Galatians 6:1-10: Spirit Filled Mothers

Intro:

Communion: Mary’s perspective

Review from last week:

Mother’s Day- is it always met with mixed emotions, challenging expectation, memories that are hard to sift through, the highest of highs, the lowest of lows.

Galatians: Turning to a different Gospel. What a great day to talk about what it means to belong to God’s family. A bit of review from the former chapters (CHART SLIDE)

Chapter 1: Don’t desert the only gospel that turns sinners into saints and “Saints” into sinners.

Chapter 2: Relying on anything other than Jesus nulifies the purpose of his grace (The Cross)

Chapter 3: Faith in Christ makes us God’s family

Chapter 4: As God’s adopted children, we are no longer slaves under the law

Chapter 5: Jesus freed us from our sins so we can beceome more like Him

Chapter 6: Living the law of Christ is loving others becasue Christ loves us

Key Verse: Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (6:2)

Immediate context of: (SCRIPTURE SLIDE) Not provoking or envying one another.

Provoking- the posture of being up here and picking and criticing those down there

Envying- the posture of being down here and wishing you were up there

The parable about the Older and Younger brother

The church in Galatia with Jews and Gentiles

It is not about becoming more like the other person, it is about becoming more like Jesus!!

living by the Spirit keeping in step with the Spirit.

Three choices to three commands

Outline:

Competing: “Restore Gently” (v. 1)

Complaining: “Share Burdens” (vs. 2-3)

Comparing: “Test Your Own Work” (vs. 4-5)

Illustration: 3 backpacks: Work, sports, bike rides

Prayer:

Competing: “Restore” Sports Back Pack (v. 1)

Brothers: Restore (v.1)

Brothers- “Mothers”, anyone in God’s family

If anyone (sg)

is caught- “prol-eh-mpth-eh” (3x) aor, pass, sub, 3rd, sg to be surprised, to be or become come upon or taken unawares

in (by) any transgression- “paraptwmati” sg, sin, the action of going beyond or overstepping some moral boundary or limit

Just like a couple of weeks ago, “The thought is that of someone running from sin but sin, being faster, overtakes and catches him”.

Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 609.

Immediate context: provoking and envying

Galatians 5:19–21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

If anyone has deserted the gospel, is relying on something other than Jesus, starts thinking that they have to acheive certain things before they can belong, return to slavery under the law, and are entangled in pleasing themselves.

You say, wow Pastor Jeremy, that is a pretty broad spectrum and you are right! I believe this is what Paul is refering to when he gives the broad spectrum of “any transgression”

You (pl) who are spiritual- mature, so what is a spiritually mature brother or sister in Christ, who is walking in the Spirit and keeping in step with the Spirit to do in this situation?

should restore him- “katartizete” pres, act, imperative, 2nd, pl, to correct, repair, conceived of as restoring someone by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken, medical term for “setting the bone”, mending broken nets in Mt and Mk. What does it look like to be a Spirit filled mom? You engage in the hard work of restoration.

Read page 91 in, “The Peacemaker” Student edition

in a spirit of gentleness- “praut-eh-tos”, gentleness; humility, acting in a manner that is gentle, mild, and even-tempered. A spirit of gentleness is a mark of Spiritual maturity.

keep watch on yourself- “skopwn” pres, act, part, nom, masc, sg to watch carefully, to be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful. Keeping a watch on yourself is a part of being Spiritually mature. We all have limits.

lest you too be tempted- “peirasth-eh-s” aor, pass, sub, 2nd, sg, to be tested, same word as a couple of weeks ago…

Tempted to what, provoke, to not restore, to be harsh, to contribute to the brokeness, to envy, to think there is no way that you could be useful.

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

Do you ever feel like you are competing all day, every day, with those around you?

Relationship: God’s desire for you is that all of your relationships be spiritual.

To pick, poke, and provoke what is broken is a sign of spiritual immaturity.

But a Spirit filled mom will seek to restore, rejuvinate, and renew what is broken, because Jesus has and is doing this in you.

Enlist the Body (faith steps):

Some of you are doing this and it is hard to constantly live as a nurse in the hospital of the soul where all you feel you do in a day is seek to restore the brokeness in your children, in your workplace, in your relationships, and at the end of the day, you look down of yourself as though you have accomplished nothing.

Jesus does not want you to compete to be the most Spiritual, he already is, He wants you to gently point others to him, especially when they are caught in sin.

Transitional phrase: Paul is going to move on to the second command, This difference between the first two commands is the difference between going to the doctor for a broken bone and going to the doctor for a broken heart.

Complaining: “Bear One Another’s Burdens” Work Back Pack (vs. 2-3)

Bear Burdens (vs. 2)

Bear one another’s burdens- “bastazete” pres, act, imperative, 2nd, pl. to bear (endure) to endure something unpleasant or difficult whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of someone else.

Burdens- “bar-eh” concern, an onerous or difficult concern, crushing, heavy. Jesus is the garden of Gethsemane, “crushing” or “oil press”. Was bearing a crushing burden.

Matthew 20:12 “saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’”

Acts 15:28 “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:”

Are burdens always related to consequences for sin, because we just read about restoring sin. Yes and no, Yes because sin has affected everything and no because just because it is difficult does not mean it is sin, endurance

“These ‘burdens’ can be a simple responsibility, like raising a child or renovating a living space. Or they can be a difficulty, a problem. By Characterizing the responsibilities and problems of life as ‘burdens’, Paul very vividly and practically teaches how a Christian relates to others” (Keller, 168)

Bearing the burden is different than allowing someone to continue in a sinful pattern of behaviour or thought

and so fulfill the law of Christ- when we bear one another’s burdens, we fill up or satisfy the container of the the law of Christ- Love God, love others, Galatians 5:14 “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

Don’t be deceived (v. 3)

for if anyone thinks he is something

when he is nothing

he deceives himself- “phrenapata” pres, act, ind, 3rd, sg to mind-deceive- to deceive someone’s mind; perhaps also to deceive the psychological features associated with organs adjacent to the heart

Provoking- thinking I am up here and everyone else is down there

Envying- thinking I am down here in shame and wish that I could be up there.

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

When are you tempted to complain the most? When things get heavy. When we are provoking (not meeting our standard) or envying (wishing we were somewhere else or had something else).

When dealing with sin, it needs to be restored or corrected. When dealing with burdens, they are to be shared as we point people to Jesus, the one who knows what it is like to be crushed by hardships of life

Enlist the Body (faith steps):

what might it look/sound like for us to bear each other’s burdens this week?

Comparing: “Test His own Work” Play Ground Back Pack(vs. 4-5)

Test works (vs. 4-5)

But let each one- in big contrast to being deceived, and not keeping watch over ourselves lest we be tempted

test his own work,- “dokimazetw” pres, act, imperative, 3rd, sg, to examine (check out)- to observe, and look over carefully or inspect

“Let each one”, “His own”- not someone elses

and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone

and not in his neighbour

Bear your own load (v. 5)

For each

will have to bear his own (unique or specific to a person or thing or category) load “phortion” Different word than burden, “is used to designate the pack usually carried by a marching soldier.” Uniquely designed and labelled for you!

Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 610.

“Our task is to carry our individual load, not someone else’s, in a way that pleases God” (Keller, 170).

“There is one burden that we cannot share…and that is our responsibility of God on the day of judgment. On that day you cannot carry my pack and I cannot carry yours” (John Stott, The Message of Galatians, page 160).

Matthew 11:30 “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

Summary

Sin is meant to be corrected like the setting of a broken bone

Burdens are to be shared not ignored

Individual work/loads need to be tested individually

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

Enlist the Body (faith steps):

Transitional phrase:

Summary of the Chapter: Living the law of Christ is loving others becasue Christ loves us

Discussion Starters:

Do I struggle with more “provoking” or “envying”?

Where have I been challenged: competing, complaining, or comparing?

Where have I seen growth: restoring, bearing, or testing?

Song: Soveriegn

Next Week’s Sermon: Gal 6:6-10

Benediction/Looking ahead: INVITE PEOPLE TO THE CAFE