Sunday sermon. ARE YOU SERVING GOD IN THE SPIRIT? Gal. 6:7-8 Paul provides wonderful lessons in these two verses. How many of your religious works are earning dividends with God? Are some of them really sown to the flesh instead of to God? Are we sometimes deceived regarding godly service? All of this is considered in these verses. Let us listen to God’s instruction given through this inspired apostle. Consider first: I. THE POSSIBLE DECEPTION (v7) “Be not deceived” A. Consider The Galatian Churches and Members. See (Gal. 1:6-9). The subject is not salvation but service. Paul had taught the true gospel way of service. Later, preachers came perverting the true gospel teaching legalistic doctrines. B. Consider The Deceivers (Ga. 6:12-13) Probably Pharisee converts from Jerusalem. Came as self appointed messengers from that church. Looked and sounded good. Paul taught that the indwelling divine spirit would lead to acceptable service. These taught self will in fleshly works for acceptable service. Used the Old Testament covenant teachings. Hear Paul (Ga. 5: 3-4). Also (Ga. 5:8). C. Consider The Method: A perverted gospel that really was not a gospel. How many Christian denominations today? Each has different gospel. How many people who think they are pleasing God are deceived? II. THE MOCKERY OF GOD (v7) “God is not mocked” A. The Impossibility Stated: “God is not mocked.” God will not allow it. It is impossible to do what god only can do. It just won’t work. B. What Mockery Is Not. 1. Not by denying him. They had a strong belief and faith in God. The deceivers also knew God was real. 2. Not by Deliberate Disobedience. Their goal was to obey and serve God in an acceptable and pleasing way. They wanted to be good Christian church members. But deception resulted in disobedience. 3. Not By Moral Degeneracy. They were not indulging the immoral or ungodly lusts of the flesh. They were probably being more careful to avoid any appearance of these acts. C. What Mockery Is. Mocked here means they were trying to do in the flesh what God only can do through the spirit. They ere replacing God’s divine leadership through the Holy Spirit with the religious legal doctrines for service. III. THE DECEIVED SERVICE (v8) “For he that soweth to the flesh shall reap corruption”. A. The Controlling Force: The old flesh nature. Soweth to the flesh means yielding to the carnal nature or self will for behavior control. The ten commandment force. Regulates fleshly actions. Self will attempts to comply with the commands. The Pharisees had perverted even these commands to make them more restrictive. Self will fails and we plead for God’s mercy. But these preachers had come to Galatia teaching this as the gospel. B. The Present Day Deception. Church doctrine can be a deception. To serve by church doctrine only can be a mockery of God. Why? Church doctrine can be very different depending on denomination.Religious service in obedience to church doctrine withou Holy Spirit influence is sowing to the flesh. C. The Harvest of Deceptive Service: “shall of the flesh reap corruption.” The service intended to be righteous becomes corrupt. 1. Many devoutly religious people are lost and will reap everlasting condemnation. A corrupted gospel controls them. 2. Many Saved in false churches serve in the will of the flesh. They seek a church that satisfies their desires. 3. Many Baptists will have little or no reward because they are serving in the will of the flesh instead of in the spirit. Church attendance when the flesh feels like it. Good works to satisfy the flesh. Regulating lives by church doctrine. IV. THE ACCEPTABLE SERVICE (v8) “but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” A. The Mystery of Godliness. When saved, a divine spirit is born within that will lead into the right service for God without the legal commands. Sowing to the Spirit means yielding to the Spirit to lead you into righteous service. 1. We Are New Creatures (2 Co. 5:17-18). We have a new nature that is born of God (1 Jn. 3:9). Called the “new man” (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). 2. We are to walk in the Spirit (Ga. 5:16). Being led of the Spirit, we are not under the law (Ga. 5:18). The flesh fights for control (Ga. 5:17). The works of the flesh make it a poor guide (Ga. 5:19-21). B. The Harvest of Spiritual Service: “Shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. The Spirit will equip us with all necessary to please God (Ga. 5:22-23). 1. If we submit to the Spirit, we will be changed with new desires and behavior. We will want to do things never before wanted. We will detest things once loved. 2. If we submit to the Spirit, we will be led to faithful service. To the right church, to the right baptism, to the right church attendance, to the right good works and finally to the right destination - everlasting life.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 13:54:16 +0000
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