GALATIANS 4:10-20 |

INTRO

EXPLANATION: When we were last in Galatians, we saw as Paul was struggling with the direction of the new believers at Galatia.

He asked them in v.9, “how could you turn back to your old ways after you came to Christ?”

What is it about your old life that is worth going back into bondage for?

ILLUSTRATION: In the OT, Solomon was the wisest man that had ever lived.

When given the opportunity to ask for anything he could want, he asked God for wisdom.

God gave him wisdom, but also made him the richest man alive.

Solomon had everything following God.

But with all the blessing God had given him, Solomon was still enticed by the things of this world.

And ultimately his pursuit of the things of the world, led to his demise.

Solomon got so low that he wrote a book in the Bible called “Ecclesiastes”.

The phrase that is repeated over and over again in the 12 chapters of that book was, “All is vanity”

“Everything is a waste”

The man who had everything materialistically found that none of that stuff made him happy.

All the success outside of God and His will was nothing but failure.

But as he reached the end of that letter that he wrote, Solomon finished with a final word of encouragement to the readers.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV 1900

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

He says, there is only one thing that truly matters… one thing worth chasing after… one thing that will bring fulfillment.

“Fear God and keep his commandments”

If Solomon could have spoken to these believers here in Galatians, he would have echoed the words of the Apostle Paul, “What are you doing?”

There is nothing worth turning from Christ and going back to!

It’s all empty!

Your only fulfillment is found in Christ!

APPLICATION: Christian, can I remind you of the message that echoes from both the OT and NT?

There is no sin that you left behind when you followed Christ that is worth going back to!

There is no true fulfillment outside of a life lived for Christ.

This world is searching for something to bring them contentment, and they are forced to constantly look for something more.

Heed the message from the word of God, and don’t turn back to your old ways before Christ!

EXPLANATION: Paul then delves into what seems to be the most personal part of his entire letter to the churches of Galatia.

For a few verses, he steps away from his doctrinal defenses.

He pauses his personal defense of his position as a preacher of the Gospel.

And he looks back at his relationship with these believers that began not so long ago.

The walls come down and the gloves come off and the love Paul has for these believers is seen so evidently.

In fact in v.12, Paul says, “I beseech you”

Galatians 4:12 KJV 1900

Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

It literally means, “I’m begging you”

APPLICATION: Friend, for a few moments, let’s pull back the curtain into this very personal message that Paul had for the believers at Galatia.

And let’s see what lessons we can learn from his passionate plea with them.

From this plea we find first of all...

V.10-11, THEIR START DOWN A SLIPPERY SLOPE

Galatians 4:10–11 KJV 1900

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

EXPLANATION: The Galatian believers start back into there old life wasn’t a drop off a cliff… it was a gradual step in the wrong direction.

In v.10, Paul warns them that they had begun to observe certain times as special.

ILLUSTRATION: There have been some who have pointed to this verse to show that it isn’t good for Christians to celebrate holidays.

There are some religions that ignore all holidays all together.

And I’ve known good people who were saved, who didn’t believe you should celebrate certain days of the year because of what Paul wrote in this verse.

I had a friend who was a pastor, and he had heard some grumblings that some of the people weren’t happy that they had put up Christmas trees and Christmas lights in the auditorium.

Not being one to beat around the bush he decided to address it directly.

He got up on Sunday morning and told the congregation, “I’ve heard that some of you have a problem with the Christmas decorations in our auditorium. You don’t believe we should celebrate Christmas. If you have a problem with the decorations, you can take it up with Santa Clause because he’ll be in the foyer following the service.”

Now I don’t know if that was the best way to handle that situation necessarily, but it is important to understand what was actual going on in this verse so we correctly apply what Paul was talking about.

EXPLANATION: When Paul wrote this verse to the Galatians, he was addressing their struggle of holding to the religious requirements of Judaism.

You see the Jews held certain days, weeks, months, and even years as sacred and holy.

It was a tenant in their keeping of the OT Law.

And the keeping of these days was directly connected to their salvation… which went directly against the Gospel!

Paul wasn’t saying you shouldn’t celebrate holidays… He was saying you shouldn’t hold to the rituals of your old false beliefs that you gave up!

The point wasn’t the special day… the point was the struggle with returning to their old ways from before Christ.

And to that slow slide back into their old ways, Paul says Galatians 4:11

Galatians 4:11 KJV 1900

I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

The wording is a little strange for us today… we would say, “I’m afraid for you”

Why? “because it seems like everything I taught you was in vain.”

APPLICATION: There are times since becoming a pastor that I’ve struggled as I prepared and ultimately delivered a message.

I can honestly say I have never prepared a message directed at any person.

It’s one of the reasons that I have strove to preach verse by verse through books of the Bible, so no one can say I went out of my way to prepare a message directly toward them.

Besides God is a lot better at orchestrating when messages should be preached than I am.

But there have been times after a message that maybe a week or two later, I’ve had to think “Does anyone even listen?”

I’m pouring hours upon hours into the preparation of a message and I’ve prayed for God to work through the delivery, but it just seems that it went in one ear and our the other.

And there is a grieving in the heart of a pastor because you want so desperately for those in the church to “get it”

The writer of Hebrews worded the verse so heavily in Hebrews 13:17

Hebrews 13:17 KJV 1900

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

He encouraged the hearers of the message to listen to the message and submit to the Word being given… and then he expresses the weight that the pastor must carry: “They must give account”

One day I must stand before God and give an account for how I pastored WBC.

I’ll be honest it was one of the main reasons I didn’t seek to be a pastor, because I didn’t want that responsibility.

But now each week when I stand up behind this pulpit and preach from the Bible, I feel a weight!

Friend, my goal each week when I preach is not just to tell you some stories.

I’m not looking to rattle through memories of my past.

At times an illustration is sprinkled in here and there… but the point of the illustrations is the same point of the whole message:

I want you to understand what the Scriptures are saying!

I want you to walk away with a deeper love for God and His Word

I want you to leave changed because the Word of God was magnified and clarified in your heart and mind.

Friend, you do not need the stories from my life, and you don’t need some sermonette tacked on to the end of my illustration.

You need the exposition of the word of God!

Exposition literally means to expose!

You need this book opened up and given to you in a way that you can understand and apply.

And I certainly don’t always succeed and there are sure a lot of eggs that are laid… but I hope if you come to this church for any length of time you will be able to say, “I know my God and I know His Word better for having been at WBC!”

Friend, hear the heart of Paul… the heart of this pastor… don’t start down the slippery slope into your life from before Christ!

Don’t let the messages from this pulpit have been in vain!

V.12-15, THEIR REMINDER OF WHERE THEY BEGAN

Galatians 4:12–15 KJV 1900

Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

EXPLANATION: Here in v.12, Paul tells them, “I’m begging you”

These words weren’t coming from a place of pride or a certain status level… they were coming from a love and compassion for these believers.

What was Paul begging them to do… “Be as I am; for I am as ye are”

He was saying I’ve been where you are… trying to keep up with the religious rituals

Paul had walked that path of religion before and was passionate about it.

But Paul discovered that path was empty!

ILLUSTRATION: It has been said that the best teacher is experience.

And while experience is a good teacher I don’t believe it is the best.

The best teacher is other people’s experience!

Learn from the ones who have already walked the path and don’t make the same mistakes.

EXPLANATION: Paul wanted these young believers to learn from his experience so they didn’t haven’t to walk the same road of empty religion that he had walked!

And then Paul does something to try to catch the heart of these people… he reflect back on when they first met.

ILLUSTRATION: There’s something nostalgic and heart warming when you look back on a good memory of first meeting someone.

I remember the first time I saw Tressa.

I remember thinking, she is the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.

So I figured I would shoot for the prettiest girl on campus and then work down my life from there.

Thankfully, the chasing paid off!

EXPLANATION: Paul reflects back on his history with the Galatian Christians.

He finishes v.12 by reminding them, you’ve never hurt me in the past.

I wasn’t your enemy and you weren’t mine.

And then he reflects on what it was like when he first met them.

We don’t know for sure what his infirmity was that he talks about in v.13-14.

I personally believe it wasn’t something related to his eyes because of what he says in v.15

I can only imagine that his eyes must have suffered some lasting consequences following the blinding light he saw on the road to Damascus when he was confronted by the Lord.

But what we do know is these people were willing to go to great lengths to help Paul when he was struggling.

Paul tells them, “You were willing to give me your own eyes!”

Paul was reminding them of where there heart when they first met him and accepted Christ.

APPLICATION: There are few relationships sweeter than the relationship you have with someone you led to Christ.

I couple of years ago I was contacted by a man that I didn’t recognize at first.

He said “Brother Kyle, I was in your cabin at camp in Indiana and you were my counselor and led me to Christ.”

And now that young man was a pastor in Pennsylvania.

Friend, that is special.

I wonder if you have anyone that you have that relationship with?

Someone that you led to Christ, and there is a connection there that is just so sweet.

Maybe you’re here and you’re thinking, “I’ve never led anyone to Jesus”

Friend, that would be a great goal to have.

Why don’t you ask God to help you find someone you can lead to Christ!

Maybe you’re here this morning and you’ve never been saved.

I would love to have the privilege to take the Bible after the service today and show you how you can know for sure you’re on your way to heaven!

THEIR START DOWN THE SLIPPERY SLOPE, THEIR REMINDER OF WHERE THEY BEGAN

V.16-18, THEIR PERSPECTIVE SHIFT

Galatians 4:16–18 KJV 1900

Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

EXPLANATION: Paul’s tone seems to shift as he asks that question, “Am I your enemy now because I’m telling you the truth?”

They were falling into the trap of only listening to the people that told them what they wanted to hear.

ILLUSTRATION: In 1 Kings 12, Rehoboam had become the King of Israel.

The people came to him and asked him to lighten the weight of work that Rehoboam’s father had put on them.

He decided to get some council about what he should do and 1 Kings 12:6-7

1 Kings 12:6–7 KJV 1900

And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

They told him to lighten their load and to serve the people.

But serving isn’t easy.

Humility is hard.

So he looked for someone else’s advice: 1 Kings 12:8-11

1 Kings 12:8–11 KJV 1900

But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

And which way did he decide to go: 1 Kings 12:13

1 Kings 12:13 KJV 1900

And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;

Because of that decision to listen to who told him what he wanted to hear instead of those who told what he needed to hear, it resulted in the divided kingdom of Israel.

The Northern and Southern Kingdoms

ILLUSTRATION: I can remember as a kid going to the parent I believed would give me the answer I wanted.

On only a couple of regretful occasions, if I got the answer I didn’t want from one I went to the other to get the answer I wanted.

That was a bad move.

APPLICATION: Some people go to the church that is going to tell them what they want to hear.

The church that is going to make them feel good about themselves.

Now, I hope on most Sunday’s you leave WBC encouraged and motivated to go into this world and make an impact for the cause of Christ.

But there should also be sometimes that we hear the Word of God and we are challenged to change things in our life.

To confess sin

To make things right

To do hard things because of what you learned from the Bible.

Lord help us if we hop from church to church just looking for the service that is just going to make me feel good!

No friend, you need the truth of this book, not some flowery stories that make you feel good!

You see Paul reminded them of why he told them the truth.

Why he didn’t just tell them what they wanted to hear.

There was a bigger purpose than just making them feel good:

V.19-20, THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL

Galatians 4:19–20 KJV 1900

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

EXPLANATION: Paul told them, “I’m not trying to make you more like me… I want you to be more like Christ.”

APPLICATION: Friend, there is a greater goal than you just coming to church to check off a box and feel good about it.

There is a greater goal than serving in a ministry so everyone can see you and pat you on the back.

There is even a greater goal than bringing your family to church, even though that’s a good thing.

Friend, the goal… is that you would be molded into the image of Christ!

ILLUSTRATION: My kids love playing with play dough.

You know how it works, you have like 10 different containers with different colors and within like 2 minutes they are all mixed and combined.

The whole point of play dough is molding it and making it into different things.

And to do that it takes pressure… it takes being pressed through things… stretched.

But ultimately, the play dough can change from just a plain lump… to something greater.

APPLICATION: Friend, through the preaching of God’s Word.

Through the careful study of the Scriptures

Through the trials and difficulties of life

God is stretching you and molding you into the ultimate goal… to be made into the image of Christ!

CONCLUSION

Maybe you came to church this Sunday and you are right on the edge of that slippery slope.

Will you listen to this heart felt challenge from the Apostle Paul and step away from the edge!

Be willing to listen to the hard parts of God’s Word and to challenge your life to change… not into the best image of you.

But to be conformed into the image of Christ!