One Dysfunctional Faith Family
Galatians 4:8-20
There is an episode of the Andy Griffith Show that chronicled the story of a married couple that made sport of arguing, fussing and fighting. Things got so intense between the two that a complaint was made and Andy had to step in to get control of the situation. Andy began to work with the couple and he trained them to play nice. Every morning he would instruct them on how to deal with each other. They would come together at the breakfast table and he would make them say things like "morning dear" and "morning honey". It seemed that Andy was making great progress, but after a while the couple began to take their hostility out on the other citizens of the town. Finally Andy realized that even though their marriage seemed dysfunctional to everyone else, it seemed to work for the couple.
If we are honest, there is a bit of dysfunction in all of our families. We all have those relatives who are good people, but when certain individuals get together in the same place (usually at thanksgiving dinner) there is going to be a disagreement or even a fight over politics, religion or SEC football.
The church is a family... we are a faith family. And at times there is an element of dysfunction among certain members of a faith family.
The term "Dysfunctional" is defined this way:
1) Relating badly: characterized by an inability to function emotionally or as a social unit
2) Not performing as expected: or failing to perform an expected function
For some time we have been walking though Paul's epistle to the Galatians. If you have been with us for any amount of time you have seen that this was a dysfunctional group of people. They people that Paul was writing to had come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. But there was a group called the Judaizers who were causing much trouble among the church. I believe if we closely examine the different types of people who were present in the region of Galatia we will see some actions that are still represented in the church today. So let's look to our selected text and consider the thought "One Dysfunctional Faith Family"
In the faith family you will find people with different personalities, qualities and abilities. Many times, when different types of people get together it won't be long until there is trouble! But God intended for His people to be unified!
Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
Why is it that you encounter arguing, fussing and fighting in many churches today? It is not because the church is made up of people, but because the people that make up the church have lost focus! When we get self out of the way and Jesus Christ becomes the TRUE purpose and the center of all that we do, then there will not be conflict and controversy in the church! Every church can (and should) be like the early church... all throughout Acts we find that the church was in harmony and "in one accord"!
As we examine this dysfunctional faith family in Galatians we will see certain actions from different people. We will see that:
i. Some Members Were Deceptive
ii. Some Members Have Retreated
iii. Some Members Were Concerned
Let's begin in verse 17 and then we will back up and cover verses 8-16. We find in verse 17 that:
I. Some Members Are Deceptive- v17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. 18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
The false teachers were eager to win the favor of the Galatians. But their zeal was not according to knowledge. There intentions were not good, beneficial or CHRIST CENTERED! They wanted to isolate the people and shut them off from Paul so that they would have the influence. There are people in the Church today who constantly cause trouble. I believe that an overwhelming majority of the troublemakers that we find in the church are lost and on their way to hell. They may have made a profession of faith, they may be active in the events of the church... they have the look, the walk and the talk but they don't have Jesus! Though they are lost, they are still on the rolls of churches all across the world... and they have an impact (A NEGATIVE ONE!)
Then there are some that I believe have truly been born again but for whatever reason they have rebelled, became hard hearted and cause trouble. Many times these people... have to have their opinion heard on every matter, they have to be involved in every decision, they gripe, grumble and complain about each and every aspect of the church, they run the church down in the community and on social media.
Whether they are saved (backslidden) or lost... THERE ARE TROUBLEMAKERS IN THE CHURCH! And just as the Judaizers undermined the work of Paul in Galatia troublemakers will undermine the work of Christ in churches today! They will do whatever it takes to sow seeds of discord among the "faith family" and they are usually successful! And Satan could not be more pleased with their actions!
Those who are deceptive have a negative impact on the other members of the faith family... we see this in verses 8-10.
II. Some Members Have Retreated v8 �Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9 but now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Paul says that before the Galatians came to saving faith in Christ, they were slaves to god's that didn't even exist. There were two types of believers at Galatia:
A. Jewish Converts - There were many in this region who were converted from Judaism. These people had been slaves to the Law.
Then there were...
B. Gentile Converts - These were heathens who had been delivered from idol worship. Paul says that they were slaves and "did service unto them which by nature are no gods."Paul wanted to know now that they were "in Christ" why they would return to the slavery that they had been delivered from in salvation. He states that some of them had retreated to the "weak and useless spiritual principles of this world". You can almost hear an accusatory tone in Paul's writing.In essence he is saying "Don't return to the bondage of the Law that you have been delivered from!" They had turned from faith in Christ alone and were "attempting to earn favor with God by observing certain days, months, seasons and years."
This refers to the rituals, ceremonies and festivals of the Jewish religious calendar which God had given, but were never required for the church. Some of the ceremonies in question were:
- Sabbaths
- Fasts
- Feast days
- New moons
- Passover
- Pentecost
- The Feast of Tabernacles
- Sabbatical years
- The Year of Jubilee
Paul warns the Galatians against legalistically living as if they were required by God or could earn favor with Him.Unfortunately some of them had retreated and walked away from the teachings that Paul had delivered to them. Ultimately they walked away from the Gospel of Grace!
We are a FAITH FAMILY! And if you will look around, you will see that some of our family is missing! In fact some of them have been missing for a while. In 6 years we have not received requests for more than 8 transfers of church letters. This shows us that those who are no longer assembling together with us on a weekly basis are not leaving for other assemblies. They are out of church all together!!
And in many cases we have members of our faith family who have retreated to their previous lifestyle. There are many who were saved by faith in Jesus Christ and then after a while they seem to have vanished! What happened? Where did they go??
• They returned to what was comfortable
• They returned to what they know best
• They returned to what comes easy
• They returned to a lifestyle of sin!!!
Just like many of the believers at Galatia, they returned to the bondage that Jesus had delivered them from! There is not one member of THIS faith family that can disagree when I say that we have TOO MANY MEMBERS who have retreated. But the question is this, what will you do about it? Do you even care? Better yet... DO YOU CARE ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
The entire Epistle to the Galatians is a result of someone caring about the declining conditions of those in his faith family. The Apostle Paul boldly reached out to those who had retreated. His actions illustrate an important aspect among a faith family. Consider:
III. Some Members Are Concerned - v11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. v12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. 13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. 16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Paul was concerned about the spiritual welfare of the Galatians. At this point it seemed that they had forgotten everything that he had taught them. By observing the Jewish rituals and ceremonies, they were implying that Jesus' sacrifice at Calvary was not enough to save them. All of Paul's labor would be a futile effort if they reverted back to the Law. Paul calls to mind the beginning of their relationship. He states that when he fist came to them he was sick but they did not despise him, they received him and the message of Christ. He says that they even cared for him the same as they would have cared for an Angel or even Jesus Himself. Now Paul is extremely concerned , because they had turned away from the gospel that they had so readily accepted. It seems that they turned form the message that Paul had delivered and harbored some animosity for Paul as well.
There seemed to be a fracture in the relationships in this specific faith family. Notice the question Paul asks in verse 16 "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" - The Galatians had become so confused that, in spite of their previous affection for Paul, some had come to regard him as their enemy. Paul reminds them that he had not harmed them, but merely told them the truth And at one point this truth had brought them great joy
Verses 19 and 20 further illustrate the concept of a "faith family" - v19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Paul compares his pain for them to a mother experiencing the pain of labor for her children. This illustrates the great love that Paul had for these people. In verse 20 he proclaims his intense desire to be with them in person to help them.
Even in a dysfunctional family there is love! Though we may have issues from time to time we should still have compassion and concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should possess love for those who attend regularly and those who have retreated. When we get to Galatians chapter 6 we are going to read an important portion of scripture concerning those brethren who have fallen.
Galatians 6:1 �Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
That brother or sister who has turned away and returned to the bondage that Jesus delivered them from.... IT MAY BE YOU ONE DAY!!!
- I watched a documentary some time ago about a family who had a teenage daughter who had rebelled against her parents. She had begun to use drugs and run with the wrong crowd. She left her parents home hitchhiked across the country. Her parents were devastated when she went missing. For several months they couldn't find her. They even feared that she may be dead. They called other family members to see of they had any information. They filed a police report, then the family and friends joined together and began to search. After weeks with no success the police moved on to other cases, the extended family and friends went back to their own lives and the parents were left alone. The girls mother and father hired a private investigator who finally tracked the young girl down. She was homeless and alone living in California. The parents flew to California and brought their precious daughter home where she belonged.
What would you do If your child went missing? What if you hadn't seen or heard from your siblings or your parents or your spouse for a period of time? You would look for them until you found them! You might even join together with other members of your family and do whatever it takes to ensure their safe return. There are members of our faith family who are missing.Some of them have been missing for a long while. Will you have enough compassion and concern for them to do what it takes to rescue them? Will you join together with others to search for them
