Return to Freedom

Introduction

Going to Disney- I remember going to parks like this before kids- it is a totally different experience.

o Racing around, going on all of the thrill rides, sometimes twice. Stopping to eat what you want when you want it. Basically focusing on me having a good time

o But boy does that change when you bring three kids along with you. There’s a lot more bathroom breaks, you don’t get to ride some of your favorite thrill rides, and you get stuck going round and round on the kiddy rides

o But for some reason, it is so much more enjoyable- it’s amazing how we can have more joy in doing things we wouldn’t normal choose simply because we love seeing those we care about having the time of their lives

o When they are happy, we are happy

o But there is also another side of that connection. When they are sad or hurting, or going through a difficult time, we feel it, sometimes much deeper than our own pain

o This is the type of meaningful and caring relationship we see between Paul and the Galatian Christians

- Paul moves from rebuke to request

o Not just a request, but we see in verse 12 he is pleading with the Galatian believers

- Here we see Paul’s heart

o Much of what we have studied so far has been sound biblical and theological arguments, but now he changes his tone

o He speaks to them as a parent would speak to their child- out of love and concern for their wellbeing

- Read Galatians 4:12-20

Paul’s Plea (12-15)

A. Become like me

Illustration- remember when you were a kid, there was probably someone you wanted to be just like- maybe a pro athlete or artist, maybe your dad

a. Imitation can be the greatest form of flattery, but we often don’t look well on those who seek that- people that say “be like me”- there is a sense of pride

1. So this seems like an odd request- not one we might expect from Paul, who was always pointing away from himself and toward Jesus

2. NLT- “Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.”

a. When Paul said live like me, follow my example, he was calling them to live in freedom from the law

b. This was Paul’s life story- once bound in the law, completely controlled by it, but set free by the grace of God

c. This is what he wanted for the Galatian Christians

3. We need Paul’s in our lives

a. Mentors, spiritual leaders, people that are further along in their spiritual growth to push us in our own spiritual development

b. It gives us people we can look up to- if they can do it, I can

c. Illustration- running a 4-minute mile- first accomplished by Roger Bannister in 1954- since that time the 4 minute barrier has been broken by over 1,400 athletes- the world record now stands at 3:43- what was once thought to be impossible is now common among top athletes simply because someone proved it could be done

- There are many leaders out there that are quick to say become like me, but not nearly as many can say they are willing to become like those they are trying to reach- a minister or spiritual leader must do both!

B. I became like you

1. 1 Cor. 9:19-23 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

2. Paul made his ministry to the Galatians personal- he did not just come in with a canned speech and leave

a. He was concerned with their needs, he fit into their culture, he addressed their struggles and difficulties and he sought to understand them

3. We know that Paul never compromised the truth of the gospel (he was even willing to stand up to Peter to defend it), but when it came to the smaller things, he did not hold on to his preferences or desires- he focused on the main thing, the gospel

a. We cannot make a huge deal about the small details (church, culture, etc.)- we cannot lift up our preferences and desires to the level of absolute biblical truth- this is what the pharisees did

(1) Tim Keller- "You can't add without subtracting”

4. Not only do we see this example in the life and ministry of Paul, we see it in the life and ministry of Christ himself

a. Phil. 2:5-7 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

- You see, We are really good at wanting others to become like us, to do things our way. We are good at setting expectations on others wanting them to conform to what we want them to be, but in order to be a godly leader and mentor, we must lead with humility and compassion while pointing people to Jesus not just our words, but through our lives

- So we have seen Paul’s plea. He wanted the Galatian’s to become like him and live in the freedom that only Jesus can bring. He then begins to remind the Galatians of the message that he brought to them and specifically how different it was from what the Judaizers were convincing them to believe

Paul’s Message (16-18)

A. Paul brings them the message of truth

1. They received it eagerly

a. He reminds them of his physical state when he first came to them

b. We don’t know exactly what it was, but we do know that it very easily could have caused the Galatians not to listen to Paul or not to welcome into their lives

c. Yet they welcomed him with open arms because of his message of truth

2. We must be eager for truth

a. Are we seeking what is true, or are we content in simply following what feels good?

b. As Christians, as a church, I want us to have a sincere desire for truth- we should look for it, study it, memorize it, apply it- it must be part of us!

B. Paul’s message has not changed

1. We see in this passage that It is the Galatians who have changed

2. He is reminding them of how they treated him and his message when he first met them

3. But now they are rejecting him and his message

a. But Paul continues to pursue them because he cares for them

· Are we faithful in pointing others to the truth, or do we fear rejection? Do we change our message based on this fear?

b. We are seeing this more and more, Christians that water down the message of the gospel in order to be less abrasive to the culture around them

c. And here lies the balance, we must become all things to all men, we cannot get hung up on the minor things, but when it comes to truth and the major implications of the gospel, we must stand firm, we must not compromise, we must not water down the truth

- Paul clarifies his message by comparing it to the message of the Judaizers

C. Paul’s message vs. the Judaizer’s message (17)

1. The Judaizers want to lift themselves up- to alienate the Galatians

a. They had the appearance of humility and were acting like they wanted to help- but their motives were solely focused on themselves

b. Who are we winning people to?

c. Any message or religion that puffs up the human ego and puts us on a path to pursue praise from others or even God, is a false gospel

2. Paul is concerned for the Galatians and their relationship with God, their freedom in Christ

a. Paul is not in this for his own praise or fame- his whole existence is for the purpose of pointing people to Christ

b. He says this in 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

- So we have seen Paul’s plea to become like him and live in the freedom of the gospel. We have seen Pauls unchanging message and how it was so different from the Judaizers. Now Paul reveals his greatest desire for the Galatian Christians- his spiritual children

Paul’s Desire (19-20)

A. That Christ be formed in them

1. He uses a unique illustration- childbirth

2. The joy of seeing your children succeed, the pain of seeing them fail- we are happy when they are happy

3. Paul so loved these Galatians that he was willing to go through anything to see them thrive in their spiritual relationship with God

B. We see this happening in Paul’s life

1. Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christwho lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me

C. What does it mean to have Christ formed in us?

1. Being so changed by Christ's presence in us that we no longer look, act, or think like this world

a. Rom. 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2. There are lots of things in this life that shape us- our upbringing, our friends, our hobbies,

a. Illustration- Hannah’s dad Steve- dirt bikes were a huge part of his life- but one thing was clear, wat defined him most was his heart for God

3. As Christians, we are not 'self-made' men and women. When we try to build our own spirituality based on our performance, we will fail.

a. We are dependent on the Christ working in us

4. The key to this happening in our lives is the faith in the Holy Spirit that lives within us- he is conforming us into Christ's image

D. We should seek people like this in our lives that are further along in their spiritual walk and can push us to grow in Him

1. But we also, as we grow, need to be this influence in the lives of others

Conclusion

- Paul’s heart for the Galatians comes across clearly in this passage- he loved them like they were his own children and was willing to do anything to see them walk with God. He was deeply committed to the truth of the gospel and boldly proclaimed it even in the face of rejection.

So What?

- Do you have a Paul in your life? Someone that is more spiritually mature than you are and that pushes you in your walk with God?

- Are you a Paul in the lives of others, mentoring them and pushing them toward Christ?

- Are you willing to let little things go while standing boldly for the truth?

- Is Christ being formed in you?

o Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you and conform you into the image of Christ?