God Is Not Mocked

Upsetting Equilibrium

[Hook] Good morning. Please turn your Bibles to Galatians 6:7.

[FCF] It seems it is part of our human condition to follow the path of least resistance but, at the same time, desire the results of hard, productive life.

A girl may date whoever asks her out, but she’ll say, “I want to marry a great Christian Guy.”

A husband may uninvolved with his children, working all day and then escaping to the garage, but he will say, “I want a deep relationship with my kids.”

A young man may get up early in the morning and read the news paper, yet he will say, “I want to develop a deep and lasting intimacy with God.”

A married woman may make her children a priority, but she will say, “I want to have a great relationship with my husband.”

A man may neglect his health yet want to grow old with and invest the latter years of his life in his children.

Parents may neglect teaching their children the Bible and head to sports games every weekend, but say, “we want our children to a develop personal relationship with God.”

[FCF] It seems it is part of our human condition to follow the path of least resistance but, at the same time, desire the results of hard, productive life.

Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

Pray

Analyzing Discrepancy

Example #1 Ahab

1 Kings 21:1-29: Naboth’s Vineyard and Jezebel’s Plot

[Desired Destination] I. He “wanted” to do it the right way.

[Direction]II. He did something else entirely

[Read] 1 Kings 21:27-29. God is not mocked.

1 Kings 22:1-12 The 400 “Yes Men”

[Desired Destination] I. He “wanted” to do it God’s Way.

[Direction] He asked his 400 “yes-men.”

[Read] 1 Kings 22:29-33. God is not mocked.

Point: Perserverance, Determination, and wit are mocking to God.

Cluing Resolution

The question is not about human-perserverance, human-determination, and human-wit. Its about sowing what is spiritual.

God is not mocked.

Experiencing Gospel

[Principle] Gal. 6:7

Definition: “to defy him by overriding his plans and arrangements.”

[FCF] Man can do a whole lot of things by his perseverance and determination.

[Neg-side Principle Illustrated] Gal 6:8

Flesh: Money, words, actions

Ahab: Setting Jezebel loose to do your work; listening to 400-fake prophets.

Corruption: eternal death

[FCF] I have been in tight places before, and I’ve gotten out. I can slick past God. I can outwit him.

[FCF illustrated] Prov. 7:6-8

The son thought, “with my determination, I’ll say no!”

Contrast this with Joseph and Potipher’s wife.

[Pos-side Principle Illustrated] Gal 6:8

Spirit: How?

Gal 6:6, “Sharing money with those who teach”

Gal 6:9, “Doing good”

Gal 6:10, “doing good”

Anticipating Consequences

This will make Christian’s look foolish. They will be outliers.

A younger girl won’t be dating anybody but will be selective. Why? because she “wants to marry a great Christian Guy.”

Husbands will take their children to hunting or to the ball game, rather than staying in the garage by themselves. Why? Because they "want deep relationships with their kids.”

A young man, rather than early to read the news paper, he will read his Bible and pray. Why? because he “wants to develop a deep and lasting intimacy with God.”

A married woman will wake up early to spend time with her husband, rather than just waking up to take care of the kids. Why? Because she “wants to have a great relationship with my husband.”

A man will exersize and eat healthily. Why? Because he wants to grow old with and invest the latter years of his life in his children.

Parents will tell the coach their children will not be attending the weekend games. Why? Because they want their children to a develop personal relationship with God.

Ultimately as the text showed us, Christians will invest in their spiritual lives, paying their teachers and detaching themselves from their physical goods and helping the poor and those in the household of the faith.