GRINDIT podcast

This is a concept I have heard all of my life and it has been completely out of context. What does Paul mean when he says, “You reap what you sow?” Is he saying like these ministries today, “If you sow money into my ministry and make me rich, you will receive a big ole blessing from God later.”? 100% no! That is not what he is saying at all! He is telling the church at Galatia to quit being conceited and selfish, to sow into the lives of others and help pull them out of sin. He is saying we are to have such communion, fellowship with one another that we can share burdens with another so we can pray for one another and walk along side of each other to keep us from falling. That...that is the context of “reaping what you sow.” If we sow into others, when we need help, they will be here to help but if we stay focused on ourselves, when the time comes that we need help, it won’t be there!

Every child dreams of becoming someone, something great, especially boys. We have a drive to hunt and conquer, to rescue the damsel in distress! We set out on a quest to become a hero, to win that battle! We set goals, we discipline ourselves and work hard to conquer them. Unfortunately, too many times we get so caught up in the quest and forget about the people around us. In fact, far too often, we use them to get a step higher on the ladder or to get us closer to the goal! Paul calls it being conceited, selfish, and the Greek word he uses says it is “empty glory.” No matter how much success we have, if we don’t have Jesus we have nothing. It's all empty! So big shot, how did you get where you are? Following God as you let Him lead? Or did you cheat your way there? Did you commit a lot of sin to get you where you're at?

Every child dreams of becoming someone, something great, especially boys. We have a drive to hunt and conquer, to rescue the damsel in distress! We set out on a quest to become a hero, to win that battle! We set goals, we discipline ourselves and work hard to conquer them. Unfortunately, too many times we get so caught up in the quest and forget about the people around us. In fact, far too often, we use them to get a step higher on the ladder or to get us closer to the goal! Paul calls it being conceited, selfish, and the Greek word he uses says it is “empty glory.” No matter how much success we have, if we don’t have Jesus we have nothing. It's all empty! So big shot, how did you get where you are? Following God as you let Him lead? Or did you cheat your way there? Did you commit a lot of sin to get you where your at?

We were asked to speak at Authentic Church during the Joel series. This is part 2 of a 2 part sermon.

We were asked to speak at Authentic Church during the Joel series. This is part 1 of a 2 part sermon.

While talking about freedom and that freedom coming from Jesus, Paul issues a warning to the church at Galatia, “Don’t use your freedom to gratify the flesh and its desires. He then posts a list of sins that gratify the flesh and in that list he says, “Those who do these and things similar, will not inherit the kingdom of God.” In the next breath, he lists the fruit of the Spirit and he says, “You’re free to do these things as much as you want.” Why? Because they bring glory to God. When God is holding our leash, and the Holy Spirit is leading us, the fruit we produce will show it.

Paul says to the church at Galatia, “Christ has set you free” and “You have been called to live in freedom.” Over ten times in this letter, Paul uses some form of the word “freedom”. What does Paul mean by “freedom”? If we only have true freedom in Jesus, then what about those who are outside of Christ? They are in bondage, but so are those who are trying to follow the law or work their way to salvation. Why would anybody choose bondage after being set free?

Paul tells the church at Galatia, “Yall were running the race with all you had, exerting all the effort you could, but something happened and it has hindered your running.” What happened? Circumcision. It’s hard to run when you’ve had a knife cut into private part! That is a lot of pain and it takes a little while to heal up! Paul uses two words in the Greek to explain what he means by “hinder” but we don’t fully grasp it in the English translations. Check out this podcast to see what Paul means and ask. Yourself this question, “Am I giving my all for Jesus? For the kingdom? Or is something hindering me from fully serving him?

Paul says to the church at Galatia, “So Christ has truly set us free.” What did Jesus set us free from? What put us in bondage to begin with? And the answer to that question is found in Paul’s letter to them, “The Law,” and in particular, they have listened to false teachers and have been convinced they, as Gentiles, need to be circumcised and follow the law. Paul makes it clear, if they follow the law, Christ is no effect to them, and they have been cut off from Christ. If you’re cut off from something, you have been removed and there is a separation. It goes back to the Garden of Eden, when man chose to sin, they were separated from God, and man has tried to reconcile that relationship ever since but everything we do is not good enough. It can only happen in Jesus!

Paul calls the church at Galatia his “Dear Children” and then he says he feels as if he is going through labor pains over them again. Why would he say this? A man can’t have labor pains because a man cannot have children. What did Jesus say to Nicodemus in John 3? “Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Paul has labored, his life threatened everywhere he went as he travels around spreading the gospel, telling people how be saved. Those that hear the gospel and are obedient, Paul calls them his “Children” because their new birth took place under his ministry. The re-birth process was hard but well worth it because when he gets results, there is joy just like when a newborn baby comes into the world. And now they are believing someone else’s teachings that is undermining everything he taught them and he says he is feeling those pains all over again.