Sermon Tone Analysis

Galatians 6

Good morning church!

Great to be with you all this morning on what is going to be a hot day!

I was going to say it’s going to be a scorcher today, but I thought some of you would run out afraid of the sermon that’s coming!

The only bad thing about the message this morning is that we are probably going to finish the book of Galatians, and I love the book of Galatians.

Let’s pray...

We spent the last two weeks in chapter 5, and in the first half we learned about Christian liberty....that we are free in Christ, no longer under the law.

AND that freedom wasn’t just for our birthdays and Christmas, but Paul told us to stand fast in that liberty of Christ that has set us free.

In other words camp out in it, and don’t ever fall back into bondage.

We read that love fulfills the law, the simplicity of loving God, and loving our neighbors.

For those struggling to apply that, and live it out, Paul told us it’s not something we can do in the flesh.

That our flesh battles with the Spirit and the Spirit with our flesh and in verse 16 he tells us that we need to walk in the Spirit and we will no longer fulfill the lust or passions of our flesh.

Through the end of that chapter we are told to walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and to live in the Spirit.

Yes so we can be free, yes so we can be forgiven, that’s part of the freedom that he talks about in this book, that it’s not by works, but just like Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness, we are saved by grace through faith.

All of that is awesome and unattainable any other way, but do you guys know that there is actually a greater purpose that Paul is telling us all this about walking in the Spirit?

Because as awesome as forgiveness is, there is so much more.

We aren’t forgiven of our sins, we aren’t filled with the Spirit and freed from having to constantly be in bondage of sin, just so we can loose our guilt and shame, bonus that we can.

But the real reason is so that we can have fellowship with God.

What is fellowship?

The word for "fellowship" in the Bible is koinonia, which means "to have in common" community, communion, or "to share."

The reason God made a way for us to have our sin removed was so that we could have fellowship with Him.

Not just get saved, get baptised, and sit on a pew in church once and a while and lip sink some songs.

God want’s relationship, fellowship, koinonia with You! Sin messes that up that’s why it should matter to us when a brother or sister in Christ is acting like they’re not in Christ and they are sinning in the flesh.

Look how Paul starts this chapter.

You who are spiritual should make sure everyone in church knows, make sure they know you know, but post something about it first, in case they don’t answer the phone when you call, and let them know you don’t understand how anyone could be tempted by that sin, because you’re a real Christian, not a pretend wanna-be looser.

Anyone have that translation?

I ask because I was involved in policy writing for many year for different law enforcement agencies.

One thing I learned early on, is that it doesn’t really matter what you have written down, your practice is your policy.

In other words any policy and procedure manual that you have had better match what you are actually training your people to do, and requiring them to practice, otherwise there is a conflict, and in a courtroom, in a liability suit, you’re going to lose.

If you have a continuum of force policy that says the first line of correction is officer presence, then verbal instruction, then pepper spray, or a taser, followed by physical control or restraint, before you get to deadly force, that had better be your practice.

It’s not OK if every time you see someone j-walking, you sneak up behind the telephone pole on the other side of the road, and just before the reach the sidewalk, taser, taser, and you zap them.

Your practice is different than your policy.

Sometimes the Bible gives us really really clear policy, or written instruction and our practice, and the practice of the church, remember the church isn’t a building, is just a bunch of us, is very different.

Paul ends this letter with a series of exhortations, or intense encouragements on what truly walking in the Spirit looks like practically day to day in the neighborhood.

Now a proper reading of verse one…Gal 6:1

So Paul here gives us good policy, that protects us from both liability and harm.

How can we harm somebody overtaken in a trespass?

Is that a thing?

Can we help someone out, when it really isn’t helping them out, it’s enabling them.

Ever bail somebody out of trouble when they weren’t ready for help, or they weren’t ready for change?

You might have a friend, or a child, that’s struggling financially because of addiction, but they minimize the problem or make excuses, but now they can afford rent, or they can’t fix their car, so you give them some money?

What did you just do?

You just bought drugs for that person you love.

You can’t save someone from drowning if they keep on swimming to the bottom.

So Paul give us this instruction both as an exhortation, he says do it, get involved, help the person that has fallen into sin, don’t shun, don’t gossip, and listen, don’t shame!

You who are Spiritual, you’re the ones that should be getting involved in the messes, not a brand new baby Christian, not someone just beginning to walk with Christ.

A drowning man can never save another drowning man, they both sink that way.

SO Paul gives an exhortation to get involved, don’t just look the other way or shake your head at them and walk away, but also gives a warning.

restore them in a spirit of gentleness…but consider yourself lest you also be tempted.

But wait, I’m spiritual, you think I’m going to be overtaken just because they were?

Remember this from the book of 1 Cor 10:13

None of us are beyond temptation!

We can slip and fall, and be overtaken, and drown right next to our friend.

Let me give you an example.

Anybody here ever have pull someone out of a snowbank, they were going a little too fast around a corner and ended up in the ditch, or maybe they were going too fast when they were plowing in reverse and rolled their truck?

You hunters that drive down woods roads, have pulled people out of the mud.

What happens if you feel sorry for them go charging right into the mud or the snow bank after them with your truck?

You’re stuck too!

Right?

If you’re going to help someone else out you have to be on solid ground yourself, you have to have some traction, does that make sense?

SO Gal 6:1

When we restore someone there is a way that we’re supposed to do it, in a spirit of gentleness, you can find a number of example of Jesus doing so in the Gospels, but we need to remember that we’re not Jesus, and that friend or that relationship can become a liability to us and start costing us too much and can pull us into places where we can slip and get stuck if we’re not on solid ground.

So you guy that are spiritual and not so humble you won’t admit it, how do you restore someone?

Come on, most of you guys have been Christians for quite awhile.

You see a brother or sister overtaken in a trespass, you shut off your social media live-stream, you consider if this is safe for you, are you on good footing so you won’t be tempted as well.

Then what?

What can we do?

What’s the first thing we should do?…Pray, intercede for them.

Lord please help them.

Lord, please make them want the help, cause them to want change that will really change them.

You can pray for you.

God you know way more about this person and this situation than I do.

I think I OK, and I think I’m doing the right thing, but I want to walk in the Spirit, so led me Father.

What can I do, what can I say, what will help?

How can I come alongside them in this?

Pray for discernment, because sometimes as new Christians, when were still not used to caring about anyone other than ourselves, we can see someone in need and respond emotionally, not spiritually.

Being led by our heart and not the Spirit of God, and we can make a bigger mess than they were in when our involvement started.

If we come across someone that is being overtaken, that is downing, we don’t want to accidently throw them a backpack instead of a life preserver.

Or an anchor instead of life buoy.

Verse 2, I think Paul is moving on to another issue, actually 2 through verse 5, let me read that because it provides more exhortations, more encouragement for us to take action, but there is a balance in this, read it with me… Gal 6:2-5

So again, there are a couple of things to look at here, the first in verse Gal 6:2

and then in verse Gal 6:5

So which is it Paul?

Should we bear one another’s burdens, or each one bear his own....Yes, both.

Sometimes a brother or sister is going to need you to come along and bear their burden with them, other times your going to have to bear your own load.

So the first one again, Gal 6:2

And look that has a connection to it, Paul says and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Wait what, I thought we were free from the law, what is the law of Christ?

Do you guys remember the law of Christ.

Love one another!

Love one another as I have loved you.

One of the ways we can do that is to help a brother or sister that has a burden.

We can help them practically.

We can pray for them.

But say they are having financial trouble, or car trouble, not because of addiction or because they’re spending all their money on video games and toys.

Just their vehicle that was supposed to be a blessing has become a liability and stuff keeps breaking.

You pray for them, you pray for you, asking the Lord for wisdom, how can you help them practically, and the Lord tells they need stuff, I gave you stuff, give them some of MY stuff.

Notice the stuff that we have belongs to the Lord right?

So maybe it is as radical as God has blessed us financially, I know these bills are setting you behind, they’ve been a discouragement to you.

IF you could just get caught up you could make it because you’re working hard, We want to help you do that.