Galatians 4:1-11 - 4 Reasons Why Following Slavery is Foolish (Part 1)

Remedy Church - 04/26/09

Crucified Christ week 11

This past week, Phud began another two part sermon. He covered the first two reasons why slavery is complete foolishness. I know that our initial instinct is to agree with this statement with a "duh, of course slavery is foolish" type of attitude; however, most of us willfully submit ourselves to slavery every day. If you are without joy, if you have difficulty seeing God as your father, or if you constantly return to a form of "do's and don't's" Christianity, then you are living like a slave. Read these notes, read the text of Galatians 3:25-4:20, and pray over your life.  We all have areas of foolishness, and most of us have at least a little bit of legalism in us.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

- The law cannot give you the inheritance

- 3 Reasons it is important that Christ was born under the law

1. Jesus was obligated to keep the law
2. By putting himself under the law, he could be our vicarious substitute
3. So that he would satisfy the requirement of perfect obedience

- We were "redeemed by his blood" - 2 Cor 5:21

4 REASONS (Only the first two this week)

1) Because you are a son, not a slave! God is you Dad! (Gal 4:1-7)

- Remember the prodigal son

- As a believer, you are no longer a slave to sin; rather, you have been adopted into the family of God

- Part of this adoption is God sending the Spirit into our hearts (Jer 17:9)

• Before regeneration, our hearts were dead and dirty
• The heart is the core of our being

* Notice that Paul reverts back to using his heart language when he uses "abba" for father - His emotion cause him to use his first language.

3 Ways we Revert Back to Slavery

1. ADDICTION (remaing/repeated sin)(whatever you struggle with)(Do you look any different than prior to salvation?)
2. GUILT (Underestimating Christ's atoning work)
3. WORSHIP (the lack thereof or worshipping something other than God)(sons worship; slaves work)

- If givng of your time and money or doing evangelism seem like duties rather than delights, then you are living like a slave.

2) Because you are RETURNING to being to being under the slavery of the law again! (Gal 4:8-11)

- Paul seems to be putting paganism (turning back for these Gentiles) and legalism in the same category

- An example of this in our day is moralistic, therepeutic deism

- Notice the emotion when Paul says "I fear that I wasted by efforts" - There is obvious despair, sorrow, and greif

- Do we have Paul's passion for the lost or backsliden?

MY COMMENTS

Paul exemplifies what a shepherd should be.  He not only planted churches and trained leaders, but he also looked after these flocks. One of the primary roles of a shepherd is to protect the sheep from wolves. Unfortunately, sometimes wolves can sneek into the flock undetected by the sheep. Paul refused to allow this flock to be led away and devoured by wolves. Galatians is a letter of protection.

Unfortunately, in American Christianity, most men who attempt to fight against wolves are labeled as trouble-makers or insensitive. Can you imagine Paul's letter to the Galatians being received by a typical American church? He would not have been asked back to preach at their next revival.