June 30, 2024 Gal. 5:13-25 “When You Woke Up This Morning, You Were on His Mind!”

27 Jun June 30, 2024 Gal. 5:13-25 “When You Woke Up This Morning, You Were on His Mind!”

June 30, 2024    Gal. 5:13-25     “When You Woke Up This Morning, You Were on His Mind!”

I ran across this little story and I like it so I’m using it.  It comes from Martin Wiles.  Doctors continually tell us how important it is that we get exercise. We are told that we need about thirty minutes each day. There are different types of exercise we can do to stimulate different parts of our body. There are numerous exercise machines you can purchase or use to exercise the various parts of your body. Gyms and other establishments are busy with people working their bodies. Yet doctors tell us that the best exercise we can get comes through walking. A good brisk walk on an exercise machine or outside is very good for the heart. Because of technology, more and more jobs require less physical exercise, so it is now necessary that we get it through other means other than at work. As walking is a key to good health, so walking by the Spirit is the key to spiritual maturity and a good witness for Christ.  I’m using the ESV today because it uses walking by the Spirit instead of life by the Spirit.  I just like that phrase better.  Either way, we are called to walk, live, do everything by the Spirit.

This a story that has been around for a while but I would like to use it even though I don’t know where it came from.  A soap maker, who was not saved, walked along the road with a preacher one day. He said to the preacher, “The gospel you preach has not done much good. There is still a lot of wickedness in the world, and wicked people, too.” Quietly they walked on.                                       The preacher did not reply to his friend’s comment until they passed a dirty little child making mudpies in the gutter. With this before them, the preacher spoke, “Soap has not done much good in the world, I see; for there is still much dirt in the world, and many dirty people about.”  “O, well, you know,” said the soap maker, “soap is only useful when it is applied.”  “Exactly,” said the preacher, “so it is with the gospel we proclaim.”  Remember this the next time you are reaching for something that you should not have or should not do.

Before we begin, let us take a look at the society surrounding Galatia.  These people had been under the Law for a long time, centuries.  So, they were very used to the Law as the status quo.  Even though they had become rather legalistic over the years, they still tried to be faithful to the Law.  They also lived in a time where just about anything went as far as religion was concerned.  So, there was this tension of the status quo and the new age religions of the time.  Then Paul comes along and introduces Jesus Christ to them.  They initially go great guns and are excited.  Then some false teachers come into their midst and they start to fall away from Jesus in a hurry.  This is just a quick idea of the mental state of the Galatians.

So, these people knew what they were supposed to be doing.  They were free and could indulge in anything that they wanted as long as it was not of a sinful nature.   This is a hard command for us today also.  We have a problem with being free and doing the right things.  We are, indeed, free to choose any behavior.  However, now that we are Christians, we don’t really want to do things of a sinful nature.  You are no longer the person who does all of these bad things.  You are free and want to do the things of Christ.  This will make you will be far happier.

The Galatians didn’t want to do these bad things but they had some leaders that were leading them astray.  Can you imagine that?  People deliberately leading you down the wrong path.  There are endless examples of this in today’s world.  Paul reminds them and us that you are to love your neighbor as yourself.  He warns that we are not to hurt and devour each other or we will soon be destroyed ourselves.

This is some pretty heavy stuff here.  We are commanded, not suggested, to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Because the Galatians were not doing this, they were becoming undone.  Let’s take a look at how we are doing in this department.  We have lots of changes to religion and how we are to interpret our Bibles.  Many churches are encouraged to only look at the social principles of the day.  It has become that these social principles have a higher status than the Scriptures, than God.  Whole denominations are being led by the pied piper of social justice while he leaves the Gospel message in the dust.  We have gotten the message totally backwards.  No matter what you are doing in life, always start in the Scriptures.  Then let God and the Scriptures take care of the social justice.  What we have happening in our world today is anything but social justice.

I’ve talked of this before.  When our children were young, they could be heard to say that something wasn’t fair.  This is probably what most children do.  I don’t remember the specifics but if you think about it, there is not much in life that is fair.  Only Jesus is fair.  Anyway, they would come to me and say, “That is not fair!”  I would respond that it was not circus either. The point was that life is not fair.  Get used to it.

Many times, we find ourselves helping out the poor or the hungry or the needy.  There are many reasons to be helping others and the main reason to help should be that Jesus commanded us to help.  When you are handing out food, do you tell people that this is from Jesus Christ?  When you are helping in a flood, do you say this help comes from Jesus Christ?  Or when someone thanks you for something good you did, do you thank Jesus out loud so all can hear?  If you are doing any sort of good mission work, whether big or small, you should be thanking Jesus out loud.  If you don’t and are just standing there working and not praising, then you are probably working for nothing.  You will have become a clanging cymbal!  No one will ever get to know Jesus if this is what you do.  You could just as well be working for the devil.  Always give Jesus credit for the good that you do.

Moving on, living for and in Jesus is a command and it will bring conflict.  What was happening to the Galatians was that they were being split apart.  There were some who wanted to stay with Jesus and the Bible and there were others who thought they could do better than God and would leave their congregation.  Or they would try to help others leave.  There was conflict because we human beings think we can always do things better than anyone or anything else.

I think we can always think of things or people in conflict.  If you look at history, you will find that there seem to be always warring factions against Christians.  It wasn’t until the United States were formed that we got away from persecution a little in this country.  But that has even evaporated as can be seen by all the hate speech against Christians.  I hear it all the time.  Some of you may not know this but I have an online service every week and a daily devotion.  I’ve been doing this for many years.  When I started, I would get a dissenter here and there.  Now, I probably get one at least every couple of weeks.  The world is changing and it is changing because Satan is in control.  We need to change the whole narrative to Jesus being in control.  Only then will we start to see the tidal wave of sin recede.

But it probably won’t end soon either because Satan is in charge.  According to Lou Nicholes Satan has three lines of attack. First, he tries to keep people from becoming Christians. Then, if stopped here, he tries to keep them from being active and useful as Christians. And finally, as a last resort, he tries to destroy their character.  How many times have you seen this happen?  Satan does not even have to hide his attacks anymore because he has so many in his very evil army.

But the worst conflict it causes is between friends or family members.  This should come as no surprise to us.  Luke and Matthew tell us that Christ will divide our families.  Some will be believers and some will not.  I remember when I first came to Christ after about 40 years of not knowing Jesus.  There were many who loved the change almost as much as I did.  But I did have a few friends from the old days who never really spoke to me again.  I miss them.

So, we will have lots of conflict because we are Christians.  This is because the world hates us.  Have you ever wondered why this is?  I think there are several reasons for this.  One, in this country anyway, is that we can’t be telling people what to do and how to live their lives.  I disagree and don’t think many people tell others what to do but we do tell them the way to heaven.  This includes confessing your sins asking Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior.  I don’t think this is telling anyone what to do.  It is only showing them the way to eternal life with the very author of eternal life.

I also think that others view us as too happy and optimistic.  I really cannot say much about this.  After all, you are in communication with the author of life, the very maker of everything.  I often hear how people are happy in their disgusting way of sinful life.  When you run across someone like this, study them closely.  I think that you will discover that these are some of the most unhappy people around.  Sin will never result in happiness.  Only Jesus will get you to happiness and that is a fact.  I’m sure that you have seen or experienced many other types of conflict on your spiritual journey.  Whatever you do, don’t let this get you down.  Jesus talks about this several times in the Bible.  You have to learn to trust Jesus with anything and everything.  It does not matter if it is big or small. Trust Jesus.

The next thing I want to bring up here is that we Christians can contrast our lives to the lives of others.  Now Paul goes on to list some of the more obvious sins of the world.  These include sexual immorality of all kinds, impurity, and debauchery.  You can turn on your TV and see all these terrible sins and more.  As far as I’m concerned, they are all disgusting.  Then he lists idolatry and witchcraft.  What in the world are your idols?  Are you practicing witchcraft and you don’t even know it?  Remember how sneaky and low-down Satan really is.  Then he lists hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy.  He wraps up this part with drunkenness, orgies and the like.  He finishes with the like because Paul knows that this is not a complete list.  Just off the top of my head, I can think of drug abuse and lying.  I’m sure that you can think of many, many more.

The worst part of this list is that we allow these sins to almost run our society.  How many people do you know who practice these sins and are so-called pillars of the community?  Sin comes into all walks of life and it is very hard to get rid of it.  Do any of you watch the local news?  I have really almost quit watching local news because all they can talk about is this murder or this robbery or this sexual pervert.  Our local news has become a showcase for how far we have fallen away from God.

Now I would like you to think about these people who habitually sin.  You know who they are.  Now think about the church you are in today.  Now compare these sinners to these wonderful Christians that surround you every week or every day.  I would guess that there is not one of them who does not stand far taller and straighter than the people on that sin list.  They probably look better, act better and just plain are better than any on that list.  Why is this?  It is because of Jesus!  Many of you have Jesus living in your heart as your Lord and Savior.  Some of you may not.  So, this is the day to confess to Him and ask Him to live in your heart as your Lord and Savior.  One real good reason for this today, is that you don’t want to be confused with the sinners on the list.  Jesus will help you stay away from these kinds of behavior if you just ask.  Many times, we forget to ask Jesus for things and then they don’t happen.  Remember to ask and you shall receive.

What Paul is trying to say here is that you can have the assurance of victory if you follow Jesus.  Or you can have the assurance of defeat if you follow Satan and many of the false religions and denominations that are around today.  John Stott is his book The Cross of Christ, wrote, “It is impossible to read the New Testament without being impressed by the atmosphere of joyful confidence which pervades it, and which stands out in relief against the rather superficial religion that often passes for Christianity today. There was no defeatism about the early Christians; they spoke rather of victory…For if they spoke of victory, they knew they owed it to the victorious Jesus…It is he who ‘overcame,’ ‘has triumphed,’ and moreover did it ‘by the cross'”.

There used to be an old song titled “When I Woke Up This Morning, You Were on My Mind.”  We have a God, you have a God, who loves you so much that He will do anything to help you to know Him better.  You have a God who will give to you and give to you and give to you.  And when you think you have had enough, He will give you some more.  God never sleeps because He does not need it.  But if He did, God would say, “When I woke up this morning, you were on my mind.”  And that means you and you and you and all of you.  God is so great that He can hold all of you as an individual, all at the same time.  His love for you is immense beyond description.  Plus, it will never, ever stop.  All we can do is praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord.  And thank you Jesus for first loving us.  Let’s pray.