Sermon Notes: Distracted? based on Galatians 5:7-12
Introduction:
Are you easily distracted? If so, what
are some of the distractions in your life.
Go ahead and spend 30 seconds writing down some distractions that keep
you from the most important things (relationship with God, relationship with
family/friends).
Review:
·
Freedom (vs. 1)-Brad talked about how we
have been set free from slavery and the law.
Free AND Freedom-He used the image of a jail cell that has the door
opened but we stay inside the cell even though we have been set free. We can live like this as believers as we rely
on law or rules to guide us rather than Holy Spirit.
·
True Value (vs. 2-6)-Last week, Pastor
Brad’s points were about No Value, “Don’t Do & Must Do” or “Spirit in You”,
(Is there a checklist of Don’t Do/Must Do for believers or do we trust Holy
Spirit to empower/reveal Himself in us?-we as believers have a choice) and A
circumcision of the heart (change from the flesh to the heart)
Religion
(vs. 7-10)
·
Vs. 7-You were
running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
o Running in Scripture
§ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be
weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
§ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. (1 Corinthians
9:24)
§ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so
closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking
to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, (Hebrews 12:1-2)
o Distracted from Obeying
§ Judaizers
·
attempted to impose the Jewish way of life
on gentile Christians.[1]
·
There must have been something about the
Judaizers “that the new Christian believers were persuaded to abandon the
gospel of grace for their new theology of salvation by achievement and human
merit.”[2]
§ What are examples of this in the church today?
·
Vs. 8-This
persuasion is not from him for calls you.
o There is no question in Paul’s mind about the source
of this distraction. It is not God.
·
Vs. 9-A little
leaven leavens the whole lump
o Satan
does not attempt an avowed destruction of the whole gospel, but he taints its
purity by introducing false and corrupt opinions.[3]
o Pharisees/Sadducees-“Jesus said to them, “Watch and
beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 11 How
is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they
understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of
the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:6,11-12)
·
Vs. 10-I have
confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view…
o We have a choice.
o Legalism-Brad
discussed this 2 weeks ago. Are we going
to live by the law or by the Spirit? (2 Corinthians 3:5-11): “5 Not
that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but
our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us
sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the
Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.7 Now
if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that
the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was
being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the
Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in
the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it
in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory
has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For
if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is
permanent have glory.
o spirit of religion today-“uses fear and pride” “substitutes religious activity for the
power of the Holy Spirit” “keeps our attention on how well we are doing and on
how we stand compared to others not on the glory of God” “focus our attention
on works and on making comparisons, rather than on simply drawing closer to the
Lord” (Rick Joyner)
Relationship
(vs. 11-12)
·
Vs. 11-Why am I
being persecuted?
o Seems to suggest that the Judaizers are even saying
that Paul teaches circumcision as well.
Reminds me of Paul’s own words in 1 Corinthians 2:2-“For I decided to
know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
o The message of the cross is offensive. It causes us to
set aside our pride, control, and religion for the one message that saves.
Jesus died for sinners.
o Personal story of control and religion-I have
experienced some healing from spirits of control and religion in my own
life. Control focuses on self and what I
want, my agenda. This leads me to trust
God for results rather trying to control others or ministries. It leads me to
submit and surrender. Religion focuses on what I do, how I look, it leads to
compare, compete, and conceit (I am better than, Or I judge others). This leads
me to look to Jesus rather than people.
I see people as Jesus does and not as tasks or projects. People are to
be loved not fixed.
·
Vs. 12-Because
of Paul’s love for the church, he has very strong words against those who try
to distract.
o In regard to this group preaching circumcision
(procedure done on eighth day in OT and sign of covenant)-Genesis 17:9-14
o Emasculate-castration
§ attacks
against Paul’s ministry so frustrated him that he allows a sarcastic remark to
finalize his disgust with the Judaizers’ preoccupation with the outward rite of
circumcision[5]
Response:
Confession and Repentance
·
Confess the
things that distract you from most important things. Thank Father, Son and
Spirit that they empower us to focus on main thing (Hebrews 12:2-fix your eyes
on Jesus)
·
Repent of legalism
& spirits of control and religion (things that lead us to focus on law vs.
gospel, bondage/rigidity/formula rather than freedom, winning vs. submission,
pride/arrogance vs. humility, task vs. person, rules vs. relationships, Letter/Flesh
vs. Spirit)
[3]
Calvin, J., & Pringle, W. (2010). Commentaries on the
Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians (p. 154).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[4]
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible
exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 716). Wheaton, IL: Victor
Books.
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