Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction and Context: A bad doctor?

Children, I will tell you a story that will help you and your parents understand this sermon better.

Listen carefully.

Suppose that you do not feel well for a long time.

There is [KP1] a strange pain in your body.

Your parents want to find out what is going on, and they take you to the doctor.

The doctor asks you several questions and tells your parents that they need to make an appointment in the hospital [KP2] for a body scan.

With that scan a doctor can look inside your body and see what is really going on.

A few days later your parents take you with them to a big hospital in the city.

After walking through some long corridors you enter a room where a friendly doctor welcomes you.

Something that immediately catches your attention is a bed with a machine above it.

The doctor tells you that he will take a MRI-scan.

After measuring your weight and height and explaining what will happen, the doctor asks you to take a seat on the bed.

the meekness which is the gift of the Holy Spirit working in our spirit (Ga 5:22, 25).

“Meekness” is that temper of spirit towards God whereby we accept His dealings without disputing; then, towards men, whereby we endure meekly their provocations, and do not withdraw ourselves from the burdens which their sins impose upon us [TRENCH].

the meekness which is the gift of the Holy Spirit working in our spirit (, ).

“Meekness” is that temper of spirit towards God whereby we accept His dealings without disputing; then, towards men, whereby we endure meekly their provocations, and do not withdraw ourselves from the burdens which their sins impose upon us [Trench].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 338.

In that moment you get really nervous, but then you receive a headphone [KP3] that blocks the noise of the machine and present to you in the same time a very interesting story.

You forget about the anxiety,[KP4] and the bed moves slowly through the machine.

The doctor takes a seat at the side of the room and looks at a computer screen where he can see images of your body.

Suddenly, the doctor notices something strange.

[KP5] He sees that there is a problem that can be solved with a surgery on the same day.

That treatment would take away a danger that could make you really sick and even lead to death.

But, what would happen if, after the scan is over, the doctor was to walk to you with the same calm and friendly face, tell you and your parents that there is nothing to worry about, and then even give you a little toy to take home with you?

Would this doctor be a good doctor?

Certainly not!

The legalist is not interested in bearing burdens.

Instead, he adds to the burdens of others (Acts 15:10).

This was one of the sins of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day: “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers

Paul’s Example and Instruction

Sin is much more dangerous than a physical problem.

Sin divides us from God and, if not treated, leads to eternal punishment.

Apostle Paul understood this very well.

He knew that sin could even bring you to kill other believers from own experience[KP6] .

But[KP7] God changed his heart and made him someone that[KP8] would care for the souls of many people.

Paul would not respond to spiritual dangers in the same way as the doctor did in the story.

He would give of himself to fight the problem in order to restore it[KP9] .

He would face every difficulty and deal with it as an emergency.

This he would do with clear purpose and with an attitude of love.

The epistle to Galatians is a perfect example of how Paul cared for souls.

In his letter, Paul teaches us how He showed[KP10] his love to others, and he instructs us to do the same in our speaking and doing[KP11] .

Look with me at the background of Paul’s letter and our specific passage, before we dive into our text.

[KP12] [KP13] tells us that Paul was the author of the epistle to the Galatians.

Galatia was a Roman province located in what is known today as midden Turkey.

We know that Paul founded churches in the southern part of the province, namely Antioch, Iconium, Lystra,[KP14] and Derbe.

He did this during his first missionary journey, as you can read in .

At that time, however, he did not visit the northern part of Galatia.[KP15]

Paul had a close relationship with the gentile Christians in those churches.

He preached the gospel unto them (1:8) and call’s them in chapter four “my little children” (4:11).

Paul knew himself responsible for their spiritual health and growth.

But what happened?

Already during his first visit he faced heavy opposition of Jews (14:3) caused by jealousy on Paul’s success and popularity.

After he went, Jews called Judaizers, came to this vulnerable churches with dangerous teaching.

Paul calls these men ‘dogs’ somewhere else and their teaching ‘another gospel’.

The danger of the Judaizers was especially in the fact that they taught faith in Christ, but added works to it.

That is always a danger of false teachers.

They teach something that sounds good, but add something to it that attacks the heart of the gospel.

The Judaizers are especially known for their emphasis in teaching on keeping the Jewish ceremonial law and submitting believers to circumcision rather than the gospel of faith alone.

This teaching deviated Christians from putting their faith in Christ into themselves by focusing on works.

Legalism enslaves Christians and takes away spiritual life.

It is no wonder that Paul is shocked by this influence and starts after a short introduction directly with his concern.

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (vs 6).

Notice the phrase ‘so soon’.

That reflects the vulnerability of those churches.

Paul helps the Galatians by affirming his authority and reports how he even rebuked Peter on flirting with Legalism in the second chapter.

In the heart of the letter (chapter 3-4) Paul defends the central theme, justification by faith alone and restores the function of the law on the right place.

The law is the schoolmaster to Christ.

(3,24)

After defending the heart of the Gospel, he calls the Galatians to choose a life of true liberty in walking in the Spirit.

That was Paul’s desire for them and my desire for you.

We all know those verses in the fifth chapter about the fruits of the Spirit.

What is often overseen, is the part that directly follows – the application of the fruits of the Spirit.

My focus in this message is to face four areas’ that would call each one of us to practice and experience the liberty of love.

The devil wants to enslave us by focusing on doctrines only, he is really afraid for changed hearts that would impact the world with Christ’s love.

Message ‘HELP your Brother!’

Face to face with Hill difficulty – An Emergency (5:26-6:1)

Let us read again verse 1 of .

(read) Paul describes a scenario in which you observe a sin in the life of another believer.

The KJ translates the subject of this sentence with a man, but it could be translated with someone or another believer.

I say the word sin, because the word fault is used in the New Testament interchangeable with sin and transgression.

The phrase ‘be overtaken’ shows us that not a willful transgression is in view here, but an unintentional deviation from the truth.

The preceding verse helps us to think about what kind of sins did Paul have in view.

‘Desirous of vain glory’ can be manifested in different ways.

Pride is actually the root of all sin.

Paul’s report on rebuking Peter is helpful here.

We can read in the second chapter that Peter was compromising his behavior.

He enslaved himself by not walking upright and brought the gospel of Justification by faith alone into danger.

Every deviation of walking in the Spirit can be in view here.

How do you respond when you see someone sinning undeliberately?

Do you respond in the same way as the doctor did in the story?

See every sin as an emergency!

Every little deviation from a Biblical walk does harm to the live of a believer.

Terrible transgressions start always with early little deviations into a wrong direction.

Think about sitting beside someone in a car.

You are driving on the highway and you notice that the driver is slightly leaving the lane to the lane of the exit.

Will you remain passive in such a situation?

Certainly not!

Judas, the disciple is a warning to us.

His life shows that living very close to Christ is not a guarantee for not deviating from truth.

Witnessing Jesus every day.