How to Destroy Your Neighbor
Notes
Transcript
Ho Hum
Ho Hum
Freedom as a Chaplain in the US Navy
Go anywhere, talk with anyone
Meet with the Skipper, Admirals, etc . . .
Tons of freedom
Used for bad:
go places that benefit me
front of the line privilege
Used for good:
help advocate for a sailor
direct access to the decision makers to help others
There is freedom as a Chaplain that could easily be used for a personal benefit or advantage
This is what Paul is warning against here:
Christians should always consider the motive for the decisions they make
I am free to love myself or love my neighbor
WBTU
WBTU
Christians have the ability to freely choose service or flesh
Freedom
to be like Christ and love others over self
To be less selfish
Flesh - self centeredness, self over others
“love of self”
Service - others first, or at least equal
“love of others”
We are often forced to make a decision to love our neighbor or to love ourselves.
Context of the church in Galatia
Freedom from regulations of cirumcision
Not required for salvation
Yet, some may choose to
FI
FI
Religious practices in the church
Worship
Traditional versus contemporary
causes splits and division
Adiaphora - AH-DE-AH-FERA
The Lexham Glossary of Theology Adiaphora
adiaphora — A term meaning "indifferent things" which is used to refer to things that are nonessential to the faith.
Things not explicitly commanded or directed in the Bible
Elements of worship are commanded. God commands how he is to be worshipped: Spirit and Truth
singing, offering, communion, etc . . .
Some things are not plain in themselves and must be deduced by the HS impressing the conscience
We must be careful of making things too black and white, binary
We must be aware that some things are left to the individual and God
Alcohol,
COVID-19
response that it is a hoax
response of fear
response of indefference
Am I loving self or neighbor when I
practice social distancing, wear a mask,
are you trying to avoid something?
Or, are you seeking to love your neighbor and consider their health?
Memorial Day
Those who have laid down their life for their neighbor
“honor the men and women who died while serving in the military”
Originally known as “decoration day”
Started right after the civil war
Became a federal holiday in 1971 - Memorial Day
honor those who lost their lives in defense of their country
Love of neighbor
First day of summer
Many take trips and travel in freedom due to the sacrifice of these individuals
Why would someone lay down their life for their neighbor?
We would hope that as Christians we would do the same out of love for them.
Paul is pointing to the freedom we have, not for selfish gain, but for love of our neighbor
So What?
So What?
We are no longer a slave to our flesh - our self centeredness and our desires
Imagine if Christians led in putting the love of their neighbor above themselves.
Society promotes looking out for self
Consumerist mindset - It is all about me and my needs
Commercials: “You deserve” “You need” “You must see” “You must experience”
Christians are called to put others before themselves:
Paul in Acts 20:
Paul calls the elders of Ephesus to Miletus
Paul discusses servant leadership
Uses himself as an example
concludes with the words of Jesus:
35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Message
Message
Jesus did not just teach this: He lived it:
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Jesus loves us (redeemer):
He died for us/ went to the cross for us
He forgives us our sins
Jesus prays for us (High Priest)
Prays to God to be like him
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
The believer has the love of Jesus by being united to him
The love of Jesus dwells within us
Christians, who have the spirit of Christ, have freedom to love their neighbor.
If you are a believer you should be loving your neighbor. The law is summed up in this.
Are you loving your neighbor?
How do you know?
Paul warns that the opposite of loving them is:
15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Are you someone who seeks to bit e and devour?
Here he has in mind the practice of slander and tearing down our neighbor. The Judaizers who were pushing this agenda of circumcision could have been attacking Paul and the gospel. They were doing this through slander. This then fed into the congregation. Paul was reminding them that this behavior ends in destruction of the individual and the church.