23. The Book Of Galatians – Chapter 6:3 - Message 23 – Are You A Big Shot? How Important Do You Think You Are? You Are Not Deceived Are You? Series

23. THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 6:3 - Message 23 – ARE YOU A BIG SHOT? HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? YOU ARE NOT DECEIVED ARE YOU?

[1]. INTRODUCTION

In the last message we considered a most important practical side of our Christianity and that was bearing the burdens, loads, problems of others. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted and caring but be willing eagerly, to take up the load another brother or sister may be struggling with. Not only is it the right thing to do but it is imperative because it is a command, and we are to emulate our Lord Jesus Christ who said of Himself, {{Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to Me all who are weary and HEAVY-LADEN and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART and you shall find rest for your souls.”}}

One of the conditions of this is to have a mind that is connected with, and led by God. If you are too high and mighty to come down from your horse and help an elderly man fallen in the mud by the side of the lane, then what mind do you have? The message today begins with the state of mind and the spiritual condition of a man or woman.

[2]. WHERE ARE YOU ON THE THINK SCALE?

{{Galatians 6:3 “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”}}

Self-Deception. There is vanity in self-deception. There was an Oscar Wilde play written called “The importance of Being Ernest”, but some people work according to the play, “The Importance of Being Me”. At the heart of self-deception is pride. Pride has no place in the life of any Christian. Nebuchadnezzar surveyed all his work and was puffed up in pride but God deflated him to grovel with the beasts in the dewy grass.

There was a man called Nabal and King David sent him a request – {{1 Samuel 25:6-8 “and thus you shall say, ‘Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. Now I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us and we have not insulted them, nor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel. Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favour in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”}} Nabal was very rich and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats.

Nabal was surly, harsh and evil in his doings, and a worthless man and folly, but his wife was wonderful. The whole of this story is found in the whole chapter 25. Nabal refused David’s request because he was too high and mighty, a man of great stupidity. He thought he was somebody of great importance, but he was a fool.

We see these people everywhere. They are in politics, in Government positions, in courtrooms, in the classroom – frankly, just everywhere. Humility and sobriety are lacking. The pride of life rules their lives. That position of a man’s mind to be like that has its origins in humanism because humanism will never submit to God in any sort of humility. Humanism is the product of evolution because in evolution, man is at the top of the pyramid where self-importance is king.

Thinking you know it all, is deception. Thinking you are important, is a delusion. Here are some lines from a poem of mine :-

When you think you know it all:

Then you don't.

When you think you’ll do it all;

Then you won’t.

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When you think you are the best,

Then it is, you’ll fail the test.

Self-dependence is a lie

From which all help rushes by.

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Self-deceit with slyness lives;

Nothing good it ever gives.

Selfishness – the meanest root,

Always evil is the fruit.

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You remember the perfection of man, the best man who ever lived – well here is the story – {{Luke 18:10-12 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, ‘God, I THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT LIKE OTHER PEOPLE: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week. I pay tithes of all that I get.’}}. Yes, sir, you get 100% for your attitude. It is 100% arrogant fool. Of course the man was unjustified before God, but the tax-gatherer was.

God will never tolerate the deception of the human mind that thinks it is most important, even more important than the notion of a god. That person is rejected for mostly he never sees his dire need. He can not see even one blot in himself.