My friend Dr. Andrus writes,

“Legalism is a wrong attitude toward the code of laws under which one lives, or which one imposes on others.” Notice it is not the observance of rules or standards, nor even the imposition of the same on others. All of us are subject to certain rules and most of us impose rules on others–on our children or employees, for example. The presence of rules does not in itself constitute legalism. Rather legalism is a wrong attitude toward the rules–an attitude that exalts self and judges others,[i]

4. Dr. Mike and myself have history in the same fellowship of churches that applauds this wrong attitude. And have both found grace in another movement of churches.

5. To the legalist, he won’t be satisfied until you are just as miserable as he is.

Joy is produced by the Spirit (Gal 5:22)

Looking ahead to the next chapter we can find a list of qualities that are present when the Spirit of God is in control of a life. The first fruit that is produced is love. We all know the need to give and receive love and understand why Paul writes in 1 Cor 13 that the greatest is love.We Text

Do you know which fruit is next? Joy. Where God’s love is present, we experience joy. If you are in a relationship that seems to be missing joy, perhaps you could ask, “Am I loving that person the way God would have me to love him/her?”

Rules had drained the “oil of gladness” (Heb 1:9, Ps 45:7, Isa 61:3)

What happens when oil is missing in your hot skillet? What happens when lubricant runs out of your engine? Food sticks and pistons seize.

The Bible says that gladness (joy/blessedness) serves like an oil.

Psalm 45:7 ESV:2016

7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

One of 2 conditions must exist for gears to operatate. There must be precision and/or lubricant. Think of an antique clock. The gears that turn from the swinging of a pendulum are manufactured to fit within one another with German precision. If they are not precisely aligned, they will wear on each other until the clock breaks and no longer accomplishes its function. On the other hand, I have been told by a mechanic when my transmission began to slip that when he dropped the pan it was full of shavings from a lack of pressure of the right lubricant.

3. The problem with legalism is that it causes friction. Both gears need to be perfectly aligned in order for things to work properly. Since we’ve already seen in Galatians that NONE of us always, perfectly obey the rules, then it creates conflict.

Transition: The slavery of precise rule following had gummed up the relationship between Paul and the churches he had planted, so he attempts to remind them of....

A Compassionate Rapport(Galatians 4:12-15)

Kindness to the messenger(vv.12-13)

I read that it may have been a case of malaria that motivated Paul to take rest in the region of Galatia. Just as we don’t know exactly what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, we don’t know the particulars of this ailment, illness, sickness, or infirmity.

Whatever it was, the believers did not use it as an excuse to avoid Paul, but to receive him.

They didn’t only receive him as a person needing compassion, but they had...

Gratitude for the message (v.14)

As he conversed with them during his convalescence, they received his preaching as a message [angel] from God.

Sometimes we can accept a messenger, but not embrace his message. Paul leans into the way that they had warmly accepted both his weakness and his truth.

Sacrificial generosity (v.15)

Their sense that God was blessing them by the presence and preaching of Paul motivated abundant kindness and elaborate generosity to the point that some would have donated an eye and nerves for a transplant if possible.

Can I let you in on a secret? Young preachers are often warned by experienced pastors that when going to a new congregation, be cautious of the person(s) who seem over eager to win your favor. Because in many situations a strongest supporter can become the harshest critic.

Transition: This seems to be what Paul describes in v.16. Those who had been on the donor registry now view him as an enemy! Which leads him to make...

A Compelling Request (Galatians 4:16-20)

Truth-tellers become enemies (v.16)

1. “us” and “them” move farther away.

This week in the news, sides have been clearly drawn regarding the events of January 6, 2020. One side had edited the video footage to portray only their storyline. Another personality edited the footage to tell a different progression of events. And each has demonized the other.

2. Because each has a story to tell, neither will admit that the scenes portrayed in the other’s storyline were actually part of the total record.

3. How many times have we seen a script laid out, only to find another camera angel or a fuller recording that changes conclusions.

4. The Galatians had dined at the table of the legalists so that the grace of the Gospel as preached by Paul is now viewed as fake news.

Control replaces grace (v.17)

Since they both had versions of “What pleases God”, Paul requests that the Galatians consider motives.

In essence Paul says in v.17, “You are being played by them. They aren’t concerned about you. They are willing to sacrifice your joy and our fellowship just to make themselves look better.”

They are more concerned with controlling you than allowing you to enjoy the goodness of the Gospel, the Grace of Christ, and the privilege of a royal inheritance.

Christ formation is a better purpose than legalistic manipulation (vv.18-20)

In v.18 their value is underscored. Paul says “you are worth personal investment” It is always good to be made much of

But think about the purpose. They want to control you because it makes them look better. I want you to grow in Christ (I don’t care if you follow me). I want you to be more like Christ, because that makes HIM look good!

Conclusion:

If you sense that your joy is draining and a critical spirit is growing, if you sense that you are allowing yourself to be controlled by the rules of others or that you are tempted to control others with rules, I invite you to join King David in his prayer when he repented of sin with Bathsheba,

Psalm 51:12 ESV:2016

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

The only proper response where sin has crept in, where the oil of gladness has run dry, is repentance, confession and trusting faith.

Let us each step out of the darkness of criticism and control and into the light of God’s love and joy.

Song of Response vv.2-3....... “Heavenly Sunlight”