Sons or Slaves

Sons Or Slaves
Galatians 4

As the Apostle Paul penned the fourth chapter of his letter to the church in Galatia, he addresses further some of the issues of which we have spoken already in our study of this book.
Remember that the Galatians had grown in their faith since Paul had started their church some 3 or 4 years previous, but there had crept into their midst some who had been in this church scene much longer than they had.
These false teachers had come from Jerusalem and had convinced the people in the relatively new church of Galatia that they needed to be converted not only to Christ but to Judaism as well.
They would have to begin to observe all of the Jewish rituals and Sabbaths if they were to be real Christians.
It was not enough to go to church, read the Bible and listen to the Holy Spirit in a personal relationship with God.
They had to conform to the pattern of Old Testament law to be acceptable before God.

They were suddenly tripped up in their Christian growth.
Paul writes here to put down the false airs that had risen in their midst.
It seems the first thing that Paul does is show them that their advance into legalism is a step backward in their growth and a step down in their position before God.

READ TEXT
Galatians 4:1 ¶ Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
PRAY

Verses 1-7 show a contrast in Positions before God.
Paul begins by tracing their rise to the position of heir.
--They had before (in OT times) been "children of God," but had not yet received the promise and were therefore no better than slaves.
--Now they were redeemed and adopted children of God and enabled to act like sons of God.
They were no longer bound to the system of the Law as they were.
They were sons of God.
So we, when we accept the price that has been paid for our redemption, become the children of God and heirs of the promise of Heaven.

Galatians 4:8 ¶ Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
12 ¶ Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Verses 8-16 show a contrast in Practice of Religion.
Here Paul reminds them of how they used to practice their faith and contrasts it with their current system of religion.
--Their current religious activity appeared more like when they were idol worshippers.
--They became obsessed with following all the Sabbaths again.
--They used to accept Paul and his infirmities with open arm and with love.
--They used to be compassionate and giving.

Galatians 4:17 ¶ They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 ¶ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21 ¶ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Verses 17-21 show a contrast in Methods of Ministry.
Here Paul points out the different way in which these false teachers had gone about ministering to them.
They had made great changes among them, but only motivated by a desire to look good themselves.
--The false teachers had threatened to exclude them from fellowship if they would not conform to their system of religion.
--The false teachers were concerned with how their ministry made them look.
--The false teachers produced fake results, as their converts only conformed to their teachings when they were being watched.
IN CONTRAST:
--Paul dealt with them as his own children.
--He was willing to work hard for their benefit.
--He was only concerned that they become like Christ.
--He desired to work with them and help them to grow personally.

Galatians 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Verses 22-31 show a contrast in Symbolic Perspectives.
Here Paul uses an allegory to illustrate the two perspectives that existed within the Galatian church.
To understand the Allegory, we must quickly refresh our memory regarding the Old Testament story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar.
---Abraham was married to Sarah and was promised by God that she would bear a son who would be the child of promise, the one through whom God would bless the world.
Abraham and Sarah doubted God's promise and tried to manufacture their own plan.
Sarah gave her handmaiden, Hagar to Abraham to be a second wife, and Hagar bear a son who was named Ishmael.
Meanwhile God fulfilled His promise and gave Sarah a child who was named Isaac.
Once Isaac was born Sarah and Abraham threw out Hagar and Ishmael to avoid any conflict with the inheritance.

Isaac then was the son of promise and became the symbol of a God's plan working its power within us.
Ishmael then was the rejected son of the bondwoman and became a symbol of man's plan working its chaos and confusion within us.

Some insisted on sticking to their idea of religion and forced an entire system of regulations upon the church - in doing so they showed a lack of faith in God doing what he promises to do, that is make us all perfect in the end.

The right perspective is that of the children of promise.
We cannot manufacture our own set of regulations that will please God.
We must simply obey His explicit instructions and allow Him to do His marvelous work in us.

So it is when we come to Christ for salvation:
We do not come up with our own way of salvation.
We accept His provided way of salvation.

If you are here today and you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your only Saviour, let me encourage you to make that decision today.
Become a child of promise.

Christian Brother, Sister, stop trying to fit a mold that has been created by men and gauging your spirituality by that standard.
It will only rob you of your joy, and you will fall short of God's standard.
Surrender to His working in your life, He has promised to change you, and He will do so.

The Schoolmaster Says...

THE SCHOOLMASTER SAYS...
Galatians 3:15-29

It is early September, when kids are now back in school, and many are already looking forward to Summer.
Although I was mostly home-schooled as a child, I did attend various Christian schools throughout the years, and I recall the mixed feelings that I have had for different classroom teachers that I have had.
I was in love with my second grade teacher because she was pretty.
I was not so in love with the principal because I was always in his office getting a paddling.
I never put the facts together, which were, she was the one who regularly sent me to the principal's office.
It wasn't as if he had sent for me on his own.
I recall another schoolmaster I had, in ninth grade I went to a Christian school for the better portion of a year.
We had a Bible class teacher who was actually one of my favorite teachers.
We would often spend the entire class arguing about one thing or another.
The students would sometimes offer to pay me to get into an argument on quiz days in hopes that the teacher would forget to give the quiz.

Today I would like to introduce you to a schoolmaster that has been around since 1491 BC.
This schoolmaster was born 430 years after God promised Abraham that He would bless the entire world through the Jewish race.
This schoolmaster had a specific job and students that studied under him for nearly 1500 years.
Then there were certain developments that allowed every person to know from within all that the schoolmaster taught and much, much more.
This did not make the schoolmaster irrelevant.
Indeed, every person is born under the authority of this schoolmaster.
Let us read our text and learn what this schoolmaster has to say:

READ TEXT
Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 ¶ Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
PRAY

Once again we are stricken by the Apostle Paul's high intellectual tone.
He has poured so many truths into these few verses that it is easy to get bogged down in the depth of information that is in our text.
Let us look at these verses in short sections and get a grasp on the greater lesson of the passage.

Verse 15-16
Paul introduces the subject by referencing the Abrahamic Covenant.
This was a promise that God made to Abraham.
The promise was that He would bless the whole world through Abraham's descendants.
Paul's argument is that Christ was the fulfillment of this promise.

Now some of the people in the Galatian church saw that this promise was made to the benefit of the whole world, and they saw it as an affront to their Jewish elitism.
They argued that the law had been given to the Jewish people, and since it was, the promise was also only for the Jewish people.
In the next verse Paul argues that the law could not have disannulled the promise because it was 430 years later, not an addendum to the promise.

Verse 17, 18
Here Paul is saying that the promise has been in effect and is not altered by the law.

Verse 19, 20
Here is the question of Purpose in regards to the law.
Why was the Law given?
What purpose does it serve?
The law was given to indicate sin, to show the shortcomings of man.
The promise had given hope of blessing.
The law showed that the blessing was undeserved.
Moses had been a temporary mediator in the delivering of the law.
In this he was the "go-between" for the transaction between God and man.
He delivered God's law to man in this fashion.

Verse 21
This second Question asks if the law which was essentially a list of rules to live by replaced the promise of a Saviour.
The answer is definitely not!
No person could ever obey all of the rules and is then always in need of a Saviour.

Verse 22
The Scripture draws this conclusion:
We are all sinners and must by faith put on the righteousness of Jesus.

Verse 23
Before fulfillment of the promise in Jesus Christ, all people had, was the law.
The only way they could hope to live a life that pleased their coming Saviour was to follow the list of rules.
How have you done on that?
Do you follow the Big Ten?
Let's go through them:
1. Thou shall not worship any other gods

2. Thou shall not make a graven image.

3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath.

5. Honour thy father and thy mother.

6. Thou shall not kill.

7. Thou shall not commit adultery

8. Thou shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness.

10. You shall not covet.

So, how did you do?
Remember less than 100% is a failing grade.

This brings us to Verse 24
This verse tells us that the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.
This Schoolmaster has brought us to the realization that we are all sinners, condemned to die.
Jesus came as a Saviour, to all who believe in Him.
The Schoolmaster says you are lost, Jesus says, "I am the way."
The Schoolmaster says you are in darkness, Jesus says, "I am the Light of the World."
The Schoolmaster says, The wages of sin is death, Jesus says, the gift of God is eternal life.

It appears the Schoolmaster has done his job well.
We are all brought to this same point of desperate need.
How then can we escape the Schoolmaster's penalty?
It is only by trusting in Jesus Christ, who paid the price for your sin, that we can get out from under the Schoolmaster.
Verse 25
Then we are born into the family of God.
Verse 26
As part of His family we are given special privileges.
Verse 27
The Bible tells us that we are then baptized into Christ - the Holy Spirit of God come and dwells inside of us, to do for us what the law could never do perfectly, guide us into a Christ-like life.
This is the secret to living a victorious Christian life - we no longer have only a written set of rules - we have an indwelling Holy Spirit that constantly reminds and empowers us to live righteously.

This special privilege and this new life is offered to people of all races and both genders.
Verse 28

If you are here today and you have never reached the place in your life where you realized you were a sinner in need of a Saviour, won't you believe in Jesus today?
The Schoolmaster has been very clear over the many years - you need Christ.

If you have already trusted in Christ as your Saviour, look at your life.
Does it reflect a personal relationship with Jesus?
Remember, it is that relationship that is the key to victory.
You are no longer under the Schoolmaster - but we are motivated by love to do more than the law ever required of us.

The Work Is His

The Work is His
Galatians 3:1-14

Tomorrow is Labor Day, a day set aside to celebrate the rewards of hard work.
Labor is a gift given to man by God, although we seldom think of it in this way.
God gave Adam the gift of labor when he put him in charge of the Garden of Eden.
Of course things changed somewhat when Adam and Eve both sinned.
Their work was suddenly less rewarding.
Sin has a way of stealing the joy from what God intended as a blessing.
Even in our country, the concept of labor has changed somewhat.
America has been the hardest working country in the world for many years, putting more hours into the average workday than any other country.
However, America has fallen in the standings according to recent studies.
Americans are no longer the hardest working or the longest working of all the nations.

I have studied this to some extent and have come to a few conclusions:
1) Certainly the political viewpoint has changed, and this has affected the work ethic of our people.
2) Also, the societal mindset has changed to more of an entitlement society in which more and more of the blessing of this life are granted by the state as rights instead of earned by hard work.
The only result of this can be an overall slow-down in production and less work.

I have brought up these issues, not because of their political ramifications but because these truths about our society have impacted many hearts and minds regarding religion, and particularly, the salvation of our souls.
Today many people believe that salvation, the redeemed state of the soul, is a right for all people.
It seems more and more have begun to think that they are worthy of eternal life, and they deserve the mansion that Jesus is even now building in the New Jerusalem, which we call Heaven.
This is contrary to all that the Bible teaches.
The Bible clearly states many times that we are all sinners.
Last week on Sunday Night we learned that even the sin of lying earns for us the lake of fire that was prepared for the Devil and his angels.

However, just as in America, there are a few holdouts that know that all good things are earned by hard work.
Unfortunately, this too can lead to false beliefs about salvation and redemption.
Many believe that if they work hard to be good, God will bless them with eternal life.
Many believe that Christ's sacrifice on the Cross was a down payment on the mortgage of their soul, and they have yet to earn the rest of their soul's security by working hard for the rest of their life.
Such was the case with a little group of churches in the New Testament in the Roman province of Galatia.
They were hard workers, and for that they should be commended.
However, they were convinced that the work of Salvation was and uncompleted task.
They were of the opinion that the work of the ministry was their work, and they became possessive of it and proud of it.
They seemed to be doing all the right things, but suddenly the work was not so rewarding.
Paul, the Apostle addresses this problem with some powerful and logical arguments in Chapter 3.
Let us read our text and follow his line of thinking:

READ TEXT
PRAY

The first thing we might notice from our text is that Paul was an intellectual.
His arguments are powerful but a little complicated.
Let us try to break it down verse by verse, with the help of the Holy Spirit and see the major points that Paul is making.
Keep in mind the problems that Paul is addressing regarding a works-based salvation.
Remember that the Old Testament ritual law still looms large over Christianity and many have yet to understand the part that it has played in God's great plan for saving His people.

The first point that Paul makes is in verse 2
He did the work of sending the Holy Spirit. (Verse 2)
Remember, the Holy Spirit is always referred to as a person in the Bible, never a force.
The Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus to indwell every believer.
Jesus promised this:
John 15:26 ¶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Jesus also said that He must ascend into Heaven for this to take place.
It was a work that only God could do.
This was not earned by the hard-working, it was given to those who believed.

Paul asks the question, how did you receive the Holy Spirit?
Did you earn His indwelling, or did you simply believe?
Some would say that even faith comes by working at it, and Paul debunks that idea by referring to the process by which faith comes.
Paul made the same argument in greater detail in Romans:
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith is a result of Hearing the Word.
The Holy Spirit is sent to those who have believed:
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

The importance of the Holy Spirit is the sealing that He does.
He is not flighty like man.
He comes and seals the believer - securing his soul for eternity.
This work is His, it is not ours.
We do not deserve it, nor can we earn it.
It is his work
He did the work of sending the Holy Spirit. (Verse 2)

Now we move to the next verse and find the logical progression of Paul's argument:
He is doing the work of Perfection. (Verse 3)
Paul points out here that since we were unable to do anything to get the Holy Spirit, we can certainly not do the work of perfecting ourselves without Him.
It was a simple surrender of the heart that invited the Holy Spirit in.
It is a simple surrender of our lives that gives the Holy Spirit the leeway to make us perfect.

Many believe that once He has sealed us we must work hard to prepare ourselves for Heaven.
We must perfect ourselves.
This is what leads to burned-out Christians and forsaken ministries.
The work of perfection is not ours, it is His.
If you think that you are tasked with the awesome responsibility of perfecting yourself, you will follow this well worn pattern:
1) You will work hard and grow fast for a short period of time for all to see.
2) You will then get proud of the results and critical of everyone else.
3) Next you will be discouraged in the work you are doing.
4) Finally you will give up because your efforts are futile.

Unfortunately this is the pattern of many in the Christian life.
Paul wrote to all of his beloved churches with the same overall message in this regard:
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
The work of perfecting is HIS work, and I have but to surrender to Him and let Him do His job of perfecting me.
Verse 4 reminds the reader of all the suffering through which we all go in the process of perfection.
Let it not be in vain.
He is doing the work of Perfection. (Verse 3)

The third point that Paul makes is in verse 5.
He is doing the work of the miracles among us. (Verse 5)
This one is closely related to the first and follows the second in logical progression.
The work of miracles in this context is clearly the saving of other's souls.
Look closely.
The same words are used as in verse 2 reminding us that no one is saved by the works of the law.
Rather, they simply believe after hearing the Word of God.
God is the One giving the Spirit to people and miraculously saving their souls.
It is not our cleverness or our hard work that produces children of God.
It is His work.
When we are able to lead someone to Christ, it means we were able to get out of the way enough to let HIM work.
It is a sign of maturity and spiritual depth in our lives when we are used in this fashion.

The Galatians knew of the importance of people being miraculously saved.
They knew they should be involved in soul-winning and ministry, but they were cutting out the most powerful aspect of ministry.
They were leaving out the One Who does the work!

Let us not lead ourselves into discouragement in the ministry by thinking it can only be done by us.
In reality, in can only be done by HIM!
He is doing the work of the miracles among us. (Verse 5)

Paul slips into a history lesson beginning in verse 6 to bring us back to the place when God chose for Himself a people out of the nations of this world.
Then in verse 8 and 9 we see Paul's fourth point:
He planned this work from the beginning. (Verse 8,9)
I am a schemer.
That is my confession to you.
I think long and hard about every aspect of the ministry that we do here.
It would surprise you how much thought goes into everything we do here, from the order of service to what may look like instant decisions and accidental happenstances.
These things are often thought-out talked-out well-planned actions.
The problem with all this is that we have a tendency to think that if we don't plan every aspect of the work it won't get done.
The truth is, God has planned the work from the very beginning of time.
He has always known who will accept His offer of salvation to all men.
He has always known how things should go within His ministry.
My responsibility is not to come up with the plan.
It is to discover the plan.
This means I have to take my ambitions off of the table and let Him lead.
I cannot look to implement all my concerns.
He has already thought of everything.
He planned the ministry to the Gentiles even when He was giving Abraham the promises of blessing.
He planned this work from the beginning. (Verse 8,9)
And it is a perfect plan that has all things considered.

The next few verses lead into Paul's last point in our text.
Paul is here pointing out the great success of the Law of the Old Testament:
The Law proved the inability of man to meet God's standard.
It proved that we are all cursed by our own inability to meet God's standard of Holiness.
As verse 11 reminds us, NO MAN is justified in the eyes of God by his works.
It is only by believing in something much greater and more perfect than our works that we can claim eternal life.
Thus, the statement "The just shall live by faith."
Finally, in Verse 13 we see the great truth:
He did the work of Redemption. (Verse 13)
We were in debt because of our sin.
We had accrued so much debt to our account that we could never pay it off.
The word "redemption" is a financial word.
It implies a financial transaction.
Jesus laid down His own life on the cross and redeemed us.
We have but to accept that payment as the full payment for our sins.

Beloved, Let me encourage you this morning, the work is not yours.
It is His.
You can not do it on your own.
Only He can do it through you.
If you are here today without full assurance of you salvation, know this, He has done the work of redeeming your soul.
Won't you accept the payment He has made?
You have heard the Word.
Now believe.

The Great Equalizer

The Great Equalizer
Galatians 2

Last week we looked at Galatians 1, wherein the major theme was the Gospel of Christ.
The nature of the gospel was clearly set forth:
ITS MINISTERS ARE CALLED BY GOD ALONE.
ITS PRICE HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL
ITS POWER TO SAVE IS EXCLUSIVE
ITS MESSAGE WAS NOT INFLUENCED BY MAN
ITS CONVERTS ARE CHANGED BY IT
While this major theme continues throughout the letter to the Galatians, Paul also addresses some problematic issues that had risen within the church.
One of those issues was what the Bible calls "respect of persons."

This is the sin of preferring certain types of people above others and even pridefully acknowledging oneself to be better than other people for one reason or another.
This sin of respect of persons was a cancer within the church.
It was brought in by the Devil whose sole desire was to see the church corrupted.

It is out particular privilege and advantage to read the Apostle's letter to the Galatian church and avoid the same powerful temptation to sin in this way.

Let us read the text and see how Paul addresses certain false ideas that lead to respect of persons and lays out powerful truths that, if accepted, will keep a church from falling into this trap.

READ TEXT
PRAY

In Verse 2 we see something extremely important that is often lost in the study of this subject.
Paul showed respect for authority and wisdom in dealing with the elders - that is the spiritual leaders in the church.
One mistake that is often made is the assumption that, since the leadership of the church is no better than I am, I can disrespect them as much as anyone.
The whole point of the lesson here is that we are to defer rather than differ when at all possible, putting self aside and especially respect the authority that God has placed over us.
Paul was an Apostle called of God and charged by God with the preaching of the Gospel, but He did not seek out a public confrontation with the church leadership.
Paul wisely met with the leadership of the church to tell them what God had delivered to him and to let them know how he was going to preach this gospel to the church in Jerusalem.
God blessed that wisdom and discernment in Paul's ministry.

Verse 3,4
In the next few verses we see the first of several truths that Paul points out.
This first one debunks a commonly held belief in Christians throughout church history.
TRADITIONAL RITUAL DOES NOT MAKE ME BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE
Titus had not observed a common traditional ritual for the Jewish people and was being blasted by the elite group of traditionalists for being less spiritual because of it.
Paul points out the areas of our life which are within the bounds of liberty and are voluntary standards.

Verse 5,6
The second Truth that Paul lays out attacks the cult of personality.
Some people are more socially apt than others.
It is common among immature Christians to perceive social ability as spiritual prowess.
POPULARITY AND ESTEEM OF MAN DOES NOT MAKE ME BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE.
Paul points out that popularity is empty and counted as nothing to God.
While certainly, as Paul himself said, we are to live our lives without offense as much as possible, we need not find our value in the love of others because fame and recognition are fleeting.
The major point Paul is trying to make is for those who were distracted by the cult of popularity.
They were looking at the outside while God was interested on the inside.

Verse 7-9
The third major truth that I see is one that addresses an attitude that rears its ugly head in our fundamentalist movement even today.
NO FIELD TO WHICH I AM CALLED MAKES ME BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE.
It was generally accepted that since the Gospel came first to the Jews, the ministry to the Jews was of greater value and importance.
Paul is pointing out that the greatest position you could ever hold on this earth is the position to which God has called you.
We must realize that the field to which God has called us does not make us better than someone else.
Whether you are a missionary, a pastor, a Sunday school teacher or a toilet scrubber - when you are following God's will for your life you are in the highest possible position.

Verse 10
While the previous point allows for targeted ministry, Verse 10 makes a clear exception to the rule.
This truth is almost parenthetical in its layout with the others but important nevertheless.
NOONE IS EXEMPT FROM REACHING OUT TO THE NEEDY.
As I was raised in the ministry, I came to understand that weekly and sometimes daily calls for help from the needy were not to go ignored.
From the first day of ministry in Fort Bragg, Gospel Light Baptist Church has had a purposeful outreach to people in need.
As our resources have increased that ministry has become formalized and even named, but the driving force has always been to show God's love to people so that we might be able to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a fashion consistent with its nature.
Never forget it, when you help the least of these you do it for God.

Now we get into a portion of the chapter that specifically addresses the problem of respect of persons.
Remember that this speaks of esteeming certain people above others.

Verse 11,12
Here we see one Apostle needing to correct another.
Paul is on equal footing with Peter and points out publicly a sin which was committed publicly.
Such is the responsibility of a leader, if a sin of this nature is committed publicly, in that same forum, before any time passes, the spiritual leadership within the group is required to point out the error.
(It is important that we do not see this as permission to publicly rebuke those whom God has placed over us - 1Ti 5:1 ¶ Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; - There is a better way to do that)
In this instance, we see that certain things become clear:
RESPECT OF PERSONS STEMS FROM A FEAR OF MAN AND A LACK OF FEAR OF GOD.
Peter was afraid of what the Jews would think so he changed his behavior.
Had he only feared God, he would have stood firm in his fellowship with the Gentile brothers and sisters.

Verse 13
Verse 13 shows us that when we show respect of persons we lead others astray.
RESPECT OF PERSON IS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
Peter led others to join his "click" of elite Christians, not fellowshipping with the lower class Gentiles.

Verse 14
Here we see one more aspect of this sin:
RESPECT OF PERSONS BREEDS HYPOCRISY IN THE RESPECTOR OF PERSONS
Peter was requiring of the Gentiles something he did not require even of himself.
Such is the nature of this sin.
It makes hypocrites of the best of us.

Verse 15,16
One more truth is revealed before getting to the actual solution to the problem.
MY WORKS DO NOT MAKE ME BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE.
Paul points out that if we meet a list of standards or rules for the sake of conforming to said list, it is of no value to us in the way of Justification.
It is our faith that justifies us, not our works, and I can take no personal credit for faith - it is by nature a work of God.
Certainly we should understand that works necessarily follow our faith, but this is a result of the faith by which I am justified.
I may look like, dress like, smell like, and act like a perfect little Christian (and well I should) but that is not what makes me holy before God.
It is the righteousness of His Son that I wear.

Verse 17,18
These two verses are the most complex in the chapter.
Quite simply though, it means that Christ presides over our lives now as the Prime Mover and is the source of all my actions.
I no longer act simply to conform to a list of rules.
I act in response to His moving in me.
The obvious question arises then.
What if I sin?
Paul answers this, It is not that this is Christ sinning in me.
That would be unthinkable.
It is that I have pulled out that old man, the one who only knew the weak letter of the law, and I have placed that dead rotting carcass on the throne of my heart, displacing Jesus for the moment.
In doing this I am a transgressor - I am not supposed to do this.

Verse 19
here we begin to see the solution - I do not live by the rules, I live by the Spirit Who wrote them.
How can I be sure to never be a respecter of persons?
By getting out of the way and letting Him live through me.

Verse 20
Here we see the doctrine of self-death.
We must reckon ourselves as dead, crucified with Christ.
It is not that I no longer live - I live a new man, no, actually, it is Christ Who lives in me.
I then live each moment by faith in Him, whose blood was shed for me in love for me.

The conclusion is in verse 21 - where we are encouraged to not frustrate the good work that God wants to do in our lives by letting self get in the way.
This is why Christ died, so that we might live for Him.

The Gospel Of Christ

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
Galatians 1

Today we will be looking into the first chapter of a letter that the Apostle Paul addressed to the churches which were scattered throughout the province of Galatia.
The churches of Galatia were products of the ministry of Paul.
He had been powerfully instrumental in their founding and especially in their encouragement to continue and stay in the Christian faith.
The nature and motivation of this letter is soon revealed, as we will see in our text, and is this:
There had crept into the congregations some false teachers who were adding to the requirements of the Gospel.
These teachers were claiming that certain works were required for salvation.
They were not just encouraging people to change their appearances and their ways as a result of their salvation, but as part of it.
In doing so they were perverting the Gospel of Christ.
This first chapter sets a major theme for the entire letter as Paul reminds them of the nature of the Gospel of Christ and encourages them to reject any additions to it.

READ TEXT
Galatians 1:1 ¶ Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6 ¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 ¶ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.
20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;
22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:
23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.
24 And they glorified God in me.
PRAY

Whether you are newly a child of God or have been in His family for some length of time, the teaching on the nature of the Gospel of Christ is always an essential element in our spiritual growth.
We can never get too much of it.
We must constantly immerse ourselves in it.
It is the truth that set us free from the penalty of sin.
It is the truth that does now set us free from the power of sin.
It is this same truth that will someday deliver us from the presence of sin.
If you are here today and you are uncertain about your eternal future or your relationship with God, it is the nature of the Gospel that you must hear above all other truths, for it is what you need to be saved.

Let us dive right into the text and see the nature of the Gospel as Paul so concisely lays it out before us.
The first thing we see about the nature of the Gospel of Christ is regarding Paul's own call to preach it.
It was important to Paul that the people of the churches of Galatia understand that the democratic nature of church government does not translate into a power of the people over the nature of the Gospel.
So, the first element that Paul brings in at the very introduction of the letter is this, regarding the nature of the Gospel:
ITS MINISTERS ARE CALLED BY GOD ALONE.
This was important because many believed that the most popular ministers had the most authority.
Paul's argument is clear: I was appointed to this position by God Himself, and I cannot but deliver the message He has given.
It matters not what the most popular message is or what the people want to hear, because they did not call me to the ministry.
Certainly, as we see the democratic process by which major decisions are made within the church body, it is easy to see how people thought they could influence the message that was preached, but the ministers of the Gospel are called by God alone.

The next aspect of the Gospel of Christ that we see is in verse 4:
ITS PRICE HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL
This was the major problem within the churches of Galatia, and therefore the primary point that Paul brings to bear.
Even today Christians fall into the trap of thinking that their works are helping them gain a place in heaven.
Beloved, every work that is motivated by this thought is a work unrewarded, because it disrespects the price that was paid for our sins and for the deliverance of our souls.
We come to God with nothing to offer and we accept by faith the payment that Jesus made at the great expense of His holy blood.
We must believe that price has been paid in full or we are, in part relying on something else to save us.
That amounts to a perversion of the Gospel and dilutes it to the point of making it powerless to save.
Its price has been paid in full.

Verses 6-9 bring us the next aspect of the Gospel of Christ:
ITS POWER TO SAVE IS EXCLUSIVE
Paul's scolding here reminds us of the fleshly tendencies within us to drift away from fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
It was the Holy Spirit that called us to the gospel, and when we change the nature and the ingredients of the Gospel of Christ we move away from the Holy Spirit.
Paul marvels at how quickly some of the Galatians had done this.
Even in the church today, the trend is similar, to exchange the personal guidance of a personal Holy Spirit for a list of rules separate from God's written word.
Such a substitute often results in a perversion of the Gospel itself, claiming that only those who follow the published list are saved, when in reality it is the publisher of the list that has removed from the Holy Spirit.
Verse 7 discredits all other "gospels" as being powerless to save.
The Gospel is the good news of Christ, and there is no good news in the requirement of my works for salvation.
Paul even warns that reputable people or figures might come preaching a works based gospel - these figures were to be accursed because their gospel is powerless to save.
The Gospel of Christ is exclusive in its power to save.

Verses 10-12 reveals one more point about the Gospel of Christ:
ITS MESSAGE WAS NOT INFLUENCED BY MAN
This reminds us of the salutation in which Paul laid the foundation for his authority to preach the gospel.
Now he is debunking an age old myth, that the gospel came by the creation of man.
The gospel came straight from Heaven with no human influence.
It came with the stamp of God's certification on it and that stamp was inked with the blood of Christ.
Paul is hereby arguing that if the Gospel came from men, he would seeking to please those men from whom it came, but it did not.
It came by personal revelation from Jesus Christ.
The particular problem that Paul is addressing is that the false teachers that had been adding works to the message of the Gospel were claiming that their doctrine had come straight from "headquarters."
They were lying about the approval of the Jerusalem church on the doctrine they were disseminating.
Paul is effectively saying, even if the Jerusalem church were to authorize such heresy, it would not change the Gospel because the Gospel came from God and was not influenced by men.
Paul continues this argument in verses 17-20 and declares that he was able, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to understand the Gospel message.
He did not get the message from church headquarters, but from God Himself.
We must be certain that our relationship with God is with Him not just with a denomination or a church.

The last aspect of the Gospel of Christ that I see Paul emphasizing is in verses 13-24.
ITS CONVERTS ARE CHANGED BY IT
Paul lays out as proof of the power of the Gospel his own changed life.
When in the past he was a persecutor of the church, he was now member of it.
When in the past he was zealously against the faith, he now held it as his only hope for salvation.
This is where works come into the equation.
They are not a means of salvation.
They are a result of it.
Paul's entire demeanor changed because of the power of the Gospel to change a man.
This is a challenge to you and to me.
Have you allowed the Gospel to change you?
Do you talk different, walk different, live different?
Remember, your life and even your person is supposed to be a reflection of the purity and holiness of the Gospel.
This should affect your mannerisms, your appearance, your habits, your goals and your relationships.
I cannot judge whether God has reached down into your heart and changed it, but I should be able to see the difference in your life and your person.
Let us examine our lives to see if there has been a change.

If you are here today with no assurance of your relationship with Christ, let me show you how you can never be uncertain again.
Let me show you the message of the Gospel straight from the pages of Scripture.

For My Name's Sake

FOR MY NAME'S SAKE
Ezekiel 20:1-44

We are continuing today in our series through Ezekiel.
As I have studied chapter 20 for the past several weeks in preparation for this sermon, I have come under the overall impression of great mercy.
I have read many commentators' and preachers' writings on this chapter, and the general consensus is similar but with different emphasis.
One pastor, whose sermons I read regularly, preached from this chapter a sermon entitled "The Road of Rebellion."
I don't disagree with his understanding of the chapter, but I might phrase it a bit differently.
Ezekiel chapter 20 clearly maps out Israel's path from Egypt to Babylon.
It is a road that God's people traveled over a time period of about 900 years, one rebellious step after another, but while Israel's footsteps were characterized by rebellion, the road that they traveled was paved in mercy.

Let us read the first nine verses of the chapter to see the inquiry that spurred the prophecy and then the first of three legs of Israel's rebellious journey down God's road of mercy.

READ VERSE 1-9
Ezekiel 20:1 ¶ And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
2 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
5 ¶ And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:
7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

PRAY

The first portion of our text to which I want to draw your attention is verses 1-4.
In verse 1-4 and interesting thing happened: The elders, the leadership of Israel, for such is the generic term throughout Scripture for leaders, had come to the prophet Ezekiel to get instruction from the Lord.
This seems like a commendable thing at first, but then we see that God refuses to answer them and even insists He will not listen to their request for guidance.
We can assume a couple of things:
1.) Israel is not asking sincerely for guidance or God would give it. (James said, "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him.")
2.) Israel is not approaching God with Humility or God would not resist them. (God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble)

So we deduce that Israel has come before God's prophet for advice with a predisposition to do what they want instead of what God tells them.
Often this is how people attend church, although I pray not our own.
They have decided what kind of music they like and they have no intention of giving it up, regardless of what the Bible says.
They have their political positions and they have taken them off the table lest God require a change in this area of their lives.
They have their attitude and they approach the sanctuary with a firm grasp on their pride lest God should try to wrench it from their hands.
They make a show of attending church but they do not plan to change when God so instructs them.

This is how Israel's leadership approached Ezekiel and God saw right through their little facade.
God said, "I will not be inquired of by you," then He instructs Ezekiel to give them a history lesson.
God tells Ezekiel in Verse 4 to tell them about their fathers.

This is where we begin to map out Israel's footsteps of rebellion on a road paved with mercy.

The first leg of the journey begins with a Promise from God.
{God Says, "I promised them the Land of Canaan."} Verses 5,6
Along with that promise came a command.
{"I commanded them to forsake Idols."} Verse 7
Then we see Israel's response to the gracious promise and command of God.
[They Rebelled] Verse 8a
They clearly deserved God's unrelenting fury, but...
[They Received Mercy] Verse 9
God's reasoning in granting mercy is given in verse 9 as well, it is that same motivation that has consumed Him since before time began, that He might be glorified.
It is for His Name's Sake that He withheld severest judgment on Israel.

The second leg of the journey begins with Deliverance from Egypt.
{God Says, "I brought them out of Egypt."} Verse 10
Along with that deliverance came some requirements.
{"I gave them a system of laws and worship."} Verses 11,12
Then we see Israel's response to the gracious deliverance and requirements of God.
[They Rebelled] Verse 13a
They clearly deserved God's unrelenting fury, but...
[They Received Mercy] Verse 14
God's reasoning in granting mercy is given in verse 14 as well, it is that same motivation that has consumed Him since before time began, that He might be glorified.
It is for His Name's Sake that He withheld severest judgment on Israel.

The third leg of the journey begins with a Lenient punishment.
{God Says, "I gave them a limited punishment."} Verses 15,16
Along with that limited punishment came a chance for blessing.
{"I gave their children a chance for blessing."} Verse 17-20
Then we see Israel's response to the gracious correction and chance for blessing.
[They Rebelled] Verse 21a
They clearly deserved God's unrelenting fury, but...
[They Received Mercy] Verse 22
God's reasoning in granting mercy is given in verse 22 as well, it is that same motivation that has consumed Him since before time began, that He might be glorified.
It is for His Name's Sake that He withheld severest judgment on Israel.

Ezekiel's history lesson continues with more testimony of Israel depravity and rebellion in the face of God's consistently offered mercy.
God begins His conclusion and an application to the people of Israel in verse 33.
Ezekiel 20:33 ¶ As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

God is determined to rule over His people.
If you find yourself rebelling against God's gracious requirements in your life, know this: He is determined to be glorified as King and worshipped as God in your life.

Verses 34-37 show that God means business.
Israel has not voluntarily submitted as a nation to Him, so He has decided to gather them together to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Verse 38 shows that God will finally judge the rebels severely, and there will be found no place for them.
The indication is that God will bring them out from the bondage of their situation and give them the opportunity to submit, and if they won't, they will not enjoy the blessings of the promised land.
Beloved, God has released you from the bonds of your sin.
He has freed you from your slavery to substances and ungodly relationships.
Now He is giving you the opportunity to live a victorious Christian life, for such is the symbolism of the land of Canaan for us.
How will you respond?
Will you submit to His every rule, or will you rebel?
The victorious Christian life is not for the rebellious but for the submitted.

Verse 39 amounts to an ultimatum to Israel, and it can easily be applied to our lives as well.
If you will cling to your idols, your idols are all you will have.

I trust your answer to God's ultimatum is, "I will submit."

There can be no other proper answer.
No halfway commitments to God will secure the blessings of a fully surrendered life.

This decision to submit will secure for you an acceptance of your worship - Verse 40

This decision to submit will result in an acceptance of your life and a testimony to the lost - Verse 41

This decision to submit will result in a fulfillment of God's promises of blessing in your life - 42

This decision to submit will result in a deeper distaste for your sin and a greater appreciation of God's mercy - 43,44.

Ezekiel 20:44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

He has not dealt with us according to our sin.
He has paved our path with mercy.
Let us walk this road of mercy with steps of submission so that His greater purpose might be realized, for He has granted this mercy to us FOR HIS NAME"S SAKE.

Wait On The Lord

Wait On The Lord
Isaiah 40:28-31

This morning I want to bring you a message out of one of the most encouraging passages in Scripture.
You will recognize this passage because it has been used in greeting cards, inspirational posters, encouraging and comforting notes from friends and may even have been a source of strength for you in the midst of a trial in your life.
The passage is nestled in one of the brightest and richest books in the Bible, the record of the prophecies of Isaiah.
Isaiah had the distinct privilege of presiding over the reign of four kings and was instrumental in bringing his country back to the Lord.
The greatest distinction of Isaiah's prophecies is his clear and powerful predictions of a suffering Messiah.
It was the book of Isaiah that the Holy Spirit used to bring the Ethiopian Eunuch to Christ as Luke records in the Book of Acts.
I have followed Philip's example and have turned to this book to prove to many an adherent of Judaism that Jesus is the promised Messiah.
Today I want to focus your attention on just the last few verses of Isaiah 40 and notice how powerfully relevant the Scripture is.
When I read this book that was penned over 2,700 years ago, I am struck by the fact that it fits my needs today as if Isaiah has been watching a reality show of my life and was guided by the Holy Spirit to write these words for me.
Let us read our text this morning:

READ
Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
PRAY

The first thing you may notice about the passage we have just read is that it appears to be answering a question of the heart.
It is phrased so that it addresses an attitude of despair that has crept into your life.
If you read the previous verse you will see that attitude that was prevalent in Israel.
Isaiah 40:27 ¶ Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

They had been so immersed in the trials of the day and so overwhelmed by the difficulties of life that they had begun to allow doubt to creep into their conversations and more importantly, into their hearts.
The despairing attitude that God addresses has perhaps influenced you in your life as well.
My trouble is my own and God is either unaware or unconcerned.

Verses 28 and 29 are meant to dispel that attitude of helplessness immediately with a reminder of the character of God.
> We are not dealing here with a god who was fashioned by the potter's hands or the carpenter’s chisel.
This is the Everlasting Creator of the Universe.
> He is not a man that runs out of energy or interest.
He finds great pleasure in reaching out to the faint and making them powerful.
He reaches out to those who have no might at all and infuses into them the strength they need for the day.

Then we get to verse 30 where God addresses yet another wrong attitude.
The first one was an attitude of DESPAIR, and the second an attitude of PRIDE.
It may seem they are polar opposites, but in reality they are not far separated.
As a matter of fact they are inseparable.
One produces the other and they alternate in a spiraling display of self sufficiency.

Think about it:
Despair comes from the idea that we face our trials alone.
Pride is the audacity of thinking that we can or must face our trials alone.

Just as Verses 28 and 29 dispel the attitude of despair, verse 30 dispels the attitude of self sufficient pride.
Isaiah 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
It is not because you are passed your prime that you cannot handle the pressures of the day; it is because you are human.
The human body was not built to handle the pressures and trials of this life alone.
What made you think you could?
What made you think you had to face your trials alone?
Pride has way of bringing us to our knees, doesn't it?

Now we get to the promise that makes sense of everything - "the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

God promises to renew the strength of the faint.
God promises to give us wings as eagles to soar over these problems with the serenity of a bird.
God promises to give us the endurance to run this race day after day and year after year with our eyes on the prize and with a spring in our step.
God promises to give us the power to walk on through the trials and tribulations of this life without a sign of fainting.

But wait!
Did I leave something out?

These promises are not for every helpless man or woman.
These promises are not for every faint and weary person.
These promises are not for every lady or man who reaches the end of their rope.
These promises are not for everyone who despairs, nor for everyone that finds their pride a shallow well of strength.

These promises of renewed strength, serenity, endurance and power are for those who wait on the LORD.

The promises in this passage are conditional.
We must wait on the LORD.
This is our mandate.
This is the imperative of the text.
We must wait on the LORD.

We have already seen the motivation for obeying this clear command of Scripture.
1. We must wait on the LORD because despair is a sin.
2. We must wait on the LORD because pride is a sin.
3. We must wait on the LORD because He can and will help us.

Now let us see how we can wait on the LORD:

The Scripture is replete with this idea of waiting on the LORD.
In our study through the Psalms on Thursday night we have seen it again and again.
Eighteen times the Psalmist asks God "how long?"
Twenty-eight times He says, "wait."

To give you an idea of this theme, I recall to your memory the life of Christ, so powerfully forecasted by the prophet Isaiah:

When the disciples were caught in the storm on Galilee, Jesus tarried until the "fourth watch," sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. He could easily have rescued them at 9 p.m., and all could have enjoyed a good night's sleep; yet He waited.

Remember the time Jairus begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter who was at the point of death. Jesus started in that direction but paused to deal with the woman who touched the hem of His garment. He arrived at Jairus' house after the child had passed away.

Similarly, when our Lord heard that His friend Lazarus was sick, He tarried two more days in the place where He was, and Lazarus died.

Those involved in the trials could not see why Jesus did not move on their schedule.
It seems Jesus was on a different schedule than everyone else.
From the few New Testament stories I have just mentioned, we derive some of our greatest encouragement.
Each time Jesus was teaching those involved to Place themselves in His care and Pace themselves by His timetable.

What we are talking about this morning is surrender in no uncertain terms.
You must trust Him completely and obey Him while you wait.

God has carefully thought out what the very best overall timing is in your life, and His desire is to receive the greatest glory from your life, but it has to be by His schedule.

I want to encourage you this morning to place yourselves in His hands.
I want to encourage you to pace yourselves according to his timetable.
Surrender to it.

Remember, "The delays of God are not meant to discourage our faith, but to develop it,"

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Even in coming to Christ for salvation of our soul, we must place ourselves in His care with no strings attached.
Many have come to Him and have offered to go into a relationship as partners.
God doesn't work that way.
He cannot partner up with sinfulness.
He demands complete surrender:
A Recognition of sinfulness,
A Repentence of heart and
A Reliance on Him alone for salvation.

Will you Wait On The LORD?

Little In Thine Own Sight

Little In Thine Own Sight
I Samuel 15:10-17

Our text this morning is from the words of Samuel the Prophet to King Saul.
Saul is one of those characters in the Scriptures, whose primary benefit to us now is a series of bad examples.
One of those lessons is on the subject of humility.
The Bible is very clear concerning God's thoughts about humility and pride.

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Obviously, God has a distinct aversion to pride and self sufficiency, while He is inexplicably drawn by His Holy nature to lift up the humble and the lowly.
It seems that in God's system of leadership, the greatest leader is one who serves and remains entirely dependant on God for promotion.
Saul had, in his life a history of prideful actions that were motivated by his desire to be seen as "kingly" rather than as God's servant.
In our text we will pick up shortly after Saul has disobeyed God's explicit command to utterly destroy the Amalekites.
God had been completely clear concerning this command, and Samuel had delivered it personally to King Saul.
Then Saul had saved the king of the Amalekites and the choicest of the livestock and the spoils.

Let us read now beginning with Verse 10:
READ

PRAY

This morning, I want to draw your attention to the last verse of our text and bring you a challenge from the words of Samuel to Saul:

1Samuel 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

A great change had taken place in the heart of Saul.
There was a time when Saul was so honored that God would use him in the capacity of king that he couldn't believe Samuel's announcement to that end.

1Samuel 9:21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

Now we find Saul so self confident, so headstrong that he feels he can go against God's very orders and make his own judgment call in the field because, after all, he is king!

Samuel's rebuke caught my eye as I was studying for our teaching portion of the service and God moved me to bring this challenge to you this morning:

EVERY PERSON MUST BECOME LITTLE IN HIS OWN SIGHT.

It seems the world system is geared to defeat this principle.
For some reason, the most popular principle in educating children is to boost their confidence!
If we aren't careful we will raise a generation of confident idiots.

Proverbs 30:13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

Our children don't need to be set up on an unrealistic pedestal.
They need to learn to be humble so that God can set them up.
Our kids don't need to learn to love themselves, they need to learn that the only thing lovely about themselves is that God made them and that God finds value in them.
This is realistic.
This is foundational to a successful life as an adult.

We must become little in our own sight if we are ever to be used by God to do something great for Him.

Let us look to our text for some powerful motivation to become little in our own sight.

1.) Because Humility is the way to promotion in God's service. (V.17)
1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

2.) Because Pride leads to disobedience and rebellion. (V.8,9)
Psalm 119:21 ¶ Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Proverbs 16:18 ¶ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

3.) Because Pride leads to justification of sin. (V.13-15)
Verse 13 - Redefining God's command
Verse 15 - Blaming others for personal failures

The motivations to become little in our own sight are clear from Saul's own testimony as recorded in our text.

Now let us look for some practical instruction.
How can we become little in our own sight?

1.) By submitting to ALL of God's commands. (V.22,23)

2.) By admitting full personal responsibility for our sins. [(unlike Saul)V.24-26]

3.) By allowing others to see your contrition. [(unlike Saul)V.27-30]

Do you have a problem with pride?
If so, it is time to lower your opinion of yourself.
It is time to become little in your own sight, so that God may become greater.
John the Baptist was such a great example when he said,

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

This is what needs to happen in our lives.
It is only when we decrease that Jesus can increase.
One of the greatest limiters to ministry is pride.
It is only when I recognize that God doesn't need me, but that I need Him, that He will use me to do great things for Him.

Even when we come to Him for salvation, we come with a small opinion of ourselves.
We recognize that we are powerless to save ourselves, we can't even help.
We can only accept His free gift of salvation and submit to His provision of a Saviour in Jesus Christ.
Have you submitted to Jesus?
Won't you kneel before Him today?

Two Metaphors

Two Metaphors, One Lesson
Ezekiel 19:1-14

We left chapter 18 with the clear and powerful truth that each of us is responsible for our own actions.
We are not tied inexplicably to the sins of our father or mother.
We have a just and holy God, Whose desire was expressed most significantly in the last verse:
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
God wants us to live under the blessings of righteousness rather than the penalties of sin.
Our prophet Ezekiel is God's man sent to Judah and Israel with what has been at times a severe message of judgment.
However, we have seen at the edge of each dark cloud of judgment a silver lining of hope and bright rays of mercy and love from Heaven.

This morning we will be reading chapter 19, in which there are two intriguing metaphors to communicate God's predictions concerning the nation of Judah.

READ TEXT

Ezekiel 19:1 ¶ Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
7 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 ¶ Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

PRAY

On the face of it, the passage we have just read may seem a little dark.
However, upon closer examination and deeper study, we learn how relevant and powerful God's word for His people really was.
Remember that the prophecy we have just read was given to the people before any of it took place.
It was a prediction and a warning of coming events.

Let's take a look:

Right away, we are given notice that the theme of the passage is a lamentation - that is a sad statement, a mournful cry if you will.
Particularly, the sadness is regarding the leadership, the princes, of the nation.

Then, the first metaphor is laid out for us:
The nation of Judah and the city of Jerusalem in particular is the lioness in Verse 2.
Notice what is said of her in that verse.
The first thing is that she is laying down among the lions.
What does this mean?
Judah had become comfortable among the worldly nations and was learning the ways of the world and even raising the next generation according to the standards and customs of the world.
We get the idea that the hope of the nation, its youth and upcoming leadership, has been squandered on the ways of the world.
What kind of men will come from this sort of compromise?
Can we allow our children to sit in the seat of the scornful, watch their parents strive to be like the world and be nourished by the entertainment venues of a worldly system and expect them to not be affected by this?

Verse 3 shows us what kind of leader this compromise produced.
The lioness's whelp grew into a violent young man who had a penchant for hurting people.

Verse 4 reveals that the prince of Judah, Jehoahaz, had gained a reputation in his short reign for being violent and threatening.
The King of Egypt, Pharaoh Nechoh, sent his armies in to capture Jehoahaz and take him to Egypt.
2Kings 23:33 And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
King Jehoahaz died in chains in a foreign land because he wouldn't be the kind of leader that God wanted him to be.

As we see in the next verse of our text, Judah produced another ruler.

Unfortunately, as Verse 6 shows, Jehoiachim's first order of business was to look at the leadership of the nations around him and learn from their wicked ways.
He also became a menace and grew only in his ability to oppress his own people.

Verse 7 reveals a leader who was bent on destruction and produced nothing but desolation during his oppressive regime.
All the land was filled with his roaring.
He ruled for 11 years before the world could stand him no longer.

We see in Verse 8 that all the nations came together to take Jehoiachim in a trap.

In Verse 9 they put this troublesome king in chains and threw him into a dungeon in Babylon, never to bother his own country again.


From this first metaphor we learn an important lesson:
Compromise in child rearing produces leadership failures.

Now we get into the second metaphor in our text.
The nation is now likened to a vine.
Remember that the picture of Israel as a vine always emphasizes the personal relationship that God has with his people.

In Verse 10 we see the great advantage that God had given His nation.
She was planted by the waters, most likely this is in reference to the well watered lands of Canaan.

She did grow strong at first, and as shown in Verse 11, she produced the means by which a king could rule her faithfully.
Such is the blessing of God upon a nation that He loves and upon a people that He loves.
God puts us in an advantaged position today:
> with the water of the word in such close proximity and within our grasp,
> with the person of the Holy Spirit as our advisor, teacher, comforter, leader and guide,
> and with all the blessings of this church age in which we live.
We can grow into a people that produces powerful leaders that will point many to God.
The nation of God's choosing in the Old Testament, however, did not maintain that close relationship with God that was necessary to flourish as a vine.

God was not pleased with His people and Verse 12 shows that in His fury God Himself plucked her out of the ground and cast her down.
This was the final prediction that Babylon would come and ravage the kingdom of Israel.
Suddenly, what was full of potential was fruitless and dry.
Suddenly, what used to have such a plethora of leadership capability was devoid of any leadership at all.

Verse 13 predicts the carrying away of the Jewish nation into Babylon, which did take place in 586 BC.
To a nation that had once enjoyed the blessings of a close relationship with God, Babylon was indeed a dry and thirsty ground.
When we turn away from our abiding relationship with Him, we turn from the refreshing nourishment of the True Vine to a wilderness that is dry and barren.

Verse 14 wraps up the prophecy with a specific prediction that one of the rulers from Jerusalem, this is Zedekiah, would be the instrument of disaster that God would use to drag a nation into captivity.
While this passage may seem sad, and a lamentation it is, it is clear that we can take from it a positive lesson:


Compromise in our personal relationship with God produces enslavement, barrenness and destruction.

The two metaphors of this chapter remind us of the price of compromise in our family and in our personal walk with God.
Let us determine that we will not compromise.
> We will not raise our children in the ways and customs of this world.
> We will not be dragged away from an abiding relationship with God.

If you are here today and you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, let me challenge you to enter into a relationship that has all the potential of this life and eternity.
Then you can enjoy the blessings of a life without compromise.

The Star Spangled Banner

It was late August of the year 1814, and our young and fragile collection of states was once again in a vicious conflict with the overwhelming military powers of Great Britain. The war of 1812 was coming to a sad end. Although America had been set on a firm foundation by the leadership of George Washington some 30 years previous, she was fragile and inexperienced. This became evident in an horrific fashion as Great Britain overran Washington and burned down the Capitol and the Whitehouse in which then President Madison had been living. With Washington in flames, President Madison in hiding and the American troops on the run, the moral of our young country was seemingly shattered.

Great Britain then amassed its intimidating Naval fleet for one last crushing blow against the colonists with the intention of closing the deal and gaining back control of their colonies. The target was the town of Baltimore in early September. With the smoke of Washington on the horizon, Baltimore felt the menacing gaze of the British war machine. The town of Baltimore was guarded in part by Fort McHenry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Armistead. Armistead and the nearly 1,000 men under his command watched the growing strength of the British Army and Navy in the early weeks of September.

In the preliminary ground assaults on the city, an especially loved town physician, named Dr. William Beanes, was captured by the British forces and taken out to a prison ship. The broken hearted townspeople hurriedly put together an envoy to go out and procure the release of this non-combatant. Two men comprised this envoy, Colonel John Skinner and Attorney Francis Scott Key. They took with them testimonials of actual British soldiers who had received exemplary care at the hands of Dr. Beanes. On September 7th this small envoy sailed out to the British fleet under a flag of truce. The British commanders agreed to release the good doctor, but not until after the quickly approaching battle. The three Americans had seen too much to allow them to return to the town.

Within the fort, the attitude was grim and steadfast. They held little hope of victory, but, to a man, they were resolutely against surrender. Not completely without honor, the British admiral offered a simple sign by which the tattered American regulars might show their submission. They had but to remove the offensive stars and stripes from their prominent location flying high over the fort.
Upon receipt of this generous offer, Colonel Armistead commissioned a secret task. A woman by the name of Mary Pickersgill was paid the healthy sum of $405.90 to sew a gigantic flag that measured 30 feet in width and 42 feet in length. In the Colonel’s own words, it was of a size that “the British would have no trouble seeing it from a distance.”

Late on September 12th the British fleet opened fire on the fort to gain range parameters and set the ships in position. From the deck of the British frigate “Surprise” the three captive Americans watched through looking glasses in anguish and humiliation as the Stars and Stripes were lowered. But then, just as they were about to lower their looking glasses there arose a flag so great they could see it with the naked eye. The Americans had given their answer to the British fleet.

Before dawn on the 13th the guns of 16 British warships began a barrage that lasted for 25 hours. The noise was a deafening roar as, without a single moment of reprieve, the explosions rained down on the fort throughout the day. From their position beyond the range of fire, the three Americans watched with great emotion as their loved ones received the unbearable punishment of the bombings. They could not see how the men were faring or how much damage was being inflicted against their city, but they could, by the light of the sun, see that the flag was still standing. The merciless bombings continued throughout they day and into the night.

Now it was too dark to see the flag. Only when a bomb prematurely exploded in mid air close to the great flag could they see by the momentary red glare that it still stood. All night the canons roared as the British focused their attention upon the flag itself. “If they will not lower their flag we will lower it for them.” Suddenly, in the dark of the morning, the canons fell silent. The three Americans could not see through the darkness and tell if the fort had finally submitted to the foreign power on her shores. Francis Scott Key stood at the rail of the ship and strained to see as the sun began to give the morning fog a light glow. Then as the mists shifted and the ramparts of the fort became visible the sun lighted upon the shredded remains of the stars and the stripes. The wind revived the old flag and it unfurled in defiance of those who would have it torn down.

On that British ship, Francis Scott Key pulled a letter from his coat pocket and began to scribble the words with which we have all become familiar:

Today there is a battle set in array that far surpasses any during the war of 1812.
The battle I speak of is that one in defense of your testimony.
Like the brave soldiers at Fort McHenry you have a testimony of your convictions and beliefs and loyalties.
You have been granted the privilege and the responsibility to keep the standard of your captain flying high in the face of the barrage of this world.
All too often Christians lower their colors to avoid offence and too often submit to the forces of peer pressure and societal norms.
This afternoon I want to challenge you to take a stand.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Nearly 200 years ago, brave men of Fort McHenry agreed together that regardless of the consequences, they would stand together in defense of liberty and by no means would they allow the colors to be taken down.
Let us now determine that come what may, we will not allow His standard to fall.
We will stand together and fly the colors of our Christian testimony high and consistent for all to see, for certainly there are those who are watching.
They are looking for someone with a cause that is worth living for.
Won’t you decide with me today that you will stand for God and raise your testimony for all to see?