Freedom or Sterility?

1. Freedom or Sterility? Galatians 5:1-12

2. Sterility • Not able to produce children or young; not able to produce fruit or seeds; too poor in quality to produce crops. • Lacking in imagination, creativity, or excitement; uninspiring or unproductive. • Free from bacteria or other living micro-organisms; totally clean:a sterile needle and syringes.

3. Sterility vs. Freedom • Not able to produce children or young; not able to produce fruit or seeds; too poor in quality to produce crops. • Lacking in imagination, creativity, or excitement; uninspiring or unproductive. • Free from bacteria or other living micro-organisms; totally clean:a sterile needle and syringes. • Thriving with life. • Exciting, inspiring, producing all sorts of creative works. • A bit dirty, untamed and dangerous.

4. Sterility vs. Freedom • Not able to produce children or young; not able to produce fruit or seeds; too poor in quality to produce crops. • Lacking in imagination, creativity, or excitement; uninspiring or unproductive. • Free from bacteria or other living micro-organisms; totally clean:a sterile needle and syringes. • Thriving with life. • Exciting, inspiring, producing all sorts of creative works. • A bit dirty, untamed and dangerous.

5. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Formerly slaves to good works. • Freedom from the law. • Freedom of conscience. • Free from guilt. • Free from tyranny. • Accepted by God.

6. OurFreedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • To ‘be subject’ is ‘bowed down’like a beast of burden. • Religion of works: oppressive. • ‘Standing upright’ meansfreedomofconscience. • Open access to God: boldness.

7. Our Freedom Assertion • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. Mandate

8. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. v.4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. v.2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. v.3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.

9. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • ‘Judiazers’ said Christiansmust be circumcised. • ‘Add to what Jesus started’ • It’s either grace or law • Can’t have it both ways v.3 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

10. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. v.3 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

11. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. v.5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

12. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • ‘Through the spirit’ indwelling us. v.5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

13. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • ‘Through the spirit’ indwelling us. • ‘By faith’ – depending on Him. v.5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

14. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • ‘Through the spirit’ indwelling us. • ‘By faith’ – depending on Him. • ‘Waiting for the hope’ isour confidence in the results. v.5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

15. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • ‘Through the spirit’ indwelling us. • ‘By faith’ – depending on Him. • ‘Waiting for the hope’ isour confidence in the results. v.5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.

16. Our Freedom Galatians 5:6 (NIV) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • Set free to love.

17. Our Freedom Galatians 5:6 (NIV) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • Set free to love. • Not worried about ‘ME’.

18. Our Freedom Galatians 5:6 (NIV) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • Set free to love. • Not worried about ‘ME’. • Love is the focus of a ‘free faith’.

19. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • Set free to love. • Motivated and racing along! Galatians 5:7You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

20. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • Set free to love. • Motivated and racing along! • Anti-Freedom: passivity. Galatians 5:7You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

21. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • Set free to love. • Motivated and racing along! • Anti-Freedom: passivity. • The goal of freedom: obeying the truth. Galatians 5:7You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

22. Our Freedom • Jesus Christ is all about it. • Therefore stand, don’t grovel. • Requires unyielding defense. • Means confidence and hope. • Set free to love. • Motivated and racing along! • Passivity is Anti-Freedom. • The goal of freedom: obeying the truth. Galatians 5:7You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

23. Cold & Sterile Works • Not From God. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.Galatians 5:7-8

24. Cold & Sterile Works • Not From God. • Someone else’s agenda You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.Galatians 5:7-8 Galatians 1:6-7 (NLT) I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News, but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

25. Cold & Sterile Works • Not From God. • Spreads Like Yeast. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.Gal. 5:9

26. Cold & Sterile Works • Not From God. • Spreads Like Yeast. • More like gangrene. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. 2 Timothy 2:16-17 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.Gal. 5:9

27. Cold & Sterile Works • Not From God. • Spreads Like Yeast. • More like gangrene. • Check-mate: the Word of God. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. 2 Timothy 2:16-17 Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.Gal. 5:9

28. Cold & Sterile Works • Not From God. • Spreads Like Yeast. • Ultimately Self-Destructive I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. Gal. 5:10

29. Cold & Sterile Works • Not From God. • Spreads Like Yeast. • Ultimately Self-Destructive • Hurray to that! I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilatethemselves. Gal. 5:10

30. The Contrast God’s Freedom Man-made Religion • The cross is all about it. • Stand, don’t grovel. • Unyielding. • Confidence and hope. • Set free to love. • Opposes the cross. • Grovel for acceptance. • Flow with pressure. • Always insecure. • Me-obsession.

31. Freedom Means Persecution • The Mark of Every True Christian Evangel. But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. Gal.5:11

32. Freedom Means Persecution • The Mark of Every True Christian Evangel. • Circumcision: • I can save myself • Popular / flattering • Avoid persecution; • people love to be told they can save themselves • The Cross: • Only Jesus Christ can save you • Offensive / unpopular / unflattering • Invites persecution; • people hate to be told this, and they revile the person who does it.

33. Freedom Means Persecution • The Mark of Every True Christian Evangel. • Galatians 4:49 – Isaac persecuted by Ishmael. • Old Testament: Able, David, Ezekiel, Jeremiah… • New Testament: Jesus, John, Peter, Paul, James… • Church History: Anselm, Lollards, Hussites… • Today: “The Cross” is an offense to the Postmodern mind-set.

34. The Odd Case of Mrs. Smith • For 4 Years: an advocate of our ministry (referred people to us). • Tom wrote an English paper critical of her addiction to Internet spending. • She was spending large sums of $$ from Tom’s account; we didn’t know anything about these issues until later. • She wrote letters to Riverwood, myself & the school accusing us of turning her son against her. • We tried to reach out & ask if we could do anything to help. • Riverwood asked what we did, if anything; no response. • She said she bought a gun to kill me (we investigated, it was false). • Tom becomes 18, decides to get baptized. • She kicked him out of the house to intimidate him; he gets baptized anyway. • She launches a “Xenos is a Cult” crusade to punish her son; won’t talk with him. • She’s equally alienated & angry with Hillary, Tom’s older sister, who moved to CA and has left no forwarding address (for obvious reasons).

35. Paul’s Teaching • v.11 Persecution=proof of ‘freedom teaching’ • Stark contrast • Circumcision : they can save themselvesCross: only JC can saveCircumcision: popular / flatteringCross: offensive / unpopular / unflattering: cannot save yourselvesCircumcision: avoid persecution; people love to be told they can save themselvesCross: invites persecution; people hate to be told this, and they revile the person who does it. • Since Paul was persecuted, he was not preaching circumcision, he was preaching Christ crucified. • They were being told to avoid persecution v12