DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART, PART 2 (GAL 4:12-20)

SERIES: FREE AT LAST, PART 15

GCEFC: FEBRUARY 14, 2010

INTRODUCTION

1. So do you have concerns in life? I bet you do. I certainly do. Concern is pretty much universal in human experience.

2. I’m not talking about worry—I’m talking about a healthy concern for what matters to us.

3. We have concerns when it comes to our families. I know I have concerns about mine.

a. I have concern for my 2 children. My son, Danny will be graduating from college in 3 months. I’m concerned that he’ll be able to find a job when he graduates.

b. My daughter, Christina works in New York City and is getting a feel for what it means to be on her own. I’m concerned that she does well in this part of her journey.

c. I'm concerned that they both continue to grow spiritually. That Christ is central in their lives and not seen as an optional add-on.

d. I’m concerned that Marian and I will continue to have a strong marriage. That we both stay healthy through the years.

4. I’ve got personal concerns.

a. I have peripheral neuropathy in both feet from my back injury in 2003. I’m concerned that it not get any worse than it is.

b. And my back requires regular monitoring and care. I have other health issues with which I’m concerned. I'm concerned that my hair may be turning gray.

c. I’m concerned that I stay spiritually healthy. Being a pastor doesn’t make spiritual health automatic. I must invest in my spiritual health or it becomes unhealthy.

d. Most qualities require nurture and care, or they atrophy and weaken. The Winter Olympics started this weekend. Some of the most talented, best trained, best conditioned athletes in the world will compete.

e. But if starting tomorrow they stopped training and working at their craft—soon they’d be unable to compete at this level

5. I’ve got ministry concerns.

a. For our church as a whole—that we’re moving in the right direction and that our leadership team is on the same page.

b. I have concern for individuals in our church family. Some have serious life issues. I’m concerned that we’re growing spiritually as a church, as families, and as individuals in the body.

6. We all have concerns. I have my concerns and you have yours. Some of my concerns are the same as yours. Some are different.

7. Maybe you have more than me. Maybe you have less. But we all have them. Concern is an inescapable part of life. We’ll always have concerns to some degree.

8. But we need not feel alone. Or think that having concerns isn’t so spiritual. Even the Apostle Paul had concerns, so we’re in very good company.

9. In fact, the next section of GAL 4 addresses Paul’s concerns—3 of them involving the Galatian Christians. Let’s see what his concerns are and how they relate to us.

A. THEY’VE ABANDONED THEIR FREEDOM IN CHRIST (V12)

1. Paul’s first concern for the Galatians is expressed in V12: I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you.

2. Those who are honest will admit that the meaning of this phrase is not super obvious. In the original it may be even less so. It says: Become as I, for I as you.

3. But in the context he seems to be expressing a concern that the Galatians have abandoned their freedom in Christ. They’re no longer free—they’re enslaved again.

4. When Paul first visited the Galatians, it was apparent enough that he was not like them. He was a scholarly, itinerant, Jewish, Christian preacher.

5. They were average, stay put, Gentile, pagan unbelievers. They were different. But Paul wanted desperately to reach these people with the gospel. So he accommodated himself to them so they would connect to him and his message.

a. He describes his typical strategy in I COR 9:: To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law, so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I became all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

b. I think this is what Paul is referring to here. The Galatians were Gentiles. They were unlike Paul in many ways.

c. So without compromising his message or his character, he adjusted and accommodated himself so as to win an audience for the gospel.

d. Paul now enjoys freedom in Christ. He’s thrown off the burden of the law. He’s living by and under grace. He’s free.

e. He wants the Galatians to be like him. He wants them to throw off their shackles. To come out from under their legalistic burden and slavery.

f. He had become like them. Now he says become like me. You’ve been set free from the burden of legalistic righteousness. Please live like you have—live like I do.

6. So Paul’s first concern for the Galatians is that they’ve abandoned the grace of God and exchanged it for legalistic spiritual law keeping bondage. He’s deeply concerned.

B. HE’S CONCERNED THEY’VE LOST THEIR AFFECTION FOR HIM (V13-16)

1. But this isn’t Paul’s only concern. He has another concern described in V13-16. He says in V13: As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.

2. We know when Paul visited the Galatians, he was not well. There are several theories. A good one is that he contracted malaria somewhere on the bug invested south coast.

3. Then, in order to get some relief and recuperate, he sought out the cooler, dryer highlands of Galatia. So in a sense, he wouldn’t have gone to Galatia had he not been sick.

4. There are other theories. That he was pretty banged up from riotous attacks on him during his first missionary journey.

5. Others think he had some kind of disgusting eye disease. Some even think this is a reference to his so-called, “thorn in the flesh” he speaks of in his letter to the Corinthians.

6. We can’t be certain. But we know from the text that there’s a connection between his presence there and his physical health.

7. But that’s not even the main point. The main point is in V14: Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

8. So even though Paul was ill. Even though he was not much to look at. Even though his illness might have been a bit repulsive.

9. Still—the Galatians welcomed him gladly. They treated him like he was an angel sent from God. Like he was Jesus himself. Not a bad reception.

10. So what has happened? V15: What happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

11. Paul’s concerned that the Galatian Christians have lost their affection for him. He’s their spiritual father. He’s the one who led them to Christ through his preaching of the gospel.

12. Now they seem to have abandoned him. Now they seem to no longer care about what Paul taught them—or even care about Paul himself!

13. And he wonders if it’s because he’s told them the truth. Because now they’re being wooed away by false teachers who’ve told them what is not the truth.

C. HE’S CONCERNED THEY’VE BEEN LED AWAY BY FALSE TEACHERS (V17-20)

1. Paul’s third concern is one we can most relate to. V17: Those people are zealous to win you over. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.

2. He’s saying that the false teachers are zealous to win the Galatians over to their way of thinking. The way of the law and legalism.

3. By alienating the Galatians from Paul, they’re paving the way for their loyalty to switch. Once they’re alienated from Paul, they’ll be under the full influence of the false teachers.

4. Now, Paul says in V18: It’s fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good…

5. Being enthusiastic, and excited, and zealous is fine—when the purpose is good. But the false teachers are zealous for a bad purpose, not a good one.

6. What they want for the Galatians is harmful and destructive for them. So Paul’s concerned about this too. Concerned for those he cares so much about.

7. Concerned for his fellow believers in Galatia—who are being led astray from the truth he’s taught them.

a. Think how you would feel if you raised your children to value biblical truth. To live under Jesus’ lordship. To seek him and his wisdom.

b. Then, in their first week of college, or in a new job, they meet people who try to pull them away from long held values and beliefs. They try to undermine or destroy all you’ve invested in them.

c. I’m confident you would be concerned. I would be concerned too.

d. Those of you who have spouses. Think how you would feel if someone at work, or in the neighborhood, or anywhere began to alienate your spouse’s affection for you.

e. Would you be concerned? I bet you would. I would be too.

8. Now Paul is not just concerned. He’s in great emotional pain over what is happening to his beloved Galatians. It’s as if he’s in the pains of childbirth.

a. Now I’ve never had a baby. I’m pretty sure that the Apostle Paul never had one either. But I was there when both of my children were born.

b. I was there to “assist.” But that would be giving much more credit than I deserve. But one thing was perfectly clear to me—labor is not pleasant.

c. And Paul gives a metaphor to what he went through when the Galatians were being born spiritually. It was as if he was in labor until they were born spiritually.

d. But he’s saying that now he’s in labor again—in labor until Christ is not just born in them—but formed in them.

e. You moms who’ve had children. I suspect that you would not want to experience labor again for your children who’ve already been born.

f. For another child—okay. But not for the same child again. So we get an idea how Paul agonized over what was happening in these people.

9. Paul is so concerned, he wishes he could be there with them. And if he was there, he’d be able to talk to them and find out just what had happened.

10. But now he must settle for a letter. It’s the best he can do at this time. So he writes.

11. This last section is a powerful reminder of how important it is that we hang around with the right people. A lesson of how much we can be influenced by those we’re exposed to.

12. The Galatians had turned to grace under Paul’s ministry. But now, under the influence of false teachers of legalistic righteousness—they’ve turned their backs on grace.

13. We should never underestimate the power of influence. It can make all the difference.

a. Let me encourage you to consider those you spend time with. And to understand the nature of the relationship. I would suggest you look at relationships as one of 3 types.

b. The first one I’ll call: ministry. These are relationships in which you do almost all of the giving and very little of the receiving.

c. These are people you spend time with for their benefit. You encourage them. You support them. You influence them. You help them.

d. But being with them drains you. You come away needing to be restored and refreshed and reenergized. That’s okay, because you know this and accept this.

e. 1 PET 4:10: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others...

f. Another kind of relationship I call mutual. It’s the most fun. It’s the relationship spoken of in PRO 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

g. In this kind of relationship you give and you receive. You sharpen them and they sharpen you. You both grow. You’re both better because of each other.

h. It doesn’t mean you always agree or see things the same way. But over the long run, you both benefit from each other and the relationship you have.

i. The third kind of relationship I call: remedial. This is when you are primarily on the receiving end of service. This is when you need restoration and healing yourself.

j. You may not want to be in this position. But you may need to be there for a season. To pause, and listen, and learn, and change, and grow.

k. One of the most courageous things we can do is admit that we’re not well. That we’re out of balance. That we’ve lost our way. That we’re in trouble. That we need help.

14. I’m not suggesting that these are the only kinds of relationships we can have. I’m suggesting that it’s helpful to understand the nature of our relationships.

15. It’s wise to understand that certain relationships contribute to our spiritual health. It’s wise to know that certain relationships are destructive to our spiritual health.

16. It’s wise to understand that some of our relationships are all about our service to someone else. We get little or no return in the short run. But that’s not the purpose. It’s about them—it’s not about us.

17. And it’s wise to understand that there may come times when we need to be on the receiving end of ministry and service.

18. With a view toward restoration and healing. So we can then resume a healthy balance, which should find us living in the first two kinds of relationships long term.

19. That is, giving as an expression of our own growth and desire to serve those in need. And giving and receiving as a function of a healthy iron sharpening iron relationship.

20. Chronic spiritual unhealthiness is really not an acceptable option for a believer. Spiritual illness should not be permanent. It should be only a temporary imbalance.

21. It should be restored so you can resume your life as a growing and contributing disciple.

22. So no need to be concerned because you have concerns. They’re a normal part of life. They were a normal part of Paul’s life.

23. Concerns may even get us down. They may discourage us. They may cause us pain.

24. But they need not defeat us. They should prompt us to move into the battle and not shrink back from the battle.

25. And let’s heed the advice of 1COR 10:12, so that if you think you’re standing firm, take heed, lest you fall.

26. The Galatians are a good example of how we can be led astray. And how helpful it is to understand the nature of our relationships.

27. To realize that some promote health and balance. That some promote growth and mutual exchange. That some are harmful and destructive.

28. PRO 13:20 says it bluntly: He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.