05-14-08 - Keeping in step - Gal 5.13-26 - NSB
Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Resource Book – June 4, 2006 – JFB – Bible Reader’s Companion – TBKC -
Do you remember the TV show, “Gomer Pyle, USMC?”
Either during the opening or closing credits of that show there was old Gomer marching and Sgt. Carter was running alongside yelling as loud as he could.
And do you remember what Gomer was trying to do?
He was trying to keep in step.
I want to talk to you this evening about keeping in step.
Turn if you will to the letter from Paul to the Galatians.
The people in Galatia had become confused. They were once in step with God but something happened to cause them to be out of step.
Paul told them that they had been running well and in this letter he wondered who had hindered them.
They were falling back into something that they had previously been freed from.
Let us stand and read together Galatians 5:13-26
[PRAY]
Just as Gomer Pyle was to keep in step, you and I are to keep in step.
We are to keep in step with the Holy Spirit.
We are to be sync’d up with Him as He guides and leads us.
How do we do that?
Some people think that we are to keep in step with the Holy Spirit by imitating Christ but not only is that wrong but it is probably reckless.
Because how many of you know that imitating Christ does not make you a Christian but being a Christian should cause you to imitate Christ.
I am afraid that there are going to be people go to hell imitating Christ
These are going to be the people to whom Jesus said, “Depart from Me… I never knew you.”
You say, “Well I thought that was out goal to have people be like Christ.”
Well, yes but it does not no good to be like Christ if Christ is not in you, the hope of glory
Don’t be like Christ because you are a good imitator.
Be like Christ because you are identified with Him.
Be like Christ because you have received Him by faith and He is living in you and as a result of who you are spiritually, it is through your new nature that indeed you are more like Christ.
It is much easier to stay in step when you are living a life of identification rather than a life of imitation.
See, Jesus Christ changes people from the inside out.
The Spirit gets saved and then the flesh is led to follow or keep in step with God based on what has happened on the inside.
I am identified with Christ as Paul was (GAL 2:20)
And do you know what?
I still find it hard to stay in step with the Holy Spirit.
Why?
Well…
#1 – There is a conflict. Gal. 5:16-21
Verse 17 speaks of the Spirit –
That is the first thing that you need to recognize.
There is a spirit within each one of you but the question is, “Which spirit is it.”
Well, I am going to tell you.
If you have sin in your life and the spirit that is within you is comfortable with that sin then that spirit that is within you is not the Spirit of God.
You are in step with A spirit that is not the Holy Spirit.
Because…
The Bible teaches that…
The desires of the flesh are against the desires of the Spirit.
Verse 17 tells us that the Holy Spirit and the flesh are contrary
If the spirit within you is not bothered by the sin within you then, “Houston, we have a problem.”
In 2 Peter 2, we read that whatever it is that overcomes a person, that is what that person is enslaved to (CER – or in step with).
Paul says that…
The part of you that would do good is in a struggle with the part of you that would do evil.
Christians have a new nature but they still have their sinful nature that they have had from birth.
You are either going to be in step with one or you are going to be in step with the other.
The question is:
If both are in me then how am I going to determine which one that I am going to be in step with?
How are we going to resolve this conflict in the life of a believer?
In verse 17 it appears that the winner is not clear.
But in verse 18 we see that the victory in this battle – the key to staying in step is to yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit.
If you will allow yourself to be controlled by the Spirit then you will not be working the works of the flesh
Now, you might hear this message and God might impress upon you that you need to yield yourself to the Holy Spirit but honestly, you do not know how to do that.
Well, I appreciate your honesty – But…
I believe that you guys can handle some very deep theological teaching on what you must do to yield to the Holy Spirit.
So, here is deep theological truth #1 -
Ready? You look at what you desire to do and you look at what God desires for you to do and you do what God desires.
That is how you stay in step – You yield YOU to HIM
Easy to say – Not always so easy to do - Because
You are going to be facing EXTERNAL and INFERNAL and INTERNAL foes.
The EXTERNAL enemy is the world. 1 John 2:15
It has a lot of attractions
It catches our eye
It will turn your head and change your direction
It will lure you as it did Eve and Lot and the Prodigal Son
It seems to have a lot to offer.
So, how do we stay in step with God while we are in this world where Satan is the prince of the power of the air?
John said:
11 John 2:15 (KJV)
15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
So, here is deep theological truth #2 –
Whatever you love the most is what you are going to be in step with.
That is the external enemy that we face.
Then there is the INFERNAL enemy that we face.
And of course…
The INFERNAL enemy is the Devil.
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Satan does not want to see you walk in step with God and he will do whatever he can to trip you up.
He works in all sorts of ways.
Just as was the case with the Galatians, he can use false teachings to work against us.
False teaching is a great weapon for him for with it he can threaten entire churches and it can be very subtle in its workings.
Just remember that Flip Wilson was wrong – The devil cannot make you do anything.
EXTERNAL, INFERNAL and then…
The INTERNAL enemy is the flesh. Gal. 5:16-21
And this may be our greatest challenge.
The human body is not sinful in itself but it is going to go whichever way that you allow it to be led.
If you follow the desires of the flesh then you are going to wind up in sin.
If you follow the ways of the Holy Spirit then you are going to resist sin
In verses 19-21 there is a listing of the works of the flesh -
All of these things are evidence of a life that is NOT being led by the Spirit.
These are expressions of a human nature that is estranged from God.
So, these are the enemies that we face in the CONFLICT
EXTERNAL, INFERNAL, and INTERNAL
Next there is the CONTRAST
Christian, you have two natures in you.
You are like one of these new hybrid cars.
IN the new hybrid cars there are times when you are powered by the electric motor and there are times when you are powered by the gasoline engine.
What you and I have to do is determine which engine is going to power us.
Your sinful nature powers certain drives and passions
Your new nature powers certain drives and passions.
And every day you make the decision to yield to one or the other.
The bad news is that there is a conflict and the bad news is that there is a contrast but the good news is that there can be a conquest. Gal. 5:24-25
In vv. 24-25, Paul brings us to the place of victory.
Such a struggle that goes on in the life of a believer, we may begin to wonder if it is even possible to stay in step with the Holy Spirit.
Is it possible to keep in step and walk the victorious Christian life?
Yes, if we will remember that we are to be dead to sin and alive unto God.
Romans 6:11 (KJV)
11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yes, if we will remember that we have been crucified with Christ as Paul said that he had been in Gal. 2:20.
Victory over sinful desires is possible because of Calvary.
Because you have been identified with Christ in His death and resurrection.
Is it possible to stay in step?
Yes, if we LIVE in the Spirit.
In verse 16 we see that walking in the Spirit (or being in step with the Holy Spirit of God) is the answer to devouring one another.
Being in step with the Holy Spirit is also the answer to the manifestations in 19-21.
LIVE in the Spirit
We are not to be occasionally influenced by the Holy Spirit.
We are not to be in step some of the time.
Did you know that if you fill a glass with water that it pushes out all of the air?
If a bushel is 100% wheat then there is 0% Tares.
The more that your life is controlled by the Spirit, the less that it will be controlled by the flesh.
As a matter of fact, the word that is translated as walk in verse 16 literally means to keep on walking.
That means with each and every step I am depending upon the Holy Spirit.
One thing that we need to understand is that the Holy Spirit does not come into your life and make you a zombie with no control of your own over what you do.
It is your decision to depend on Him,
So…
If we allow the Holy Spirit to be the engine that powers our life then we will be in step.
And this is when we become free from the Law – Verse
How does that happen?
There is no need for a law against evil if we are totally yielding ourselves to the Spirit that produces only good.
I want to leave you with a 5 step practical plan that will help you be in step with the Holy Spirit?
Read the Bible – The problem in Galatia was that they had lost their spiritual bearing.
They were no longer anchored to what they had known to be true.
Pray – Even Jesus prayed
Worship – Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together
Serve Him – Serve one another
Love one another – verse 14
In 1 Timothy, Paul says that if you have a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith that love is going to come forth out of that.
Many problems in church and church relationships can be traced back to someone who is out of step.
Whenever there are some who are in step with the flesh and some who are in step with the Spirit then there is going to be conflict.
But…
Here is the one liner key to success in this area –
If you will depend on you identification with Christ and not you imitation of Christ then you will always be in step.
Amen?
Let’s Pray