The Church's Concern

Galatians 4:8–20 ESV

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

While walking through the forest one day, a man found a young eagle who had fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard where it soon learned to eat and behave like the chickens. 

One day a naturalist passed by the farm and asked why it was that the king of all birds should be confined to live in the barnyard with the chickens. 

The farmer replied that since he had given it chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it had never learned to fly. Since it now behaved as the chickens, it was no longer an eagle.

"Still it has the heart of an eagle," replied the naturalist, "and can surely be taught to fly." He lifted the eagle toward the sky and said, "You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly." 

The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again.

The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly." But the eagle was afraid of his unknown self and world and jumped down once more for the chicken food. 

Finally the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, " You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly." 

The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and up to the sky. Then the naturalist lifted him straight towards the sun and it happened that the eagle began to tremble. Slowly he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away into the heavens.

It may be that the eagle still remembers the chickens with nostalgia. It may even be that he occasionally revisits the barnyard. But as far as anyone knows, he has never returned to lead the life of a chicken.

Like that eagle, we were designed for freedom. But in sin, we lived the life of a chicken, never reaching the potential God had in mind for us. Now free in Christ, it does not make sense that we would ever return to the slavery of sin and works-righteousness.

In our scripture this evening, Paul broke away from his doctrinal exhortation to the church in Galatia in order to express a personal, pastoral concern for the Christians.

As we have studied this letter so far, we have witnessed Paul’s great frustration with the people. In fact, in Galatians 3:1 Paul called them “foolish”, which could probably be translated even less delicately. 

Ignorance is caused from not having enough information to make a right decision. But the Galatians knew better and still they fell for the false teaching of the Judaizers.

But we must not mistake Paul’s frustration with the Galatians for anger at them. Rather, he was angry for them. Paul loved these Christians dearly and it hurt him, scared him, and angered him that they could be led astray by doctrinal heresy.

Paul’s pastoral heart is laid bare in our scripture text this evening. He doesn’t hold anything back here. 

Instead, he laid aside his pride as he begged for the Galatians to reconsider the path they are on and to be reconciled with him personally.

In Paul’s words, then, find a great concern for the church. Let us note these concerns as questions.

1. Are we experiencing the joy of Christ, vv. 8-11?

Galatians 4:8–11 ESV

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

In the beginning of chapter four, Paul had begun contrasting the person under the Law as a slave versus the person in Christ as a free man. 

Paul continued using that imagery in these verses to tell the Galatians, “As unbelievers, you were the slaves of sin. When you came to Christ, you were set free. But now you submitted to become slaves again – slaves to the Law!”  

Unbelievers may experience a lot of happiness or very little. Some unbelievers are able to enjoy all kinds of pleasure as they pursue a lifestyle of sinning.

But the sinner never experiences the deep, abiding joy that only Christ can give. The sinner may be happy momentarily, but he does not have joy. Christ gives us a joy that lasts no matter what circumstance we are in.

Whether the sun is shining or it is snowing another six inches after a couple months of bitter winter weather, the Christian has this deep, abiding joy in life because he knows Christ.

The Galatians had forfeited their Christian joy by accepting the legalistic demands of the Judaizers. Instead of feeling the joy of being justified in Christ, the Galatians now feared they could not measure up to God’s standards.

They probably felt overwhelmed by the numerous demands and restrictions these Jewish legalists said was required of them.

Surely, many of these traditions did not even make that much sense to the Galatians, but since the Judaizers said it was necessary in order truly to be saved, they would do it. 

And somewhere in the midst of their busyness in trying to conform to all these laws and traditions, the Galatians failed to notice that their Christian joy was gone. 

They were no longer joyful because their sins had been forgiven. Instead, they were fearful that, despite all they had done to be right with God, that God would not be pleased with them. 

Looking on, as Paul saw these new, eager Christians’ joy turn to slavish fear, he became angry and burdened.

As we consider the Galatian believers, we should also look inward. Do we still have the joy of Christ that we experienced back when we first put our trust in Christ as Savior and Lord? 

Has your joy been lost for some reason? Like the Galatians, has your joy been forfeited by seeking to justify yourself before God through good works? Or has your joy been forfeited by compromise with sin?

No, I am not talking about feeling happy. Rather, I am talking about the joy of knowing your sins are forgiven by Jesus Christ. Do you still have the joy of the Lord down in your soul?

Someone has written:

Those who are baptized in Jesus do not need to strive after a new life. They have already attained new life through dying with Christ.  But they do need to nurture that new life so it can grow and mature.  

That's what church is for.  That's what Bible study is for.  That's what prayer is for. It is like the parable of the sower.  Many of those seeds sprouted up, but only a few grew into maturity.  The rest withered and died.

The baptism of Jesus is dying to our self-centered endeavors and being resurrected into a life marked by grace and love.  When we live in the baptism of Jesus, we touch the hearts of others and help open them to the Holy Spirit and new life in Christ.  Are you living and growing in the new life you have been given?

Note another concern for the church in verses 12-16.

2. Are we experiencing the love of Christ, vv. 12-16?

In verse twelve, Paul tried to reassure the Galatians that they have not wronged him personally. He ha not taken personal affront to their descent to legalism. Yet he did entreat them to follow his example and become as he was.

Then, in verses thirteen through sixteen, Paul recallex how he had first met the Galatians. Paul had some bodily ailment. Commentators make a variety of speculations as to what it was.

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary says,

Some have advanced the idea that the illness was malaria, others a pain in the ear or head, and still others ophthalmia, an eye disease. 

Whatever the nature of Paul’s illness, it apparently resulted in some kind of bodily disfigurement or unpleasant symptoms so that his condition was a ‘trial’ to the Galatians. 

The culture of that time suggested that an infirmity of weakness was a sign of divine displease. The Galatians were tempted to reject Paul on the basis of that tradition, but, to their credit, they did not yield. Instead, they welcomed him as if he were an angel of God (p. 96).

Paul now looked back at that time with fond memories. Surely, he must have been in great discomfort, but the Galatians were good to him. The Galatians had loved him.

Galatians 4:15 ESV

What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.

Now that they had been swept up by this false teaching, the Galatians’ love was gone.

Galatians 4:16 ESV

Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?

While all humans may love others to one degree or another, Christ gives the Christian a depth of love that the unbeliever cannot know or display.

This divine, agape love is not merely an emotion. It is not limited to those we live. Rather, agape love is a self-sacrificing love that puts others first instead of self.

Paul remembered vividly how the new Galatian believers had expressed such divine love as God changed their hearts and minds. But now, since they had left Christ, this divine love had stopped flowing through their hearts.

And as Paul saw this, his heart grieved.

As we continue to study this letter to the Galatian Christians, we should also ask ourselves if our lives are continuing to display the love of Christ.

Do we love others as Christ’s love flows through us? Or, like the Galatians, has something blocked the flow of divine love in our hearts? When others see you, do they see a person expressing agape, self-giving love?

3. Are we experiencing spiritual maturity in Christ, vv. 17-20?

Galatians 4:17 ESV

They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.

The Judaizers acted very interested in the Galatian Christians, but their interest was not in the Galatians’ spiritual maturity. Rather, the Judaizers wanted to be seen as spiritual giants next to the Galatians.

Paul wrote in verse eighteen,

Galatians 4:18 ESV

It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,

In other words, Paul was saying that yes, it is good to encourage believers in their faith. The problem, of course, is that the Judaizers’ interest was not the Galatians’ faith in Christ as much as it was their own perceived spirituality.

But notice what Paul continued to say, “My little children….” In this phrase we see Paul’s loving concern for the Galatian believers. His address was one of affection. Yet his description indicated his concern of spiritual immaturity.

Paul continued,

Galatians 4:19 ESV

my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

Like a mother giving birth – panting, groaning, and in pain – Paul was laboring in the hopes that Christ would be formed in the Galatian believers.

In the next verse, Paul indicated a limitation of the written word. He wished he could be present to talk to these Christians so that he could change his tone and they could understand his perplexity, his consternation, at their slip into legalism.

Obviously, Paul thought that these Christians should have become more spiritually mature by this time. Unfortunately, the reverse was true.

It was like he was giving birth to them again – hoping that they would soon become mature in their faith, settled in their trust in Christ alone for eternal life.

When Paul had left the church in Galatia he must have believed that they understood this fundamental truth of Christianity – that we are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone. But now that they have left this truth, Paul was confused.

Again, this study of the Galatians leads us to application: are we growing in spiritual maturity day by day?

When you compare your relationship with Christ today with what it was a year ago, would you say that you have grown spiritually? Do you know Christ more today than you did back then?

Some time ago, a young lady named Angi, graduated from the university and started teaching in an area college. One day, she went to a nearby restaurant for lunch. 

The man who seated her asked, "Are you a teacher?" Surprised, Angi replied, "Why yes, I am." She enjoyed a warm feeling throughout the meal; she looked like a teacher! 

 As she was leaving the restaurant, she asked the man, "How did you know I was a teacher?" 

 "You have chalk dust on your seat," he replied. Are your clothes covered with the dust of spiritual maturity?

As we read this scripture, we see the heart of Paul as a pastor laid bare, deeply concerned for this church. What was his concern for the church then that we should share for our church today?

Big Idea: Our concern should be to know Christ fully.

This scripture does not give an exhaustive list of the characteristics of a healthy Christian, but it does speak of three very important traits: Christian joy, Christian love, and Christian maturity.

So again, I ask: do you still feel the joy of Christ in your heart? Does your life still display Jesus’ love at work? Are you growing in maturity day by day?

My prayer and hope for each of us is that we might grow in Christ – that we would never digress like the Galatian Church, but that we would continue to become ever more like Jesus.

Pastor Alan Smith tells the story of a country lad who was hired for a salesman’s job at a city department store.  It was one of those massive stores that has every department imaginable.  In fact it was the biggest store in the world -- you could get anything there.

The boss said, “You can start tomorrow, Friday morning, and I’ll come and see you when we close up.”

When the boss saw the young man the next day at closing time, he saw him shaking hands with a beaming customer.  After they parted, he walked over and asked, “Well, that looked good!  How many sales did you make today?”

“That was the only one,” said the young salesman.

“Only one?” blurted the boss.  “Most of my staff make 20 or 30 sales a day.  You’ll have to do better than that!  Well, how much was the sale worth?”

“$227,340 and change,” said the young man.

The boss paused for a moment, blinking a few times.  “H... H... How did you manage that?”

“Well, when he came in this morning I sold him a small fish hook.  Then, I sold him a medium hook, and then a really large hook.  Then I sold him a small fishing line, a medium one, and then a big one.  I then sold him a spear gun, a wetsuit, scuba gear, nets, chum, and coolers.  

“I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast.  We decided he would probably need a new boat, so I took him down to the boat department and sold him that twenty-foot schooner with the twin engines.  

“Then, he said that his Volkswagen probably wouldn’t be able to pull it, so I took him to the car department and sold him the new Deluxe Cruiser, with a winch, storage rack, rust proofing, and a built-in refrigerator.  Oh, and floor mats.”

The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, “You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook?”

“No,” answered the salesman.  “He came in to buy a blanket.”

“A blanket?”

“Yeah, an extra blanket for the couch.  He just had a fight with his wife.  I said to him, ‘Well, your weekend’s ruined, so you may as well go fishing ...'"

(pause)

One thing leads to another.  And that’s the way it should work in our spiritual lives.

The church in Galatia were going the opposite way: they had lost their joy, their love, their maturity in Christ. So Paul was greatly concerned.

(pause)

Are we progressing spiritually?