Mission First
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Turn to - start in v13 in a moment.
Love Your Neighbor
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Turn to - start in v13 in a moment.
As you’re turning there, remember context is always critical. Here’s a little background to Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia (Modern Turkey). The Galatian churches were mostly Gentile believers. A group of Judaizers infiltrated the church and convinced many that they needed to practice Jewish laws and customs in addition to faith in Christ in order to be right with God. Paul wrote this letter to encourage believers in Christ to stand firm in grace and in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
It’s interesting how often Biblical authors encouraged their readers to stand firm in the faith. They knew how capricious we humans can be - tossed back and forth by new ideas and movements …. They also how powerful and persuasive other voices can be.
This is why Paul wrote,
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
(NIV) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Don’t go back to the way you used to live ….
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
Do everything in love.
(NIV) Paul wrote, Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.
I encourage you stand firm in the faith by standing firm in Scripture, in the Word of God.
Right now, there are hundreds of voices out there telling us what to think, what to believe and what to do. I want to encourage you this morning to make certain you are listening to the right voices. Ultimately, the loudest voice in our lives should be the Voice of God. Which means turning down some voices and turning off others. I know what some of you are thinking - don’t you dare hit that mute button.
Listening to the wrong voices can create fear, anxiety, confusion, distrust, false security ….
But listening to the right voice, God’s voice creates peace, strength, clarity, courage, purpose …. His voice is an anchor.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
Make a mental note right now - what voices do I need to turn down? Turn off?
What do I need to do to hear God’s voice?
Back to Galatians. Remember, the theme is freedom. Christ offers freedom from sin and death; from a spiritual enemy; freedom from false voices and fruitless efforts. He offers freedom to love and to live the way He designed us to live.
Sadly, some think that freedom means we can do what we want. That’s not freedom, that’s definitely not love. Absolute freedom is apathy and anarchy - both of which are absolutely destructive. A life without boundaries is always destructive. (No good parent let’s their childrend do whatever they want - harmful and destructive. Same with God).
I’m a little concerned that some people see our current situation and restrictions as an opportunity to disengage, to withdrawal, to ignore Christian responsibility and the mission of God. This is not necessarily the context in Galatians, but it fits into our scenario.
How so?
Look at verse 13 and 14.
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
For you were called to freedom, brothers [and sisters]. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
You were called - you were invited into freedom - this freedom is for every person - God calls every person into a relationship with Him. This is a freedom from the bondage of sin; it’s a freedom to experience the removal of guilt and shame. It’s freedom to experience new life in Christ - to stop trying so hard to be good enough - and so much more. And Paul says to live in this freedom, however, do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.
What is the flesh? The flesh, or sarx in Greek often refers to our sinful nature or rebellious nature. It’s the part of our humanity (not by original design mind you) that rebels against God - it’s the part that says, “No,” to God, “I want to be in charge.”
It’s the “life is all about me” attitude. It’s the self-indulgent part or the human heart. The flesh is about self-preservation, self-advancement and autonomy. The sinful nature that says, “Live however you want; do whatever works for you. There is no right or wrong.”
Don’t you see how faulty that is. Right now in the midst of a world pandemic we see people looking after self. Hording. Looting. Hurting. Rioting. But that’s ok because they’re living however they want. This is what happens when people imagine a world without heaven or hell, without true religion, when people only live for today.
Listen, living according to the flesh, living apart from a new nature in Jesus Christ ultimately leaves a trail of emptiness, death and destruction.
But God says, “My people should not live according to the flesh. I have given them a new nature, a new heart, new boundaries and new purposes.”
Paul says, do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Serve here is a verb - an action. Present tense - always now - not in the past, not in the future - always now. So, God says regardless of the situation, always be active in serving one another in love and because of love. For the whole law, all the rules and regulations and requirements etc. etc. are fulfilled, completed in this one concept, one idea - love your neighbor as yourself.
You know what He’s saying? Always place the mission first. When I was in the Army, we had to memorize the Warrior’s Ethos. The first line -
Warrior Ethos (U.S. Army) I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.
Warrior Ethos (U.S. Army) I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
No matter what happens, the soldier says I must find a way to complete the mission. That’s what Paul is saying here - no matter what happens in the world, the follower of Jesus Christ says, “I must find a way to complete the mission,” and the mission is to love our neighbor.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
No matter what happens, the soldier says I must find a way to complete the mission. That’s what Paul is saying here - no matter what happens in the world, the follower of Jesus Christ says, “I must find a way to complete the mission,” and the mission is to love our neighbor.
In WWII, Corrie Ten Boom found a way to place the mission of Christ first. She and her father could have easily used their freedom as non-Jews to find an opportunity for the flesh and do nothing. But they didn’t, they found a way to love their neighbor, to hide and rescue many Jews from the Nazis.
Some of you are finding ways to love one another - to place the mission first. Thursday morning we found some cookies on our doorstep. Yummy! Won’t mention my wife’s name, but Thursday with a little help of others she bought food and delivered to a few people in our church. Found a way to place the mission first.
Let me close with three thoughts:
1) Who are the loudest voices in your life right now? What are you doing to make certain God’s is the loudest?
2) I challenge you to place His mission first. Ask, “What can I do to love and serve my neighbor?” Find a way.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3) One day, Coronavirus or not, you and I will die, and each person will stand before the One True Living God and give an account for our lives. He’s not the angry, wrathful God that some think He is. He’s not that, but He is loving, and just and He’s righteous. Each of us will have to answer one question - “Do you know my Son, Jesus Christ?”
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”