Pastor's and People
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Last Sunday I mentioned that sometimes pastor’s have to say hard things and then we talked about idolatry.
That was the first half of that challenge Paul gave. We’re going to talk about the second half of that today.
Introduction:
Introduction:
We have a conviction of preaching through books of the Bible or through sections of the Bible.
That means we don’t always choose the passages of Scripture that make you soar in to your workweek.
Sometimes we get in passages and end up feeling like that dream of running in quicksand.
The passage is more like the second passage than the first. Because Paul is pretty upset at NOT 21st Century Christians who are reading this, he’s pretty upset at his disciples.
These types of passages are tough to teach with passion because it would be hard for you to discern my motives for saying what I’m about to say.
Text:
Text:
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.
Review:
Review:
Last Sunday I mentioned that sometimes pastor’s have to say hard things and then we talked about idolatry.
That was the first half of that challenge Paul gave. We’re going to talk about the second half of that today.
That was the first half of that challenge Paul gave. We’re going to talk about the second half of that today.
This challenge is the most intimate way Paul can speak to his friends.
It may even be challenging for us to find a point of application. Which is important.
Explanation:
Explanation:
So, what does Paul want to accomplish with this section?
It seems like what Paul is doing is offering us an insiders look into his own philosophy of ministry. While he pleads with his friends not to turn their back on the Gospel.
So, what was Paul’s philosophy of ministry?
It begins in a stunning imperative actually. He says, “Become as I am, for I also have become as you are.”
We need to spend time on this because of how different the Church views the way ministry should be done.
The Church says, or I should say, our version of discipleship is, “become like me...” so we:
Think outreach has to be done on our terms
Think worship style has to be indicative of our preferences
Think things should be done the way either we grew up or the way we want them to go
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
Paul contextualized his method to reflect the people he was called to reach.
He become like them. This doesn’t mean he assimilated to paganism. It DID mean:
He hung out where they hung out
He listened before he spoke
He was in their homes, he invited them into his home
He lived where they lived
He read the books they read
He enjoyed the things they enjoyed
The reason we have a hard time with living this way is because we’re so focused on details that ARE NOT the Gospel, and that’s exactly where the evil one wants us.
When we focus on details — we’re loud about details that are not the Gospel, we’re actually revealing that our heart is working so hard to convince God, and others, and ourselves that we are better than we really are.
When we fight for everything that is NOT the Gospel, we sadly are saying that we would not die or fight for the Gospel.
The pure, undiluted Gospel is worth dying for. That’s why we must not make the small details of methods and preferences reason for fighting and disunity.
Two young missionaries went to village and could not penetrate because they refused to allow the oldest in the community speak before they spoke.
Jesus is the greatest example - he became like us, so we could become like Him. And yet we’re so unwilling to do this for others. Maybe we need more Gospel cultivation than we think.
Now, the first part of that verse is “become like me...”
In the same way that I became like you, you need to become like me.
He is saying, look I’m not going to leave you alone. I came to your village, I ate your food, learned your culture, listened to your stories, no judgement, no condemnation, I was for you and with you, please become like me.
Paul embodied the life he wanted them to live. A life of selflessness and a life of sacrifice.
How does somebody do this? I’m scared of what people would think of me if I started becoming friends with the lost and broken.
The only way for you to ever do ministry is if you are fully confident that you can add nothing to the work that Jesus has already done for your life.
Because the Gospel sends us with the motivation—we learn from the gospel that we are way worse than we thought we were/are and at the same time way more loved than we could ever imagine.
Then you can say with Paul, “become as I am...”
Now, this passage can lead us to a few applications, but I think the biggest is this:
We Need Ministers
We Need Ministers
Who else could have told the Galatians “become like I am” but the one who can also say, “for I also became like you...”
We need ministers who are not afraid to live in the midst of the people
We need ministers who are not afraid to live in the midst of the people
You need to see how I interact with my wife and children and my neighbors otherwise I can’t say, “Become like I am...”
You need to see how I interact with my wife and children and my neighbors otherwise I can’t say, “Become like I am...”
This is not about perfection this is all about
This is not about perfection this is all about people pressing other people to Christ
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Who else could have told the Galatians “become like I am” but the one who can also say, “for I also became like you...”
You need others in your life who are not afraid to say, look, you’re out of step with the Gospel.
We need ministers who are not afraid to live in the midst of the people
Peter needed Paul to speak the truth in love to him.
You need to see how I interact with my wife and children and my neighbors otherwise I can’t say, “Become like I am...”
It’s easy to say things like, “All I need is Jesus.” And of course that’s true, but the way God designed us, the church, and our sanctification is to lead and be led by ministers.
This is not about perfection this is all about
I’m talking about Gospel fellowship leaders and teachers and pastors and deacons and elders and friends who know the depth of their need for Christ who can push each other to Jesus.
We need accountability when we’re veering off the Gospel track
Sometimes we think what we need is certain type of ministers and that’s true, but we become very secular when we think about this:
Paul’s point is he was not in a good spot physically
At the time, they didn’t despise him even though he wasn’t healthy or attractive
They received him as an angel
They received him like he was Christ
We tend to want to look at only external measures:
What’s the minister’s degree?
Where does he live?
What’s his style of preaching?
How does he make me feel?
Galatians 4:
They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.
The bomb has been dropped.
You’re leaving my Gospel because they’re manipulating you
They don’t want good for you, they want to be made much of
By the way, sometimes it takes watchful ministers to tap us on the shoulders and say, “This person who is making so much of you, you need to know that there’s a pattern of this, and they’re really just doing it so you’ll hop on their agenda.”
Now, he says,
It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,
Of course, when you feel uplifted and encouraged towards Christ, it’s a good thing
my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
This is a weird analogy for a man to use, right?
But I think the analogy is very rich and can only be said this way
Mothers experience something other than just the labor pains that men do not
Paul’s analogy leads me to see that when moms are carrying their little baby they actually lose two things:
Their heart
Their body
Mother’s have an amazing sense—my mom knows when things aren’t well when I say, “Hello?” What’s wrong Jason? Because I am truly her heartbeat.
Paul was on to something, here’s what else he said about this analogy:
and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,
1 Thess 2:7
But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
1 Thess 2:
Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.
,
We don’t need just any minister and we definitely don’t need flashy ministers who only care about their own interests, we need ministers who die when you’re not alive.
We need ministers who are alive when their people are thriving in Christ
We need ministers who are not going to hide from the problems that are created by the existence of people, but who are going to press in to those problems.
To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.
But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
-C.S. Lewis
If you feel like you’re in a spiritual rut, I have one suggestion for you, give of yourself for someone else.
In fact, it has been said that you won’t really know Jesus well until you minister.
In the beautiful prayer of Jesus in we read this:
And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
John 17:
Jesus embodied true humanity when Jesus “consecrated” himself
To Consecrate means - to set something apart
To consecrate oneself is to set oneself apart for the sake of something else
To consecrate oneself for the sake of someone else in order that they might be sanctified in truth is to set apart oneself for the purpose of making others set apart for God.
The point Jesus makes is that his personal sacrifice was for the eternal benefit of others.
So to live our new lives in Christ can not be demonstrated better than by when we are consecrating ourselves so that others may too be set apart for God.
Tell me, what other vocation in life even comes close to this.
Application:
Application:
We know we should be living sacrificially for our spouse but we need to rekindle that
We know we are to live sacrificially for our children
Did you know that the person at work that bothers you, you are probably in their life so you can minister to them?
That neighbor that just moved in, needs a minister—I didn’t say a preacher on purpose, we need preachers, but Paul is saying that his first priority was to become like the other and then he could tell them, become like me.
Communion:
Communion: