Confusion No More Series

Galatians 5:1-15

Confusion No More!

Introduction

A. It ain’t over till its over. You know who said that?

B. Yogi Berra. That line makes sense.

C. Most of the things he said, makes you scratch your head

D. Yogi is know as the master of confusion and double speak like:

a. This is like déjà vu all over again

b. You can observe a lot just by watching

c. You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going because you might not get there

d. I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early

e. Baseball is 90% mental – The other half is physical

f. A nickel isn’t worth a dime today

g. It was impossible to get a conversation going; everybody was talking to much

h. If you come to a fork in the road, take it

i. If the fans don’t come out to the park, you cant stop them

j. If aint the heat; it’s the humility

k. You should always go to other people funerals; otherwise, they wont come to yours

l. I didn’t really say everything I said

E. Yogi was not the only person to get confused

F. This world can be confusing

G. That is why Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians to clear up some confusion

H. And today we are going to clear up the confusion. Confusion no more

I. We are going to look at

a. What is important

b. Who should I follow

c. What command Should I keep

I. (1-6) What is Important?

A. Explanation

1. The False teachers of the land, as we have said the past couple of weeks, were teaching that a lot of things were important

2. Specifically the Old Testament Law

3. In order to be a “real Christian” you had to follow the Old Testament Law

4. You had to be bound to the law

5. If you were not following the law then you were just another Pagan

6. By doing this you essentially then are saying never mind what Jesus did, it is not good enough for me

7. And you are putting yourself under complete and total control of the law

8. You are telling Christ that you would rather do it yourself

9. We know that no one has ever gained admission into heaven by following the law

10. If you mess up on just one little part of the law, your done, not do over, no 2nd chances done

11. By putting that emphases on circumcision, you become obligate to obey the whole law

B. Application

1. What is important then? What do we need to focus on?

2. Look at verse 6, In fact I want to encourage you to memorize this verse, We haven’t done this is a while but lets do it, it is our verse of the week

3. (Read 6)

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

4. There is something real appealing about reducing Christianity to a list of do’s and don’ts,

a) Some people list might end up real strict, others would go to the other side and be really loose

5. But we like list, we like to know what to do what is expect

6. We do not want to have to think about our decision or make hard choices

7. We want everything to be able to shove a list in our pocket and before we make any choice look at the list and find what the list says

8. That is not the way the Gospel works, the Gospel is not about a list of do’s and don’ts

9. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love

10. With true faith the love part will come out.

11. True faith is never just a pure intellectual decision

12. True faith had better encompass your entire being

C. Illustration

1. I cam across a quote several years ago that I have not been able to shake.

2. “People make rules to prevent from making decisions”

3. That is exactly what was happening in Galatians

4. And that is still happening here is America

5. We have people getting bent out of shape because of this or that

6. (Think about maybe adding some specific this and that)

7. When none of that is important

8. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love!

II. (7-12) Who Should I Follow?

A. Explanation

1. Paul is probably to the point of tears when he is writing this section

2. Wanting so much for the Galatians just to be on the right path

3. And here they are off the race course