Sermon Tone Analysis

This has been a great week.

The kids were outside, they were running around.

My boys haven’t really been out much this winter but that first warm day, the neighbors came out.

We haven’t seen them for a long time.

But they are out there and they are just running around.

Playing man-hunt, which is the teenage version of hide and seek.

But it was great seeing them run around.

It reminded me of my teenage days when March 1st was the start of the spring sports season.

I ran track and so it brings back memories of running.

For me, I didn’t have to run much because I competed in the jumping events.

I was the long jump, high jump, triple jump guy and so I didn’t participate in any running events, normally.

I say normally because when you go to a track meet you could be asked by the coach to participate in any race really and there was one day when I was asked to be part of the 1600 meter relay.

What that race was was basically 4 guys have to each run one lap round the track.

I remember the coach asking me.

Can you run one of the legs in the 1600?

I said sure, one time around the track, its a quarter mile, sure.

I think I may have been the first leg, and I remember thinking I can start out strong, get ahead and then hopefully by the end they won’t catch up to me.

I started out strong.

I ran hard so that I would be in front.

I was in front too, for about 100 yards!

Guys started passing me on the right and the left.

I am about half way around the track.

By this point pretty much everybody has passed me and I am running just about as hard as I can.

I know I am in trouble.

Remember, I am only running 400 meters

Now I am trying to run just to have some self esteem.

By the 300 meter mark I am to the point where my legs have stopped listening to my brain.

I am trying to make them move but they are not.

It feels like my legs are tied together and just won’t move.

It’s a terrible thing that the finish line is right in front of everybody because by the time I cross it, I look like someone in a walking race, where you aren’t allowed to let your feet leave the track.

It was so embarrassing.

But it also can teach us an incredibly valuable lesson.

You can start out well, but not always finish well.

You can think you will do fine starting out but unless you are prepared, unless you are focused, you won’t be able to finish well.

Paul speaks often about sports.

He talks about the Christian life and says that it is a lot like a race.

You can start out well, but make sure you finish well to.

You know this can happen to Christians to.

They can start out th

If you don’t stay focused on the prize you can find yourself getting off track.

Turn to

As Paul writes he is talking about some of the things that might get the Galatians off track.

We remember that the Judaizers are those who want the Galatians to incorporate the Jewish customs, such as circumcision into their lives and Paul sees though this and reminds them how crazy this is.

So Paul is asking the question, who is hindering you?

Who?

It’s interesting, Paul isn’t saying “what” here.

If Paul asked “What” is hindering you, he could be talking about Circumstances, troubles, even successes or failures that can throw us off.

But he isn’t using the word what, he is using the word WHO.

I think it is because one of the biggest ways for us to get off track in our walk comes from PEOPLE.

Other people.

Did your mom ever say: “don’t play with that kid, they are bad news.”?

Was there that kid in your group of friends that seemed to be the reason everyone got into trouble?

Hopefully you weren’t that kid.

There always seems to be that person, or that group of people that would always be getting into trouble.

People have an amazing power over us if we are not focused or grounded in something.

Humans, generally, are greatly influenced by other people.

We find ourselves listening to experts, we find ourselves trying to be like those who we like, or want to be like.

And this can be great and it can be healthy.

I grew up watching my dad who has a tremendous work ethic and I remember watching him when he would read his bible in his office, I remember him teaching me about tithing and I remember how he always made it a priority to fix whatever was broken.

He instilled in me those things and they were tremendous influences on me.

So people can and do have a powerful positive influence in our lives.

But conversely, there are people in our lives who could hinder our walk with God.

They would pull us away from being on track.

They would hinder us.

Hinder is the word Paul uses.

It’s a picture, again of a race.

One of my favorite books is a book called Unbroken, the Louis Zamperini story about WW11 but also talks about his notoriety as a track star before the start of the war.

Listen to this story.

One of my favorite books is a book called Unbroken, the Louis Zamperini story about being a pow in WW11 but also talks about his early life and the notoriety he had as a track star before the start of the war.

Listen to this story.

Preaching the Word: Galatians—Gospel-Rooted Living Free to Finish (5:9, 12)

At the 1938 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Louie Zamperini was the man to beat.

Coaches from rival schools had even ordered their runners to sharpen the spikes on their shoes and to slash Louie.

“Halfway through the race, just as Louie was about to move ahead for the lead, several runners shouldered around him, boxing him in.

Louie tried repeatedly to break loose, but he couldn’t get around the other men.

Suddenly, the man beside him swerved in and stomped on his foot, impaling Louie’s toe with his spike.

A moment later, the man ahead began kicking backward, cutting both of Louie’s shins.

A third man elbowed Louie’s chest so hard that he cracked Louie’s rib.”

This is what the Judaizers, the agitators, were doing to the Galatians.

They had come onto the track and surrounded the Galatians; they had boxed them in.

We need to be very careful about who influences us.

Who we race with.

Especially when those who influence us are not Godly people.

If we are putting people on a pedestal who aren’t influenced by God then we are asking for trouble.

We need to be very careful about who influences us.

Especially when those who influence us are not Godly people.

If we are putting people on a pedestal who aren’t influenced by God then we are asking for trouble.

We live in an age where we look at Movie stars and music stars as the voices of a generation.

I know they had a great impact on my life, musicians had an even bigger influence on my life so when this rock star says something in an interview I would listen.

When then said something political I listened.

I may have even recognized it as something I don’t agree with but I listened.

But I learned that musicians and movie starts might not be the best voice for me.

I can enjoy their work but there aren’t many of them who are qualified to speak into my life or into yours when it comes to the realm of what God wants for my life.

If I listen to the musician who does not acknowledge God, and I give them my attention it is like I am running a race, and I see something on the side of the track that would get my attention.

It would distract me.

Still running, but maybe a little distracted.

If I am running a race, that would be like seeing something on the side of the track that would get my attention.

It would distract me.

Still running, but maybe a little distracted.

There is no doubt that the people in our lives hold a great influence over us.