Series: God’s Best for One Another
Part 2: Wise Warnings from God
Gal 5:13-26, James 4:11-12, 1 Cor 6:1-7, Col 3:9-14
Sermon by Rick Crandall
McClendon Baptist Church - Sept. 6, 2009
BACKGROUND:
*Does God care how we treat one another in His church? -- He most certainly does. We know this because He talks about it over 60 times in His Word.
*Last week we looked at the heart and soul of how we should treat each other.
-It’s all wrapped up in this commandment from the Lord: “Love one another.”
*God wants us to love one another with His kind of unconditional, agape love.
-Loving one another is the core truth for this sermon series, and over the next four Sundays we will look at how to put our love into practice.
*Today we will look at some definite don’ts, -- some things God definitely doesn’t want us to do. Let’s start by reading Gal 5:13-26.
INTRODUCTION:
*Would you put poison in a Coke bottle? -- Of course not. You want to warn people about the danger of poison.
*Of course God cares infinitely more about people than we do, so He warns us about some poisonous things.
-God warns Christians about emotional and relational poisons: attitudes and actions that can do great harm to God’s Church, the Body of Christ.
1. The first warning in Gal 5 is this: Don’t slaughter one another.
*It’s incredible to think that Christians could viciously attack each other, but we see this warning in vs. 13-15, where Paul said:
13. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’’
15. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
*Paul used the same Greek words here that they used to talk about wild animals attacking each other. He used those words to warn us against lashing out at each other, wounding each other with vicious words and deeds.
-That kind of behavior has destroyed many churches.
-And it can start with just a little ugliness.
*Scott LeFebvre tells of a church that no longer exists in part because of an incident that took place in the church kitchen one Sunday. A new family had arrived to take part in their first pot-luck luncheon. The wife cheerfully brought her red Jell-o salad to the kitchen. Then she headed to the fellowship hall to join her family.
*Later, when everybody started down the serving line, her husband innocently asked, “Where’s our salad?” -- “There must be some mistake,” she said. “I’ll find out what happened.”
*So, his wife went to the kitchen to check. She got there just in time to see a lady dumping her salad down the garbage disposal.
-“What are you doing?” She shrieked. “That’s my salad!”
*Without batting an eye, the woman looked up and said, “You’re new to this church. You’ll soon learn we use only real whipped cream around here, not Cool Whip.”
*Then she hit the switch and the salad gurgled down the drain. (1)
-Eventually, so did the church.
*That’s why it was necessary for God to warn us: Don’t slaughter one another!
-“If you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!”
*Church, the reason why it’s possible for us to battle with each other is because of the battle within.
-There is great spiritual beauty in every believer, because we are born again with the Spirit and nature of Jesus Christ.
-But there is also a great battle going on in our souls, because the ugliness of our old sinful nature is still in each one of us. The Bible calls our old sinful nature “the flesh,” and it battles for control.
*Paul talked about this battle in vs. 16-17:
16. I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
*In vs. 19-23, Paul described these two forces battling in our souls. Listen to these verses from the New Living Translation:
19. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure,
20. idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group,
21. envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23. gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
*How are we going to win this battle going on inside of us? -- First, we have to wake up to the reality of this struggle.
*Once you are aware of what’s going on in you, it’s easy to which part of you has the upper hand: Lust, hostility, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group. -- That’s the flesh-life for sure.
*Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. -- That’s the Christ-life for sure.
*We have to wake up to the truth. Then we have to walk in the truth Paul gives us in vs. 24-25:
24. Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
*Listen to it again from the New Living Translation:
24. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
25. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
*This is the only way we can win the battle within, and avoid battles with each other. And we must win this battle, because if we bite and devour one another, we will be consumed by one another!
*God warns us: Don’t slaughter one another.
2. And He warns us: Don’t be snobby to one another.
*We see this second warning in vs. 25-26, where Paul said:
25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26. Let us not become conceited, provoking (or irritating) one another, envying (or being jealous of) one another.
*Is it possible for a Christian to become spiritually snobby? -- Yeah! -- Christians are snobby to one another all the time.
*Spiritual snobbery is an ugly thing, and it’s a sneaky thing, because we are usually blind to it in our own lives.
-Spiritual snobbery is one of the first traps young Christians fall into when they get serious about God. They tend to start looking down on other Christians who aren’t as fired up for God. I have seen this happen more than a few times.
*A young student named Bernard had a bit of spiritual snobbery when he was in seminary. Listen to his story:
-“There was no gymnasium on our seminary campus, so we played basketball in a nearby public school. The janitor, an old black man with white hair, would wait patiently until the students had finished playing. Invariably he sat there reading his Bible.
*One day I went up to him and asked, ‘What are you reading?’ -- The man did not simply reply, ‘The Bible.’ Instead he answered, ‘The Book of Revelation.’
*With a bit of surprise, I asked, ‘The Book of Revelation? Do you understand it?’
-‘Oh yes,’ the man assured me. ‘I understand it.’
-‘YOU understand the Book of Revelation! What does it mean?’
*Very quietly that old janitor answered, ‘It means that Jesus is gonna win.’” (2)
*That old man was absolutely right! -- Jesus is going to win! And we need to be careful about thinking we are smarter or better than other people.
-Many of the giants in Heaven will be humble people the world never noticed.
*God warns us: Don’t be snobby to one another.
3. And He warns us: Don’t judgmentally slander one another.
*God’s Word gives us this warning in James 4:11-12:
11. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
12. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
*“Speaking evil” is slandering someone, cutting them to pieces with sharp, critical words. It starts in the heart with a critical spirit, judging one another.
-And it can lead to a lifestyle of constant complaining, so in James 5:9 God also warns: “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!”
*God’s Word also warns us against a hard-hearted critical spirit in Rom 14:10-13:
10. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’’
12. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
13. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
*God warns us against a harsh, judgmental spirit, because the truth is that we all desperately need the mercy of God.
*So author Max Lucado said: “We aren’t good enough to judge. Can the hungry accuse the beggar? Can the sick mock the ill? Can the blind judge the deaf? In the same way, can the sinner condemn the sinner? -- Absolutely not!” (3)
*The truth is that we all need a lot of mercy. So we had better be giving a lot of mercy.
*Back when our Katie was in high school, their English class studied Hawthorne’s classic novel, “The Scarlet Letter.” As part of Katie’s project, she was looking for a way to show the hypocrisy of the Puritans who judged Hester. She decided to get a handheld mirror and paint a big scarlet “A” on it.
*You get the idea. -- If you want to look at someone who needs to be forgiven, just take a look in the mirror. Of course, we don’t all need scarlet “A’s,” but there is a whole alphabet of other sins we might be guilty of.
*We all needed forgiveness. And Jesus met that need when He died on the cross. He took our punishment. He paid the price for our sins. And now He offers salvation to anyone who will open their heart to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
*After we trust in Christ, we need to confess and repent any time we are aware of sin in our lives, -- including the often-overlooked sins of judging others and speaking evil of them with sharp, critical words.
*God warns us: Don’t judgmentally slander one another.
4. And He warns us: Don’t sue one another.
*We wouldn’t expect to see this warning, but God gives it to us in 1 Corin 6:1-7. Listen to it from the NIV:
1. If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?
2. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
3. Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
4. Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!
5. I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?
6. But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!
7. The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
*This Scripture is not saying that we should never go to court. The man who wrote these verses went before the courts of Israel and Rome.
*On top of that, we must understand that many Godly lawyers helped to found our country. And one of the things we need the most today is Godly lawyers, legislators and judges. America cannot survive without them.
*Paul is talking about something different here. He is talking about stealing and selfishness. He is talking about a rush to go to any length to get my way. He is talking about destroying our witness before our community by acting petty and selfish.
*People will sue today for the most ridiculous reasons. Bill Sullivan gave these examples:
-The University of Michigan was sued for $853,000 by a disgruntled student who received an “F” in German.
-A convict who escaped from prison sued the sheriff for negligence in allowing him to escape.
-A 9-year-old girl sued the makers of Cracker Jacks because her box contained no prize.
-One surfer filed a lawsuit because another surfer stole his wave. (4)
*God doesn’t want Christians to treat each other like that. Sometimes it’s better just to let it go. So God warns us: Don’t sue one another.
5. And He warns us: Don’t speak dishonestly to one another.
*God gives us this warning in Col 3:9-10:
9. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10. and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
*We live in a world where lying and cheating are rampant. Cheating is a big problem in our schools. Last November, abc News reported on how common cheating really is. The Josephson Institute surveyed nearly 30,000 students from 100 schools across the country. Sixty-four percent said they had cheated on a test. Some students said they cheated multiple times. (5)
*Maybe cheating in school doesn’t seem so serious, but Bill Sullivan asks:
-“How about putting yourselves in the hands of a surgeon who might have cheated on his tests? -- Do you want someone like that holding a sharp instrument, getting ready to cut into your flesh?
*What if he cheated on his anatomy final, and doesn’t know where your spleen is? ‘Up here, right? Wait a minute. If this is his spleen, then what’s that? -- Hand me that thingie.’” (6)
*We live in a world where lying and cheating are rampant, but God says, “Do not lie to one another.” And when He tells us this, He brings us back to the core value. He brings us back heart and soul of how we are to treat one another. He brings us back to love.
*Look again at Col 3:9, and we will read through vs. 14:
9. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10. and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11. where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
12. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13. bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
14. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
*It all comes back to love.
*Back in 1987, Mike Hardin wrote a column in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. He was talking about an experience he had had visiting a cherished friend who was seriously ill. Let me read you a portion of that column -- the way he closed it:
-“When Frank Segner pushed himself into an upright position in the hospital bed, the heart monitor’s cursive line disintegrated into an erratic scribble.
-His wife, Mary, returned to the room and drew a chair to his bedside.
*’I’m thirsty,’ Frank said. Mary lifted the straw to his lips as he pulled the oxygen mask aside. The medicine was making him sick. She fetched the basin, wrapped a firm arm around his spasm racked shoulders and mopped the sweat from his forehead.
*So, in the end, love comes down to this, I thought: Not some Clark Gable appraisal of Vivian Leigh or some sex symbol’s seductive pose, but ‘Help me sit up.’ In the end, love is not a smoldering glance across the dance floor, the clink of crystal, a leisurely picnic spread upon a summer’s clover.
-It is the squeeze of the hand.
-‘I’m here. -- I’ll be here no matter how long the struggle.’
-‘Water? -- You need water?’
-‘Here, drink. Let me straighten your pillow.’” (7)
*That’s love and it shows in the way we treat each other.
-It shows in the things we do.
-And sometimes it shows in the things we don’t do to each other, always trying our best to reflect the love that Jesus Christ has for us.
*Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.
1. SermonCentral sermon “Malice in Wonderland” by Scott LeFebvre - 1 John 4:7-21
2. Story by Bernard Travaieille in “Illustrations Unlimited” by James S. Hewett, (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 45. (Found in Bible Illustrator for windows - Topic: Bible / Subtopic: Read / Index: 425 - Date: 7/1996.126 / Title: Simple Understanding)
3. Found in SermonCentral illustration contributed by Aaron Burgess
4. SermonCentral sermon “My Other Life” by Bill Sullivan - Matt 7:1-5 - 02/07/99
5. Survey: Student cheating common in high schools - Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008 - 10:25 PM - http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/national_world&id=6532050
6. Found in SermonCentral illustration contributed by: Bill Sullivan
7. Mike Hardin column quoted in ChristianGlobe.com sermon “A Fragrant Offering” by Maxie Dunnam - Eph 4:17 - 2006
