Galatians 4:8-20

Introduction:

-The Vietnam War was one of the saddest and cruelest situations our military has faced in the past few decades

-There are many factors that made the Vietnam War difficult and horrific, but there is one specific factor that made it especially difficult

-The North Vietnamese soldiers would hide in the jungles and participate in guerilla warfare

-They would often embed themselves in within civilians as well

-All of these tactics made the North Vietnamese soldiers often hard to see

-And, at times, it felt to the American soldiers like they were fighting ghosts

-It’s incredibly difficult to fight an enemy you can’t see, and in our text this evening, we get to read the Apostle Paul’s heartfelt concerns expressed to the Galatian church that was departing from the true Gospel and following a false gospel

-This false gospel was being taught by the Judaizers, who were telling the Galatians that they needed to believe in Jesus AND be circumcised and keep the Law in order to be saved

-Paul has spent time defending his Apostleship and his gospel

-but now he takes space in this letter to write a prolonged personal plea to the Galatians

-In this text, he expresses to them his concerns for them

-And through this section, Paul exposes three distinct dangers that we as the people of God face in our own lives as we seek to be faithful to the Gospel

-These dangers can be like those Vietnamese soldiers, often going unseen and unnoticed by us

-And it’s important to listen to Paul as he exposes these dangers to us so that we can engage in the battle of being faithful to the truths of the Gospel

So we’re going to see

The danger behind: Going back to slavery

The danger within: abandoning the Truth

3. The danger outside: false teachers

How do we deal with these dangers?

**read the text and pray**

1. The Danger Behind: Going Back to Slavery (4:8-11).

-Now, this may seem like an odd point

-How could anyone possibly be tempted to subjugate themselves into slavery? It’s honestly hard for our minds to fathom

-In our country’s, we understand that slavery is one of the worst blights upon our history and led to a bloody civil war

-Of course, pretty much every country in history has practiced slavery, but nonetheless, we recognize slavery as a horrible, horrible thing

-Surely, I would never be tempted to subjugate myself to slavery!

-Actually, I’m going to show you that you indeed do have a struggle with that temptation, just like everyone else does

**vs. 8

-Paul points the Galatians back to the fact that before salvation, they did not know God

-Instead, they were serving and worshipping idols

-Now, this goes against what we think of here in the South

-People assume that they have known God for their whole life

**Working on the prayer line, people saying that they’ve known God their whole life**

-The Bible teaches the exact opposite! Before salvation, you did not know God

-This doesn’t mean that you had never heard of him, but it does mean that you had no personal relationship with Him, and you didn’t have a right conception of Him

-Perhaps you thought that He was a big scary figure that would whack you if you did something wrong

-Perhaps you pictured Him as more of a grandfatherly figure who, whenever you would sin, would tussle your hair, assuring you that you’re not a bad person, but you just messed up again

-Perhaps you viewed God like a distant relative . . . someone who was vaguely aware of you, but who frankly didn’t have much time to be concerned about the details of your life

-Whatever your view may have been, you did not know God or have any kind of loving relationship with Him

-Furthermore, you were a worshipper of idols

-Now, as the Galatians were reading this, their mind would have been drawn to the physical statues that they used to bow down to, burn incense to, or offer sacrifices to as pagans.

-For us, most of us probably have never bowed down to some kind of figurine. However, we were idol worshippers nonetheless

-Worship has to do with ascribing supreme value or worth so something

-Let me ask it to you like this: before salvation, what was it that you were willing to sacrifice anything and everything in order to get?

-Was it earning money? Being willing to sacrifice sleep and free time and relationships for a bigger check?

-Was it a relationship? Your boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse or child? Being willing to give up anything and everything to make that person happy or spend more time with them?

-Was it popularity and friendship? Being willing to buy the right clothes, say the right things, and watch the right shows and movies in order to be able to be thought of as cool?

-Make no mistake brothers and sisters:

-You weren’t some nice, sweet, good, well-meaning, benevolent, practically perfect in every way kind of person before salvation, no matter what you may have appeared to be outwardly

-you were an idol-worshipper with no relationship with God before salvation

But then Christ changed everything

**vs. 9

-But now

-Aren’t those wonderful words?

-You have come to know God

-Or, even more importantly, you have come to be known by God

-It’s not that you were seeking after God, it’s that He was seeking after you and chose you by His sovereign grace

And now after all that, how can you turn back to those bankrupt things you used to serve and go back to bondage?

-Now for the Galatians, they were turning back to the Mosaic Law

How do we know that? Verse 10 tells us

**vs. 10

-They had been saved from the slavery of the Law! Not because the Law was bad or evil, but because it was designed to be our guardian to lead us to Christ

-But now, due to the influence of the Judaizers, these Gentiles were trying to out themselves under the Law, observing the ritual celebrations and calendar of the OT!

-And Paul’s afraid of them! He wonders if he has spent all this effort in evangelizing and pastoring and discipling them for nothing

-Perhaps you think this is really foolish!

-Why would anyone go back to slavery when they’ve experienced freedom??

You’re right, it is foolish. But it’s a foolish tendency that’s inside of every one of us

Let me show you from a section of Scripture that Paul may have had in mind when he wrote this:

**remember how the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, being oppressed and killed by the Egyptian Pharoahs?

-Then God chooses Moses, who goes to Egypt, and God sends the 10 plagues on the Egyptians, powerfully forcing them to bow to His will and let His people go

-When the Israelites are free, but they are faced with the challenge of going into the promised land

Numbers 14:1–4 (NKJV)

“If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

Or another time when they wanted food, they said:

Numbers 11:4–6 (NKJV)

“Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

Brothers and sisters, as one preacher put it, as sinful people, we would often rather go back to slavery that we have seen than to trust in a promise of God that we haven’t seen

You might say, “that’s not me! I would never desire something like that!”

Yes you would, and you do it often

-Have you ever wistfully looked at your unsaved friends with envy because of the amount of money they have, understanding that some of that comes from them not giving offerings to church and having the freedom to pursue any job they want because they’re not concerned about missing church?

-Have you ever harbored envy or jealousy at the sexual freedom that unsaved people enjoy to pursue pleasure however they want and with whomever they want?

-Have you ever given in and gone back to the filth of pornography?

-Have you ever given full vent to your rage, lashing out at your spouse or children or coworkers like you used to before salvation

-Do you wish that you didn’t have a Christian testimony to maintain so that you could speak your mind and give people an earful when they don’t treat you the way they ought to?

Brothers and sisters, there is a real part of us that desires to go back to bondage, isn’t there?

-We’re like a person that has been enslaved by a cruel and harsh master

-But we get set free to enjoy life and liberty! But when times get hard, we come looking around for our old master, desiring to be enslaved again and not worry about the burdens of freedom

So first, we’ve seen the temptation of slavery

But second, we see . . .

2. The Danger Within: Abandoning the Truth (4:12-16)

In this section, Paul reminds the Galatians of their warm reception and welcome of him when he first ministered among them

-But I think it’s important to remember that Paul is not simply highlighting their hospitality to him because they’re such nice people and they really took a liking to Paul

-They may have been hospitable people, and perhaps they really did hit it off with Paul, but we have to understand why Paul is saying what he’s saying in the context of this book

-The book of Galatians is all about the truth of the Gospel of justification by grace through faith alone

-And so when Paul reminds them of their reception of him in the beginning, he’s highlighting how they received the truth of the Gospel from him

-They were open and receptive to the truth that Paul represented and preached!

-How do we know that? Paul highlights his preaching of the Gospel in vs 13 as well as him telling them the truth in vs. 16

-This confirms our exegesis, and this is why I’ve entitled this second point as the urge of turning from the truth

-So remember, it’s not simply that Paul is upset that they’re turning from him because he’s sad about losing the friendship

-I’m sure he does value their friendship, but what he’s really distraught about is that they are turning away not just from him, but from the truth of the Gospel! Does everyone understand that and see that from the text?

**vs. 13

-What’s Paul saying here?

-We know from Galatians chapter 2 where Paul was eating with Gentiles, as well from 1 Cor 9:21-23 that Paul was willing to live as a Gentile in order to reach Gentiles

-So when Paul was doing evangelism among the Gentiles, he wasn’t observing Jewish Laws and customs

-Why?

-At least part of the reason is because he didn’t want people to think that Christianity was only for Jews or that you had to be a Jew in order to be saved!

-This is why Paul was so upset with Peter back in chapter 2

-Peter wasn’t standing behind a pulpit and preaching a false gospel, but by Peter choosing to stop eating with the Gentiles and start observing Jewish customs again, he was distorting the Gospel, sending the message to the Gentile Christians that they were subpar Christians because they weren’t living like Jews

So in verse 12, Paul is saying: “I became like you!”

-When Paul arrived in Galatia and started this Gentile church, he wasn’t living like a Jew: he became like them!

-And now he’s telling them: become like me!

-In other words, “stop trying to observe the OT Law! Become like me and realize that the Mosaic Law doesn’t save you! You don’t need to keep it!”

In verses 13-15, Paul reminds them of how receptive they were to him and his message when he arrived.

-Even though he was dealing with some kind of physical infirmity, they received him and his gospel warmly!

-They received him like an angel or even like Christ Himself!

-They would have done anything for Paul!

-Paul claims that they would have plucked out their own eyes and given them to him, which was probably just a figure of speech, similar to us saying that a generous person would “give you the shirt off their back”

**vs. 16

-All of a sudden, the Galatians are turning away from Paul and the truth of the Gospel that he’s proclaimed to them

-This is what he accused them of back in Galatians 1:6-7

Galatians 1:6–7 NKJV

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, there is a real temptation to turn away from the truths of the Gospel and God’s Word!

Why is that?

-I think part of it is because the truth is uncomfortable

-It’s often easier to believe a lie that lets us off the hook than it is to swallow the truths of God’s Word

-It’s easier at times to think that I can earn and maintain my own salvation through my effort than to believe the truth that it is God alone who saves me, and there is nothing I can add to His finished work

-It’s easier to believe that I’m anxious or worried or depressed because I’ve been diagnosed by a psychiatrist than to believe the truth of God’s Word about these things

-It’s easier to believe that the reason that I’m an angry person is because it’s my parents’ fault for not loving me and affirming me more

-It’s easier to believe that my spouse is the cause of our marital problems then the truth that my sin is a major cause of our struggles

Sometimes the truth is so hard and inconvenient, that we’re willing to break off friendships with the people who are willing to tell us the truth, similarly to Paul says is happening between him and the Galatians

And what’s interesting is that Jesus connects the first two points we’ve covered so far about our temptation to return to slavery and our temptation to turn away from truth

John 8:32 NKJV

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Brothers and sisters, don’t think that you’re immune from this temptation

-We’re all prone to wander from the truth and leave the God we love

-We’ve all known people, some of whom may have even attended our church, who gradually abandoned aspects of the truth and have turned their lives into a wreck

So first, we’ve seen the temptation to slavery

Second, we’ve seen the urge of turning from the truth

And finally, we see . . .

3. The Danger Outside: False Teachers (4:17-20)

**vs. 17

-The Judaizers had worked hard to earn the favor and approval of the Galatians

-They had wormed their way into the church and had earned the trust of the Galatians

-Their motives here are laid bare by the Apostle Paul:

-They want to exclude you

-He’s probably referring to the desire of the Judaizers to exclude the Galatians from Paul and his ministry

-They were trying to drive a wedge in between Paul and the Galatian church

-Why?

-Because these false teachers wanted the Galatians to their own disciples, not disciples of Paul

-The Judaizers wanted the Galatians to be excited about them, not about Paul

**It’s like the jealousy that sometimes occurs between 2nd grade girls when it’s of utmost importance to have a best friend

-You have to choose your best friend, and then it’s important to make sure you’re best friend also chooses you as her best friend

-And oftentimes, a lot of jealousy ensues when your best friend starts hanging out with one of the other girls in class!

-The Judaizers didn’t want the Galatian church to be enamored with Paul . . . they wanted the Galatian church to be enamored with them!

-And that’s where the difference lies between the Judaizers and Paul

**vs. 18

-For Paul, he isn’t concerned with the Galatians being zealous about something good

-But he knows that the Judaizers are not seeking the spiritual good of the Galatians

-they’re concerned with gaining their own following.

-Paul is concerned about the Galatians following Christ

And so as soon as Paul is not present with them, the Galatians are being led astray by others.

And Paul is in anguish!

**Vs 19-20

-He’s not sure if they’re going to make it

-He’s not sure if they’re truly Christians!

-He’s done his best to labor in planting this church, desiring that Christ would be formed in them

-But he’s not sure if that’s actually the case since they are departing from the true Gospel

The Galatians have become enamored and led astray by these smooth-talking Judaizers

-They’ve been deceived and tricked

-They’ve been flattered and persuaded

Perhaps they came in and said things like, “Wow, what a great church this is! You all are so smart and godly obedient to God! The only thing you’re missing here is being obedient to the Mosaic Law! But don’t worry, we’ll help you get circumcised and do all the right things! You all are such godly group of Christians, I’m sure you’ll be happy to be obedient to God in these areas as well!”

-And the Galatians got discipled into wrong, heretical thinking

2 Peter 2:1–3 NKJV

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

Brothers and sisters, don’t think that it’s not possible in your life or in our church! We must be on guard

-We’ve had instances of finding out that the Mormons had met one of our young believers and was trying to lead that young believer astray from the faith

-There is another couple in our church who helped plant a church in another state years ago, only for a new pastor to come in and lead that church astray into New Age teaching, to where that couple had to leave that church they had helped plant because it was overtaken by false teachers

-You must be on guard!

-There are a lot of smooth-talking false teachers on your TV (most of them come on TBN)

-There are a lot of false teachers on youtube, and spotify, and on the radio

-There are deceitful teachers who sell a lot of books and do podcasts and have popular blogs

-If you were to go into a bookstore and go to the Christian section, most of the books you’ll find there are not ones that we would recommend!

-Brothers and sisters, we must be on guard against those who would disciple us into wrong and dangerous teaching

-We must test all these things by the Scriptures, making sure we are not following personalities, but are following the Bible

Conclusion

-So we’ve seen three dangers that Paul is really concerned about and that should be concerning to us as well

We’ve seen the danger behind: turning back to slavery

We’ve seen the danger within: abandoning the truth

We’ve seen the danger outside: false teachers

So what do we do?

What’s the answer?

-You look, and it doesn’t seem like Paul gives an immediate answer in this passage

-He ends this section on an ominous note of concern and alarm, not sure how things will turn out in the church of Galatia

So what’s the answer? How do we combat these temptations and desires that are lurking around us and within our own hearts.

-The answer is this letter we’re working through

-This entire letter is Paul’s answer to these problems

-Paul writes this entire letter to exhort the Galatians: hold fast to the true Gospel of Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone

-Don’t be moved away from it!

When you’re tempted to go back to the slavery of sin and selfishness and worldliness, remember that Jesus Christ has loved you and given Himself for you, and you are not again to submit to a yoke of slavery!

When you’re tempted to ignore the truth or exchange it for something a little more palatable, remember that we must contend for the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We must hold fast to, knowing that the truth sets us free

And as you’re trying to be on guard against false teachers and those who would lead you astray, rehearse the Gospel to yourself and remind yourself of it’s truths!

Take time this week to think on the Gospel and rehearse it to yourself

-Perhaps as you drive to work tomorrow or are going to run some errands

-Perhaps as you shower this evening or tomorrow morning

-Perhaps as you cook or clean or do laundry or rake the leaves

-Spend sometime this week nourishing and strengthening yourself on the truths of the Gospel message