Galatians 4:12-20
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SI: Paul continues his strong appeal to Galatians not to
reject the Gospel.
INTRO: I know you’ve heard one about man marooned on desert island 10 years.
When he was rescued, rescuers saw that he
had built three buildings.
What are these buildings?
This is my house—Many
a night it’s sheltered me from elements.
What about this
building?
This is my church—Many a Sabbath I’ve met
the Lord there.
What’s that building?
That’s the church I used to go to.
The old saying is that if you
ever find the perfect church—
don’t join it,
because when you do it will no longer be perfect.
When you read the New
Testament letters that Paul and the other apostles
wrote to the early
churches, realize very quickly that there were no perfect
churches back then
either—All of them had problems.
Case could be made that the
church with the most problems was church in
Few years ago someone wrote a commentary on
1 and 2 Corinthians.
“Twenty Controversies That Almost Killed A Church”
Compared to the Corinthian
church, the Galatian church just had one problem.
But it was such a bad problem that Paul uses
the strongest language
found in any of his
letters.
In one word, the problem with
the Galatian churches was legalism.
Paul calls it the works of the law.
Legalism is making some
religious ritual or moral behavior
one of the things
necessary in the formula for getting God’s approval.
The tricky thing about legalism
is that when it appears in a church or Christian,
it never denies
that Jesus is the Savior, or that he died on cross for sins,
or that you have to
put your faith in him.
It affirms all of those
things. But it also says or implies—
that real Christians,
true Christians,
those who really
have the stamp of God’s approval do certain things.
So a person or a church can
become legalistic and all the while
they are thinking
they are just becoming more serious Christians—
when in fact they are
turning their backs on the Gospel and on Jesus.
The Gospel is that you are a
terrible sinner but you are approved and loved by God
through faith in
Jesus Christ alone—not by religion or morality.
When you introduce a
religious or moral requirement to get right with God—
then you reduce Jesus
Christ to one cog in your program of self-salvation.
That’s what was happening in
the Galatian churches.
Their particular form of legalism was
keeping certain Old Testament rituals—
circumcision, holy
days in Jewish calendar, food laws.
These things not wrong in
themselves—when implied or stated that these
are what make a
real Christian—then you have legalism.
So far we have seen Paul use
a number of different arguments to show
Galatians their legalism and argue against
it.
His personal
experience—conversion, conflict with Peter.
Doctrine of
justification—logic that destroys legalism.
Biblical
example of the faith and salvation of Abraham.
Analogy of slavery verses sonship—what that means for Christian life.
Now, in this passage he makes
a very personal appeal and argument—
he reminisces about
the early days of the Galatian church.
Remember what it was like
when I first came to you, first heard Gospel?
Remember what our church was like back
then? Remember how sweet it was?
Now look at what it is
becoming under this legalism.
Contrasts the spirit and
attitudes of the church under Gospel, under legalism.
As we study this passage, I
want to draw out five of these contrasts—
between Gospel
church and a legal church.
As we do, want us to look at ourselves—body
and individuals.
One thing I’ve learned in
study of Galatians—easy to find examples in other
churches, in other
Christians—very hard to find in self, your church.
Nature of
legalism.
Not denial of faith in Christ—masquerades as
getting more serious spiritually.
Note takers: Two columns:
Gospel Church vs.
1. A Gospel
church is flexible, a legal church is rigid.
Paul starts by reminding them
that it was a physical illness of some kind
that caused him to
preach the Gospel to them for the first time.
vs. 13 “As you know, it was because of an
illness that I first preached the Gospel to you.”
Most scholars today think it
was a disease of Paul’s eyes.
“You would have torn out your eyes and given
them to me.”
Could be a
figure of speech: I’d give you the shirt
off my back.
But hints that Paul did have some kind of
eye disease that permanently
harmed his
vision. End of Galatians:
“See what large letters I use as I write to
you with my own hand.”
Incident in Acts where he
does not recognize high priest—bad eyesight?
Could this be the thorn in the flesh Paul
prayed God would take away?
But this is the point—He was
in
planned itinerary
or because of a delay in his planned schedule.
Either way, he was not
planning to preach to these people—
but his illness
caused it to happen that way.
This shows us that ministry
does not happen strictly according to human plan.
Paul had not targeted
but God brought him
there through an illness.
Certainly doesn’t mean that
planning is wrong. Paul continued to
plan.
Consistently targeted
large cities in his church planting.
But it does show us that God
providentially orders events in the life of church
and these can go
against the plans and programs we have in place.
The Gospel gives a church the
grace to be flexible.
Enables a church body to be
willing to let God edit plans and programs.
Our standing before God does not depend on
things working according to plan.
Legalism makes a church rigid
and resistant to God’s providence.
Disruption of plans and programs cause
despair or anger.
An inability to see that
God is at work.
Allison and I pray for our
Covenant Group on Wednesdays at lunch.
Pray that our lives bound together in
Christian love.
And, of course I always pray
that we will have a good attendance.
Few years
ago, one of those Wednesday nights where one after another cancelled.
Turned out only one couple
would be coming.
I was in legalistic gloom. Our Covenant Group is shot.
It’s not going according to the plan. What a lousy Covenant Group.
What will Steve Nyquist
say?
Guess what? It was wonderful.
Lord opened our hearts to each other in a
way that could not have happened
if even one other
person had been there.
God in his providence bends
the plans and programs of the church.
The Gospel gives a church gracious
flexibility.
Often times things we plan reach people we
don’t expect—
in ways we don’t
expect.
That takes away all glory
from us and gives it to the Lord.
2. A Gospel
church is welcoming, a legal church is alienating.
This contrast is very clear.
vs. 14 “You welcomed me as if I were an angel
of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
vs. 17 “What they want is to alienate you
from us so that you may be zealous for them.”
In those early days of the Galatian church, when the pure Gospel
was so much on
everyone’s mind, it made the church a welcoming body.
Paul reminds them of how
welcoming they were.
My illness was a trial,
you didn’t treat me with contempt or scorn.
Some commentators say in the Galatian culture,
blindness was
considered a judgment from the gods—cultural bias against
person with an eye
disease—like AIDS
Others commentators say that
Paul’s illness, whatever it was—
was particularly
disgusting. He was unpleasant to look
at. Eyes infected.
“Even though my sickness was revolting to
you . . .”
Whether it was a cultural
bias against people with eye problems
or simply physical
revulsion at a man’s disease—this is the point.
The Gospel enabled this young
church of young believers
to welcome Paul as
if he were and angel or Jesus Christ himself.
When a church has the pure
Gospel, free from legalism—
then you have a
group of people who all know that they did nothing
to earn God’s favor
and approval. It was all God’s grace in
Christ.
That provides amazing power
to welcome everyone as if welcoming Christ himself.
I will never forget a comment
a friend of ours made when lived in
She and her husband did not attend our
church,
another church of
different denomination, very different—raise eyebrows.
Telling us about woman in
their church,
come off the
streets from life of prostitution and drug use—embraced, converted.
Friend said:
Not the kind of person you have in your church.
She didn’t say that to judge
us,
more an observation
about the social make-up of community.
Our church was in a
well-to-do retirement community—
theirs in
blue-collar, ethnic part of city. But it
stung a little bit.
Wondered what would we do
with a person like that?
Would we have welcomed her as if we were
welcoming Christ or angel?
Notice Paul’s analysis of why
these legalists end up alienating—
so that you may be
zealous for them.
Interested
in people who can advance their program and agenda for church.
Because legalism—whether operating in an
individual or in a church
is about a program
of self-salvation.
A way of
proving acceptability before God.
It is impossible to welcome
people as if they were Christ himself
with a legalistic
spirit—because they aren’t going to fit in.
Even when do welcome
people—it’s because of external things—
not because of the
grace of Christ poured out on us.
Gospel gives church the
ability to be a welcoming body.
3. A Gospel
church is maturing, a legal church is regressing.
What was the goal of the
legalists? What did they want for this
church?
vs. 17 “that you may be zealous for them”
The wanted a church full of fans who were
emotionally dependent on them.
Why? Legalism is all about what we accomplish and
give to God to get approval.
Legalistic church leaders, legalistic
ministers do not do the work of ministry
because they are
sure of their salvation—do it to get security of salvation.
The way that most often
expresses itself is the need to have members need
them.
They need disciples who are wrapped up in
them—obeying them, adoring them.
This assures them that they are great
believers, approved by God.
What does that mean for
practical ministry?
“they
are zealous to win you over”
This is a way of saying: “They are telling you what you want to hear.”
They are tickling your ears. They are pandering to get loyalty.
This can be done in many
different ways.
Could be by being afraid
to say anything firm.
Could even
be very harsh. Some legalistic ministers are tyrants.
Attract people who love to have preachers
who make them feel bad.
Think haven’t gone to church
if don’t come away feeling bad—
because if feel
bad, must mean really paying for sins, getting right with God.
But what is the result of
this co-dependent loop of legalism?
In the end, what you have is spiritual
regression.
What was Paul’s goal for this
young church? The
exact opposite.
vs. 19 “My dear children, for whom I am again
in the pains of childbirth
until
Christ is formed in you.”
Paul wanted this church to be
maturing.
What an expressive way of describing
spiritual maturity: Christ formed in
you.
As if entire inner
life—thoughts, wishes, dreams—like Christ’s.
Then that will come out in your words and
deeds.
You might say, wait a
minute. Paul says in vs. 12 “Become like
me.”
But Paul is only being an example to the
Galatians in order for them to be
changed into the
likeness of Christ.
He’s not trying to get fans, he’s trying to get this church to follow Christ as he
does.
Paul doesn’t want the Galatians to get
dependent on him but on Christ.
One minister put it this
way: Paul doesn’t say “like me”, says
“become like me.”
He wants them to grow as
quickly as possible and become partners.
This is reinforced by this image in vs. 19
where he compares himself to mother
in labor—she loves
the child but wants him out and own his own.
When a church is holding on
to the pure Gospel—
Christ-formed-in-you maturity is the result.
One reason is because Christ
is constantly being glorified and praised
and men are
not.
Ministers, leaders are seen
in proper role as simply teachers and equippers
for the work all
called to do.
4. Gospel
churches are transparent, legal churches are guarded.
Throughout this whole passage
Paul is so transparent.
He reminisces about the good times they had
together in the early days.
He expresses grief at the way this
legalistic controversy has caused suspicion.
He tells them what he is thinking—how
perplexed he is.
This is clearly the pattern
Paul set in the early days of the church.
He lays it all out with them.
Go back to that fascinating
opening statement: Become like me.
That does not mean: Look at me, I’m perfect.
It means become like me in my total reliance
on Christ.
As you look not just at
Galatians but other letters—
realize that Paul
spoke very openly about his struggles, sins, failures.
Romans 7, tremendous passage
about how so often he doesn’t do
the good thing he
wants to do, and does the thing he hates.
2 Corinthians he speaks of
his times of despair.
Very open about his fears
and concerns.
Just as transparent about his
joy and confidence in Christ.
It had to be that in the
early days of the Galatian church—
with all these new believers
coming out of paganism—
that this rubbed
off on them.
They said Paul, that’s
exactly what I’m struggling with.
That’s such an encouragement to me.
That kind of transparency
comes from knowing the Gospel.
It is present in a Gospel church.
Listen to the way Tim Keller
puts it:
“The more you see your own flaws and sins,
the more precious, electrifying, and amazing God’s grace appears to you. But on the other hand, the more aware you are
of God’s grace and acceptance in Christ, the more you are able to drop your
denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions and character of your
sin.”
But what happens when
legalism comes into a church?
It becomes a guarded
place.
People cannot be transparent.
Have to old everything very close to the
vest.
Because
God’s acceptance rests on your performance.
So to admit failures and struggles in that
spiritual environment—
is to invite
questioning that you are really a Christian at all.
So conversations among
believers in a legal church become
more and more
guarded, more cliché, if anything—consistently upbeat.
There are lots of
qualifications I could add at this point.
About what to share who
whom.
Wisdom of keeping your mouth shut at times
and keeping certain things
between you and God
forever.
And about differences in
personalities.
But—Let’s
just take this point as a general principle.
In churches where the pure Gospel is loved
there will be a level of transparency.
In churches with a spirit of legalism, there
will be guarded speech,
tends towards cliches.
Transparency becomes
impossible because it is
5. Gospel
churches are flawed, legal churches are “perfect.”
This whole passage is
encouraging in a back handed kind of way.
In the same way I’m encouraged when I read
about Noah getting drunk,
David falling into sin
with Bathsheba, Peter denying Christ.
Those stories encourage me
because they show people who were true believers
loved by God, but
also sinners deep down to their bones.
That gives me hope that I am
also loved by God, even though I’m a sinner
and that a person
can be righteous with the righteousness of Christ
and still do
terrible things.
That’s a dangerous
truth.
You all know how easily you can turn that
around into indifference for sins.
And if you misuse this truth it can destroy
you spiritually.
But it’s a fact.
As Christians, aware of our sins, hyper
aware because of new life in us—
we find great
comfort in seeing the terrible flaws and sins of true
believers in the Bible.
There is comfort in the
failures of others—whether talking about
individual
Christians or whole churches because we learn through them
that real believers
remain deeply flawed in this life.
Here we have it in a whole
church.
A church that was founded by an apostle,
founded on the pure Gospel.
A church that had many sweet early days in
which they welcomed,
grew, were open
with one another—all out of amazement at Gospel.
But then they went through a
season of legalism—where those good things
dried up—got cold,
rigid, guarded.
I find that so encouraging to know that this trouble came to a church
that the great
apostle Paul himself founded and pastored for a time.
Because it means that as I
see these legalistic evidences in myself,
my ministry, and in
this church—it doesn’t mean all is lost.
The Gospel is for flawed
people and flawed churches.
When we think we are perfect, have none of
these tendencies
that the Gospel
ceases to amaze us and give us power.
Galatians has a happy ending.
Acts records Paul’s return visit to these
churches—makes no comment.
Which means that this was
a routine visit,
church had put this
unhappy time behind.
Churches go through stages of
legalism and grace—
always a way back
by admitting our flaws—and need for Jesus Christ.
CONC:
How do you end a sermon like
this?
I could end by saying: OK Christ Covenant—
let’s be
more flexible and
accepting of God’s providence,
more welcoming to
the downcast
more committed to
maturing spiritually
more transparent in
conversations with each other.
But that’s not the point.
Those are merely indicators of something
deeper—
What did Paul want for this
church? What should we want for
ourselves?
He wanted them to embrace the Gospel
again—the good news.
The good news is that we are
more sinful and wicked than ever dared to admit—
but we are more
loved and accepted than ever dared to hope.
In Christ we are righteous
sinners, honored failures—
adopted sons of
God, heirs of all his blessings.
When we get a hold of that—then
the qualities of the Gospel life—
will be present in
us.
What better place to do that
than at the Table—let’s go there now.