WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

Sunday Morning:  August 17, 2003

Text: Galatians 4:12-18  "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? 17. 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."

BE AS I AM

Galatians 4:12  "Brethren, I beseech [present indicative] you, be [present imperative] as I am; for I am as ye are (were, we use to be the same): ye have not injured [offend, hurt] me at all (I have not changing)."

BE AS I

Philippians 3:7-9  "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

DEDICATION

Philippians 3:10-11  "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11. If by any means I might attain unto the [out] resurrection of the dead.”

FORGETTING WHAT I LOST

Philippians 3:13-14  "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things (that I count as dung) which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before (high calling unto His kingdom), 14. I press toward the mark for the prize (to be won) of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

HIGH CALLING

1 Thessalonians 2:12 "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory."

GOSPEL OF CHRIST

Galatians 4:13  "Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first."

A CALLING

Galatians 1:6-7  "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."

FOR THE ONES BELIEVING

Romans 1:16  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

PROMISED INHERITANCE

Ephesians 3:6  "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:"

YE RECEIVED ME

Galatians 4:14  "And my temptation [trial] which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel [messenger] of God, even as Christ Jesus."

 

RECEIVED WITH JOY

Matthew 13:20  "But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;"

WHERE IS THE EXCITEMENT?

Galatians 4:15  "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."

OFFENDED

Matthew 13:21  "Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended."

BELIEVE FOR A WHILE

Luke 8:13  "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation [testing] fall away."

YOU HAVE BEEN HINDERED

Galatians 5:7  "Ye did run well (in the past); who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"

I BECAME AN ENEMY

Galatians 4:16  "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"

THEY HATED JESUS

John 8:40  "But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God."

ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE

Galatians 4:17  "They zealously affect [eagerly desire] you, but not well (not with doctrine); yea, they would exclude you (peer pressure, not doctrine), that ye might affect [eagerly desire] them."

SECT OF LAW KEEPERS

Acts 15:5  "But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

SOME TROUBLE YOU

Acts 15:24  "Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:"

THEY DO NOT DO WHAT THEY TEACH

Matthew 23:2-3  "Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not."

THEY GLORY OVER YOU

Galatians 6:13  "For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh."

GOOD THINGS TO COME

Galatians 4:18  "But it is good to be zealously affected [eagerly desired] always in a good thing (the promise, heavenly inheritance), and not only when I am present with you."

OBEY IN MY ABSENCE

Philippians 2:12  "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

BE FOLLOWERS OF ME

Philippians 3:16-17  "Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample."