Missions Paul

Yes there is a rule, a standard, a way of life to keep to. It is not what you think or what perhaps man teaches and certainly not what the false teachers have been pressurising the Galatian churches with, especially that male converts must be circumcised to be accepted by God.

“Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—tothe Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:15-16)

This then is the rule: Nothing else matters or is worth anything compared the gospel of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ! Do you know this gospel? Is it seen in your life more than your religious effort to be accepted by God? If you can’t see this gospel in people then it probably isn’t there.

It is the only way you will have peace from those who lay burdens on you and not lift them off you.

It is the only way you will have mercy knowing the healing and forgiveness for your sins and attempted recompense for your sins.

It is the only way you will experience being the true Israel, the Abrahamic child and in particular the heir of God’s promises for your life.

That’s the big rule.

The following verses reveal the heart of what the problem is and why Paul has written the letter.

Though circumcision is not a threat to our relationship with Jesus today, approval is, boasting in works is, these can be our gods and we can have these idols in our life just like those without Christ have idols.

Paul is still writing in large letters.

“Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. ¹⁴ May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whichthe world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. ¹⁶ Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6 v 12-16)

The teaching that there needs to be circumcision or whatever else in order to be truly saved is actually a teaching that is saying His coming, His death, He himself, Christ, is of no value at all. To fall from grace is not that we become unsaved after being saved because it works the same way in that our actions/works not only cannot gain but they cannot lose salvation. To fall means the person never experienced grace in the first place.

Grace is only experienced when we let go of trying to accomplish our salvation. If Christianity is based on us and how we live, then no one will be saved.

Paul cries out with a message that is true today for us and for everyone in the world, ‘I boast in the cross of Christ.’ And (everything else) means nothing.

For some the cross is offensive because it can lead to persecution for the many. But for others it is the best thing that ever happened.

Forgive this long story that follows but it is worth reading to see the power of the cross of Christ.

Back in 1921 a missionary couple named David and Svea Flood went with their 2 year old son to what was then called the Belgian Congo, which became Zaire and now the DRC. They met up with another young Scandinavian couple. In those days of much tenderness and devotion and sacrifice, they felt led of the Lord to set out from the main mission station and take the gospel to a remote area.

This was a huge step of faith. At the village of N’dolera they were rebuffed by the chief, who would not let them enter his town for fear of alienating the local gods. The 2 couples opted to go half a mile up the slope and build their own mud huts. They prayed for a spiritual breakthrough, but there was none.

The only contact with the villagers was a young boy, who was allowed to sell them chickens and eggs twice a week. Svea Flood- a tiny woman only four feet, eight inches tall – decided that if this was the only African she could talk to, she would try to lead the boy to the Lord. In fact she succeeded. But there were no other encouragements.

Meanwhile, malaria continued to strike one member of the little band after another. In time the Ericksons decided they had enough suffering and returned to the central mission station. David and Svea Flood remained near N’dolera to go on alone.

Then, of all things, Svea found herself pregnant in the middle of the primitive wilderness. When the time came for her to give birth, the village chief softened enough to allow a midwife to help her. A little girl was born, whom they name Ain. The delivery, however, was exhausting, and Svea Flood was already weak from bouts of malaria. The birth process was a heavy blow to her stamina. She only lasted another 17 days before she died.

Inside David Flood, something snapped in the moment. He dug a grave, buried his 27 year old wife, and then took his children back down the mountain to the mission station. Giving his newborn daughter to the Ericksons, he snarled, “I am going back to Sweden.” I’ve lost my wife, and I obviously can’t take care of this baby. God has ruined my life.” With that, he headed for the port, rejecting not only his calling, but God himself.

Within 8 month both the Ericksons were stricken with a mysterious malady and died with days of each other. The baby was then turned over to some American missionaries, who adjusted her Swedish name to “Aggie” and eventually brought her back to the United States at the age of three.

This family loved the little girl and were afraid that if they tried to return to Africa, some legal obstacle might separate her from them. So they decided to stay in their home country and switch from missionary work to pastoral ministry. And that is how Aggie grew up in South Dakota. As a young woman, she attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. There she met and married a young man name Dewey Hurst.

Years passed. The Hursts enjoyed a fruitful ministry. Aggie gave birth first to a daughter, then a son. In time her husband became president of a Christian college in the Seattle area and Aggie was intrigued to find so much Scandinavian heritage there.

One day a Swedish religious magazine appeared in her mailbox. She had no idea who had sent it and of course she couldn’t read the words. But as she turned the pages, all of a sudden a photo stopped her cold. There in a primitive setting was a grave with a white cross – and on the cross were the words SVEA FLOOD.

Aggie jumped in her car and went straight for the college faculty member who, she knew, could translate the article. “What does this say?” she demanded.

The instructor summarized the story: It was about missionaries who had come to N’dolera long ago … the birth of a white baby…the death of the young mother .. the one little African boy who had been led to Christ…. and how, after the whites had all left, the boy had grown up and finally persuaded the chief to let him build a school in the village.

The article said that gradually he won all he students to Christ…. even the chief had become a Christian. Today there were 600 Christian believers in that one village…

All because of the sacrifice of David and Svea Flood.

For the Hursts’ twenty fifth wedding anniversary, the collage presented them with a gift of a vacation to Sweden. There Aggie sought to find her real father.

An old man now, David Flood had remarried, fathered 4 more children, and generally dissipated his life with alcohol. He had recently suffered a stroke. Still bitter, he had one rule in his family: “Never mention the name of God- because God took everything from me.”

After an emotional reunion with her half brothers and half sister, Aggie brought up the subject of seeing her father. The others hesitated. “You can talk to him,” they replied, “even though he’s very ill now. But you need to know that whenever he hears the name of God he flies into a rage”. Aggie was not deterred. She walked into the dirty apartment, with liqueur bottles everywhere, and approached the 77 year old man lying on a rumpled bed. “Papa?” she said tentatively.

He turned and began to cry. “Aina”, he said. “I never meant to give you away. “It’s all right, Papa,” she replied, taking him gently in her arms. “God took care of me”.

The men instantly stiffened. The tears stopped. “God forgot all of us. Our lives have been like this because of Him.” He turned his face back to the wall. Aggie stroked his face and then continued, undaunted. “Papa, I’ve got a little story to tell you, and it is a true one. You did not go to Africa in vain. Mama did not die in vain. The little boy you won to the Lord grew up to win that whole village to Jesus Christ. The one seed you planted just kept growing and growing. Today there are 600 African people serving the Lord because you were faithful to the call of God in your life….

Papa, Jesus loves you. He has never hated you.” The old man turned back to look into his daughter’s eyes. His body relaxed. He began to talk. And by the end of the afternoon, he had come back to the God he had resented for so many decades.

Over the next few days, father and daughter enjoyed warm moments together. Aggie and her husband soon had to return to America – and within a few weeks, David Flood had gone into eternity.

A few years later, the Hursts were attending a high-level evangelism conference in London, England, when a report was given from the nation of the then Zaire. The superintendent of the national church, representing some 110,000 baptized believers, spoke eloquently on the gospel’s spread in his nation. Aggie could not help going to ask him afterwards if he had heard of David and Svea Flood.

“Yes madam,” the man replied in French, his words then being translated into English. “It was Svea Flood who led me to Jesus Christ. I was the boy who brought food to your parents before you were born. In fact, to this day your mother’s grace and her memory are honoured by all of us.” He embraced her in a long, sobbing hug. Then he continued, “You must come to Africa to see, because your mother is the most famous person in our history.”

In time that is exactly what Aggie Hurst and her husband did. They were welcomed by cheering throngs of villagers. She even met the man who had been hired by her father many years ago to carry her back down the mountain in a hammock-cradle. The most dramatic moment, of course, was when the pastor escorted Aggie to see her mother’s white cross for herself. She knelt in the soil to pray and give thanks.

Later that day, in the church, the pastor read from John 14:24: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” He then followed with Psalm 126:5 “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.”

(An excerpt from Aggie Hurst, Aggie: The Inspiring Story of A Girl Without A Country [Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House…)

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whichthe world has been crucified to me, and I to the world, v14.

Paul has dictated this letter to the Galatians through one of his personal scribes. It could have been Luke or Tertius or Silvanus, it could have been anyone obviously, we don’t know. But it was a common practice and now as we enter into the final ending of the letter Paul takes the pen off the scribe.

“See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!” Galatians 6 v 11

There are as you can imagine many thoughts on why he is writing large letters. Some say he had bad eyesight. They speculate as I do now.

• “My handwriting is different to that of my scribe! I want my response to what the false teachers are doing to you be as personal as it can be.”
• “This is me! This is not simply a teaching but I am pouring my life into this it is so important. This is my last attempt to protect you from the dangers of their teaching.”
• “You’ve seen the flamboyancy of these false teachers with their large displays of impressive deception, well, look at the large letters I am writing to you with.” (Paul being ironic).

All 3 of these suggestions show that those who preach and teach, those who Pastor and lead, they throw their own lives into the work. How many people who criticise them start by saying, ‘Now don’t take this personally’? But what they don’t realise is that it is impossible not to do so because their preacher and Pastor has poured everything into the work.

In a world of healthy work/life balance I realise this will raise some critics perhaps. However, it is true we need a healthy balance but those who are privileged to be in the position to shepherd and lead need to know that Giant Font Size is what is needed. It is personal, it is the pouring of our life into the work of God and it is combatting false teaching that deceives even God’s people by applying our whole life into that instruction. It is everything. It demands our all. For some their eternity is at stake. Anything less is also not healthy.

Paul knows there are teachers teaching the Galatian churches. Following on from verse 5 where Paul calls for those walking with the Spirit to carry out their duties. Our ‘load’ is not a burden for someone else to help carry. It is our lot, our life, our situation of which our focus is on walking our life to the best of our own ability. However, in what is a beautiful few sentences we are encouraged as those who listen to the instructors to share all good things with them and more.

“Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. ⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6 v 6-10)

• Provision, most probably financial – it would seem obvious that sharing all good things would be for the provision of your Pastor/Teacher, v6.
• Don’t minimise what they do: you need teaching, you need to be reminded to hold on to the truth, v7.
• Sowing and reaping is the central message of Paul’s letter. If we try to earn salvation we will reap sadness; if we reject the gospel we will reap destruction; but if we walk with the Spirit we will reap the fulfilled life, v8.
• Don’t get tired from doing good. Don’t give up. Don’t stop showing up or volunteering in your church, v9
• Do good to all people, especially the Church but not exclusively, be an influencer!

Paul knows there are teachers teaching the Galatian churches. He refers a lot to the Old Testament. It was his Bible, the Spirit was using him and others to write the New Testament. This letter would be passed around Galatia and teachers would teach from it. The ‘Bible’ and the teaching from it was being passed on. And it continues today!

Following on from verse 5 where Paul calls for those walking with the Spirit to carry out their duties. Our ‘load’ is not a burden for someone else to help carry. It is our lot, our life, our situation of which our focus is on walking our life to the best of our own ability. However, those who teach are highlighted and so are those who listen to their teaching.

“Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.” (Galatians 6 v 6)

Why do Churches focus on the teaching of the Bible? It is because it always has been. It is the right thing to do as demonstrated by the importance of the Bible not only in Paul but also in the life of Jesus.

Remember how Jesus in the most excruciating unbelievable traumatic of times, hanging on the cross, quoted these words: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?”

Why did Jesus say what he said? It is because as he went through hell the power of the Word of God held him. Just as he had done on many occasions where he would quote one verse from an Old Testament passage and the lesson wasn’t in what he quoted but the rest of the passage that he had been silent on. He endured because of the Scriptures.

What was Jesus saying? Maybe this: ““Though I feel abandoned and am going through hell, I still trust Him. And I know later in this Psalm that I am quoting, a Psalm that speaks of me, that vindication will come after the suffering.” God’s written Word is at the centre of the cross. It was instructing Jesus in his hour of need. Psalm 22, the Messianic Psalm, was in the mind of Christ. He was being held together by the Word.

Every week people gather in churches with all kinds of burdens and the instructor who diligently carries out their ‘load’ is used by the Spirit to lift off those burdens and minister life. It truly is an amazing thing to see when God uses this medium powerfully. Those who come with notebook and pen or whatever device is used to take home what God has spoken to them about through the teaching are more likely to be changed by God’s Word than those who don’t.

This is an interesting verse and worth pausing and thinking of our instructors. If we are teachers likewise, this is quite a ‘load’ which we need to give ourselves to.

There is obviously an instruction for those who receive from their instructor and we need to ponder that tomorrow.

Whether you are a Pastor or a leader of simply you are caring for others here are 3 important truths you should know.

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. ⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, ⁵ for each one should carry their own load.” (Galatians 6 v 1-5)

The 3 truths are dangers to avoid when restoring (v1) and carrying the burdens of others (v2).

1. This does not make you superior to them, v3.
2. This does not mean you cannot have a sense of pride in what God has done for you without it moving into the area of being conceited or comparing yourself with others, v4.
3. This does not mean you ignore your own life and what has been given to you to carry. Your ‘load’ is not a burden for someone else to help carry. It is your lot, your life, your situation of which you focus on walking your life to the best of your own ability, v5.

Moving on from chapter 5 Paul continues to carry the picture of a community free of conceitedness, jealousy and envy. This is the family (note brothers and sisters) of God. He now gives instructions to when things get difficult within that community. The instruction is for ordinary Christians who are walking with the Spirit, who live by the Spirit and who are in alignment with Him (as in chapter 5).

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6 v 1-2)

Some people are caught.

At times I have heard the sound of almost rejoicing when a Christian is caught. It is almost like, ‘yes we got them!’ Where did that ever come from?

Where did Peter deny Jesus? It was around a fire. Where was he restored? Yes, around a fire.

Do you recall how on the lakeshore Peter was facing a fire with Jesus behind it, a gentle reminder of his failure. No one says anything, it’s silent.

This is what Jesus didn’t say to Peter: “I told you so. I said you would deny me. But oh no you insisted you wouldn’t. You are so full of words and your own importance. When it came to it you were no better than the rest of them. How do you feel now?”

That could have been the response. But there is no investigation or inquiry so that lessons could be learnt. There’s just Jesus, Peter and a fire.

We do need the gentleness of Christ leading us to our ‘fires’ that the process of healing and restoration may begin. The restoration word means to render complete again and to make one what he/she ought to be. How amazing is that?!

Some people are burdened. Paul gives an example of what the law of Christ is. In 5:13 he said it was to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ but what does that mean? It is to stand in their shoes; to get underneath the weight of their life and carry it; instead of laying burdens on them as the false teachers were doing it is to take them off.

Some will have woken today to the hurt of yesterday.

When we are the sinner we cry for mercy. But the natural response when we are sinned against is to cry for justice.

The blood of Jesus is not ‘Father get these murderers’ but “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

What name needs to be mentioned that would cause you to react with? They may have died years ago. The event is not far from you. Is unforgiveness still there?

Some in the church love Matthew 18:15 and quote it often as they storm off to confront a brother about the hurt they have caused them. But that verse has nothing to do with getting even nor about someone dealing with their hurt or anger. This is all about reconciliation back into the community of believers. This is all about taking responsibility for each other. This is all about spurring one another on, iron sharpening iron, accountability and making sure disciples don’t fall away.

We want the very best for people. Whether they are caught in a sin or burdened by the weight of life, we are there for them because it fulfils the law of Christ and it is what the Spirit wants us to do.

The acts of the sinful nature and the fruit of the Spirit seem to battle all our lives. How do we do this? Maybe that is the question the Galatians are asking also.

It is worth reminding ourselves that 5:14 is the crucial text in this letter, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’.

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5 v 19-26)

This last verse is key. That’s what Paul is focusing on. The church. How we relate to one another.

Perhaps the false teachers are boasting about what’s not there, they are conceited and are offering some social status to the Galatians if they follow them. Paul calls it out. Provoking is in the area of feeling superior to one another, one upmanship. Paul calls it out. Envying of each other’s position or title or achievements again Paul calls it out.

There’s no place for this in the church or any group within the church. We have to be better than the world.

That’s the focus for the acts v the fruit.

Now you might disagree with this because you may have been brought up on rules and been taught a God of rules and maybe you are right. But I am finding that my life with Christ calls me not to focus on other people’s interpretation of rules for living. My life with Christ calls me not to focus on being what others want me to be, holy, blameless and a good man but to be who He has made and continues to make me. I have found my life with Christ is about Him and not me. I feel free in that.

Paul says we belong to the One who is all in all; we have been crucified, past tense; and thirdly we keep in step with the Spirit, we are in alignment with Him. That’s how we respond. That’s how we battle the acts v the fruit. Jesus Christ is everything and at every moment of our life; we have become dead to those things that take us away from Christ and the Spirit is now our guide through this life we live.

The Message says of what Paul said on Colossians 3 v11, “Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.”

The Message helps.

Everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ. Isn’t that amazing?! Isn’t that the most important thing to centre our thoughts on?!

So?

• As you have died with Christ, hidden and raised with Him, you are not where you think you are at times. You are above your circumstances. Stay there.
• There is a way of life you used to live, don’t be tempted to go back there.
• Don’t pretend to be someone you are not anymore.
• Everything now is about Christ, let your life remain so.
• Ask the Spirit to guide you today.

So instead of trying and failing to please God we have stepped into a whole new way of life.

Jesus Christ was born under the law of God, lived under the law and died by the law becoming a curse of sin and death. (Galatians 4) The cross of Christ has been placed on top of the law of God. Our attempts of trying to be good are filtered through the death of Christ. We have died in Christ and we have been made righteous. The evidence is not our achievement but Christ’s.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5 v 22-26)

We allow the Spirit the freedom to move in our lives, to breathe, grow and bear fruit.

We focus on being and the Spirit focuses on the doing.

The result is that the Spirit declares the righteousness of God in our lives in a greater way than all of our trying.

We are released to serve by simply being. Come Holy Spirit!

Some things don’t need to be mentioned. They are obvious. 

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21

Sexual sins, v19, worshipping sins, v20 and sins against people v20-21; they hurt and they are harmful.

In this context Paul isn’t simply coming up with his own list of sins not to do. This is certainly not a new Torah for us all to attempt in order to be acceptable to God. Rather as he has instructed us to walk with the Spirit he now shows us what life would be like if we don’t. It is only a life with the Spirit that will keep us and others from such unhappiness. And it is only the Spirit life that will take us into the kingdom. This is not the other world, heaven, our eternity, but this is now. Paul is desiring a new creation, a new community where people don’t hurt one another and where we don’t live for ourselves but we love God and love others. 

Some grab this list and use it as a checklist. Some look at the sins and order them to how they think some are worse than others. “Envy surely isn’t as bad as drunkenness and orgies” and “selfish ambition isn’t as bad as witchcraft” that’s what is thought. Yet Paul doesn’t do that. He simply puts them in the same list. They’re all bad. The point is not a checklist. If it was then it’s not complete for “… and the like” leaves us wondering what else is on his mind. The point is that without the Spirit’s help we will all fall into these sins. Without walking with the Spirit we will all walk down this path of sins, no matter if we are Christian or not.