BE WATCHFUL SO THAT YOU DON\’T FALL AWAY
Galatians 4:8-20
WHEN WE WERE IN THE WORLD WE WERE SLAVES
V:8 \”However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.\”
A. How is it that when you were in the world you followed the
ways of the world?
1. How is it when you were in the world you were held bound
by ways of the world?
2. When you were in the crowd, you readily followed the
crowd.
3. When you were in the crowd you had a crowd appetite.
4. When you were in the dark, you had an appetite for
darkness.
5. When you were in the world, you lack the wisdom of God.
6. When you were in the world, the world was your god.
7. Since idol gods are nothing, you had nothing for a god.
B. The world, your idol god, provided nothing of value.
1. The world, your idol god, was a constant drain on your
emotions, your trust and your pocketbook.
2. The world, your idol god, drove a wedge between you and
your neighbor.
3. People spent thousands of dollars to get to the super bowl
and came away with nothing but an experience.
a. An experience for some that ended in frustration and
disappointment.
b. An experience that made the rich richer and the majority
poorer.
c. They experienced the excitement for a few hours, now it
is just a memory.
4. Let me give you an example of how much influence the world
has on us, the church.
( I not trying to make anyone feel quilt, but making a
point about our focus.
There is nothing wrong with having a good time, but put
God first)
a. Just before the super bowl there was a plea from the
pulpit to help a totally incapacitated deacon of a church
who lost everything he
owned in a fire.
b. The majority of the church walked out without helping,
headed straight to their destination and some I am sure,
to a super bowl party.
c. The majority of the church missed an opportunity to
participate in the grace of giving. 2 Cor 8:7
d. We give our money to the world which gives back nothing.
e. We give up the finer things in life for things that have
no lasting value.
f. We have the SUPER BOWL OF FAITH which we exercise only
when we need something for ourselves.
IN CHRIST, WE ARE SLAVES TO HIM
V: 9. \” But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?\”
A. Now that you know God, you are no longer blind but in the
light.
1. Now that you know God, you are no longer without the
wisdom of God.
2. Now that you know God, you have been freed from the
bondage of the world.
3. Now that you know God, you have access to all God\’s
commands and the power of the Holy Spirit to understand
them.
4. Now that you know God, you have the power and the
authority of God to live a successful and profitable
life.
5. Now that you know God, you have experienced the grace and
mercy of God.
6. Now that you know God, you know the love of God.
B. How is it that you know the eternal God and still turn back to
the control of idols and worthless gods of this world?
1. How is it that knowing what the truth is, that you turn
back to false things?
2. How is it that knowing the light, you turn back to
darkness?
3. How is it that knowing what true value is, that you turn to
things that are worthless?
4. How is it that having been freed from the troubles and
frustrations of life that we run back to them?
KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT WISDOM
V:10. \” You observe days and months and seasons and years.\”
A. Paul makes the case, I know you are not dumb.
1. You know the days, the months the years and the seasons.
2. Not only that, you know what is to be done in each of these
time frames.
B. I know you have street knowledge and know how to
take care of yourself in this worldly environment.
1. I know that you are blessed by the almighty God.
2. You are not using the God given gifts you have.
3. If you were using God gifts, you would not look
like the world.
IT\’S NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW THE WORD, WE MUST APPLY IT
V:11. \” I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in
vain.\”
A. The Word of God cannot return void.
1. We have knowledge of the Word of God, but lack the wisdom
of God to apply the Word to our lives.
2. The Apostle Paul was concerned that the Galatians, having
experienced the Glory of God through their conversion were
back sliding and falling away.
3. The Apostle Paul was concerned that instead growing in
Christ, the Galatians were allowing themselves to be bound
by the Jewish traditions and rules of the Law.
B. Knowledge of God and faith in God are two different concepts.
1. All believers have a knowledge of God, but not all
believers exercise faith in God.
2. Pastors and teachers proclaim the Word of God with the hope
that there will be conviction of hearts and noticeable
change in the lives of the hearers.
LIKE THE APOSTLE PAUL, GET RID OF THE WORTHLESS THINGS
V:12-13. \” I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; 13 but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;\”
A. Paul reminded the Galatians that He was a Jew and once zealous
of the Law and its traditions. Paul laid all that aside to take
on the Christian faith. Acts 22:3
1. Paul admonished the Galatians to become like him.
2. He encouraged the Galatians to put away the traditions of
the Law to fully embrace their faith in Jesus Christ.
B. Paul had an illness that may have detained him in Galatia for
a time. 2 Cor 12:9
1. However, the Galatians received the message of God and
professed their faith in Jesus Christ during that time.
2. Initially the Galatians embraced Paul and became one with
him in the faith.
STIR UP THE GIFTS OF FAITH
V:14. \”And that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition
you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an
angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.\”
A. You cannot let you personal conditions stop you from
proclaiming the word of God.
1. Paul\’s illness turned out to be an a blessing to the
Galatians.
2. When we minister to others, that favor will be returned to
us.
B. The Galatians received the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a church
was formed.
1. Our personal conditions may become a catalyst to the growing
faith of another individual.
2. Initially the Galatians received the Word of God gladly
because it freed them from hopelessness of the Law and gave
them a new hope in Jesus Christ.
STIR UP YOUR DEVOTION TO CHRIST
V:15. \” Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear
you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your
eyes and given them to me.\”
A. Initially the Galatians were so excited about their new faith
in Jesus that they would have gone to any length to embrace
Paul.
1. As time went, their excitement for the Gospel died out and
was replaced again with the hopelessness of the Law.
2. There were those who may have been waiting for Paul to leave
Galatia so that they could impose the traditions of the Law
as a condition of their salvation.
B. This proves that continued Bible study is necessary to maintain
our faith in the Word of God.
1. Satan is always on the job trying to find a weakness in our
knowledge of the Word to push false doctrine into our
beliefs.
2. There is nothing more profitable than personal study and
meditation of the Word.
THE WORLD IS YOUR ENEMY, NOT GOD
V:16-17. \” So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to
shut you out so that you will seek them.\”
A. The Jews who opposed the Christian doctrine made Paul an enemy
to the Jewish faith and their traditions.
1. While Paul was away establishing churches in other areas,
Satan was busy undermining the Christian Church.
2. We have to be on guard and watchful because a weak faith
can easily be destroyed.
B. The enemy wants to shut you out of the grace and mercy of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1. The truth is, once we confess our faith in Jesus we are
sealed to the day of redemption. Eph 4:30
2. Ignoring that fact, Satan wants you to feel hopeless in
your redeemed state.
3. It is Satan\’s desire to make you think God is your enemy
when trials show up in your life.
4. If Satan can keep your focus on the your circumstances
rather than the God who controls your circumstances, he
will succeed in sucking the joy out of your life.
BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
V:18. \” But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you.\”
A. It should be our aim to present ourselves as angels of light so
that world is drawn to us.
1. If we lift up Jesus in our talk and actions, He will draw
men to himself. John 12:32
2. We should resist the temptations to walk in darkness, so
others can see our devotion to Christ.
B. We ought to be Church folk in the Church and outside the
Church.
1. Evangelism gets it\’s promotion in the Church but is put
into action outside the Church.
2. In the Church, we are talking mostly to believers, but it
is outside the Church where we will find the unsaved.
Matt 28:19
BE CONSTANT IN PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH
V:19-20. \” My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.\”
A. It is our job to pray for believers constantly, because we can
easily be drawn away from Christ by our environment.
1. Prayer is a labor of love for the Gospel and those in
Christ.
2. It is our job to mother the weak with encouragement and
love as they grow stronger in their faith.
B. We can\’t be around the weak in Christ all the time, but we can
offer our prayers to God continuously.
1. Paul makes his plea personal; he says \”my children\”.
2. He takes responsibility for his children.
3. Parents should never give up on their children
4. The prayers of the righteous accomplishes much.
5. Prayer is a powerful tool that we must exercise.
6. Our prayers changes lives.
7. We never know how God works in our children lives
because of our constant prayer.
PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GRACE AND MERCY
Rev M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Parkway
Houston, Texas 77040
For more lesson visit me on facebook and my blogs
www.revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blobspot.com
