What Does the Church Do?

What does the Church do? - Galatians 6:1-18 November 19, 2023 I was getting the van serviced last week and ran into an old friend and co-worker. As we were catching up, I learned that he teaches Sunday School at his church, where his brother is the pastor. He was commenting on how hard it is to get a good curriculum that focuses on the details - so to speak - of the Bible, not simply stories inspired by the Bible. Moments later, I dug back into this text, and realized that Paul is doing just that ... giving us the details of what the Church really should look like. While many other passages provide hints of what to do during the corporate gathering - to include the reading and preaching of the Word, prayer, and singing spiritual song - this passage in particular helps us to see what it means to be a community of believers. Follow along as we read Galatians 6 and conclude our series in this great letter from Paul: 1 BROTHERS, IF ANYONE IS CAUGHT IN ANY TRANSGRESSION, YOU WHO ARE SPIRITUAL SHOULD RESTORE HIM IN A SPIRIT OF GENTLENESS. KEEP WATCH ON YOURSELF, LEST YOU TOO BE TEMPTED. 2 BEAR ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS, AND SO FULFILL THE LAW OF CHRIST. 3 FOR IF ANYONE THINKS HE IS SOMETHING, WHEN HE IS NOTHING, HE DECEIVES HIMSELF. 4 BUT LET EACH ONE TEST HIS OWN WORK, AND THEN HIS REASON TO BOAST WILL BE IN HIMSELF ALONE AND NOT IN HIS NEIGHBOR. 5 FOR EACH WILL HAVE TO BEAR HIS OWN LOAD. 6 LET THE ONE WHO IS TAUGHT THE WORD SHARE ALL GOOD THINGS WITH THE ONE WHO TEACHES. 7 DO NOT BE DECEIVED: GOD IS NOT MOCKED, FOR WHATEVER ONE SOWS, THAT WILL HE ALSO REAP. 8 FOR THE ONE WHO SOWS TO HIS OWN FLESH WILL FROM THE FLESH REAP CORRUPTION, BUT THE ONE WHO SOWS TO THE SPIRIT WILL FROM THE SPIRIT REAP ETERNAL LIFE. 9 AND LET US NOT GROW WEARY OF DOING GOOD, FOR IN DUE SEASON WE WILL REAP, IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP. 10 SO THEN, AS WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, LET US DO GOOD TO EVERYONE, AND ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH. 11 SEE WITH WHAT LARGE LETTERS I AM WRITING TO YOU WITH MY OWN HAND. 12 IT IS THOSE WHO WANT TO MAKE A GOOD SHOWING IN THE FLESH WHO WOULD FORCE YOU TO BE CIRCUMCISED, AND ONLY IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY NOT BE PERSECUTED FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST. 13 FOR EVEN THOSE WHO ARE CIRCUMCISED DO NOT THEMSELVES KEEP THE LAW, BUT THEY DESIRE TO HAVE YOU CIRCUMCISED THAT THEY MAY BOAST IN YOUR FLESH. 14 BUT FAR BE IT FROM ME TO BOAST EXCEPT IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHICH THE WORLD HAS BEEN CRUCIFIED TO ME, AND I TO THE WORLD. 15 FOR NEITHER CIRCUMCISION COUNTS FOR ANYTHING, NOR UNCIRCUMCISION, BUT A NEW CREATION. 16 AND AS FOR ALL WHO WALK BY THIS RULE, PEACE AND MERCY BE UPON THEM, AND UPON THE ISRAEL OF GOD. 17 FROM NOW ON LET NO ONE CAUSE ME TROUBLE, FOR I BEAR ON MY BODY THE MARKS OF JESUS. 18 THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOUR SPIRIT, BROTHERS. AMEN. Let's dive in, as there is a lot to discuss this morning. Here's the main idea from the passage: As the church, we fulfill the Law of Christ when we love our neighbors and love God. This section could be divided into three sections with a lot of commands. This is typical for Paul's letters as he closes. First, let's look at what it looks like to fulfill the command of ... * LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR (vv1-10): Paul says we can accomplish this in at least four ways. First, o Restore your brother (1) * The word restore is used elsewhere to describe a doctor to put back in place a broken bone, or a fisherman to mend a busted net. * The idea is to bring the brother in sin back into fellowship with God and others. * As we saw last week, we know that we are still prone to sin, as we still live with the flesh inside us. But because we have a community of believers, those who are "spiritual" - which means, "mature" - should come alone side the struggling Christian and restore him. * Verse 2 helps us to see how this is accomplished, and that is to ... o Bear one another's burdens (2) * The burden here describes something that is too "heavy" to pick up on your own. * Years ago, Steve asked me to help him move his camper shell from his truck. Could he have done it on his own? Sure, but it's much easier with another person helping - I know this from experience. * Sometimes a fellow Christian falls into something deep, and they need help. What's most instructive here is in the word "gentleness" in verse 1. * This means we listen, we support, and we help the brother along. * They know they've sinned against God and man, so it's our job to come alongside them, love them, and support them as much as we can * Often times, those of us who have not dealt with the same sin as this person don't understand how it affects them. So, we cannot discount their struggle. It may not be real to you, but I assure you - it's real to them. * This is why Paul spends a few verses on the command to ... o Be humble (3-5) * I think one of the hardest things to do is put others first. * When I worked in Human Resources, I used to joke that the most difficult part of the job were all the employees. They get in the way of doing projects or completing tasks! * We do that in the church too, don't we? * Especially when it's to deal with sin. For us, it much easier to give someone food or even money, than it is to come along someone dealing with sin in their lives. * Another challenge is that we ourselves may be dealing with something, so we must examine ourselves. * Recall Jesus' words from Matthew 7:3-5: 3 WHY DO YOU SEE THE SPECK THAT IS IN YOUR BROTHER'S EYE, BUT DO NOT NOTICE THE LOG THAT IS IN YOUR OWN EYE? 4 OR HOW CAN YOU SAY TO YOUR BROTHER, 'LET ME TAKE THE SPECK OUT OF YOUR EYE,' WHEN THERE IS THE LOG IN YOUR OWN EYE? 5 YOU HYPOCRITE, FIRST TAKE THE LOG OUT OF YOUR OWN EYE, AND THEN YOU WILL SEE CLEARLY TO TAKE THE SPECK OUT OF YOUR BROTHER'S EYE. * As we saw in verse 1, it is easy to sin, even when you're trying to help someone struggling with sin. * Here, Paul warns specifically against thinking we are or holier than the one that needs our support. * Finally, Paul says we must hold ourselves accountable. * That's what he's talking about in verse 5. * At the end of the day, it is our personal struggle against God. * Recall David's words in Psalm 51:4: AGAINST YOU, YOU ONLY, HAVE I SINNED AND DONE WHAT IS EVIL IN YOUR SIGHT * Even with the support of our brothers and sisters, only we can repent of our sins. * Think about it, though, being open with yourself opens the door to be open to others. * Next, Paul urges us to ... o Understand the law of reaping and sowing (7-9) * Following a warning and reminder to not mock God, Paul teaches us to sow the right seed! * For the farmer, this section would be very familiar. If he wants something, he must first plant the right seed in the right place, at the right time. * More specifically, Paul reminds us that when we sow according to the flesh, the flesh is what is reproduced, and if we sow to the Sprit, that fruit of the Spirit is what is produced. * So, there is personal holiness and producing good works wrapped up here. * Paul doesn't stop with what we are to sow, and that the law of reaping and sowing is inevitable, we also learn patience from this passage. In fact, verse nine reminds us ... * Don't stop, even when we don't see the results right away (9) * I couldn't help but think of the prophet Jeremiah, who, we presume, didn't have a single convert. * Or, maybe more personally, what about exercise? I've been actively training since April, and I have yet to see much of a difference in my appearance. That doesn't mean, however, that my body is not responding or that that I am not getting into shape, it just means that results take time. * Jumping back on Paul's farming metaphor, the farmer must be a man of faith, as he waits for his crops. James reminds us of this in James 5:7-8 when he says: BE PATIENT, THEREFORE, BROTHERS, UNTIL THE COMING OF THE LORD. SEE HOW THE FARMER WAITS FOR THE PRECIOUS FRUIT OF THE EARTH, BEING PATIENT ABOUT IT, UNTIL IT RECEIVES THE EARLY AND THE LATE RAINS. 8 YOU ALSO, BE PATIENT o We saw how fulfill the Law of Christ by loving one another, now let's see the other way we fulfill His law, by ... * LOVING GOD (vv13-16): First, we must ... o Put Christ first. Always. (12-13,15) * Paul points this out by revealing three issues. The first is ... * The issue of self (12) o Paul effectively recaps the whole letter in this final section, first by reminding us of the Judaizers and their desire to please themselves, not God. o They are more concerned with forcing others to be like them, than they are about a true conversion and submission to the Gospel of Christ. o As we've seen throughout this entire letter, they believed that they can play a role in their redemption. And, as we saw back in chapter 2, verse 21, we know that if that were the case, then Christ died for no purpose. o Next is the ... * The issue of hypocrisy (13) o See what Paul said at the beginning of verse 13? o He says, "these guys don't follow the law, but they're trying to force you to!" o Jesus warned against this too, in Matthew 23:27-28, He says this to the Pharisees: 27 "WOE TO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES! FOR YOU ARE LIKE WHITEWASHED TOMBS, WHICH OUTWARDLY APPEAR BEAUTIFUL, BUT WITHIN ARE FULL OF DEAD PEOPLE'S BONES AND ALL UNCLEANNESS. 28 SO YOU ALSO OUTWARDLY APPEAR RIGHTEOUS TO OTHERS, BUT WITHIN YOU ARE FULL OF HYPOCRISY AND LAWLESSNESS. o You see, we are incapable of following the Law, which is why God gave us justification by grace in Christ alone. Finally, and we won't spend much time here, he gives us ... * The issue of the Law (15) o We saw this just a couple of weeks ago in chapter 5, verse 6. o God, in speaking about David, reminded Samuel that He sees the inward man, not the outward appearance. * Paul, now brings us back to the Law of Christ, and reminds us to ... o Follow the Law of Christ, not the law of religion (14,16). We do this first as we ... * Boast in the cross of Christ (14) * Obviously, the cross represents the payment that Christ paid for. * Paul comes full circle, as he brings us back to humility. * When we boast in Christ, we take the boasting away from ourselves. * That allows us to love others, serve others, and to serve God sacrificially. * As we know from Paul in Philippians 3, he had every reason to boast, but the power of cross of Christ opened his eyes and saved him from being a slave to the world and to the law. * Then, Paul in his final words for us to love God, he reminds us to ... * Walk by the Scriptures (16) * That word "rule" in verse 16 is the word "kanon" which means "measuring rod" or "standard" o We use this word when we speak about the Bible and the books that it includes, the "canon of Scripture" * This means that the Scriptures, God's Word directs us, and guides us. * Look what Paul told the Corinthians regarding one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit, First Corinthians 2:12-13 says: 12 NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE SPIRIT WHO IS FROM GOD, THAT WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND THE THINGS FREELY GIVEN US BY GOD. 13 AND WE IMPART THIS IN WORDS NOT TAUGHT BY HUMAN WISDOM BUT TAUGHT BY THE SPIRIT, INTERPRETING SPIRITUAL TRUTHS TO THOSE WHO ARE SPIRITUAL. * You see, the Holy Spirit guides us to understand the Scriptures. * So, as we saw last week, we must walk by the Spirit, and we must walk by the rule of the Word of God. o Finally, Paul closes his letter to the Galatians with ... * SOME ENCOURAGEMENT (v17): His encouragement, not surprising in this section, comes in the form of a command, namely: o Be "marked" by Jesus * When I first read verse 17, I thought Paul was effectively throwing his hands up and saying, "Guys, I've done my part, I'm done. Leave me alone!" * But that word "marks" he uses is the same word that describes cattle being marked ... or branded. * You see! The encouragement here is that Paul belonged to Christ. Paul was a fellow heir with Christ, and we too are heirs with Christ. Therefore, we too, belong to Christ. This morning, we have seen that ... As the church, we fulfill the Law of Christ when we love our neighbors and love God. The church is a community of believers who love God and love others. In that love they serve one another, restore one another, bear one another's burdens. Personally, the Church consists of people who are humble, sow the right seeds, put Christ first, and have the confidence in the promises of God, knowing that they too are heirs with Christ. I hope that Paul's letter - while direct at times - was an encouragement to you. Paul loved this church so much that seeing them drift away was a painful thing for him to hear about. And that, precisely, is why God gave us the Church. Commentator and bible teacher Herschel Hobbs said it this way: "other than the family circle, there is no other fellowship than that of church relationships." Here's a better quote that I want to close with. The words from the writer to the Hebrews (10:24-25): 24 AND LET US CONSIDER HOW TO STIR UP ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD WORKS, 25 NOT NEGLECTING TO MEET TOGETHER, AS IS THE HABIT OF SOME, BUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER, AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY DRAWING NEAR. Let's pray. 2