Wednesday, September 11, 2013

MAXIMIZE Your Involvement: Step Up!

The phalanx is an ancient Grecian military formation that was used in the warfare of years past. It was comprised of a company of men armed with shields, spears, and other weapons that organized themselves in a rectangle formed by identically situated rows of tightly packed soldiers. This formation allowed the phalanx to move in the midst of heavy opposition toward its target and to this day remains one of warfare’s most important innovations in history. The phalanx’s success allowed the Grecian empire to remain a world power and was even adopted by other city-states as the best way to achieve military success. However, its success depended on the involvement of each and every soldier situated in its configuration. One weak link could compromise the whole formation. Such a formation needs to be revisited in the church today. In our war for the souls of men, too many have become un-involved in the battle, have broken ranks, and have contributed to weakness in the body of Christ. This is why we must understand how to maximize our involvement, so that we might be used to press God’s kingdom forward in our world today as an impenetrable force. Paul provides the church in Galatia with six ways to get involved in the church that can be illustrated by the six occupations below. 


I. OCCUPATION #1: DOCTOR-6:1

As Paul brings his letter to the church in Galatia to a close, he gives a series of encouragements intended to correct wrongdoings, bring resolution, and promote good behaviors. Here, Paul begins by immediately calling to mind those within the church that have been “caught in any trespass.” The context suggests that Paul might be speaking of a specific kind of trespass that was common in many to the church plants of his day. After Paul established a church, preaching a gospel of grace and freedom in Christ, Jews would often come in after he left, supplementing the good news with religious activity. These were called Judaizers and they demanded that those who wanted to be truly saved be circumcised and follow specifically Jewish commands. Many in the church would have been caught up in this clandestine form of legalism and at this point in Paul’s letter, would have received their share of this corrective word.

So what was the church in Galatia supposed to do with people who had been caught up in this mess? Those who were spiritual were to restore them. The “spiritual” label assigned to these restorers suggests that they, unlike their troubled counterparts, were filled with the Spirit of God and understood the true nature of the gospel. This teaches that no matter what the trouble may be, legalism, habitual sin, heresy, etc. those who are filled with the Spirit in the church must be used to restore its members into right fellowship. This is not always the easiest assignment and can sometimes prove painful. In fact, the word “restore” in its most literal sense means to re-set a broken bone. However painful it may be, restoring those who have fallen is necessary in the life of the church.  

However, those who restore others must do so with all humility, “looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (6:1). The one who is used of God to restore a brother or sister in Christ must watch out, lest they fall into the same sin that they are addressing in the restoree. No temptation is beyond anyone and everyone, given the right scenario in a moment of weakness could fall prey to any number of things. 

Therefore, spiritual restorers are those who understand this risk and are careful to watch out! Such a mindset places the helper alongside the one helped (not in front of or behind) as they cooperate in their journey back to right fellowship.

II. OCCUPATION #2: MOVER-6:2-3

The next challenge that Paul gives the church involves bearing burdens. Here, the burdens are not to be considered as bad weights that the world or sin thrust upon the individual. Instead, these “burdens” are responsibilities (see 6:5, 17). Such burdens are heavy for a reason. They are not heavy for the sake of being heavy.

God thrusts enormous responsibilities on His children for the expressed purpose of delighting in watching them work together to achieve the impossible. Their commitment to each other and cooperation also satisfies the heart of the entire law (i.e. to love God and love others). The responsibility the church in Galatia and the church today has been given of spreading the gospel to a lost and fallen world is the greatest of all responsibilities, not to mention the most difficult. However, as the church works together to accomplish this mission, the church reveals its love for God and love for their fellow man.  

This truth makes what Paul says in verse three so applicable (6:3). Anyone who goes through life on their own is kidding his/herself. Similarly, anyone in the church working to fulfill the mission of God all on their own is sorely mistaken. The burden is too great and you and I on our own are too small. Again, this is by design. God does not task the Christian with something huge so that he or she might figure out a way to accomplish it on their own. Instead, he makes things hard so that believers are forced to work together to get things done. Therefore, it was not appropriate for individual groups to have formed factions in the church of Galatia, standing alone to do what they felt was right. The same is true today. No one who thinks they have everything going on has anything going on.

III. OCCUPATION #3: SOLDIER-6:4-5

The next challenge Paul issues is directly related to the previous encouragement given.  Something must be laid aside if a believer can assist others in championing the mission of the gospel and that is conceit (i.e. an attitude that breeds intolerance of error in others and causes on to think he/she is above others). The cure for this is found in self-reflection, “but each one must examine his own work” (6:4).  Instead of comparing one-self to others, the believer is instructed of Paul to take an objective look at his/herself and what God has used them to accomplish.

This reflection will allow the believer to be content with what God has done in and through his or her life. This is not to say that the believer can become prideful in a sinful way, but rather boast privately in God’s grace demonstrated in his or her life.

In his address of spiritual introspection, Paul identifies the responsibility of all believers. Spiritual people are responsible for their own needs. The word “burden” found in verse 5 (translated “load” in the NASB) is a different word than the one used in verse 2. Here, it calls to mind a soldier’s backpack. Paul adopted this idea to encourage the Galatians to see themselves as soldiers of Christ, setting out on their march and taking care of their business instead of comparing themselves to others and promoting competition. If every soldier takes care of their own supplies, the entire troop can accomplish the mission set before them most effectively. Ultimately, each believer is responsible for his or her “pack” (life and service) before God.

This image need not be lost the church today. Truly, the church is still at war and we are soldiers in the Lord’s army, each given our own pack of supplies (talents, resources, etc.) to use in the battle for souls. However, these spiritual packs are not intended to prop up ourselves so that we might be the war hero—that position has already been awarded to Jesus Christ. Instead, they are to be used for the good of the church in its mission.

IV. OCCUPATION #4: BENEFACTOR-6:6

In the next challenge for involvement, Paul describes something that was discussed at length in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. One responsibility or way to be involved for every believer is to financially support the ones who teach them the Word of God. In Galatia, the Judaizers had influenced some of the believers to slack off in their support of the teachers, a special group who were giving their full time to this ministry and who reimbursed for their labors (1Cor. 9:7-14). Therefore, this admonition was a clear correction for them to share all good things with those who share the Word of God. 

V. OCCUPATION #5: FARMER-6:7-8

Before the audience had an opportunity to respond to this fourth challenge, Paul challenges them further with “do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” Though the connections to the previous verse and challenge are unmistakable, Paul is expanding this challenge to introduce a more broad principle. Each sower, or church member in first Baptist Galatia, will decide what his harvest will be. Collectively, the church of Galatia would decide what they would reap as a harvest by what they were willing to invest in the field. The same is true in any church today.

If people in the church sowed seed that pleased their selfish and sinful nature, they would reap a harvest that would quickly dwindle and fade into oblivion. This seed comes in many varieties: greed, pride, division, entitlement, comfort, etc. No one wants to plant this kind of seed in the fields of ministry. This leads only to corruption (6:8).

Instead, people in the Galatian church were encouraged to sow seed in keeping with the Spirit. Such seed, whether financial or otherwise, would be used to grow a crop that would last into eternity and no doubt show up in the life of the church as the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,…”

Want to be involved in the church? Be a nurse repairing broken people, a mover who helps with the heavy lifting, a soldier who takes care of his pack to move the mission forward, a benefactor who supports the ministry, a farmer who plants good seed in preparation for a glorious harvest. 

VI. OCCUPATION #6: CHEERLEADER-6:9-10

Paul embodies the final character that he encourages in this passage in verse 9-10—the cheerleader, “let us not lose heart in doing good.” Paul knew, as many understand today, that believers can become discouraged as they go about their jobs because no matter how hard they work and how much they sow, the harvest may be a long way off. In the face of this reality, Paul charges the Galatians with this word of encouragement which simply says, “Don’t give up!

But why shouldn’t the church in Galatia give up? Why should any church ever give up? Because the reaping will come at God’s proper time. Though believers may not be involved when the harvest comes in, God awards perseverance with results in His perfect timing. Though He might pull us out of the game before it is over, victory will be ours if the team does not give up!

Therefore, “while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (6:10). In other words, while we are in the game, let us work our tails off until God calls us out. The way believers were to contribute in Paul’s day are encouraged to contribute today is through good works, especially for those in the church! These include anything you could ever imagine that shows God’s love to others and points them to Christ. Deeds like this are like line received passes in the end zone!

So What?

There are so many ways that each of needs to be involved in God’s kingdom building work. The doctor, the mover, the soldier, the benefactor, the farmer, and the cheerleader illustrate that we all need to do our part in partnering with God in achieving His mission at this church for His glory. Every church is its own phalanx, moving forward in God’s mission in the battlefield of this city for the souls of men. Each church member stands shoulder to shoulder with their own set of gifts, talents, and abilities, working to move the mission ahead in the midst of the heat of war. However, when we fail to involve ourselves in the mission, the whole configuration is compromised as weaknesses in our formation are exposed. Don’t be caught idle! There is battle underway, a war to win, and a goal to reach. It is time to get involved!




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