Galatians 5: Unity and Division

Unity and Division

**celebrate Mother’s Day/angela**

Alright this is the LAST in our series Galatians 5.

I do hope that for one more week you will take time to read Galatians 5, I also hope that this has started a discipline of studying the scriptures.

We started this series the week after Easter…. We looked at the fundamental tension between the flesh and the spirit… we looked at the original lie of the enemy….

Genesis 3:5

“5 ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

This single thought created the life long chase to over come…. Two words that drive so much of our thought, emotions and life…… NOT ENOUGH

As if all that God had given them in the garden wasn’t enough… as if they weren’t enough… as if they were lacking… the enemy created the idea of INSUFFECIENY and INSECURITY….

And certainly some where in your life… right now….. you feel this words nagging at you….. NOT ENOUGH

Not enough TIME

Not enough recognition

Not enough MARGIN

Not enough for ME

And when we live with a not enough mindset…. We naturally start PROTECTING, COMPARING and COMPETING

This mindset doesn’t just affect how you feel it affects how you RELATE….

Because when we LISTEN to the FLESH…. We LIVE IN DIVISION

Galatians 5:16–17

“16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 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.”

Every day you are being led by something…. And what leads you doesn’t just shape your life, it shapes how you treat the people in your life.

The flesh PULLS us apart

The Spirit pulls us together.

1.) The Flesh Creates Division

If you live by the flesh you will get the life the flesh draws you to….and the life of the flesh ends in DIVISION… look at the response to the original sin… Adam and EVE hide from each other and cover themselves…. It is the fruit of the flesh.

A.) The flesh lives from NOT ENOUGH

The flesh focuses its life on “what’s missing”… its focuses its attention on the limitations of life….

And if life is limited…. Then it must be PROTECTED….

**not enough will always create DIVISION**

-relationally

-demographically

-politically

Not enough.. it is the breeding ground for division

James 3:16

“16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

When you live your life based on the idea that there is not enough… you will find yourself fighting for your piece, and never living in PEACE.

B.) The Flesh Elevates Preference

You live under the rule…. Knowingly or not

-My way

-My opinion

-my comfort

Preferences aren’t wrong… but they can’t become the purpose of our lives…

**Preferences create expectation…. Unmet expectations create offense… un forgiven offense creates… DIVISION

James 4:1

“4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”

It is the work of the flesh

C.) The Flesh Produces DIVISION

Offense grows… comparison thrives and competition replaces community.

Comparison is a tool o the flesh to rob us of JOY and create DIVISION.

We are in a series on Galatians chapter…… 5

And our theme verse has been

Galatians 5:16–17

“16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 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.”

SO… which means this entire thought is connected to the previous thought….

Galatians 5:15

“15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

The life of the spirit protects and promotes the unity of THE CHURCH…. The flesh destroys the church

2.) The Spirit PRODUCES UNITY

Angela did a great job walking us through some of the fruits of the spirit last week… and the SPIRIT PRODUCES FRUIT and everyone one of those fruits… produces UNITY

A.) The Spirit Lives from MORE THAN ENOUGH

In Christ you are already FULL

You don’t have to compete, compare and fight for what you have already been given…

Colossians 2:10

“10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”

**Unity begins when INSECURITY ENDS**

B.) The Spirit Anchors You in Purpose

The spirit draws me away from “What I want”… to “What is God doing”

**Purpose is ALWAYS bigger than PREFERENCE**

The flesh will draw your life to your preference…. The SPIRIT will pull your life to PURPOSE… to BUILD HIS KINGDOM

The flesh will make it about you…. The Spirit will make it about HIS KINGDOM

The flesh will divide THE CHURCH around preference…. THE SPIRIT will unite the CHURCH with MISSION

Philippians 2:2

“2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

C.) The Spirit Produces UNITY

Simply put the spirit cannot and will not divide against itself…. So the more we live by the spirit the more unity we will experience….

We choose humility over pride

We extend grace instead of holding offense

We Build others instead of competing with each other

Ephesians 4:3

“3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

3.) Unity requires INTENTIONALITY

The only thing that falls into place is DIRT…. And pollen in the south

Unity is a constant battle… because the flesh and the spirit are at constant tension with each other… you can’t take a day off, you can’t lay down your guard.. you can’t listen to the lie and desires of the flesh… you have to INTENTIONALLY pursue the UNITY the spirit is leading us towards

A.) You have to lay down preference

Simply put… not everything has to be your way…

B.) You have to cover offense with GRACe

Refuse to pick up what the flesh has to offer

Proverbs 19:11

“11 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an Offense.”

C.) Fight FOR EACH OTHER

I’ve said for years…. It’s hard to fight with someone you are fighting for….

JESUS PRAYED FOR THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH…. Think about this…. This is SO IMPORTANT that Jesus prayed for it…

John 17:21

“21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Illustration:

GOAT ISLAND…. Getting stuck….. 1.2.3. Go…. Reset….. 1.2.3

Fact is… it took one of us to get stuck… it took all of us to get out, it might not be your fault… it might not be your problem… but you might still be stuck. Because you aren’t living in the unity of the spirit

It starts with unity with HIM ….

Ephesians 2:14

“14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,”

Salvation.

If the flesh lives in not enough….. the only solution is to realize that my supply is in Christ and Christ alone… He is my peace.. HE is my source… HE is my strength… HE IS MY LORD… and until you fully make that declaration you will live by the flesh… try harder, work more…

CHARGE…. LIVE BY THE SPIRIT>….LIVE IN UNITY