All Serve

says, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

He is the deceive of the whole world.

There’s Satan’s purpose statement, so to speak.

says, “and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.”

The day is coming when Satan will be bound, and he will no longer deceive the nations.

There is a great deception a great conspiracy, led by Satan Himself, and it started back in the Garden when Satan tempted Eve.

He questioned Eve about the forbidden fruit on the tree.

And when Eve said they were not allowed to eat of it or else face death, do you remember what Satan said?

“You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

This great conspiracy, this great deception is that man doesn’t have to obey God.

The deception is that God has a law, but it’s holding us back from our true potential.

The conspiracy, the lie, is that man can to do things his own way, and it’ll be okay, nothing bad will happen.

And this great lie has taken hold of man’s heart.

It has infected the soul of man.

says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Satan’s lie has deceived all of mankind.

It’s not just Eve it’s all of us.

We’ve taken Satan’s lie and run with it.

It used to be that it required a talking snake to tell us God can’t tell us what to do.

Now our heart deceives us, and says it all on its own.

says, “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

And it’s only getting worse.

If stage 4 cancer is the worst cancer, we’ve got stage 4 sin.

says, “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

Like the brain tumor that grows and grows.

Resulting in painful headaches and spreads throughout the body of a man.

Sin is only getting worse and worse.

The deception is great.

And at times the deception can even affect Christians.

Please open your Bibles to Galatians.

Galatians was a church that was deceived.

Paul’s big message to the Galatians was that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone.

Salvation is not something that you earn.

Salvation is not something that you do anything for.

It’s freely given to you by the death of Christ on the Cross.

But the Galatian church had given into a deception, a conspiracy.

They had a group there that are called the Judaizers.

They said that if you wanted to become a Christian, you needed to become Jewish first.

You needed to obey the Jewish feasts, celebrate the Jewish holidays, and men, you of course need to be circumcised.

And if you weren’t circumcised, then you had no part in Christ, and definitely weren’t a Christian.

And Paul didn’t mince any words in his warnings to the Galatians about this deception.

(NASB95) — 6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;

(NASB95) — 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

(NASB95) — 1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

(NASB95) — 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

(NASB95) — 16 So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

(NASB95) — 1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

(NASB95) — 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

(NASB95) — 7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Over and over again, he’s saying, “You’ve been deceived. How’d you fall for it?”

The age old conspiracy of Satan had infected the Galatian church.

They abandoned the grace given to us freely by Jesus Christ, and had fallen victim to the lie, that God can’t tell you what to do, and you get to make the rules.

In there case it was a rejection of grace and instead the lie that it was through works, circumcision and adherence to Judaism.

So there’s the conspiracy, now let’s see Paul’s response, , and this will be our text for the rest of the morning.

Read .

Do not be deceived.

Stop believing the lie, that God doesn’t care how you approach Him.

“God is not mocked.”

Stop believing the lie, that God can’t tell you how to approach Him.

Do not be deceived.

There’s the deception, now here’s the warning.

“God is not mocked;”

This deception that has so rattled and infected mankind is nothing more than a giant insult to God Himself.

The word for mocked in our text means to stick your nose up at someone.

It’s an attitude of superiority.

Someone tells you to do something, and you arrogantly puff out your chest, and say, “Who does He think He is.”

“What right does God have to tell me what to do.”

Now perhaps you think those words are stronger than you’d say, but just think this all through.

Paul’s letter to the Galatians was all about freedom in Christ.

He pleads and preaches faith alone, yet the Judaizers deceived the Galatians into thinking it’s by circumcision, by a work.

And by the way, we may not live in Galatia, and we may not face this same exact deception.

I’ve never been told, “You better be circumcised to go to heaven.”

I’ve never heard an altar call where someone says, “Come forward, and if you’d like to receive Christ we will circumcise you today.”

But we face our own deception that’s in the same vein of thought.

You must be baptized.

There are some Christians who make baptism the requirement for the forgiveness of sins.

Essentially saying it’s Christ and something else.

The religion of the world, something built into all false religion is works.

You must do this or do that.

You must go to Mecca.

You must fast.

You must go to confession.

You must have a last rites.

The Roman Catholic Church preaches this.

And then there is the lie, that the self is God.

Be true to thine own self.

Do what makes you happy.

Follow your heart.

And all the while, God provides a far better way to salvation, through Christ alone.

He says:

says, ““And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Faith alone

And to reject free sovereign grace through Christ, is to stick up your nose and say, “I want to do it my way.”

And

And so God warns the Galatians, and He warns every human who thinks they can reject the grace of Christ, and enter a different way, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

Just a couple of things about this text.

This is not a passage on giving.

It’s not saying that if you give on Sunday morning, then you’ll receive more money than you gave.

It’s not saying if you give you’ll get a new car.

It’s also not teaching some form of karma, that if you sow good, that you’ll receive good.

It’s actually saying quite the opposite.

He’s addressing those who are deceived, who mock God by saying that they will live life by their own strength.

He says, that if you want to live by the flesh, if you want to reject God’s grace, and live by your own strength, then you’ll receive the fruit of that labor.

He’s appealing to your inner gardener.

If you would like to plant a garden of weeds … you’ll get a garden of weeds.

To those who want to do works, be circumcised, reject God … what do you receive?

Verse 8, “For the one who sows to his own flesh -” the one who trusts in his own flesh, “-will from the flesh reap corruption ...”

So for the person who says, they don’t need religion, they don’t need Jesus, they’re a good person, and that goodness is all they need … Paul says you are living by your flesh, you are planting by the flesh and you’ll receive the result of that.

Let me ask you, how’s that going living by your own strength.

There are the crazy Christians, who say they’ve sinned and they need a Savior.

I’m not saying compare yourself to others, I’m saying compare yourself to the holiness of God.

They say

If moral goodness is attainable on your own, by your own strength, how’s it going?

The one who loves to preach love, how’s that going?

Jesus said that if you call your brother fool, you’re the murderer at heart. That’s the opposite of loving others.

Jesus said that if look at a woman with lust, that’s adultery in the heart.

In the 10 Commandments, it says that if you blaspheme God -

Use His name carelessly.

Fail to address Him with honor.

That He will not hold you guiltless.

How’s it going living by your own strength?

If you’re going to live by your own strength, there’s no room for failure.

says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

This means if you sin at all, even if it’s just once, then you’re guilty.

If you think that you can live by your own strength and you sin, that’s like planting a garden of weeds.

And you’ll receive weeds.

What are these weeds that you’ll receive?

says, “For the wages of sin is death ...”

And back in it says you’ll receive corruption.

God is not mocked.

He’s not going to be proven wrong.

He’s thorough in His judgement.

The deception is just what Satan told Eve, and the sinner continues to believe today.

It’s held to by the sinner, the atheist, and the hedonist.

The deception is it doesn’t matter what you do, God can’t tell you how to live.

And if that’s what you sow … then you’ll face corruption.

Because God is not mocked.

Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone was what the Protestant Reformation hinged upon.

But this isn’t some theological argument for the heady theologian.

This is for all those who reject the cross, and Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Jeremiahs 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? ”

This for those who continue to live in rebellion against God.

And for those:

Who sow to their own flesh.

Who live according to their nature.

Who to continue to live in hostility towards God.

Who continue to live in sin.

They will receive the consequence of their actions.

In it says corruption.

Back in it says, “that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

And it’s not just the nonChristian who needs to not be deceived, and stop mocking God.

Paul says to not be deceived.

says that “Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour.”

He’s still your adversary, and this draw, this deception is still tempting.

Remember, Paul is writing to the Galatians, a Christian church.

says that “Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour.”

He’s still your adversary, and this deception is still tempting.

says that they have been bewitched.

These Christians have been deceived.

And dear Christians, I think that this danger is here for us too.

We need to be careful, of ever thinking that the Gospel is something plus something else.

We need to be careful of ever growing proud and saying that we are saved because we are the moral right in the world.

Resist developing an arrogant heart, that says you are saved because you are better than the world around you.

Because you’re not.

The same sins that condemn the unsaved would condemn you if it were not for Christ.

What is our defense against this deception?

In we are told to put on the whole armor of God.

Grab hold of that shield of faith.

Remember what your confidence is.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When you feel that temptation to say its the Gospel and something else, remember what it was that saved you.

It Jesus Christ on that Cross.

He didn’t go there because you were good, worthy, or had met the qualifications of having done something good.

He went there because there was nothing good in you.

It was He who received the Father’s judgment for sin, not you.

And it was He who said, “It is finished.”

Your defense against this deception is the price that was paid for your sins.

The solution to the deception is simple, Live By the Spirit

“but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

The deception of the devil is that you can ignore God’s commands.

But the solution is refreshing.

Sow to the Spirit.

Live by the Spirit.

If the Galatians were captivated by a deception that said live by your own strength, then the Gospel is exactly what they needed.

Because it’s the exact opposite.

It’s to not live by your own strength, but by the strength of another.

And isn’t that what faith is?

It’s trusting in someone else.

It’s laying down your arms, strength, and any claim to your own ability, and trusting and hoping that the Lord will do what He has promised.

Some of you have a hard time doing this.

You have had others fail you.

Parents, friends, spouse, employers.

They’ve made you promises, said they’d do something, said they’d never do something and you’ve been burned.

Thankfully, the one making the promise is not a sinful person.

We are talking about God Himself.

When you see the word sow in this text, think trust.

If you trust in your flesh … you will reap corruption.

But if you trust in the Spirit … you will receive eternal life.

The warning couldn’t be stronger here.

Who is your strength?

Where do you find courage?

Who do you sow to?

Who do you trust?

It must be in the work of the Spirit.

This is the opposite of living by your strength, or by your flesh.

This is the opposite of saying that you get to set the rules.

This is the opposite of saying you can do it on your own.

To sow to the Spirit is to live by the Spirit.

says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

It’s to live for the Spirit.

This is to

And the response for resting in the work of The Spirit is for us to do good

If we live by the Spirit, then we are to walk by the Spirit.

We are to live a life on the strength of the Spirit.

Look at verses 9 and 10 Paul says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

The result of living by the Spirit, is that we are steadfast in doing good.

This is important for the American church to hear, because she’s not very steadfast.

This is something that all Christians are to do.

All Christians are to serve, all Christians are to do good, because they are living a life by the Spirit.

It’s not just the really committed Christians or church members who serve.

This is the result of having the Spirit of God dwelling within you.

Sure we volunteer when we make time in our schedule.

We serve when it’s convenient for me.

We serve when I have nothing else going on.

He says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good ...”

This tells me that

Then in verse 10, “while we have opportunity ...”

Another way to phrase that is the time is now.

These verses explain 2 reasons why Christian’s don’t serve, as well as 2 types of people we are to serve.

You know why Christian’s don’t serve?

First, they are worn out.

But, let’s be honest, we aren’t worn out from serving.

We are worn out because we are too at home in this world.

You ever go on vacation, then have to go to work immediately when you get home.

What do you say when you get back to work?

I need a vacation from my vacation.

You’re so tired from playing, that you never actually got any rest.

The same thing happens in our lives.

We are so attached to this world, that we are worn out.

Between work, entertainment, chores around the house, entertainment, relaxing, entertainment;

We are so tired, that serving the Lord is the last thing we want to do, because we don’t have energy for it.

Paul told Timothy in , “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”

Imagine it is December 7, 1941, the morning Pearl Harbor was attacked.

You’re enjoying the morning, playing some baseball on the field with some buddies.

Then you hear falling whine of Japanese Kamikazes.

The USS Arizona explodes.

You can feel the shock in your feet.

You are blown back by the smoke.

Everyone is running to their posts.

Anti-aircraft guns are being fired.

US planes start to take off to fight off the enemy.

But you’re up next in the game.

It’s your turn to bat.

You try to get everyone back to the game at hand, but no one will listen.

You can see the problem.

You’re a soldier.

The fight is before you.

And if you’re more concerned about taking a swing with a baseball bat, and having fun, then your service as a soldier, then your priorities are off.

Dear Christian you have been redeemed from the world around you.

You have the Holy Spirit in you, and now is the time to serve.

If you are too tired serve … then somethings wrong your schedule.

There’s a battle in front of you, and you’re still wanting to play baseball.

The second reason why people don’t serve … is they don’t have time.

It’s not that they’re too tired, but they don’t have time.

So they plan to serve when they retire.

Or they pray for God to reveal the time.

“Lord, would you just show me when I should serve you.”

And what does Paul say, “while we have opportunity, let us do good ...”

It’s not saying look for an opportunity.

It’s actually saying the opportunity is now.

The time is now to serve.

So if you’re praying for that time.

You’re asking God for a sign.

This is it.

And who do we serve? We see the answer in verse 10.

First, we serve all people.

We serve every person you can imagine.

Your friend.

Your family.

Your neighbor.

Your enemy.

The Mormon.

The white guy.

The Jehovah’s Witness.

The brown guy.

The sinner.

The homosexual.

The colored guy.

We serve all people.

We serve them in prayer.

tells us to pray for all people.

And we serve them in life.

Jesus said that we are to love your neighbor as yourself.

Have you ever realized that when Jesus washed the disciples feet Judas was there?

Would you wash His feet?

Jesus did.

We serve all people.

And what about the person who’s a jerk, tests your patience, and just an all around not nice guy?

We serve him too.

Have you ever realized that when Jesus washed the disciples feet Judas was there?

Would you wash His feet?

He’s kind of the definition of a jerk.

Not too many people name their kids Judas.

But Jesus washed His feet.

We serve all people.

Because at one time this was the description of you in your sin before God.

You weren’t asking for Jesus to die for you on the Cross.

He died for you when you were a sinner, dead in your trespasses, a servant of the power of the prince of the air.

He did it out of His own love for you.

says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

And especially, we are to serve our fellow Christians.

We have been commanded to serve our fellow Christians.

And yet, God hasn’t sent us out defenseless.

He has put His Spirit in our hearts.

He has gifted us with a supernatural gift to use for the purpose of building up the church.

There are some who come to church, and then say they never get anything from it.

Are you serving

And yet, that’s not really the purpose of this.

We come to celebrate Jesus.

We come to serve one another.

So how are you doing at that?

How are you doing at serving one another?

Are you serving?

If you aren’t serving … then you aren’t living on the strength of the Spirit.

You aren’t building the body.

After Easter, we will bring the sign up sheets back out that we started the year with.

I hope that between now and then, you would begin thinking about how the Lord has gifted you, and how you can serve your brothers and sisters in the Lord.

True, we benefit when you serve.

But when you aren’t serving, it also says something about your own spiritual condition.

We are all called to serve.

Are you?

Related Media

Related Sermons