The Gospel Transforms the Life of the Local Church

The Gospel Makes Us a Community that seeks Restoration not Condemnation

Galatians 6:1 (CSB)

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.

Notice: Paul here is speaking to Christians...

“Brothers and Sisters”

Paul is specifically talking about relationships inside the church family. He is talking to people who have been adopted into God’s family by way of faith.

Then he goes on to say this...

Galatians 6:1 (CSB)

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.

The word overtaken here is important.

I love what Tom Shriner says here:

“Even though believers have life in the Spirit, they still inhabit this present evil age and hence, sin attacks them in unanticipated ways. (I think we can get an amen to that…sin does attack us in unanticipated ways doesnt it?) Paul is not suggesting that those who commit such trespasses are simply unwilling victims. They bear full responsibility for their sin. Still, Paul envisages situations in which believers sin in unplanned and unexpected ways...”

In other words…and I know this is gonna be a news flash…but sometimes people get caught up in sin…and I dont just mean those people out there on the lake celebrating the 4th this morning…Paul isn't at all addressing the sin outside the church, he is talking about people inside the church. Sometimes God’s people dont live according to who they are in Christ. Sometimes people choose the works of the flesh over walking in the Spirit.

And notice the vagueness of Paul’s language…he says, “Any wrongdoing...” —Notice Paul doesnt ignore the sin.

Ignoring sin is never the answer…we have to acknowledge it if we love the other person...

But once we acknowledge the sin, how should we respond?

Paul tells us:

Galatians 6:1 CSB

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted.

The way we are supposed to respond when we find that someone has been overcome with sin is this…we are to gently restore them...

We aren't to condemn, or kick people out of the church because they get caught in sin.

When we sin...The gospel tells us a story of how God came for people, caught up in sin. And he speaks a gently word to us telling us that we can be redeemed from the curse of sin by faith in the Son of God who love us and gave himself for us.

We were condemned by sin…Christ restored us.

We were fallen and trapped cursed by...Christ liberated us.

Our sin condemns us… but Christ tells us “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”

And therefore when we catch someone in Sin…we dont condemn…we restore…and we do that humbly…and we do it literally…we walk alongside each other through the muck and the mire.

Galatians 6:2–5 (CSB)

2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load.

We are called to bear one another's burdens…not put burden on people...

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says it better than I could ever say it:

Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to Him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged. [This is especially true when we are caught up in sin…], for by himself he cannot help himself belying the truth. He needs his brother as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ. The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of His brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure.

This is what happens when we allow the gospel to transform impact our church.

The gospel makes us a community that seeks to restore, not to condemn.

The Gospel Makes us a Community that seeks to CONTRIBUTE not just CONSUME

Galatians 6:6 CSB

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher.

What Paul is saying is that the people who are taught God’s word are expected to share all their good things with the one who teaches them.

Now, I’ll be honest…this is one of those verses that as a pastor, I probably would skip over a lot of times because it seems so self serving. This is one of those passages where you bring in a guest speaker to say what you feel like you cant say…

But this is the benefit of expository preaching…you gotta preach the passages that might not be your first choice to preach.

And literally…here is what Paul is saying in this verse… “You need to pay your pastors for the work they put in to preaching God’s Word to you...”

But in actuality…I think there is a bigger point that Paul is making here...

Galatians 6:6–8 (CSB)

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher. 7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

In this passage Paul is showing how the physical act of giving generously has a spiritual consequence. He is saying that the person who gives to their local church, is sewing seeds of the Spirit. And the person who doesn't give to their church is sewing seeds of the flesh. Essentially what he says is that God isn't mocked...

I think what Paul is getting at in this passage is this…the church is not a place where you are just meant to consume…you are meant to contribute...

The real blessing in the life of the local church isn't about what you can get from the local church…it’s about what you can give.

This isnt just something that Paul made up on his own…he got this from Jesus himself…listen to Paul’s words that Luke recorded in Acts 20:35.

Acts 20:35 CSB

35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

And for Jesus, he didnt just talk the talk…he walked the walk.

This is why Paul said in Philippians 2:5-8

Philippians 2:5–8 CSB

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

Strap up for a second....I love you but we gotta

Here is the point…Christ has given us everything we need. We have the greatest inheritance of heaven by faith…we have access to the King and keys to the Kingdom...

When we show up to church…and we treat church as if we are the consumer…rather than the contributor…we make a mockery of the gospel and of the God who the gospel is all about...

When we treat church as something to be consumed...We essentially say to God…what you have given me isnt enough…I need more…I need entertainment…I need to feel important…I need recognition…I need to be served...

A Community that Seeks to BLESS not CURSE

Paul commends us in this passage to press on in doing good. God has made us a community that seeks to be a blessing and not curse.

Galatians 6:9–10 CSB

9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Let us not get tired of doing good…cause it is easy to get tired of giving isnt it?

But notice why Paul says this… “For we will reap at the proper time if we dont give up...”

If you dont give up, you will be blessed...

If you do give up…you want…it’s that simple.

Here’s how we should think about this…we should give today…and we can give up tomorrow...

And then when tomorrow comes, let’s decide then that on that day we will give…we will seek to bless…we will seek to serve…and we can give up the next day.

And when you do that…you will find that the words of Jesus are true.

It really is better to give than to receive.

So church…what would it look like for us to be a blessing and not a curse to our community and to our church?

I want you to hear these words from Paul again...

“Therefore, as we have opportunity...”

This means…if there is a need…and you can meet that need…that’s your opportunity.

And so what are some of those needs?

Well, we have a children’s ministry right now that needs volunteers…what would happen if you decided to trust God and you decided to use that as an opportunity to work for the good of all? What if God actually used you to change a child's life simply by telling them a Bible story in Children’s church?

Another opportunity is for you to begin to give financially…to the ministry of this church.

Here is just the reality…Ive had to meet with our stewardship committee a lot over the last couple of months due to the fact that we are behind on this years budget. Here’s just the cold hard facts, we cannot do the ministry that we have always done if we dont give faithfully.

Here’s something interesting that one of our committee members found. We have about 70 families that are regularly involved in our church (these are families…not individuals…theres way more individuals…) but if every one of those families gave just $85 dollars a week, we would hit right at our budget…here’s what that tells me…it tells me that theres no reason we should hit budget every year…and if we are behind on budget, it isnt a spending problem, it is a giving problem…and if we have a giving problem…we have a gospel problem...

These are opportunities for you to become a contributor…not just a consumer...

They are opportunities for you to bless and do good to all…and especially those in the household of faith...

May it be said of this church…right here…that those people are different. They love and serve on another, they do good all the time to everyone who has a need in their church and they are a blessing to this community, and when they see someone struggling in sin, they dont condemn them, but they are gentle and kind, and they restore them by bearing one another’s burdens.

Because that’s what a church that has been transformed by the truth of the gospel looks like.

So let’s get after it church…let’s give, let’s bear burdens, let’s gently restore people in sin, let’s do good to all in every opportunity…especially those in the household of faith...