Paul's Concern for the Church
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What do you do when you are trying to reach out to someone who needs help and they seemingly wont listen? In the Christian life we have probably been in situations where we have tried to help and call others to correction but sometimes to no avail. I know at our church we have had to excommunicate some members because of unrepentant sin and we as a church have had to go after members and call them to repentance to no avail. I know that it can be discouraging and it is hard to find the next steps into what to do because you have seemingly tried to do all that you can do.
What do you do with people who seemingly wont listen? What do you do when you have tried everything you can do? This is where Paul finds himself now sharing more his genuine love and affection of the people. We
Church family, Paul finds himself in a similar situation where he has been fighting to persuade the Galatian church to turn away from the false teachings that he has been battling against the whole book. He too, can seem stunned and not knowing what to do at times but we can take encouragement at Paul’s concern for the people and his persistence in loving them and trusting in the Lord. The goal for us today, is that as we look at Paul’s concern for the church we can grow in our perseverence to love our church and to continue to trust in the Lord throughout it all.
BE KNOWN BY GOD []
8 But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. 9 But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? 10 You are observing special days, months, seasons, and years. 11 I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.
Text Summary
Throughout the book of Galatians, Paul has strong words and rebuke for the churches of Galatia for their wavering of the faith and following of false teaching of the Judaizers. It seems now that Paul is seemingly losing hope in the people he shared the gospel to previously. He is probably saying “how many times do I have to warn you?, how many times do I have to point you to Christ to actually go to Christ instead of the teachings of the Judaizers?”.
Paul in v.8-11 warns the churches of their observing of special days, months, seasons, years. This is a general reference to a broad range of jewish festivals, events, and celebrations. Thus letting us know the influence the Judaizers have on the people.
16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.
Remember these people were not Jewish and Paul shares to them the gospel, they initially believe, but now are now so influenced by Judaizers that they are keeping Old Testament commands and rules. Paul is so distressed at the condition of the churches in Galatia that he wonders whether all the labor that he did in sharing the gospel, the suffering he endured along the way, the discipling of the members was in vain.
[SLAVERY]
Paul references back to the slavery of sin that they have been freed from. A question that we might have, is how is a keeping of OT laws considered slavery to Paul?
Paul reminds the church, that when they didnt know God they were in fact slaves by to the worship of idols, but Paul knows that idols and false gods do not actually exist. So they are in fact worshipping satan in the worship of false idols.
These idols were not genuine, but still beghind them are demonic powers, even though they are not gods, they still hold control over people, and enslaves them.
Paul thought that they have been saved by trusting in Christ, but they are now following OT commands and laws.
These people think that they once worshipped false gods, but in their obedience to OT laws they have stopped worshipping the true God, and thus have returned back to the worship of false gods.
[LEGALISM = IDOL WORSHIP]
A key concept that the Galatians did not understand and that we need to understand for us as a church is that Paul equates Legalism [the following of the law for salvation] as the same as the idol worship that the people of the churches of Galatia formerly worshipped before they converted to Christianity.
Thus earning one’s own salvation through biblical morality and religion is just as much enslavement to idols as outright paganism and all of its immoral practices.
Thus Paul is astonished, they were once slaves, and had experienced the freedom that one has in following and trusting in Christ, and now are wanting to go back to slavery. Following after things that lead to destruction, knowing that those who trust in the law are cut off from Christ.
Why hold to these events, these days, why hold to circumcision, when all you need to do is follow Christ.
Paul notes that whether you were a pagan worshipping false idols, or a religious person trying to earn your salvation, it leads to the same fate which is being cut off from Christ.
[Story of the Prodigal Son]
Remember the story of the Prodigal son, the immoral son who left his father and his home and decided to live for himself. He doesn’t find satisfaction in living for himself and decides to go back to his father, but in that same story we have the brother who followed the commands of the father faithfully and religiously for years, and he got angry because of the father’s mercy to the younger brother.
In this story, we have the Galatian churches. They used to be like the younger brother, pagans living for themselves or other gods, and now they are the older brother, religious and trying to find purpose and saving in the things that they do and Paul reminds them that both roads lead back to slavery.
Tim Keller even states that the slavery of religion is far worse than the slavery of irreligion. He says it is because it is less obvious. “The irreligious person knows he is far away from god, but the religious person does not”
We need to see that working for your salvation and trusting in your morality and religion is the same as idol worship because it CREATES IDOLS. It produces false saviors that we believe in that are not CHRIST.
[LEGALISM FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY]
Church family, we can fall into the same line of thinking as the Galatians being persuaded by the Judaizers. Think about the things we focus on in the Christian life; church attendance, singing of songs, reading of God’s word, obedience to God’s law; if we do any of these things thinking that it is by doing these things that we will earn God’s favor, then we are no different than the churches of Galatia.
If your Christianity is a check off box in order to make you feel good about yourself before God, you will not feel good about yourself at the day of judgment.
Did you guys ever think that the enemy’s strategy in deceiving us is by not tempting us to do all the wrong things, but instead leading you to do all the right things with the wrong motive?
This is why Paul is so flustered and confused, He just previously talked about in the previous verses that they are adopted sons of God so why are they trying to go back to being slaves.
it’s similar to the people of Israel after being freed from slavery at the hands of Egypt grumbling to God in the wilderness wanting to go back to Egypt.
those who know they are truly free have no desire to go back to captivity.
think about the Prodigal son again. We can understand the prodigal son after realizing that life apart from the Father was not the life he wanted, coming back to the Father and asking his dad to treat him like a slave and servant thinking that at least as a servant he gets food.
But how can anyone be as foolish if the father says you are my son, saying “no thanks, I would rather be a slave”.
Church family, do you prefer sonship over slavery? This is the question that befuddles Paul.
Because the Christian life is a life of sons and daughters, not slavery. It is a life that has been freed from bondage. We are freed to love God, freed to obey God, freed to love others, not to be in bondage to the law.
Paul pleads with this people that he loves to look back at what Christ has done, and this leads us to Paul’s first desire in this text is that Paul desires for the church to be KNOWN BY GOD.
BE KNOWN BY GOD - PAUL’S FIRST DESIRE FOR THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA
Mind you, what Paul is asking for is not something that the individual can do on their own but something that is totally reliant on God to do. Paul tells them in v. 8 “since you know God, or rather have become known by God”, because Paul knows want makes a person a Christian is not so much your knowing of God but God’s knowing of you.
Paul is saying that it isn’t so much your regard and love for God, but God’s love for you.
3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by him.
Church family, this is great news for us. The fact that we are known by God. To know someone in the bible is to enter into a personal relationship with that person. So the fact that God knows us means that we have entered into a deep personal bond with God that was initiated by Him.
because our faith wavers church family, there are days where we feel close to God, there are days where we feel stagnant in our faith. Our ‘knowing of God’ will rise and fall depending on many things, but God’s knowing of us absolutely fixed and sure.
the great and central basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakable God’s heart is set on us.
Paul wants to remind the churches and us that the gospel shows us we don’t need to make ourselves beautiful to God. He already knows us, and if God knows us, and sees Christ when he looks at us, we do not need to care about what others think about you, we do not even have to worry about what we feel about ourselves, but take confidence in the fact that God knows us.
CBF APPLICATION: Paul’s desire for the church is that they would remember that they are known by God, and they need not worry about trying to improve their self-image or self-worth thus not needing to focus on doing things for the approval of God but focusing more on God’s knowing of you. What we do as Christians to help us is to remember who we are and what God has done for us. If we are constantly remembering that God has called us out of slavery and now has made us His sons. We wouldn’t need to look for approval in other things but God. So church family we need to be in God’s word. We need God’s word reminding us who we are and what God has done for us. As we do our bible reading, as we meditate on scripture, as we pray to God we can be reminded that we were lost and now found, we were slaves and now we are free, more important we are SONS of God, and be reminded and encouraged that not only do we know God but we are known by Him.
BECOME LIKE PAUL -PAUL’S 2ND DESIRE FOR THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA
· Paul has labored to demonstrate that believers are no longer under the Law covenant and that they live in the days when the promise given to Abraham had been fulfilled.
12 I beg you, brothers and sisters: Become like me, for I also became like you. You have not wronged me; 13 you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a weakness of the flesh. 14 You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So then, have I become your enemy because I told you the truth? 17 They court you eagerly, but not for good. They want to exclude you from me, so that you would pursue them.
· However, Paul explains why he fears that his apostolic labors may be in vain. The Galatians are relapsing back into paganism, but in a most remarkable way, for their relapse manifests itself in their desire to subject themselves to the Mosaic Law
Paul changes course in these next several verses, he starts using strong words of personal affection in writing to the church. The apostle’s attitude reminds us that in pleading with others to repent that there must be a gentle side that we use need to use sometimes in speaking to others.
24 The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient,
He begs his readers to hear him, he is saying to the churches “I love you so much, I am begging you to please listen to me, I am looking out for you”. For now, Paul presents no more arguments but rather gives a heartfelt exhortation to the church, he now wants to remind the Galatians of how rich and deep their personal relationship they had previously had with him. So in these verses Paul urges the church to become like Him. He pleads with the church to remember previously how they accepted him before in a previous visit to the churches in the city. So Paul previously visited the churches of Galatia before and in this previous visit it says in our text that Paul had a ‘weakness in the flesh’.
he urges the church to become like Him. He pleads with the church to remember previously how they accepted him before in a previous visit to the churches in the city. In this previous visit
7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
This thorn or weakness in the flesh is a likely fight against a sickness that Paul had, and while he was in Galatia he was sick. This sickness is not confirmed at what the specific sickness.
Scholars think that Paul might ahve contracted malaria while traveling through the low, swampy regions of Pamphylia and then decided to go to the higher and healthier regions of Galatia.
Some other scholars think that Paul had an illness to his eye, that affected his vision, and the reasoning of v.15 in that the Galatian churches would have plucked out their own eyes for Paul
But it is not specified, but we should just regard that Paul had an illness that left Paul bed-ridden and in need of help and taking care of.
Paul notes at how well the people took care of him in his previous visit. Paul knew that taking care of him was a burden and a hassle that affected the church, but Paul says that they did not despise or reject Paul. The apostle was amazed at the way they received and welcomed him that he says that it seemed that they treated him as an “angel of God”, the church welcomed Paul with joy, carrying his burden and caring for him, even willing to sacrifice for Paul.
But the situation is different now, and it has saddened Paul. They now have seemingly rejected Paul and have even caused Paul to ask them if they now consider Paul his enemy. By Paul’s 2nd missionary journey in Galatia the notion now is the church had been influenced by Judaizers straying them away.
You can really see Paul’s pastoral concern for these people. He loves these people and it saddens him that they have now rejected and treated him like an enemy, yet we see Paul’s desire for the church in v.12 where he begs of them to become like him. His desire for them is my desire for us that we be like Paul in this text and there are specific ways that we can be like Paul in our passage today.
BECOME LIKE PAUL:
BECOMING LIKE OTHERS
Paul urges the Galatians to imitate him, to live as he does, and he tells them that he also became like them. This is in reference to the church filled with gentiles who didn’t live according to the law. Paul is saying I became like you guys, I was tied down to the law and in being freed from my sin because of Christ I became like you guys, not tied down to the law. But because of their straying away into Judaism they now are tied down to the law, and now Paul is saying I was like you and now I am asking you to become like me again, free from the law. [Thus showing us how confused Paul is with the whole situation, it makes no sense for them as gentiles to live like Jews and submit to the OT law]
Paul in coming to Christ had torn away every shred of legalism, in which he had been trapped more tightly than any other jew. Paul now doesnt live like a jew nor thinks of himself as anything rather than a child of God redeemed of his sin by God.
Now Paul, wants us to become like him in becoming like others. Paul went into Gentile territory and lived like them. CBF we ought to come around the people around us and truly live among them.
Paul, is a model of someone who truly comes close to people and enters into their lives and seeks to reach them. Paul not only got to know them personally but he lived with them, ate with them, talked, and walked with them.
Paul got to know their world and lived in it and didn’t compromise his values and fall into sin. He entered into their world, befriending the people around them, and that is what we ought to do.
CBF: we can either fall into two categories: we either surround ourselves around Christians where we do not have any Non-Christians around us, or we are around them so much that we let them influence us so much that we fall into sin. CBF we have to find the balance of becoming like the people around us and the goal of this is to reach them with the gospel.
When Paul came to Galatia he did not keep his distance or stand on his previous accolades but he became like them. He put hismelf in their place and identified with them, and that is what we ought to do. CBF we need to now strategically see think through who we are trying to reach with our Christian witness, are we putting ourselves in positions to become like the people around us and desiring to resonate with them to win them to Christ.
SUFFER FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL
BY
DO NOT REJECT GOSPEL TRUTH
We see that Paul had a one track mind and was still focused on Gospel-ministry even though he was suffering and was ill. Paul’s sickness was not a liability for Paul’s mission. He did not think his sickness and his sufferings should be separated from his calling as an apostle. CBF, we need to hear this because we may struggle with this as a church. Our calling to the Christian life is something that is separated from us when we go through trials or seasons of life. We are called to the whole of the Christian life [following Jesus, obeying Jesus, trusting in Jesus, and loving others, sharing the Gospel] in all seasons of life.
If you are a student, you are to obey Jesus and all that he says as a student
If you are working, you are to make much of Christ in your work
I think about Sarah and Ericson, in the sweet season of pregnancy, they are to make much of Christ and obey Jesus in this season
we have members in this church who have been sick and have gone through suffering, and they have given and shown us an example of following and obeying Jesus in their suffering.
because they see that Gospel ministry looks for opportunities in hardships, we ought to become like Paul and glorify God and make much of Christ in our suffering.
SPEAKING HARD TRUTH & DO NOT REJECT TRUTH
There was a change in the relationship with the Galatian churches and Paul now. The people consider Paul an enemy now and that is likely because they have rejected Paul’s message. We see here that Paul’s message hasn’t changed. He has been telling them the same things before that salvation is found in Christ but the people have changed, they were once very welcoming but because of their straying away they now seemingly treated Paul as an enemy.
DO NOT REJECT HARD TRUTH
Paul lets them know that he is just telling them the truth. He does not accuse the Galatians of being enemies but asks whether the situation has reached the stage where he has now become an adversary to them. Paul hopes that his strong words will bring them to their senses.
CBF, there are going to be times in the Christian life where we will need to love our Christian brothers and sisters and speak hard truth to them. It could be the gospel to a wavering member, it could be a rebuke of sin to one another, but church family we need to continue to speak these hard truths.
We also need to be able to look at it from the other perspective and not reject hard truth when it is being said to us. We need truth spoken to us when we are in sin and we need to heed God’s word even when we do not want to hear it. God’s word is constant and never changes and we need to trust God’s constant word instead of the false truths that this world will try to tell us. The Galatians rejected the truths of the Gospel and were swayed and we need to trust in God’s constant word.
If you are not a Christian here today, I want to thank you for coming to a Christian gathering. The Galatian church rejected the hard truths that Paul wanted to remind them of the core doctrine of their faith; the gospel. I hope you consider this now as you hear the gospel now. The gospel that Paul believed in was that salvation was found in what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. Jesus who was God, lived a perfectly obedient life to the law and died for us on the cross. He did this so that those who would believe in Him would have eternal life through believing in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection and repenting of one’s sins and trusting in Jesus alone for salvation. I encourage you to consider Christ who has come to free us from our slavery and to have satisfaction in life which can only be found in Christ.
BECOME LIKE PAUL BY LIVING AS AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW
CBF, ultimately we become like Paul by asking others to follow us as we try to obey God. As Christians we are hesitant to say ‘be like me’ as I follow Christ. We tend to think about our many faults and the fact that people will be looking into our lives is not comfortable.We don’t want others to imitate everything that we are doing. But church family, we are not asking others to follow us as we are perfect, but we call others to follow us and follow our examples in the midst of our imperfection and sinfulness. As you follow Jesus we dont model perfection but we try to model Godly repentance, when we fall we get back up again. We model confessing sin, we model asking for forgiveness, we model Christian growth and outward love as we seek to become like Paul who is modeling Christianity as he seeks to follow Christ.
BE ZEALOUS FOR OTHER’S GROWTH - PAUL’S 3RD DESIRE FOR THE CHURCH
Lastly Paul’s desire is for the church to Be
BE ZEALOUS FOR OTHER’S GROWTH - PAUL’S 3RD DESIRE FOR THE CHURCH
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18 But it is always good to be pursued in a good manner—and not just when I am with you. 19 My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you. 20 I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you. 21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law?
Paul in his attempts to convince the church of Galatia might have lost hope. He talks about the difference between He and the Judaizers. He says though they are zealous for you like me, they are zealous for you for wrong reasons. They want to push you further into eternal wrath and I am trying to free you from the law as you find satisfaction in Christ. Paul shares his suffering and anguish and compares it to a mother in labor pains. He is like a mother who longs, even through the pain, to give birth to a child, Paul longed for the church to be formed into Christ’s image.
Paul was pleading with them like a mother pleading with a child.
Paul desires to see them because he doesnt know what else to do with them. But notice Paul’s desire for them as he talks about labor pains, he suffers on their behalf so that Christ would be formed in them.
The Galatians had already experienced a new birth, but now they are acting as if they needed to be spiritually born all over again, and Paul’s 3rd desire is not for Christ to be in them but to be formed in them, meaning for Christ to transform them. Paul wanted the people to be conformed to the image of Christ
7 Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nurse nurtures her own children. 8 We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
Paul loved his people gently so that they could become more like Christ. The reality of their birth will be evident when Christ takes shape in them, when they reach a stage where Christ is theirs and they wouldn’t turn away. This is why Paul desires this for the church and for us, he knows when we love others, we call them to love Christ with all their heart and souls. We call them to growth and holiness. We want them to become more like Jesus.
There are going to be many times when we ill anguish over church members lack of spiritual growth. We can be like Paul and confused on what steps we can take to help them. We do not know how what is the best approach but our hearts hurt for them, but we continue to exhort them as they struggle and call them back to faith because we love them.
This also might mean that there is church discipline involved.
CBF, especially in the situation our church is in. Does your heart hurt and anguish over the struggle of your brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope it does, I hope your desire is for all members in this church to come to grow in Christian maturity and to become more like Christ. My encouragement to you is to keep at it, keep loving them well, telling them hard truths gently, and being a light to them.
to members here, who
CBF members, you may think you are the one that is struggling and do not know what to do. We are your church family who love you. We desire you to grow more in love with Jesus. Do not reject the truth your brothers and sisters share to you. Don’t try to live the Christian life on your own and reach out to us, we want to help. We may not know the best strategies to help similarly to Paul, but we want to help because we love you, and want to walk alongside with you as you desire to grow.
CBF, as we close I hope you share the similar concerns and desires that Paul has for the churches of Galatia. I hope we as a church desire for others to be known by God, desire to become like Paul as he follows Christ, and desire for the growth of others to continue to Christian maturity.
