Sermon Tone Analysis

Freed to be Free #15

Galatians 6:1-18

A Community of Freedom

 

Well our journey through Galatians ends today.

We’ve been off and on this journey since October, with a few side trips for stewardship emphasis and Christmas, for the New Year, Easter, and Mother’s Day.

As our journey began, Paul was addressing deception in the church.

A group of false  believers had infiltrated the church in Galatia.

They were, perhaps, trying to avoid persecution by trying to eliminate this “Christian sect.”

As Christians were being persecuted, Jews were being included since many saw them as a sect of Judaism.

So some were trying to eliminate the threat by calling Christians to embrace Judaism.

If this were not their focus, then they were trying to gain control of the Christians, to seize on their impact in the Gentile community.

Perhaps they feared losing their religious structure and so tried to exert control through fear and legalism.

Paul addresses first the integrity of the gospel that he preached to them.

The gospel of Salvation through Grace by faith alone is the only way to Christ.

Then he addresses the spiritual identity of the invaders.

He calls them, not misguided, not mistaken, not missionaries, no, he doesn’t call them brothers but FALSE brothers, who have infiltrated the church.

Then he moves on to the Importance of understanding and living by the Truth of the Gospel.

He helps us understand that observance of the law is impossible and never makes us right with God.

But only through faith can we be right with God.

 

Paul taught that OUR Spiritual Identity in Christ is that of Adult Sons of God, the true Offspring of Abraham, receivers of his promised inheritance that is the Holy Spirit of God bringing Christ into our heart.

Finally he moves us into the Intent of Freedom and that is True Freedom.

That is living Free.

Out of gratitude for grace, yielding to the Spirit and seeing the Fruit of the Spirit born in our lives showing ourselves truly children of God.

And so know, we will take in all of Chapter 6.

We could spend several weeks here but we will look today at the Grand finale to the apologetic of Paul …

 

Legalism takes in one narrow view on life

Legalism is a selfish attempt by some to feel better about themselves by bring about conformity from others to their faulty view of reality.

Legalism is self-serving

 

But the Grace of God

But there is a beautiful transformation that happens when Grace takes over

When Grace takes over, I don’t believe that I deserve anything

When Grace reigns I am grateful

When Grace reigns I recognize the collective need we each have for one another

When Grace reigns selflessness abounds

Where Grace reigns, Jesus is Lord

Where Grace reigns, there is a Community

 

Read Galatians 6

 

———————

com•mu•ni•ty \kə-ˈmyü-nə-tē\ n

1           : a unified body of individuals:  

          b      : the people with common interests living in a particular area

          c      : an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location

          e      : a group linked by a common policy

   

f      : a body of persons or nations having a common history

2           : society at large

3       a      : joint ownership or participation

         b      : common character : 

         c      : social activity : fellowship

         d      : a social state or condition

\\ Merriam-Webster, I. (2003).

/Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary./

(Eleventh ed.).

Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

 

Freedom was not given to become some individual out on your own

 

I am saddened when I see people professing Christ as Lord, professing to be born again, but then I ask them where they attend church, they say “oh I don’t have a church” …

Possible To Be Christian Without Church?

Question: Can I be a Christian without joining the church?

Answer: Yes, it is possible.

It is something like being:

A student who will not go to school.

A soldier who will not join an army.

A citizen who does not pay taxes or vote.

A salesman with no customers.

An explorer with no base camp.

A sailor on a ship without a crew.

A businessman on a deserted island.

An author without readers.

A tuba player without an orchestra.

A parent without a family.

A football player without a team.

A politician who is a hermit.

A scientist who does not share his findings.

A bee without a hive.

[1]

 

yeah you can be a Christian without Church but you are missing part of the purpose for which they were recreated, reborn in Christ Jesus

 

We are called sons of Abraham

We are Brothers in Christ

We are all adult sons.

Now if you haven’t been with us, we are talking about in a legal and wonderful sense all who are in Christ Jesus by Grace through faith have the same standing in Christ.

We are all entitled to full inheritance of all the goodness of God.

We are, in Christ, a Community of Faith

A Community of Disciples

A Community of Freedom

 

It is a beautiful painting that Paul gives us here.

Beautiful not because of its individual pieces but beautiful because of its overall picture

 

Paintings may contain colors and items that are more and less beautiful but together they are beautiful

Without the black lines and spaces to distinguish the shapes and colors, there would be no pictures.

So the beautiful thing of a community of freedom must also have dark and light, difficulty and triumph, sorrow and joy. 

 

1.

Bearing Burdens

 

  A. of Sin

    1.

Paul directs our thoughts with his first word “Brothers” – /adelphos – a brother … having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman/ – we are brothers in Christ, we are of the same family of the same tribe …we have a responsibility to one another as children of Grace and Freedom.

Paul is speaking to people who are in relationship with one another.

Jesus told us to Love one another so that all my know we are his disciples.

We MUST care for one another or we are no different to the world that is a survival of the fittest model.

But we know that none of us are fit for the Kingdom, none of us are fit for salvation, we must love and bear one another

    2.

the editors of this text, who added the verse numbers and chapter breaks sometimes break up thoughts and teachings in ways that will cause us to lose the train of thought if we are not paying attention.

That is why preaching progressively through books is beneficial to us. 

    3.

Paul has just taught us in chapter 5 the difference between deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

He finished chapter 5 by encouraging us to keep in step with the Spirit, literally to march to the drumbeat of the Spirit, thus forsaking the deeds of the flesh and giving way to the fruit of the Spirit … but then as we move to chapter 6 and speak of bearing one another Paul says “/if someone is caught in a sin … restore him gently … Carry each other’s burden’s”/

    4.

can you see the connection.

Paul is saying the battle to live according to the fruit of the Spirit is a difficult one.

And brothers will fall, but brothers do not turn their back on brothers but we don’t just put up with each other, we carry one another when necessary