Proper 8 (2025)

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on. Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

Children's Message - Lydia

Scripture Reading

Galatians 5:1, 13–25

Galatians 5:1 NIV

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:13–25 NIV

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Sermon

In just a few days, many Americans will be celebrating Independence Day. Remembering specifically our independence from Great Britain and the freedoms we enjoy in this country. Many of those freedoms we take for granted. Today, you gathered freely here as the church. You got out of your car, walked up to the building, and came in, never once worrying someone might see you, or fearing you’d be shot for being a Christian.

The book of Galatians has been dealing with spiritual freedom. Or as we have noted, the struggle between Paul’s teaching of “grace in Christ” versus the group who came in attempting to enforce the need to “obey the law of God.” And I understand the struggle of the Galatian church.

How many times have we seen new Christians become overwhelmed by older Christians who come alongside of them and start giving them rules they “have” to follow? And I know these older Christians want to help and the newer Christians feel a need to “please” or “fit in” or whatever, but it is so easy to fall into the trap of “legalism”. And as I said last week, we understand the law a whole lot better than we understand grace.

But that’s what Paul has been preaching against. In fact, Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” is the heart of Paul’s message. This is what he has been saying all along. We are freed by grace not by the law.

I think the heart of the problem is our tendency to confuse religion with relationship. Revelation 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” But what we might hear is, “if you open the door, I’ll give you a long list of things you have to do” and some might hear “And I’ll take away the fun things you like to do.”

The heart of the problem tends to be our confusion between religion and relationship. Religion is rigid while relationship gives release. Religion piles on pressure while relationship gives peace. Religion says, “Earn your way in.” Relationship says, “Come sit at the table, you’re place has already been set.”

God through His Son invites us into a relationship, not religiosity. Paul continues in verse 13, “You . . . were called to be free.” Now sometimes we think freedom means we can do whatever we want. If you’ve had children, I know you’ve heard them say, “I can’t wait to have my own place so I can do what I want.”

Well, that’s the danger Paul warns the church in Galatia about. “Doing what we want.” He warns them, again in vs. 13 “Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love.” And he warns them about what will happen if they indulge the flesh. They will destroy each other.

But this is more than Paul saying, “just try to do better.” In fact, he is reminding them of a bonus they receive in their relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit. Vs. 16, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

And then he gives two lists. One is “the acts of the flesh” and the other “the fruit of the Spirit”. Now, I want to focus on the “fruit of the Spirit” because I want to change your mind about this. Because I think there are two ways we typically look at this list.

The first is “buffet style”. In other words, we pick and choose which of the fruit we want. I’ll take love and joy. A little peace. But I don’t care for gentleness and self-control.” Oh, and God, can you give those to me “now”. We pick and choose which of these we want to have.

The second is a list to be achieved. I’m trying to be more patient. I try to be kind. I’m always loving. Joy comes and goes. Lord, help me to be kind and good. But this falls into a list of legalism. Where we measure ourselves and each other up to how well they do in each of these areas.

But what if we consider these lists as options for the reality in which we live. In the same way that we live as residents of America, there are freedoms we enjoy. Indeed, we take for granted as I mentioned earlier. In the same way, if we walk according to the flesh, that is, “doing what I want”, then we live in the acts of the flesh. But, if we walk in the Spirit, as an outflow of our relationship with Christ, then we live in the fruit of the Spirit. These are the “freedoms” we enjoy. So Paul says, v. 25, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Praise Song Who You Say I Am

Sharing of Joys and Concernst

Hymn #259, v. 2 Breathe On Me Breath Of God

Silent Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Lord's Prayer

Giving of Tithes and Offering

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn #247 Spirit Of The Living God

*Benediction

Go now in the freedom that Christ has given you—

Walk by the Spirit,

live in love,

and let your life bear fruit that reflects the heart of Jesus.

Go in peace.

Amen.

Sanctuary

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