This is a continuing study of the book of Galatians, in which I do a verse-by-verse exposition of Galatians 6:6-10. This message was delivered on the evening of July 15, 2012 at Hillcrest Baptist Church. The message deals with avoiding deception so that you “share in all good things” responsibly. You will find the text of the sermon, and the audio. Please note that the sermon notes are NOT a full transcript. Typically, as I preach, I add to what is in my notes. So, for the full sermon, please listen to the audio version.
AUDIO: Listen now:
AUDIO: download:
SERMON NOTES:
Galatians 6:6-10 / Responsible Sharing
v.6:
To share seems to be the best translation of the Greek.
This is essentially saying that people should willingly share with their teacher.
This; however, does not mean to spoil the teacher.
Paul commands no one to put themselves in the poor house, in order to support the teacher.
The congregation should not try to give their pastor a life of luxury when they themselves do not live such a life.
The command is simply to share in your good things, not to give all your good things.
Many a cult leader has exploited this command, and dictated that his followers give him all of their material possessions.
*A pastor should never demand, it is up to the congregation as a whole, and each member individually as to how much they can afford to give.
Paul, even went so far as to see to it that he wasn’t a burden on anyone, and always strove to support himself.
1 Thessalonians 2:9
Admittedly, he was never a permanent pastor, but and evangelist and church planter. He didn’t stay in one place or long periods of time. However, he is still a good example.
This command also comes with an obligation to see to it that you are giving wisely.
I have to agree with the opinion of Ambrosiaster (4th century 366-384) as he wrote:
“He says this so that hearers may share {all} their goods with their teachers. But if teachers practice otherwise than they teach, hearers should protest rather than share these goods. It may be clear thereby that the law is your guide rather than the person. For it will be his problem, not yours.”
It should also be noted that this goes beyond financial support: be present, be attentive, pass it on, encourage others to come.
These are perhaps some of the most important and encouraging gifts a pastor can receive.
v.7:
Speaking to those who would withhold, Paul makes an important point. First, its not so much about the pastor as it is about God and being obedient to Him.
We can’t get away with stinginess and feeding our own desires instead of taking care of each other (v.8).
Too many people are deceived into thinking that their own self-centeredness goes unnoticed by God.
This is simply a symptom of a greater deception which cuts much deeper.
This thinking that we can get one over on God is but one problem caused by false teachers who have woven deception into the church over the generations.
In fact, there have been and will be many false christs, and Jesus warns us not to be deceived.
Matthew 24:4-5
Matthew 24:11-12
Matthew 24:23-27
These people have but one purpose, and that is to get you to follow them rather than Christ.
The true teacher of God will always compel you to follow Christ!
We have to always be on guard, because they can even deceive the elect.
How could the elect be deceived?
They catch us while we are weak, it is then that we are most vulnerable.
In our weakness, we are often desperate for “quick fixes”, Satan’s lies seem especially attractive. Just a few examples:
A. Jim Jones
B. David Koresh
D. The Pope
*Deceptions within the Catholic church:
1. Man as a mediator
2. Prayer to saints instead of God
3. Diefication of Mary
4. Pope is worshipped
5. Pope’s word is scripture
6. Church dispenses grace (through priests)
7. Salvation requires faithfulness to church and sacraments
8. Crucifix and statues of Mary are treated as Idols.
Hitler once said “If you tell a lie log enough, loud enough, and often enough, pretty soon people will believe it.” He also said “People are more apt to believe a big lie than a little one”
It’s the big lies that seem to offer the most.
But what does the Bible say about our weakness?
2 Corinthians 12:9
When we are weak, if we rely on God’s strength, His power is revealed and He is glorified.
He has the strength that we need.
How do we keep from being deceived?
1 John 4:1
Don’t trust anyone because of their name or reputation, their position or status, title, education.
Measure them against the word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Proverbs 9:10
Finally, We need to realize that we cannot mock God. No one gets one over on God, and what goes around comes around.
v.8:
What you plant is what you get. You can’t plant a tomato and get a squash.
Therefore, we need to be sure of the type of seeds we are planting, and to do that, you need to be sure of the source of those seeds.
Catering to the flesh only brings corruption, It is only Christ who can bring eternal life, and we need to sow the seed of His word.
The true teacher of God’s word is very important in a world of deceptions and false teachers. Because of this, we should support our good teachers in every way possible, so that they can go on teaching the truth.
v.9:
Its undeniable that being an obedient Christian can be tiring and sometimes frustrating work, but the rewards are eternal.
It is very important for the Christian to understand that the rewards will be paid in “due season.” That means that they are paid on God’s time, not ours.
Payment may not happen right away, but it is something to look forward to and something to motivate us.
God is good, and often He will give us a taste of our rewards when we need it most. He has a way of giving us just enough, at just the right time, so as to fend off discouragement.
However, full payment is yet to come.
v.10:
Finally, Paul closes this thought by saying that we should seize any opportunity to do good, but most importantly to other Christians.
We need to be careful to bear one another’s burdens and lift each other up. We should do whatever we can to see to each other’s physical needs, and we can draw strength and encouragement from one another.
That is how God works, is through His children. And that is why we are not to forsake the assembling together.
Its fine to physically minister to the unsaved, and at times it is necessary. But, when ministering to the unsaved, we must never lose sight of their greatest need, which is Jesus Christ.
If we aren’t using their physical needs to create an open door to their spiritual needs, then we aren’t doing them any favors.
When dealing with the unsaved, the spiritual must ALWAYS accompany the physical, and if our own needs aren’t met, then we won’t be able to meet the needs of others.
This is why it is so important that we look after each other.
In Defense: The Blog 
Posted on July 18, 2012
0