Sermon Tone Analysis
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Today we come to the last section of text in this book of Galatians...
A section that will take us a couple of weeks to walk through...
We’ve seen a clear theme play out in this book - from start to finish...
IN CONTEXT - we know the issues that plagued the churches in Galatia...
The MAIN issue being the infiltration of FALSE TEACHERS into the churches!
The FALSE TEACHING - BEING - that the Gentile believers would need to be physically circumcised in order to GET to God...
And so PAUL - KNOWING the seriousness of that CLAIM (false teaching) - he closes out this letter with his own STRONG CLAIM...
I love the apostle Paul - BECAUSE - at least in SOME ways i feel like I’m LIKE HIM...
Depending on the situation - I don’t mind RUFFLING some feathers...
DOING or SAYING something that keeps people - OFF BALANCE...
How does Paul start this closing section?
Why would Paul SAY this?
Well - based on other statements made by Paul in his other letters, it was common place for Paul to have ORALLY dictated his letters to a scribe (or someone else) - who THEN WOULD HAVE written his words down...
We see these comments in...
1 Cor 16:21
2 Cor 10:1
2 Thess 3:17
and Col 4:18
And so most commentators believe THIS VERSE HERE is where Paul took the PEN into his OWN HAND - and began writing...
And i think he DID this because he wanted to EMPHASIZE how important his last words would be to the Galatians!
See with what large letters I am writing to you jwith my own hand.
What I’m about to say - is VITALLY important to your eternity!
What we will see from Paul here is one last SHOWDOWN between...
The Spirit and the Flesh!
And here’s what Paul knows....
He KNOWS that THE FLESH - WARS against the SPIRIT!
Now we’ve HEARD this before - even in this book
And Paul KNEW - maybe MORE THAN anybody - that this WAR - was a REAL - war...
Just look over in Russia and Ukraine right now - No different!
See - I think when you grow up in American Christianity - you get used to embracing cliches - while ignoring reality
Here in the U.S - as Christians - we’ll hear - HEY, Christianity is a life Spiritual warfare.... (that’s true)
....and we respond by saying - No problem - I’m IN! (smile)
But once you hear - Hey, Christianity is a life of potential physical WARFARE...
Our response is - NOPE - didn’t sign up for that!!
Spiritual Warfare - No problem!
Physical Warfare - Uhhh…no thanks!!
Paul KNEW - that the TRUTH of God - PREACHED in 1st Century Jerusalem, Rome, Galatia...
Would lead to - - PAIN (physical.pain)
But he was - IN! All in!
Were the False Teachers ALL IN?
We just mentioned it - Paul KNEW (because he experienced it) ....
SLIDE: Point 1
The flesh values man’s religion over God’s revelation
Let’s go back to the text...
*How many of you would spend $100 for this pen?
$50?
$20?
$10?
$1.00?
Why not?
The reason is because you don’t - VALUE this pen.
Ok so maybe you wouldn’t spend money for it...
BUT...
*How many of you would spend your life proclaiming the greatness of this pen?
How many of you would go OVERSEAS - to Afghanistan...
…and tell the Taliban that they need to WORSHIP this pen?
How do you think THAT would turn out?*
Another way to ask the question would be: Who is willing to SUFFER for this pen?
Anyone?
NO - why?
Because NO ONE VALUES the pen…ENOUGH to suffer for it...
We typically won’t suffer for things we value at less than $1...
*How many of you would DIE for this pen?
*How many of you would DIE for your kids?
What’s the difference?
- - What’s the base level difference??
VALUE!
Would I sell my kids to $100M?
That’s EASY to answer!
Why?
VALUE
My kids - to ME - are INFINITELY valuable…there IS NO AMOUNT of money that SUPERSEDES their VALUE in my heart!
THEREFORE - i WOULD SUFFER for my kids....UNTO death!
What did Paul just SAY in this verse?
Read it again...
12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order [that] they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
Do you see this idea of VALUE being played out here?
Paul says - the REASON that the false teachers PUSHED physical circumcision - was SO THAT they wouldn’t be persecuted - for PREACHING OTHERWISE - (the cross of Christ)...
See - the cross of Christ - IS OFFENSIVE to - THE FLESH
The cross of Christ - annihilates ALL WORKS-BASED religion…!
And BECAUSE that’s TRUE - the cross of Christ EXPOSES the PRIDE of the FLESH!!
The FLESH - CANNOT STAND the reality of FAITH ALONE in CHRIST ALONE...
And so WHEN faith alone in Christ alone is PREACHED - the FLESH FIGHTS BACK!!
It’s CALLED - Persecution!!
The Flesh - SEES NO VALUE in the Cross of Jesus Christ!
Why do you think these verses EXIST?
(ask why)
WHY?
Because the FLESH FIGHTS - AGAINST the Cross of Christ...
The Flesh finds NO VALUE in the Cross of Christ!
The FLESH is NOT GOING TO - SUFFER for the SAKE of the Cross…!
The FLESH WARS AGAINST the cross...
The Cross of Christ is the ENEMY of the FLESH!
And in the Flesh’s MIND - we don’t SUFFER on BEHALF of our enemy!
And so PAUL - looking out at the landscape of the Galatian churches - and seeing the BATTLE going on for the SOULS of the people...
Paul let’s the churches KNOW that the REASON physical circumcision is being PUSHED...
…is so that those PUSHING IT - won’t be PERSECUTED for ELEVATING the cross of Christ - OVER physical circumcision!
Do you see how - the MASSES can control people’s ACTIONS?
The Flesh PERSECUTES the things of the Spirit....
The Flesh of man finds NO VALUE in the cross of Jesus Christ....yet
Paul wasn’t AFRAID of persecution because - - he VALUED the cross of Christ!
He knew TRUTH is what was needed - AT ANY COST!
**Can we say the same?
Do we find ourselves - LIVING on MISSION…?
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