Come Together

COME TOGETHER

Sept 16, 2012 Jay Davis Robison ISA 64:4-8 GAL 3:1-8, 26-29

There are so many things that divide us our nation unsettling division

Even at VBC if we were to choose many things can divide us

Raise hand if right handed, left? Male, female, understand other sex

How many of you are outgoing or wish blabber mouths quiet?

How many of you like country music? Rap? Classical?

Root for Duke, Clemson, NC St. UNC,

Born in NC or elsewhere are many things which can divide us

not even going to in to Dem or Rep, Conservative or Liberal

We are not 1st people to be so divided Galatians also choosing sides

Churches in Northern Galatia what is now northern part of Turkey.

In conflict trouble false teachers were dividing people

Saying if you accepted Christ to keep salvation, convert to Judaism!

You gotta get circumcised! Keep OT law! Gotta become like us!”

Moderating position said Jews who follow Jesus keep OT law

Gentiles who followed Jesus did not have to

Result was the people were pointing fingers at each other

Just like people often do in today

Do you think dissention and division are pleasing to God?

How do we then come together?

1. Recognize we are all in the same boat

When Paul sees this divided church points to source of real unity

What do you SEE ? wants to remind them of the heart of our faith

Sometimes we get so caught up in our fight lose sight of big picture

When we are divided we tend to become rigid less cooperative

Paul is blunt in dealing with the people Vs 1 ESV

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your

eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

When Phillips explains this passage calls them not foolish but idiots

Word used there for bewitching to cast a spell with an evil eye

Most often when we are divided we major on minors

We choose up sides and start to steel ourselves for a battle

Paul said don’t you remember what its really all about

Jesus Christ’s crucifixion made you right with God

Paul says the heart of our unity is in Christ alone

The issue is TRUSTING vs TRYING

Trying points to our efforts to do what is right

But the cross reminds us our righteousness is not enough

In order to come together Paul asks a basic question Vs 2 TNIV

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the

Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

Holy Spirit comes to us in faith unity is what Jesus has done for us

OT prophet Isaiah says when we continued to sin vs God’s ways

Our righteousness as filthy rags, we are given over to sin all in need

We struggle to live out what we cannot do ourselves

Sam was a young family man passionately in love with Jesus.

He was full of joy, funny a delight to be around. Loved to witness

His love for Jesus was infectious and many were drawn to Christ.

Desiring to walk closer to God Sam & his wife attended strict Bible

conference then stringently follow teachings. Sam’s spirit changed

In desperate attempt to walk closer to Christ he became judgmental

his joy turned into guilt. His once infectious attitude disappeared

friends began to draw away as none felt good enough anymore.

Linda never felt “good enough.” All her life told that she’d never

amount to anything. Never received encouragement from family.

In desperate attempt to feel loved, made a series of bad decisions

which only made the condemnations even worse.

Alone, aloof and in agony she has no where to turn but to God.

But she doesn’t cry out to God cause she isn’t “good enough.”

Abraham is seen by the Jews as father of their nation

He is the example they seek to follow Vs 7 TNIV

Paul says Those who have faith are children of Abraham

Abraham was not made right w\God because did everything right

No because he followed God in faith

So as we follow in faith and children of Abraham

So what difference does law make? Should we ignore it?

The law does two things:

IT TEACHES US RIGHT FROM WRONG

We need a defining morality to keep society from chaos

Can’t ignore law and all do what we want

I prefer left handed drive on left side natural

Law shows how far short we come in our sin

IT PREPARES US FOR A BETTER WAY

The law points us to our need for salvation

Have you ever broken the law? Broken God’s laws? Sure

should not make light of that law required more than we can do

Law shows us our need for salvation points us to Christ