Walking Backwards from Eternity
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Have you ever felt powerless to move forward?
Image if the title “walking back from eternity.
Eyes on heaven. Desire to be on fire for Jesus, free from sin, living that abundant life Jesus promised.
But we find ourselves walking backward and getting stuck in the rubbish of life, our own pointless sins and the suffering that could be avoided if we just had a bit more self control.
Or maybe its that we want Jesus but we also really like and want to keep what we have. Like the rich young ruler we want to be free to follow Jesus and have the world. It’s costly.
Maybe we resonate with what the commentator Todd Wilson says-
“To go any further would require more of us than we wanted to give”. Todd Wilson
An image I’ve heard a number of times is this: we would locked inside a cage of our own making, the bars being the idols and gods of the world and the welds our own sin. Jesus comes and unlocks the door and invites, “come with me son, come with me dsaughter- come and be free.” We cry out to Him, “Yes Lord, I want to be free!” But we don’t get up from the floor.
The Christian life begins with eyes on Jesus, it requires you to get up off the floor and follow him too.
If you feel that you are beliving in Jesus but finding it hard to follow him, I pray Paul’s words come as an encouragement to you today.
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!
There’s a couple things here to unpack but, I want to draw your attention first to Paul emphasising that the Galatians had moved forward, into knowing God- they stepped out of that prison cell. More then that they were know by God.
And yet still, they got stuck, they wanted to be made much of- we’ll get to that later in the passage and so, in their own wisdom and in the wisdom or other humans they go back to former ways of thinking and behaving, trying to solve the issue.
First point-
1. Turning Back isn’t the Way Forward
1. Turning Back isn’t the Way Forward
Seems obvious, but we all do it, don’t we? When the go forward to what we know is good, gets hard, we often turn back to the creature comforts, old habits, that we know are hindering us from truly living.
Galatians returned to their former practices- this observance of days and months and years. Which would have been common for the Greco-Roman culture. It means that they have gone from trusting in the God they’ve come to know, and returned to former systems of trust and hope.
Consider for us secular practices. The pursuit of wealth, comfort, experience, success/status, sexual liberty and satisfaction, Individualism (you do you) and what we can call elementary enlightenment- or, human wisdom.
You and I, if we believe in Jesus are also saying at the same time- these things I have pursued and have not granted me life. If we’re hoenst, they’ve sucked it out of me instead.
Now, these things aren’t gods, just as Paul says, in terms of them having real power or being actual entities.
Yet, they seem to have power over us. They have power to rule over our hearts.
Let me re-emphasis Paul’s words in v.9. How can you go back to these things now that you have not only known God, but been known by God?
You have a relationship with God, you cannot have a relationship these elemntary things.
It’s like having a relationship with AI. You can talk to it. You can give your time to it, often times your money but it is nothing.
It has no heart, no soul, no abilitiy to love you or truly know you as one soul mingles with another.
Yet, you’d enslave yourselves to them
You give yourself but also relationships with others and with God to love and serve and enslave yourself to the elemntary gods of this world- sex, fame, money, wealth, status, security and comfort.
Mayber if you’re honest with yourself you would identify yourself in here as, yes, I want to be free with Jesus but I also want these things
Paul “I do what I don’t want to, I don’t do what I do want to.”
St. Augustine,
Galatians—Gospel-Rooted Living Powerless to Move Forward
I was held back by mere trifles, the most paltry inanities, all my old attachments. They plucked at my garment of flesh and whispered, “Are you going to dismiss us? From this moment we shall never be with you again, for ever and ever. From this moment you will never again be allowed to do this thing or that, for evermore.” What was it, my God, that they meant when they whispered, “this thing or that?” Things so sordid and so shameful that I beg you in your mercy to keep the soul of your servant free from them! These voices, as I heard them, seemed less than half as loud as they had been before. They no longer barred my way, blatantly contradictory, but their mutterings seemed to reach me from behind, as though they were stealthily plucking at my back, trying to make me turn my head when I wanted to go forward. Yet, in my state of indecision, they kept me from tearing myself away, from shaking myself free of them and leaping across the barrier to the other side, where you were calling me. Habit was too strong for me when it asked, “Do you think you can live without these things?”
Trifles and inanities. I won’t pretend I know what inanities are, I had to google it- but it just means these silly, senseless and unimportant things. Such seemingly useless and unvaluable things keep drawing me away from God. Distracting and disturbing my trust in His joy which he says is unending and all-comforting.
Why do we throw away our pearls to pigs, as it were?
Why do we so often cast away that which holds eternal value and pick up finite, momentary pleasures which do not quench thirst but rather leave us less satisfied?
When we have a way forward, the light of Jesus illuminating the way to Him, why do we turn our back and go to the things of this world.
Let me point you to what the scriptures say.
Our nature is one of a fallen state, we call this sin. Sin being rebellion and rejection of God. We don’t acknowledge God but live instead for ourselves, following our own way.
That’s a simple overview but it’s more involved than that.
The Biblical authors often go to describe sin by personifying it. Giving sin itself a nature and characteristics.
Hear this, in Genesis 4:5-7
but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.”
In this account, Cain was jealous of his brother and was angry that His brother’s faithfulness was drawing delight from God.
But see how God describes Cain’s state. Cain was angry, and God warned him. This simple emotion, anger, God said was sin but described it like a wild beast, crouching at Cain’s door seeking to devour him.
It’s desire is for you- you must rule over it.
I think that’s a great depiction of what the Galatian church and ourselves struggle with.
In our sin, Paul describes us as being slaves. Meaning we are not our own masters. Sin often rules over us.
We must not let it rule us, drive our emotions and actions.
We must rule over it.
Sin cannot be your master, you must be master over it.
Otherwise, it will draw you backwards from eternity. From God’s presence.
In Genesis 4, the next scene, anger rules in Cain’s heart. He rules over him and in his anger he kills his brother. It ends with the literal words in v.16, “then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD...”
I wonder if you have felt like that, or feel like that. That sin rules in your heart and mind.
Like Augustine you hear a voice and a calling at you to dwell on things that fill you with shame. Thoughts perhaps you’re scared for anyone to know.
This is sin, crouching at your door, seeking to convince you to cave to it and give in.
The way forward is too hard, give in to your desires and just remain. It is easier.
But that’s not life. You know it as much as I do. It’s death. It leads to self-destruction. We long to be free from such slavery.
This is Paul’s heart for his church. Gal 4:11
I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
He doesn’t want them to be tricked or deluded. He has laboured over them to bring them to freedom.
The weak and worthless powers of the world are enticing the Galatians to return to the easy, wide road- rather than the difficult path of following Jesus.
Paul is concerned that they may be lost, he doesn’t treat the sin of the world like some trivial feeling but as a power which can destroy.
Despite that, we find that there is power to move forward. There is power to resist and follow after Jesus with all that we have.
2. Power to Move Forward
2. Power to Move Forward
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.
There’s a lot going on in this passage.
Paul is inviting the Galatians to emulate him, a common encouragement from Paul.
1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
It’s a great encouragement, so let me say if you’re looking for a way forward, when you’re in trial or you’re struggling, don’t go for some big task of life overhaul- find a good and godly person you admire and build into your life what they’ve built into theirs. Hang around them. Read what they’re reading, do what they’re doing, etc.
But, then Paul keeps describing the situation in which he came and originally preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them.
He says, I had a bodily ailment, a physical condition which was a trial to you.
It could have warranted them to scorn or dispise him. It was a view at that time that people who looked like Paul looked had been cursed by the gods. Yet they didn’t.
We can only put this down to the sovereign work of God.
God, in His power, revealed the Gospel to them and they loved Paul for it. He illuminated their darkened minds, he opened their spiritual eyes and overcame their stubborness and pride.
In this regard, they were blessed by Him! So Paul asks-
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.
Theory time. What was Paul’s ailment?
Paul by this time, is brutally disfigured. We has been beaten, stoned, whipped. He would not have been soft on the eyes. What was this ailment though and what does Paul mean by this line?
It’s never explicitly stated, so naturally there are a few theories, but I think what makes the most sense it Paul possibly had something wrong with his eyes. They may tooo have been damaged from the abuse he suffered for the Gospel.
Reread that verse then, you know it makes sense- their lives are completely transformed by the Gospel as Paul preaches- they’re forever in his debt.
“Paul, we love you so much man. If it were possible, we’d gouge our eyes out and give them to you that you might be more effective for the Gospel”.
That’s still a crazy thing to say, but an image of the love that fills a person when they come to and trust in the person of Jesus. And a picute of love for those whom lead us in the faith.
Paul has that same love- a willingness to suffer but also to hurt in order to tell the truth and bring his beloved Galatians back to Jesus and the truth.
Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
And the truth? That only Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
3. Power to go forward is found in Christ Alone.
3. Power to go forward is found in Christ Alone.
Paul loves the Galatians, and by challenging them and what they have come to believe doesn’t make him their enemy- done in love it is the opposite.
And it must be done for false teachers, whom we have read and heard about in this series, had come to decieve the Galatians by telling them easier, nicer things which there hearts may have decieved them into wanting.
They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.
It sounds like a double negative but this is gaslighting in the ancient world. Coercive control.
This is a depiction of how false teachers operate.
For us, it’s a depiction of how false teachers, even today, try and convince and decieve followers of Jesus.
“They make much of you” they come with soft words, they talk highly of you, they gain personal sway over you. Elsewhere, Paul says they come “tickling your ears”, which means they come and say what you want to hear- which is often not the truth.
Uusually, false teachers present new ideas and doctrine which is more palatable than the Gospel.
Often times, that teaching will align with what is popular or accepted within the culture of the time. Whereas the Gospel is offensive.
False teaching is often conforming and safe. Whereas the truth, often makes you stand out. It makes you a target when you follow Jesus faithfully. It’s risky.
What is dangerous, is what happens when you believe the false teaching- it often alienates you from your Christian brothers and sisters as you run into disagreement, even conflict.
Like all forms of abuse, spiritual abuse, which is what false teaching is, leaves you isolated from sound teaching and fellow believers, and increasingly easier to control.
So, how do we avoid that?
How do we become strengthened and aware to avoid false teaching?
How do we find power to move forward when we feel stuck?
How do we resist turning back to our natural habits and comforts?
How do we master sin which seems to desire to devour us?
Pauls’ answer, become more like Jesus.
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.
There is this emotional out pouring from Paul to the Galatians. He imagine’s himself as like a birthing mother, having brought forth the Galatians in their fledgling faith.
Like all mothers who bring new life into this world, Paul paid a price. It was costly, there was great anguish and anxiety.
Like all new mothers, their new born children are made much of. They’re pursued.
There is an honour to this pursuit. And it is a beautfiul picture of what discipleship should look like in the church. Young christians pursued by older christians to be poured into- and made much of. Not in a inflating your ego type of way but a building you up and strengthening you in confidence.
Paul is selfless, they’re his children but other s should join in strengthening and teaching them.
Yet, there’s a caveat.
“For what purpose”. Why are they being pursued?
These false teachers obviously are pursing the galatians for nefarious or selfish reasons.
Paul’s purpuse for pursuit, is this-
“for I am again in the anguish of childbirth” … why? for what purpose? … “until Christ is formed in you!”
For Paul, he had discovered this freedom and it was in becoming more like Jesus.
4. Formed into Jesus
4. Formed into Jesus
How do you guard against false teachers? How do you not only resist sin but rule over it? How do you find power to go forward in trial?
By being formed into Jesus.
What does this look like? I’ll give you three things and then I’ll leave you with an encouragement.
Surrender.
Surrender forms the foundation. Surrender means to seek to magnify Christ in your life. Offering yourself as a sacrifice and a servant for his purposes. Your purposes are diminished, your mind is renewed and your heart restored.
Freedom from sin follows surrender.
Only once you put Jesus first do you truly let go of your own self, your flesh, which often has contrary desires to Christ’s. As you continue to consider yourself, as Paul words it, “dead to sin” can you start living “alive to Christ”.
Spiritual growth is the result.
You learn from your mistakes, so why can’t you grow from them too? Trials, hardships and seasons of feeling “stuck” or “spiritually dry”, if they are viewed from the lens of surrender and dying to sin, will actually help you to grow.
As you grow, it is easier to surrender and easier to master your own sin- though, perfection will always ellude you this side of eternity.
A beaufitul picutre of this is from John the Baptist, who in John 3:30 is recorded as saying,
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
In this context, John is talking about his prominence and fame being diluted and fading for the puropse of Jesus becoming greater.
He does this without bitterness or resentment or jealousy.
That is what the Christian principle of humility and surrender looks like. A setting aside of our human desires and amitions for heavenly ones. An allowing ourselves to fade so Jesus might shine in us.
This is life in abundance that Jesus promise us.
As we finish our time hearing from God in His Word together, I want to take time to encourage you and address you.
I want you to listen to this if you’re feelign stuck this morning.
If you feel caught in a cycle of consistant failure and slavery to the sinful habits in your life.
If you feel dry in your faith or cold to the Gospel.
If you’re sitting here hearing these words this morning and saying “great Pastor, I’ve heard this all before and I believe it to be true but I’m feeling so lifeless in my new life”.
If you believe and you want to catch on fire once again but you just don’t know how to go forward from where you.
Listen, there’s a season for everything in this broken life.
You’ll never experience perfect harmony of life and faith, not on this side of eternity.
Yet, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is the same spirit that is in work in you.
Becoming like Jesus isn’t left to you but it is a cooperation betwewen you and God himself.
The Spirit of God is working affectually on you and he doesn’t get tired, he doesn’t sleep, he never grows weary or bored and He never loses sight of the eternal glories ahead.
And he won’t let you down.
Let me finish with some lyrices from a 15-year old Christian rap song, sung by a guy called Odd Thomas from the group Beautiful Eulogy-
“Justification being credited to us on the basis of the righteousness of Christ
Adopted to be the children of God and grafted into fellowship
Being bound together by the blood of Christ into a common membership
Sanctified by the Spirit, given gradual growth and holiness
Increasing in our thinking and behaving in a way that shows that we’re chosen
And all the while being preserved and upheld according to His sovereign providence
Giving us confidence that He will carry us to completion just like He promised.”
Invitation to surrender...
1. Don’t squander what others have invested in you.
2. Surrender is a process or a course it’s a simple response. How will you respond this morning to the One who carries us in our foolishness, self-conceit and weakness to the promised completion of holiness?
