10th May 2026 : Galatians ch 6 v 1 to 10

Galatians ch 6 v 1 to 10

The reading today is taken from Galatians chapter 6 verses 1 to 10. And I am reading from the New American Standard Bible.

And this is the word of God. My Bible it's subtitled Bear one another's burdens.

Brethren, if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and thereby fulfil the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load. The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit receive eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

May God bless his word to us.

Okay, we'll just pray for that and pray over it, the blessing of the Lord. Lord, it's your word, caused and inspired by you spoke it, you inspired it. It's your word. Forbid it, Lord, that your word should come back to you, unfulfilled or void. Lord, in Jesus' name, that purpose you set for it, speak it in a way which I can't and speak it to the heart and the spirit of those you're speaking to and calling today. And Lord, in Jesus' name, in whatever way, bring to us a refreshment, like drinking from a fountain on a dry and thirsty afternoon. In Jesus' name, Amen.

That's a great passage, the book of Galatians, you know, it starts very boldly if we bring it into the context of the whole setting that it's written in and who it was for. Chapter 1 round about verses 6 onwards to verse 9. There's a very stern warning there from the apostle Paul saying that if anyone preaches a gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let them be accursed. That's quite serious. And some were preaching a different gospel and some still are. And what becomes of them? So what is the gospel? Well, we know it's a gospel of the love of God through Jesus Christ. His blood, his redeeming blood cleanses you from sin, past, present and future. And once his Spirit enters into you and you're born again, that's a seal, a permanent, eternal seal.

I know that bit's good, but it's the ministry of the gospel that really the whole book of Galatians is talking about and addressing. These folks were tempted to go backwards to the ceremony, the formula, the icons, the costumes, all the glitz but lacking the power thereof. And what you'll see reading through this book in particular is the stress on the fact that the gospel is a ministry of the Holy Spirit. Christ himself is the gospel, if you like, but his Spirit ministers it constantly, enlightens us in the scriptures, enlightens us in our prayers, gives us confidence before the throne of grace. If he doesn't indwell, then there's no reality there. And, you know, it's interesting to trace the history of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If you go right back into early times where the tabernacle was prescribed for God's people and Moses and Aaron had it all put together and it was ready for worship, you get to the very end of the book of Acts, Exodus, chapter 40, the last few verses, and it says there it was ready for worship, the tabernacle of the Lord. And when they prayed over it, the Holy Spirit came down. And like a cloud covering the whole place, no one could go in, not even Moses, because the Lord filled the house and entered in. And his glory entered in, a way, to the Holy of Holies. that inner sanctuary.

And then if moving forward, take a quantum leap and you get to the Temple of Solomon to Chronicles chapter 5 again. Waiting till the end of the chapter gives you that suspense, doesn't it? The last few verses, when the temple was all ready and Solomon had prayed like an angel. If you want to learn how to pray, you study that passage, you study his humility and the way he called upon God. Oh, it's beautiful. But when he finished praying and the priest was standing there and waiting to start the ministry, the cloud came down again. And the Spirit of the Lord filled the temple and the priests couldn't go in. Neither could Solomon because God filled the house.

Take another leap forward into the New Testament. The upper room. Acts chapter 2. And they were all met together for prayer. And suddenly, like a rushing wind, came upon them. And they did go in. They stayed in. It was a night in, if you like. A good night in, not a good night out, because the Holy Spirit filled his house. And what was his temple then? You. It was the people he filled, not the place. That's different. The Holy Spirit enters into his house, and there he is worshipped in the heart. And that's where he speaks and that's where he abides, if we abide in him.

Of course we can grieve him, don't do that. But when you get to the book of Galatians, really what the writer is saying, the Holy Spirit is saying to the church there, is look, it's my ministry, okay? It's not your church, it's not your gospel, it's mine. And he is the real minister of it. And for that to happen meaningfully, we have to submit to it, the promptings and yieldings and the callings and the searchings of the Holy Spirit.

The Galatians, a region in what's now called Northern Turkey, by the way, they were moved to take the easier route, the form, the formula, the ceremony, that bit's easy. And some people love it. But the reality is not so easy. The Bible does not paint it as an easy picture. And you get right to the end of the book of Galatians and we have this section from verses 1 to 10. So let's take a look at it now, having looked into some of the background and the purpose of the Lord in writing this to the church then and now. Because these are things that we have to take on board. You are the temple. That's what Paul wrote to the Corinthians, isn't it? Know you not that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore honour God with your body. You remember that, don't you? Of course you do, you've read that. Well, there we are in Galatians chapter 6, and it is possible to grieve the Holy Spirit and verse 1 starts with that subject in a way. It says, brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass. If you come this morning and you think, I've made a right mess of it, but I'll come anyway, you know, I feel a bit. Or if at any time you do, if anyone is taken in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore. Restore. That's the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to restore, not to condemn, You don't judge. You don't, do you? You're not judging each other, are you? And don't bother to reply. No! We're all human. We all live in that human condition and very, very human and ordinary surroundings. And in our weakness, God still uses us. He knows all those things. And yet still he calls upon us and speaks to us. Isn't that amazing love? Amazing Grace, it could have been a song.

But those who are spiritual, that ministry of the Spirit that God has given to you is to restore, to restore them. All right. How do you do it? Well, there's a few clues in there. Do it with gentleness. You know, if anybody were to confide in me, I wouldn't first of all remind them of what the problem was. Would you? I wouldn't first of all say, now you really do understand before we get started, you shouldn't have done that. That's not a good place to start. They already know that. That's why they're there. You start at the other end. God loves you and he wants the best for you. We've just got to discover how he's working his purpose out for you. What a good place to start, isn't it? Where would you start? Those of you who are spiritual and are called by God to restore someone.

That could be anybody in the room. You don't have to have a dog collar on you. don't have to be a qualified minister. You just have to be a child of God that seeks after the kingdom of God. You pray for one another and bless one another. That's the shape of God's church. That's the shape of a fellowship that means business with God. We know we've got weaknesses. We know there's problems. We know that we've got our own personal failings, which from time to time remind us of just where we've come from. But then we know, and we're comfortable with this, there are other believers, sisters and brothers that you can confide in, you can speak to, you can pray with. And what they will do is they will begin to restore you to that precious communion with God that you had before, and you'll soon be enjoying all over again. Amen.

So with gentleness, not with condemnation. But listen, you know, there's another great verse. It's at the ending of the book of Jude, isn't it? You know, it says, hate the very clothing in which people are ready to sin, but love the sinner. In other words, at the end of verse 1, Galatians 6, it says, be careful of yourself. Don't get drawn in emotionally. or spiritually. Yours is a work to restore someone else. It's not about you. So if ever you find yourself praying, beloved, and I hope you do, this is a ministry that should be for the whole of God's people. It should. And in that way, we believe that we're all priests. I read at the beginning of the service, didn't I? You are the fragrance. Who is the fragrance for? The priest.

God is talking about you, beloved, and involving you in the kingdom, but you must want that. And you must act with wisdom in it, you know, not be drawn by anything, not be taken by anything, because it's his purpose in the work of restoration that is primary. It's his purpose in another person, or in a town, or even in a whole fellowship, so that you don't get drawn into the milieu of things. and the stuff. Your purpose is focused to restore, but it's his glory that is your primary aim. For his glory you're doing this. All right, so that's how this chapter really gives us an introduction into where the Holy Spirit is speaking at that point in the letter. And it moves forward, bear one anothers burdens so to fulfil the law of Christ. And then it goes further still to give us more wisdom.

Verse 3, you ever heard anybody boast? I've heard loads of people boast about what they've done, not necessarily in the church, in the world. I'll tell you they've been a good cricketer. I took 60 wickets last season and all this business. And I'm sure they enjoy that. But you know, there's nothing that's a bigger off put than listening to people blow their own trumpet. it's so off-putting. And verse 3 tells us, look, in all this, remember, beloved, that people who are really in communion with God are most often very, very humble. You go back to Numbers chapter 12 in the Old Testament, and Moses faced a dispute and rebellion. And there's a verse there, I think it's round about verse 6, that says, at that time, Moses was the most humble man in all the world. And yet his access to God was like the north face of the Eiger, wasn't it? He just spoke and God spoke to him as a man speaks to his friend. That didn't make him a big head. It made him very, very humble. And you know, you can always tell when somebody's really being with God and in the presence of the Lord, it actually leaves them very humble. Very humble. But it may also lead them very, very powerful because they've got God with them. Isn't that beautiful?

But where is boasting, verse 3? We encounter a word here in this passage that you'll see twice. It's possible to be deceived in yourself. It's possible for a person to be self-deceived. So actually believe something which isn't quite right or completely wrong as though it was the truth. And to be so convinced, they don't know any different. You might think, oh, that wouldn't happen to me. It's not possible in me, I wouldn't do that. But we're talking about the human condition. That's why it's so important to cover the scriptures and get the scriptures in you. That's why it's so important to fashion yourself on God's purpose and to be steadfast in prayer and keep the faith, because the wisdom comes from there. Those are your tools. and so as not to be self-deceived. But we come across this word again in verse 7, don't we? It says, do not be deceived. This is not self-deception now. This is being deceived from something coming from outside. So do not deceived. God is not mocked. A man reaps exactly as he sows. If he sows in the field of his natural desires, he reaps a harvest of destruction.

I've met folks in the past that just leave destruction behind them. Broken relationships, damaged things. This seems to be everything goes wrong in their wake. And their harvest is exactly those things. And they are deceived. Because if you want people to respect you, if you want people to listen to your gospel, then you have to teach them how to respond to you. And the only way you can do that is with gentleness. Restore them in a spirit of gentleness, whether they're believers or unbelievers.

Don't be deceived. Don't be tempted to go ahead of what the Lord is leading you into. God is not mocked. And we have to sow in that field. We have to sow in that work of the Holy Spirit. You know, the Bible speaks a lot about deception. It does. Genesis chapter 3, verse 13, you're right back at the beginning of the Bible. And it says, the old dragon, the serpent, came into the garden and he deceived the woman and the man fell with her. Deception. Go forward to Joshua chapter 9. And God's people were deceived into making a covenant with the Gibeonites. without seeking counsel at the mouth of God. And then you go forward into the New Testament and this is your homework. All right, you take a concordance and take your Bible home and count the number of times in the New Testament, you see that phrase, do not be deceived. Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good character. You remember that one, don't you?

What about James chapter 1, round about verse 18, do not be deceived. God is not a man that he should change his mind. He's not like the shifting shadows. And there's a bit more information there if you change it, if you chase it up. Don't be deceived. Deception is the enemy's most powerful weapon. That's the most powerful weapon that you'll stand against. Two Corinthians 11, verse 14, tells us that he masquerades, appearing as an angel of light. Even the devil does that. A masquerade. You know what that is, don't you? Something completely false. Almost like you're seeing a mirage and it's not real. But you're convinced it is. Deception. And you know what the opposite of deception is? It's another word beginning with D, so you'll remember this, won't you? It's discernment. Discernment. It's a gifting of the Holy Spirit. I want to tell you the giftings are not like the ministries. Ephesians 4 tells us about those gifts which are ministries to the church, evangelists, preachers and all that. But the giftings of the Spirit are given as they are needed. And you face a situation and your purpose is to glorify God in it really, you're searching, God give me wisdom for this because I don't know what to do, I don't know what to say. And he will give you discernment. And that's the Holy Spirit discerning through you that which is a masquerade or a deception and that which is of God and separating the two. You can do that. All of you can do that. Right from the very word of God at the very beginning of the word of God, Genesis 1 verses 1 to 3, it says, the first day God separated light from dark. And he saw that it was good. And he called the dark night and he called the light day.

The light shines in the darkness. We're in the New Testament now, aren't we? And the darkness has not understood it. You can see how that spiritual night and day is carried forward right through the Bible. Live, my children, as children of the day, not of those who live by night. Judas Iscariot went out from the communion table and it was night. God separates the light from the darkness. He gives you discernment to do that now. Do not be deceived. Deception is your biggest enemy. That's how it was in the beginning. And that's how the enemy can rob you of the joy, rob you of the power, rob you of the conscious fellowship of the Holy Spirit. And in every sense, rob you of the privilege and the function of being able to restore people, whether they're Christians that need restoring or unbelievers that need to be restored and be enlivened. It robs you of that power and of that outcome. Do not be deceived, but rather discern.

There was another great verse that the Holy Spirit wrote to one gentleman in particular, 1 Timothy 1, verse 18, and Saint Paul penned it for us. And he declared to Timothy that he was telling him all these instructions and things for one purpose, that he might wage a good warfare. You might think, oh, I don't want to be in a warfare. Oh, no, not me, but you are. You're in a conflict. It's a spiritual conflict. It's a spiritual conflict for your thoughts, your prayers, your mind, your testimony, and the power of God at large. These are not cheap things. The devil knows he can't curse you. Can't, check it out in the Bible. Numbers chapter 23, verse 23. A spirit medium was hired to curse God's people. But in the end, he said to the person who had hired him, he said, I can't do it. There is no curse against Jacob. And he had to leave. There's no curse. There's no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Let's do it through the New Testament, shall we? Romans 8, verse 1 and 2, there's no condemnation, is there? No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. But you can give permission by being deceived. That doesn't condemn you, but it robs you. Do not be deceived.

All right, so I think I've said most of what I wanted to say today, but let's get to the end of this, because there is a harvest. Verses 7 and 8 tells us there is a harvest from all this. And it's not a harvest of corruption, it's a harvest of good things. It's a harvest of saved people. It's a harvest of people who are enriched by God, who are conscious and confident of the love of God for them. That's a harvest. The outcome is good. In the beginning God made all these things in six days and behold he saw and they were good. And God is doing that work again now. That harvest is good and that harvest will come. How do we know? Are you struggling with it now? Good, go to verse 9. And it says, let's not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest. No doubt, the word doesn't say you might, if you play your cards right or something. No, it says you will, you shall reap a harvest, all right? Don't lose heart.

Carry on. Don't back off. Go forward. Don't run away from God. Run towards him. Keep going in faith. Because you know, one thing that we struggle with, beloved, it's God's timing. And God does things in his time. Sometimes you'll pray for something, it might even be years before it's fulfilled, and you'll sit back one day and think, oh, isn't that funny? I remember praying about that. I've done that loads of times, and I'm sure that you will if you haven't already. So as we have opportunity, we do good, verse 10. We're not different out there to what we are in here. We do good to all. We're not different out there to what we are in here. It's to all, verse 10. And especially to those who are of the household of God. A restoring work, a work where you're blessing each other. That's the gospel and that's the power of it working in a person's life.

All right, so I'm just going to pray a blanket prayer. and leave it at that, because I know that if the Holy Spirit has really spoken to anybody, it will last more than 24 hours. And if they know they've got a need, they can always bring it for prayer. Let's pray.

Lord, in Jesus' precious name, we would be those people who are gathering, harvesting good things, kingdom things, restoring people, seeing people saved and added and blessed, not vulnerable, but powerful. Not prayerless, but powerful and complete people. We would be those people, Lord. In Jesus' name, grant us those gifts of discernment as we move from here, that we might separate that which is light and dark. And Lord, that we might be the people who are spiritual, who are not overcome, but who are the folks that you use when you restore people to faith and to the kingdom of God. Lord, do this work in Kirkhall Lane. Lord, do it with all these folks, Lord. Bless them, Lord. Do them good, Lord. Go over and above all that they can imagine right now. And Lord, speak in a way that only you can moving forward in Jesus' precious name. Thank you, Lord. Amen.