LBC Sermons & Messages

Text: Galatians 6:1-10

Paul has spent this whole letter exhorting the churches in Galatia. False teachers had crept in and were leading Christians astray. Paul exhorts them to know the truth. They had the truth and followed it for a time. He exhorted them to use their Christian liberty to serve God the Father.

Now Paul encourages them to walk the walk. He once again shows them his love for them through the Lord. He reminds them of what a false teacher looks like and then Paul identifies a true teacher of the Word. True teachers are all about lifting up the Lord Jesus, they are dead to this world and do not worry about what the world will do to them, and they are founded in Christian liberty or sound Christian doctrine.

Then Paul tells them that as many that walk according to this rule, peace be upon them. When we follow the scriptures and allow Christ to rule in our hearts and to direct our paths, we have the peace of God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. When we do contrary to the scripture, we begin to live our lives according to our rule, we fall prey to Satan’s temping to the pride of life, I John 2:16. When this happens we have the opposite of peace to look forward to. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10:31. When we sin willfully, there is now just the wrath of God to look forward to, Heb 10:26. We must walk according to the rule of God.

Also, when we walk according to the rule of God, mercy and grace rest upon us. Is your life summed up by the grace and mercy of God? Are you continually living in the midst of God’s mercy and grace? If not, it is your choice. The opposite of a life of mercy and grace is a life of turmoil, fights, and bitterness. Christ came that we may have life and have it more abundantly, John 10:10. This world will chew us up and spit us out but we can have the peace of God ruling in our hearts and we can live in the mercy and Grace of our Savior. We can live in the presence of God and stand unashamedly if we have on the Armor of God and depend on His strength, Eph 6. Will you do it? Will you stand in the Gap?

Text: Galatians 6:1-10

One of my favorite John Wayne movies is True Grit. He plays a lawman that helps an incorrigible girl track down her father’s killer and brings him to justice. A Texas Ranger also shows up and tags along making even more of a mess. The young lady is a pain and John Wayne has to dig deep and find his true grit to see this man brought to justice.

What are you made of? How much will you take before you throw in the towel? What sort of man are you? Paul now encourages us to have true grit. In this day and age that we live in, God is looking for men and women that have true grit and are not afraid to stand up no matter what is going on around them or what happens to them.

Paul shows us what the false teachers are doing in verses 12, 13. False teachers are weak and fickle so they are zealous for external appearances. What matters to them is how they look. They want to be socially acceptable. Let me just say that truth is usually contrary to societal beliefs so standing on it will ruffle some feathers.

False teachers also are fearful of persecution. This is the main reason someone will change their beliefs. Mankind does not want to be persecuted for what we believe and Satan lies to us telling us it is easier to just relax a little bit. It will not hurt.

Third, false teachers are party people. Again, it is all about the external and what makes their lives easier. If it feels good, it must be right. God wants us to be happy, right? God wants us to be filled with joy and that comes from service to God.

Then in verses 14-16 Paul shifts to a true teacher of God. A true teacher will glory in the cross, II Cor. 12:9; Eph. 1; I Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17-23; I Peter 4:11. It is not about us at all. Secondly, they are dead to the world. The world cannot reward or hurt a true teacher, only the Lord, Gal. 2:20, 21; Luke 22:42; Rom 6:11; Matt. 10:22-28. Lastly, a true teacher rejoices in sound Christianity or Christian Liberty, James 1:27; Gal. 5:6; I Cor. 7:19; I Sam. 16:7; Eph. 6:6. So, are you a true teacher with true grit or will you be swayed by the times. Lets stand on the Word.

Text: Galatians 6:1-10

After Paul reminds us that we have Christian Liberty or the ability to serve the Father and please Him, he reminds us that God is the benevolent, vs. 1-6. James 1:17 declares that every good and perfect gift comes from God the Father. All that is good comes from above because God is the benevolent. God has not called us to go it alone. We are not just put out there and expected to complete all the tasks that God lays before us and be lonely and miserable. He gives us each other and has called us to be victorious as a team of believers or a body. Just as Moses had Aaron and Hur, Ex. 17, we have each other.

God also gives us those who teach of His Word. God has always given His Word to His people and illumination to someone to teach it. God used Moses. God used priests. God used judges and prophets. God now uses His Holy Spirit working through preachers, teachers, and through each one of us. What an absolutely, amazing God we have and serve.

God also gives us His grace. Only His grace can save our souls, Eph. 2:8, 9. There is no other way to find good standing with the Father, John 14:6. This same grace that saves our souls through no merit of our own is also the grace that empowers us through no merit of our own, John 1:11-16, II Pet 1:1-3. II Cor. 12:9 shows us that God’s grace is satisfying. The grace that we receive to become a child of the King is the very same grace that we simply have to cry out for to serve the Great King.

Lastly, God is the beneficiate, vs. 7-10. Not only do all perfect gifts come from God, He alone is the one that rewards. Therefore, God is not mocked, Titus 1:1-4. If I sow to my flesh, I will reap in the flesh. I may make millions and have all kinds of things but they are just that. They will have their end taking the little bit of happiness with it. If I sow to the Spirit I shall reap eternal blessings that will last throughout all of eternity and my joy shall remain, John 15:10, 11. Remember that God is the judge and He is not mocked. So, will you choose today to use your Christian Liberty and serve the Almighty and lay up treasures in Heaven that bring a lasting joy or will you serve this temporary, empty flesh?

Text: Galatians 6:1-10

Paul spends most of the chapter describing and defining what exactly Christian Liberty is. Once again it is the ability to please God Almighty. Also, we cannot please the Father unless we are His children only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His complete forgiveness. Once we are heirs of Christ, we then have the liberty to serve the Father.

Here, we get to the last chapter of Galatians and Paul is now wrapping up the message and giving it flesh. One way to serve others is to be the spiritual one and lift up those around you. Notice again that the one who is restoring is not required to be perfect but spiritual or trying to live a pleasing life to the Father. They are to do it with the Word of God and to consider themselves lest they be tempted as well.

Therefore, the one who is spiritual is the lifter. The spiritual one lifts up others and not self, Exodus 17. I admit, this is hard and is probably the area that I and others struggle with the most. In this life, we usually aim to please ourselves. We usually try to justify it in some weak way and go on living in our own little worlds.

All praise to God for He allowed Kathy and I to give over a third of our income to the church, camp, and other Christian ministries, but it is so easy to say, “I did my part. I gave money.” There is much more to service than giving money. I know that is not the usual message you hear from a pastor but I think God would rather have a church that is rich in truly loving on each other than one that is rich financially. God always supplies and it is all His money anyway. However, being rich in love is a fruit of choosing to allow God to work through us and He receives the glory.

In closing, Galatians 6:4, 5 show us that in order to be a lifter of others you must make sure you are lifting yourself. This is only accomplished through the renewing, daily walk with the Savior, a.k.a. Christian Liberty. We cannot do it on our own and we must be lifted daily by His Word. So, are you going to be the spiritual one to someone this week?

Text: Galatians 6:1-10

One must keep in mind Galatians as a whole when reading this last chapter of the book. The theme of Galatians is true Christian Liberty which is the ability to serve and please a perfect and holy God not a free pass to do what one would like. He also says along the journey, we will fall. All of us are subject to falling and will at some time, therefore, Paul now gives us some insight on restoration.

First, we must be restorable. None of us are perfect and we have to face the reality that one day and maybe many days, we will need the grace of God to restore us. We all make choices that make us disobedient to the Father and when we do, we are in need of restoration. We must be honest with ourselves, we must see where we really are, and we must see our depravity. We need God!

Secondly, we must be a restorer at times. We need to keep in mind that restoration is always the ends. We do not proclaim God’s truths just to make people uncomfortable. We proclaim God’s truths to exhort each other to be more Christ-like.

Notice Paul says, “ye which are spiritual…” Perfection is not a prerequisite but spirituality is. We must be living the repenter’s life to restore such an one. We also must restore with the Word of God, John 17:17, 8:32; Heb. 4:12. For it is the Word of God that is quick and powerful.

Notice also that you and I have the ability to be restorers. No matter what is going on around us and what others choose to do or not do, God can strengthen us to be restorers. The prophets of old all felt alone and many times were as God called them to stand in the midst of a people that hated them and God. But they stood and God blessed. Joshua put it this way and said, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Daniel also purposed in his heart no matter what everyone else was doing.

So, let us be the restorers that God wants us to be. Let us do it in the spirit of meekness, considering ourselves lest we fall into the snares of the Devil. Let us do it all to be the spotless bride that Christ is proud of and desires to use to reach this world.

Led of the Spirit
Text: Galatians 5:13-26

Have you ever tried to dig in the sand before? When the sand is hot and dry it is possible but very frustrating. You take out a scoop of sand to only have it fall in on itself. It seems like it takes three to four scoops just to take out one scoop’s worth of sand.

Our life and sin can be the same way. We know what we should and should not do and when we try to live righteously in our own power it is the same way. Galatians tells us several times here to walk in the Spirit and then we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Also, when we try to get rid of sin, we usually fail to put something godly in its place. When we have sinned for a while and then we stop, there is a void and it needs to be filled with something biblical or else we will fall right back into it.

When reading this passage, please keep I John 2 in mind. This passage also reminds us that we need to walk in the spirit for we are in a spiritual warfare. Then, we are told that Satan attacks us in three areas, (a) the lust of the flesh or physical desires, (b) the lust of the eyes or the lust of the mind, and (c) the pride of life or the desire to live the way I want to with no regard to God and His Word.

So today, let us do a little exercise to help us be victorious in our Christian walk. First, write down the seventeen works of the flesh. If you are human, you struggle with probably several of these. You may even have struggles with them for a long time and have not had the victory over them. Do you see any patterns in this list?

Then, I want you to make a list of the works of the Spirit and number the list. There are nine items in this list. Now, I want you to go down the list of the flesh and put the corresponding number of the Spirit next to it and the corresponding letter from I John. Many overlap so use the one that makes the most sense to you. For example, Adultery I believe is a 1a. If we know what to fill the holes with and exactly how to pray we can come up with a battle plan and be victorious. If you struggle with adultery, you know that this is an attack on the lust of the flesh. This will help in accountability tactics and also alerts you to Satan’s trip wires in the flesh. Be aware that Satan will try to get you into compromising situations and do not let it happen. Also, the corresponding work of the Spirit is agape love so now you can pray more pointed, you can memorize scripture about true love, and you can meditate on what true love is. So, allow God to use His Word to (a) open your eyes, (b) give you wisdom and then (c) to give you the victory.

Text: Galatians 5:13-26

Here Is Galatians, Paul gives us a little more insight on the liberty that we each have in Christ. You have probably heard someone say that they could do something because of Christian liberty. Christian liberty does not mean that you and I can do what we want to but rather that we now have the ability to serve the Father in a pleasing manner through our Lord Jesus Christ. No where in scripture do you find liberty as a free pass to serve self but rather on the contrary.

In the beginning of chapter 5, Paul tells us to stand fast or firm in the liberty we have in Christ. Once again, it is totally and completely in Christ and not in self. If Christ is our example and liberty is founded in Christ’s selfless gift of salvation then why is Christian liberty treated as a free pass to do what we like?

Romans 8 and James 1:22-f.f. both teach us that liberty is for service to God. Liberty in Christ is the ability to live to the Spirit over the flesh. Apart from Christ, we are enslaved to our own selfish desires and the flesh. In Christ we are new creatures that can live to God the Father through the Spirit.

In Galatians 5 we are told that our liberty should be used to serve others. In I Cor. 8 and I Pet. 2:16, this concept is repeated. It is interesting that the word used for serving is exactly that. It means to be enslaved to. Isn’t that an oxymoron? We are told to use our liberty to be enslaved. I do not know about you but that is not a very compelling case for Christian living. I like the idea that I can do what I want not the idea that I am to be enslaved to others. So, how does this all work together?

First, Paul reminds us of the words of Christ, “love thy neighbor as thyself.” It is all about putting others first, Luke 10:25-f.f., Phil 2:3. However, the key is found in verse 16 and touched upon in previous passages and that is walking in the Spirit. When we walk according to the flesh, we will fulfill the deeds of the flesh and serve self. When we walk according to the Spirit, the flesh is dead and we live to God the Father. Only through Christ do we completely have this ability. So, this week, are you going to use your liberty for self or for others as Christ did?

Text: Joshua 4:1-7

One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is when the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River. When they went over to the other side and the Lord had them take boulders and make a landmark so they would remember what the Lord did and then they would teach their children. It was Edmund Burke who said, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” I know this may sound deep but when we do not remember, we forget. This is why we have Memorial Day. If we forget the past and the payment of those who have gone on before us, we will forget it and then we will revert back to it.

Today, I want to call our attention to three aspects of God and ask that we dwell on them this week and not forget who God is. First, let us remember His holiness or His righteousness or His being set apart, Ps. 97:9-f.f.; Lev. 11:44, 45; I Peter 1:16. God is perfect. He is pure to the point that we cannot understand. This makes Him set apart and holy. This is why there had to be a satisfaction of wrath for law breaking. This is why God deserves all praise, glory, and our absolute best. Not only is God perfectly holy, but He then calls us to follow Him, Ex. 19, II Cor. 6:17, Jude. When God calls He enables, Phil. 4:13, II Peter 1:3. God wants us to be a called out people different from the world and holy unto Him and we can do it.

Second, we need to remember God’s Eternality, Ps. 102:11, 12. If God had a beginning or was created or evolved, then He would not be God and worthy of our lives. God has always been and will always be. In Gen. 15 He tells Abraham that He is Yehovah or the eternal, Self existing One. We cannot truly understand this in our finite minds but God just is. He needs no one or no thing He is all in all. Later in Ex. 3 He tells Moses that he is Hayah which means to exist or come to pass. God is Yehovah, therefore, he can do what He pleases and God is able to perform what He wants. If God calls, he empowers, Matt. 28, Acts 1:8.

Last, we must remember the payment that God made for us. God is holy and eternal and needs no one or no thing, yet He chooses to bring us into a relationship with Him through the pain and suffering of the cross, Luke 22:15-22. How unworthy are we? Each of us has broken God’s Law and we are doomed to an eternity in Hell, yet Christ came down to take our punishment and shame. He did this so we may be made in His image and likeness and brought into a loving relationship with Him. Let me ask you, what are you doing with it? God went through all this for you and what are you and I doing with it? If we do not remember who God is and what He has done, then we will squander our gifts. God help us to remember who You are and what You have done. Help us to teach those around us so they may know.

Text: Galatians 5:1-12

Let’s continue with Paul’s discussion about living in liberty. Once again, if we choose to live according to the law as a means to please the Father then we choose to bind ourselves. The law is a contradiction of liberty in Christ and a forfeiture of the blessings found in Christ. Through liberty in Christ we can now serve God and please Him accomplishing whatever God calls us to do.

Paul commends the churches of Galatia because they started well, vs. 6-9. They received the truth and ran with it. However, it was only a matter of time before they chose to lay aside the truth for a lie. We need to remember that Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, I Peter 5:8, and he is an angel of light, II Cor. 11:14. He is crafty and has a plan to destroy us all, Eph. 6:11. He takes the truth and alters it just a little at a time and before you know it, what we think is truth is no longer truth at all. Paul tells the churches in chapter 1 that he is surprised at how fast they were removed from the truth. Let me ask you, what are you standing on? Is it truth based in the Word of God or is it a series of lies? Did you used to stand upon truth and now have fallen through the craftiness of the Devil? Let me encourage you to dig in, get strong in the Lord, and stand firm upon the truth so you can live in liberty.

Paul also challenges them because they so easily were led astray, vs. 9. Truth is convicting especially for the believers. So, we try to water it down and misconstrue scripture to fit our needs instead of transforming our lives to coincide with the Word. It does not take much. If I made brownies and brought them in, who would share them with me if I told you the truth that when I was turkey hunting yesterday, I picked up some turkey droppings to study them to see what they were eating and a couple fell into the batter. It was only a little and I stirred it around good to make sure that it did not stay in one lump. That would be silly because now the whole thing is contaminated. One man fell from truth, Gen. 3 by believing truth that was twisted just a bit and now we all pay. Once again, are you living in liberty or lies, I Thess. 5:21, 22?

Text: Galatians 5:1-12

Paul finishes up talking about Christian liberty. He makes a couple of points that are worth repeating. One, it is only through Christ. It is not through keeping of the law, good works, baptism, etc. but through the completed work of Christ. Second, it is this liberty that brings us into good standing with the heavenly Father. It is this liberty that profits us and nothing else. All else is vain and in our own power.

Paul then goes on in verses 2-5 to tell us that the works of the law are a contradiction to liberty in Christ and a forfeiture of the blessings of true liberty. You and I can live in liberty and please the Father or we can choose to live to the law. The law tends to death and guilt and liberty tends to life and blessings. Seems to be a simple choice and yet so hard.

In verses 6-9 we see the fall from grace. We will discuss this section in part this week and finish up next week. In verse 7, Paul tells them that they started well. If you have directions from Londonderry, NH to Portland, ME and you start from Detroit, MI you will not find your destination, you will get frustrated, and you will waste great resources. You have to start from the correct point to follow the directions. The same is true in our Christian walk.

You have to start in Christ. The law convicts us and pushes us into the loving arms of the Savior. There is nothing you and I can do to gain favor with the Father apart from Christ. You cannot use liberty to please the Father and enjoy Him if you start elsewhere.

The second thing that all believers must do to start well is follow Christ in baptism. Matthew 3 gives us insight on baptism. It does not save us but it puts us in good standing with the Father because it is an answer of a good conscience, I Peter 3. Our natural, immoral conscience is made good through Christ and then it exhorts us to baptism. It shows what God has done to us through the work of Christ. If we do not follow God’s command and our new conscience in Christ, we are in direct rebellion to God and our relationship with Him is diminished. It is impossible to live in the liberty of Christ while in rebellion. Are you starting well?