Introduction

• Galatians 1:1-5

Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:1-10)

• Galatians 5:17 – Desires of the flesh.
• Galatians 5:15, 19-21, 26 – Fruits of the flesh.
• Galatians 5:13-14, 22-24 – Fruit of the spirit.
• Galatians 6:1-10 – Will you really love your neighbor and help when they need it? The helper and the helped have fellowship together in Christ and both benefit.
  • Galatians 6:10 has often been used in the past to support the idea of unlimited benevolence using church funds. Money is not really in this context at all – this is about helping those in sin.

Boast … in the cross (Galatians 6:11-16)

• Circumcision was a big deal under the Law of Moses, but now it was no longer a part of service to God. This was not easy for many to give up!
• Galatians 5:1-6
• Galatians 2:12-13
• Galatians 5:4
• Galatians 1:8
• Ephesians 4:22-24
• I Corinthians 7:19
• Galatians 6:12, 14

The brand-marks of Christ (Galatians 6:17-18)

• Paul was not popular for preaching Jesus.
• Galatians 5:11; 1:10
• II Corinthians 11:23-27 – Paul took a lot of punishment for preaching Jesus. This is the courage we should have!
• Acts 14:19
• II Timothy 3:12 – Christians will be persecuted!

Summary

• Love God when times are hard.
• Love your neighbor when they need help the most.

Put on … love

• Colossians 3:14

Let us contemplate Divine love.

• We ought to just stop and think about God’s love!

  • I John 4:10

  • I John 3:1

  • Romans 8:35-39 – This is not a shallow love!

  • Isaiah 59:14-17 – God’s own arm brought salvation!

• The ultimate expression of that merciful love was the crucifixion of His Son.

  • John 3:16

  • Romans 5:6-8; Titus 3:3-7 – We didn’t deserve God’s love.

Let us reciprocate Divine love.

• I John 4:19 – Why do we love?
• I John 4:20-21 – What does loving God include?
• Matthew 22:36-38; Ephesians 2:4-5 – We can love God back, but on in the same way He loves us. Ephesians 6:24
• One way to love God back is to praise, honor, and show gratitude to Him. Psalms 29:1-2; Luke 17:15-18
• I John 5:2-3 – Loving God includes keeping His commandments.
• Revelation 2:4 – The church in Ephesus had left their first love.

Let us imitate Divine love.

• I John 4:11 – God’s love for us should transform the way we live our lives.

• I John 3:14-18 – Jesus’ sacrifice should motivate us to love our brothers.

• Luke 15

• John 13:34-35; 15:12-13 – Jesus used Himself as the example of love. The apostles did not have perfect moral character!

• Love is a decision we make, a “direction of the will.” Matthew 5:43-44; Romans 5:6-8

• Some thoughts to help us develop love:

  • John 5:28-29 – This person has an eternal soul.

  • Matthew 6:14-15; 7:2; 25:40 – God is watching!

  • I John 4:7-21 – Become an expert at love like God.

Let us prove to be neighbors.

• Luke 10:25-29, 36

• Mark 5:43-48

  • Matthew 7:6

  • Mark 3:5

  • Matthew 18:15

  • I Thessalonians 5:14

• My job is simply to love my neighbor, and I need to be a neighbor to everyone!

Salvation!

• II Timothy 3:15

The story of the Old Testament

• Genesis 1:1, 27
• God never gives dogs or trees moral commands. Man is unique in his ability to make moral decisions.

Main problem = sin

• Ecclesiastes 7:29
• Genesis 3:6 – Man sins.
• I John 3:4 – Sin is the transgression of the law.
• Isaiah 59:2 – Sin separates us from God.
• Romans 5:12 – All sinned, so death spread to all men.
• Ezekiel 18:20 – A man is responsible for his own sin.

God’s solution = promises to Abraham

• Genesis 12:1-3, 7 – God makes three promises to Abraham:

  • I will make you a great nation – fulfilled in the Old Testament

  • in you all the families of the earth will be blessed – fulfilled in the New Testament

  • to your descendants I will give you land – fulfilled in the Old Testament

• Genesis 50:26 – Israel is already starting to become a great nation while in Egypt.

Books of the Old Testament

• Genesis – Creation, nation of Israel goes to Egypt and multiplies.
• Exodus – Israel leaves Egypt
• Leviticus – God’s law for the Israelites
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy
  • Deuteronomy 4:1-8
• Joshua – Canaan settled by the Israelites
• Judges – Later generations of Israelites fall away from God repeatedly, to be led back to God by judges chosen by God.
  • Judges 2:8-10
• I Samuel, II Samuel – Beginning of the kingdom of Israel. The reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon.
• I Kings, II Kings – Divided kingdom – Israel and Judah. Both kingdoms are eventually taken into captivity.
  • II Kings 17:5-6
• Ezra, Nehemiah – Jews return and rebuild.
  • Nehemiah 9:1-5, 30-34 – It’s important to follow God’s law!
• Jeremiah 31:31 – A new covenant was coming!

The story of the New Testament

• Matthew 1:1, 16-17
• John 1:14-18
• Matthew 4:23 – Jesus came and proclaimed the good news.
• Jesus proclaimed a spiritual kingdom, not a physical one. This confused many people.
• Jesus publicly called out the hypocrisy of religious leaders, especially the Pharisees.
• Matthew 27:50-54 – Jesus was crucified.
• Hebrews 10:4; 9:22 – Blood is required for forgiveness of sins.
• Hebrews 9:15
• Acts 2:22-24, 32-41 – The full gospel is presented for the first time.

Highlights from the New Testament

• Colossians 2:14 – Old Covenant no longer in effect.
• Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:18
• Ephesians 5:23
• II Corinthians 5:10
• Romans 10:2-3
• I Corinthians 15:52
• Romans 14:12
• Matthew 25:46

I Corinthians 15:56-57

To be noticed by others (Matthew 6:1-18), continued

• Beware!

  • Meaning

  • Examples

  • Repercussion

    • No reward in heaven (Matthew 6:1).

  • Consistency

    • Proverbs 27:2

    • John 5:44

    • Matthew 23:25

Not for show

• Left hand versus right hand – I Corinthians 12:14-27
• Leading a group prayer – I Corinthians 14:15-17, 26
• Where is the inner room? – Daniel 6:9-11

  • Places Jesus prayed

    • Luke 3:21 – after baptism

    • Matthew 14:23 – alone on a mountain

    • Mark 6:46 – on a mountain

    • Luke 6:12 – off to a mountain to pray all night

    • Mark 1:35

    • Luke 5:16

    • Luke 9:18

    • Matthew 14:19 – Before feeding the crowds.

    • Matthew 19:13 – Prayed over children that were brought to Him.

    • John 17 – With His disciples just before His betrayal

    • Luke 22:32

Meaningless repetition – I Kings 18:26-29

• Why?
  • They were trying to wake up their idols!
• Why not? Isaiah 65:24
  • God hears us!
• Versus persistence – Luke 18:3-8
  • Earnest repeated prayer for the same thing is not vain repetition.

Pray in this manner

• After a manner, not rote – II Corinthians 13:7-9; II Thessalonians 1:11
• Short, simple, to the point.

About fasting

• Keep it clean

• What about fasting?

  • Self-denial with purpose – Isaiah 58:3-7

  • Devotion to prayer

    • Command

    • Necessity

    • Authorization

    • Practicality

Introduction

• Genesis 13:8-13; 19:1-13, 24-25 – Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

God’s punishment (Genesis 19:24)

They were guilty of sin.

• Genesis 18:20-22
• God sees sin occurring on earth. He will not fail to punish that sin.

Sodom and Gomorrah became a legacy.

• Deuteronomy 29:23-24
• Jeremiah 23:14 – Centuries later, Sodom and Gomorrah were still remembered.
• Jude 1:5-7 – The story was well known even into New Testament times!

We need to understand that God punishes!

• Mark 9:43-48 – Jesus the loving savior warned about hell.
• Luke 12:4-5

God’s compassion

Even in this sad and tragic story, we see God’s compassion.

• Genesis 18:23-33 – God was willing to stay the destruction for the sake of ten righteous people, but even that number could not be found in Sodom and Gomorrah!
• Genesis 19:14-23
• II Peter 2:4-10 – God knew how to rescue Lot, and He knows how to save us, too!

We need to accept God’s compassionate offer!

• Genesis 19:17, 26 – Remember Lot’s wife. Don’t look back!
• Luke 17:32
• Luke 9:61
• Let’s put sin behind us and leave it there!