SERMON MANUSCRIPT: GALATIANS 5:1-12
THE LITTLE THINGS WILL TRIP US UP-WILL IT BE BLACKFLIES OR CIRCUMCISION
It has been encouraging and enjoyable to study unity and preach unity over the past while, and I thought it time to break away with an entertaining story, I hope, and discuss the work of the apostles a little further in a shorter, but fun way…
I have been blessed that the Lord provided me with a career that has allowed me to share some fun stories, interesting events, an opportunity to see how God works through the strangest of circumstances when remembering those calls for service that are embedded in memory. Jesus is our greatest story teller…
Part of my duties in police work was as a member of the tactical unit, along with other responsibilities. As a young cop, most of us were adrenalin junkies, longing for the big calls…As a tactical guy, some thought we were a little touched, and certainly arrogant, yet we were trained to take the calls many couldn’t.
SO…JB-His full name I will try not to give, was a great name for a bad guy-a movie name-Our team was called in to deal with a serious matter. JB had escaped on a short pass given to him while serving a sentence for violent crime and was a member of a major motorcycle gang.
A close source to JB was providing our intelligence officer with information that he had planned to rob a bank in a busy location in Peterborough. Our team was short, as it was the end of May, and holiday times were beginning. We had to work with just four team members out of a 10-member team. My partner Dan and I took the bank being targeted and set up surveillance. We were geared right up and sadly could not warn anyone as it would start a major frensy of worry on busy Lansdowne Street. Information came in that JB was not going to be taken alive and will kill any cops in his sight. He will not return to jail, and wanted nothing more than to connect with his g/f.. He was armed with a machine gun pistol. This certainly do a great deal of damage within a few seconds, plus the weapon can be concealed. We were on high alert since we couldn’t find him... He had the upper hand. We had tips, but he could have been watching us as we sat in wait.
The long day came and went without incident, except JB was still loose. No robbery occurred. We were now over 24 hours in. Dan and I stayed on for the night shift as the next bit of intelligence had been validated- JB was going to pick up a Harley Davidson motorcycle left for him on a porch in the north end of Peterborough. The tech 9 machine gun was still in the conversation along with the jargon “I will not go back to jail.” I picked up a marked police cruiser as this event could end up in a police pursuit- we needed the emergency lights and siren The day and night dragged. Dan and I took turns resting as we were into day 2. Plainclothes officers were watching the motorcycle in a surveillance van.
We thought, well…another dead run, and we were at least 35 hours in. Suddenly the call over the radio. JB just arrived, jumped on the bike and started it. Our plainclothes officers had him sight. Dan and I jumped into action. He was in an unmarked car, I took the lead in the marked. I was point on this call, driving quickly with hopes of stopping this fellow who was now driving aggressively on Parkhill Road trying to get out of the city.
• Behind him early, lights on, no stopping,…I feared that he would just turn around and spray me with bullets. He had a leather coat on unzipped-I assumed the gun was concealed in the coat.
• I had to broadcast the pursuit and the location. I was right behind him. Harleys are not that fast, and rather awkward for maneuvering. But he was fast.
• He slowed down dramatically on the bike…, I thought he was getting ready to shoot at me…police cars were all over despite being told to stay clear. I (Instead of shooting, He took his helmet off and threw it back trying to break my front window. He missed.
• I had all my lethal equipment ready to go.
• Chase continued at a high speed out of the city.
• Highway 7 was approaching. (Parkhill Road and Highway 7 if you know it…no easy left turn) It was a 90 degree intersection. No way was he going to make this 90 degree turn in my opinion. Harleys don’t turn easy….. There is also a stop sign, not it’s a traffic light, here leading to a busy highway, although it was dark and early morning.
• I thought it would be over, and I pulled back. Well doesn’t he make this corner. Sparks flying from the crash bars on the bike. I have never seen anyone make a corner like that with a Harley. This guy could ride! My prayer is wasn’t that good at target practice. Which would be me…
• What is going to trip this guy up? He alluded us for two days…He made an impossible corner. He showed little fear and I feared this machine pistol.
• How will this end? Will he get hurt…Will we be shot. What is his plan???, but right now he is in control, and leading us.
• Very quickly after making this wild turn, he slows…and slows…right near the Cavan swamp, it appears he is going to stop or dump the bike. I am broadcasting this over the radio, and preparing for a firefight.
• He hit the shoulder, Im right behind…drops the bike on the gravel and runs into the Cavan swamp covered by darkness, trees and loads of thick wickets.
• I had jumped out of the cruiser after stopping behind him ready to open up with my assault rifle…but…he slipped away…couldn’t see him. I couldn’t shoot-I haven’t seen the alleged gun and couldn’t risk shooting a man unarmed in the back, despite his threats to everyone. The OPP dog that arrived, He wouldn’t go in either. I was a little annoyed with Apollo the dog, but I loved him and pleased his handler didn’t take the risk….He wasn’t as dull as I was….If your not going in…I’m not going in either…Besides, Apollo was bigger then I….The dog and I both knew… This guy could see us, but we couldn’t see him… this investigation was becoming more dangerous. ….Being point, you know who will be taking the heat. ME. However this goes, Its all on ME…I WAS SWEATING NOW OVER THE THOUGHTS OF MY SUPERVISORS.
• Opp helicopter called in-more money added TO the budget of this call..I am sweating a little more…they picked up an infrared image, but it was most likely a deer, although it could have been JB. Deer and human size can be similar on infrared SCOPES FROM A HELICOPTER…THE ONE WE ARE PAYING FOR.
• From a place of cover behind my cruiser,…there was an awful silence despite all the police coverage now in place.
• 12 hours go by. I figure it is over. He got away. It is almost 3 in the afternoon. Its hot, Im exhausted, living on adrenelin. My thoughts… Boy are they going to be mad at me for the bill on this one,… and we still don’t’ have him.
• Suddenly, from never ending RADIO silence, a radio crackle…. 10-92…this is the CODE FOR AN ARREST. “I have one in custody states another team member. I COULD HAVE JUMPED FOR JOY…APOLLO THE DOG I AM SURE WAS SLEEPING…
• JB was the alleged deer buried in the brush and swamp. He staggered out to the north side road, through the swamp, crashing through the brush heavily….., he pulled himself up out of the swamp… got on his knees and was met a well armed-team member, my friend Doug…. and JB yells in anguish. I GIVE UP..I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE…THOSE BLACKFLIES ARE EATING ME ALIVE. GET ME OUT OF HERE! He was handcuffed and taken to the station.
• All those threats, having the upper hand with the threat of a TECH 9 machine pistol. It wasn’t the police that took him …it wasn’t a bad accident DURING THE CHASE..IT WASN’T GUNFIRE…it was 100’s of tiny blackflies eating away at him for 12 hours…and those cops just wouldn’t leave. I quietly rejoiced being the guy sweating any backlash if the takedown failed…the day ended well for us, and it was the little things that ruined all kinds of street credibility for JB..although I give him credit for his bike riding and keeping me up for 3 days. That didn’t include the paperwork.
• So…That was fun and very true…but what seems like “little things” in our Christian journey can trip us up and cause horrible friction among the fellowship of believers.
• Soul-altering ramifications and repercussions greater than machine guns and blackflies, as our journey has life-altering and eternal implications we see in this letter by Paul to the church in Galatia.
• Despite excellent evangelism and the good works being done in Ephesus, the battles wage between Jew and Gentile, who are working into a belief system where the Jews felt most entitled, as the chosen race, and the Gentiles, feeling just as entitled, since they say, “Well, it was you who killed our Lord-He was Jewish-You yelled crucify Him”. Both cultures were being empowered for all the wrong reasons….earthly power, not the endless power we should be seeking by His Spirit in unifying the believers through Christ.
• Paul was battling these cultural, religious issues that may seem trivial, yet common since the beginning of OT roots and present day Christian culture.
• Circumcision and food: (Pause) ingrained conventual issues kept rising to the surface. Even Peter was playing both sides of the coin-He was eating with Gentiles and would do this in a devious way, as he was afraid of being seen by the legalist Jews or Zealots who believed that all Gentiles must be circumcised to be truly part of the Christian body-another step beyond simply accepting Jesus as Lord of our life-and-there was an assumption Peter was eating unclean food with the Gentiles:…. even if the food was not kosher, does it really matter compared to the worldwide shadow of the outstretched arms of an empty cross…
• THEY WERE MISSING IT! It’s frustrating to read!... I was named well, as I relate to Peter on the sneaking around, as I sense he fell back on old ways-, He is forgetting the grace, peace, and love Jesus extended to him continuously…. Jesus did the work-He was hiding from His fellow Jews forgetting all that He was personally taught by our Lord. Playing both sides. Paul had to address this…
• Let’s look at verse One: 5:1 . THE YOKE IS SLAVERY AND IN THIS CASE REFERING TO THE BONDAGE OF LAW. JESUS CAME FOR THAT REASON-TO BREAK THE CHAINS.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, in a speech near the end of the Civil War speaking to the oppressed…, My poor friends, you are free-free as the air. You can cast off the name of slave and trample it….Liberty is your birthright!
Darrell Dash, a NT commentator says, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are free. You’re free from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, from the law as a system of salvation. Your free from superstition and from all that enslaves you. John Stott does a good job of explaining what this freedom is all about. It’s not the freedom to do whatever we want. John Stott defines true freedom as: “freedom from my silly little self in order to live responsibly, in love for God, and others.”
• Paul does not mince His Words in vs 2 as he hammers home the pettiness of circumcision and legalism compared to the labour of the unfathomable love represented by the cross-…Read vs 2-Mark my Words…Exclamation mark! Read.
• Those in Galatia became so caught up in the little things they were forgetting the big picture of Calvary. We can sense Paul’s, aggravation, if not a sense of urgency.
• He is basically telling all of us, not just the Galatians, but the global church of today, “don’t let the Torah, ACTUALLY FULLFILLED…trip you up. The apostle is considering the OT fulfilled, focusing on unity among all-if you are banking on circumcision and food to save you, the work done by Christ was foolishness and futile. If this is how twisted we are becoming-as Paul says, Christ will be of NO value to us-THAT IS SUCH A STRONG STATEMENT AND VERY DIFFICULT TO digest for many.
• (Lower voice) This must have been a difficult time for everyone as the apostles and other followers of Christ attempted to teach how the law was fulfilled by our Lords sacrifice. Paul makes it incredibly clear that working to be justified by the Law is pushing Christ to the side. Jesus is alienated if the church in Galatia attempt to force Old Testament covenants into the New Covenant.
• Im sympathetic to all of those struggling in Galatia, as how confusing it must have been at times: the Jew who was steeped in covenant… and Gentiles who came from all types of pagan religions and beliefs. These new Testament trailblazers made the cross so difficult at times, but so do we today.
• Jesus made it so easy, yet we often go to great lengths to confuse the simplicity of Christ dying for us. God incarnate, taking our sins from yesterday, today and tomorrow, and redeeming us without trial..without question. NO rituals with a scalpel…food uncleanliness. Just freedom through faith in the lifesaving blood of the lamb. The little things, that trip us up compared to the son of God nailed to a Roman cross. I will be bold and suggest that today’s Christian should know better as we have been given a greater understanding through 2000 years of great theology; yet-we continue to struggle at times with the little things.-not OT covenants, our issues in comparison…(sarcastic)-the choir director, our programs, etc , my ministry is better than his or hers; spiritual gift conflict…. Paul is asking the body of believers to step up and address the issues with Paul’s passion-Firmly with strong exhortation and ENCOURAGEMENT…ALL THINGS DONE IN LOVE AND ENCOURAGEMENT-EVEN THE ISSUES THAT MIGHT UPSET US PERSONALLY.
• These issues that became so problematic explained by a commentor, (Tchividjian) “The most dangerous thing that can happen to you is that you become proud of your obedience. “The most dangerous thing that can happen to you is that you trust in your own obedience rather than in the perfect work of Jesus Christ. That hits home with me. It really should make all of us look a little deeper at the redemptive life freely given by Christ…a salvation we do not deserve. Yet, His love reigns and He holds onto us, despite.. THE BLACKFLIES!!!
• As suggested by those who have tackled Mount Everest-even the smallest missed step can be fatal, not only for you but an entire team.
• I appreciate the strong and bold remarks of this commentator, (Dash), When the little things trip us up THREE THINGS ARE AT STAKE:
Christ and His work will be of no value to us. (seen in verse 2)
We become debtors to God’s entire law. (verse 3)
We are cut off from the grace of Christ. (verse 4)
Paul provides the most wonderful solution-Spirit inspired Words: Lets listen to the comfort once more, verses 5 and 6- READ
WE ARE FREE HOWEVER OUR TRADITIONS VIEW ATONEMENT.
So what will trip us up today?...., blackflies, circumcision, food, legalism, self-love, sex, drugs, alcohol, or teaching God’s Word in a contrary way..The work has been done. Lets make it easier for ourselves, and all those who look to us as an example of Christ alive within us-Lay at the foot of the cross and make love the first step to engage in any theological debate.
If we do that, so much of our pettiness and legalism will be quickly put aside, and the little things that could bring us down…bring a church community down, might be minimized or eliminated as we listen and seek direction from His Holy Spirit.
The empty cross, outpowers and outdoes an unlimited amount of wayward criminals with guns…. A noble run by our incarcerated friend JB, but, he never expected those little things…overwhelming, annoying bites from the early season of blackflies. ARREST ME, I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE! (Slowly to finish) I had an interesting, frightening and exhausting three days, in the area we know as Pintos Corners, yet who knew the Lord would use a dangerous bank robber to help us in a SMALL understanding of Galatians, ….
God Bless all of you as we work through these challenging issues.
Amen,
Lets pray,
Lord Jesus, may we be encouraged to remember that conflict and questions will be part of our journey with you on earth, but one day, the mysteries will be unlocked. The questions answered. Help us to test everything through prayer and the guidance of your Holy Spirit. We are thankful for JB who taught us a great deal and did not act on his violent threats. We are thankful for the many events where your hand was on the shoulders of my colleagues and I, even when I was walking far from you. The little things tripped me up regularly. May we all remember what is at stake when the cross is not in the centre of all we do.
We pray for our churches, wherever they are at…in peace or conflict. Trouble is everywhere-Through your Spirit, give us the wisdom to deal with the internal and legal issues we are up against. You are in control.
We love you Lord Jesus. Guide us in our time of need.
In your precious name,
Amen
