Hinderences To Bearing Fruit 14/11/2021

Sermon Notes

Galatians 4:8–20 NKJV

8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. 12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Galatians Delivered from Pagan Gods

In the opening of this section, Paul writes: “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods” (Gal. 4:8). He turns his attention to the Gentiles in the Galatian churches and reminds them of their former slavery. Recall what Paul has written just a few verses prior: “In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world” (Gal. 4:3; cf. Col. 2:8; Heb. 5:12). So, then, it seems that Paul has the Gentiles in view and reminds them of their former slavery to vain human philosophy and the worship of false gods, which Paul explains are not truly gods.

Galatians Delivered from Pagan Gods

Notice, however, the subtle shift in the voice of Paul’s verbs. Paul writes: “Now that you have come to know God”—the infinitive “to know” (gnontes) is in the active voice. But Paul then quickly qualifies what he means: “or rather to be known by God”—here the verb gnosthentes changes to the passive voice. Why the difference? In the former, the human being seeks God and finds him. In the latter, God seeks the sinful person, finds, and saves him. In the former, human initiative brings salvation. In the latter, the sovereign initiative of God brings salvation. Despite his greatest efforts to scale the heavens, a la the tower of Babel, man is incapable of reaching God. The only way that man can be saved is if God descends from the heights and reaches down to save man from himself.

Thoughts:

What happened to the Galatians to move away from grace and pursue the law?

They were abandoning liberty for law.

By doing so, they were moving away from what God had done for them; set them free from law.

By doing so they also abandoned core fundamental role that they were meant to play in their society in which God placed them.

They were trying to be something God never intended them to be.

They started observing rituals that they had no neccessity to be involved with.

They set chains back on themselves again, but this time differently. No longer Pagan rituals but rather Judaistic rituals.

Sermon Outline

As Christians, our allegiance is never to a movement or to a person.

To a Christian, their allegience is always to Jesus Christ and to the spreading of the gospel.

But sadly there are many competeling voices that scream out to us.

Where do these voices come from?

the world; leaders; politicians; political preferences; individual people of influence.

Compare this to what makes us productive in life.

How do we become more productive spiritually?

By doing as Jesus said, “Abide in me and I in you for without me you can do nothing.”

If we do not abide in Christ the way Jesus intended for us to, the question is, are we getting our influences from other areas?

It is only out of an abiding life that we get to experience the full extent of God’s blessings and the fruit He seeks to bring from it.

So what are hinderences from the wonderful experience of God’s fruit bearing in our lives?

Abandoning liberty for law. (8-9)

Parroting an alternative ideology. (10-11)