In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
Although the life and work of Jesus Christ is the focus of the gospels, other characters play a role in his story. During eleven sessions, we’re looking at the following individuals and groups who encountered Jesus as he moved from birth to the cross. During the series, we'll look at the following persons:
Session 10 - The Scribes, Pharisees and Teachers of the Law
Session 11 - The Herods
Session 12 - Pilate and the Other Romans
Session 13 - The Crowds
Session 14 - The Rich Young Ruler and His Friends
In our seventh session, we looked at Simon Peter as presented in 1 Corinthians and Galatians. A recording of our discussion and some of the passages we discussed are below.
Peter in 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 1:10-16: Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)
Peter in Galatians
Galatians 2:1-14: Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us— we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) —those leaders contributed nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned; for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
During most of the Summer, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church will explore the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians and consider how we might claim the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. During our time together, we'll explore the following:
During most of the Summer, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church will explore the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians and consider how we might claim the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. During our time together, we'll explore the following:
Well, this morning we’re tying up the series we started on the Sunday before Memorial Day. How time passes when you’re having fun. You see, over the course of nine Sundays, we’ve been looking at Paul’s letter to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia, a group of Gentile congregations which Paul had a hand in starting when he shared with them the good news of Jesus Christ. And even though, when he left, they were fine, in the meantime, they’d kind of drifted away from what he had taught them, and they started to believe in what you could call a modified gospel, one that involved doing certain things in order to experience a complete relationship with God. Of course, when Paul heard this, man, he went ballistic, because, for him, the relationship between humanity and God was grounded exclusively in undeserved grace and simple trust. And as a result, we’ve been set free: free from doing the right things and saying the right words and experiencing the right feelings and engaging in the right rituals and praying the right prayers and making the right promises. As he wrote, “Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the Law again.” [Galatians 5:1, CEV] Now, that was what he taught the Galatians when he was first with them back in the day, and that was what he wanted them to start believing again.
But, as we talked about last week, Paul didn’t want them to see this freedom as a license to kill so to speak, you know, to do anything they wanted. Instead he wanted them to understand that God had a reason for setting them and us free, and it was so that we could do one specific thing. As he wrote,
My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. All the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself. [Galatians 5:13-14, CEV]
Now that’s what he said; therefore, all Christians have a choice. We can choose to reject what God has done and what he wants us to do so that we can just live for ourselves, you know, doing what makes us feel good and comfortable. Or we can decide to accept our freedom as another gift from God and to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that we become the men and women God freed us to be. Now over the last two months or so, that’s what we’ve been talking about.
And like I said, this morning, we’re going to bring both the letter and the series to a close by looking at a few last-minute instructions Paul has for the Galatians. And in these final words, I believe he offered to them and to us an incredibly simple and straightforward principle that all Christians can use to shape how we can respond to the good news of Jesus Christ. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today. You see, we’re going to look at what Paul had to say as he concluded his letter, and then we’re going to apply it to our own lives. And hopefully, as a result, we’ll have a much better idea about how we might avoid what is wrong and actually do what is right.
And I’ll tell you, I think this is possible because of something Paul wrote right near the end of this letter. In other words, as he was offering some final instructions to the Galatians, he stated a commonsense principle that I believe can offer a lot of practical direction as we try to figure out what we should be doing. You see, according to Paul, we will harvest what we plant. I mean, just listen to what he wrote:
You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. [Galatians 6:7-8, CEV]
Now that’s what Paul wrote to the Galatians. Of course, this wasn’t the first time he used this image of harvesting and planting. For example, when he was trying to straighten out the mess that was going on in the Corinthian church, he said this to encourage them to give to those in need.
Remember this saying,
“A few seeds make
a small harvest,
but a lot of seeds make
a big harvest.”
Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don’t feel sorry that you must give and don’t feel you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give. God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others. The Scriptures say,
“God freely gives his gifts
to the poor,
and always does right.”
God gives seed to farmers and provides everyone with food. He will increase what you have, so you can give even more to those in need. You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift. [2 Corinthians 9:6-11, CEV]
Now that’s what he said. And I’ve got to tell you, it just makes a lot of sense, at least to me. In fact, it’s sort of like what my mom would say, especially when she thought that I was on the verge of doing something I’d probably regret later. I remember, she’d say, “Eddie, what goes around comes around.” And I’ll tell you, looking back, I’m glad she said it, because she was right. I mean, life really does have a funny way of giving back what you put in. And you know, Jesus taught the same sort of thing when he said this to his disciples:
Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree producing bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds. [Matthew 7:15-20, CEV]
You see, according to Paul, we will harvest what we plant. Now that’s what he wrote.
And I’ll tell you, right here and now, I think that’s good news for us, because we can claim this principle and apply it to our own lives. And if we do, I believe it’ll affect us in two ways. You see, if we choose to use this harvesting and planting business as a guide, first, I think we’re going to avoid doing some stuff that’s just plain wrong. For example, we’ll certainly be able to see through the false and even malicious motives of those who are actively trying to lead us astray, something that Paul suggested would happen for the Galatians as they were dealing with the problems they faced in their own churches. He wrote,
Those people who are telling you to get circumcised are only trying to show how important they are. And they don’t want to get into trouble for preaching about the cross of Christ. They are circumcised, but they don’t obey the Law of Moses. All they want is to brag about having you circumcised. But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned. [Galatians 6:12-14, CEV]
You see, when we believe that, in this world, those who lie and cheat and brag will eventually get what they deserve, well, maybe knowing that will strengthen us to resist some of the baloney they’re constantly dishing out.
But you know, just knowing that we’ll harvest what we plant, well, that might also motivate us to steer away from some of the self-centered and self-serving behavior that, frankly, is often pretty tempting. In other words, if we remember that what goes around comes around, man, that might help us resist the pitfall we talked about last week:
People’s desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God’s kingdom. [Galatians 5:19-21, CEV]
You see, first, when we remember that we’re going to harvest what we plant, I really think we’ll avoid doing what is wrong. But that’s not all.
Because, second, believing this will also help us do what is right. In other words, I believe following this principle will actually encourage us to be the kind of loving people God has freed us to be. For example, I think it’ll certainly move us to develop the right kind of attitude, and I’m talking about the kind of Spirit-focused qualities about which Paul wrote in the material we looked at last week:
God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. God’s Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. But don’t be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are. [Galatians 5:22-26, CEV]
I’ll tell you, just knowing that what we plant we’re going to harvest, man, that just might provide the motivation to do some self-improvements on the inside.
And you know, I think it’ll also give us some excellent reasons to tidy-up the outside as well. I mean, knowing what we know, how can it not move us to engage in the right kind of behavior, you know what I mean, the kind of behavior Paul wrote about as he was tying up this letter.
My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don’t be tempted yourself. You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand.
If you think you are better than others, when you really aren’t, you are wrong. Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others. We each must carry our own load.
Share every good thing you have with anyone who teaches you what God has said.
Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord. [Galatians 6:1-6, 9-10, CEV]
You see, when we recognize that we’re going to harvest what we plant, not only will that challenge us to avoid what is wrong, I think it’ll also move us to do what is right. At least, that’s what Paul seemed to think.
And after he said it, he concluded his letter with these words:
It doesn’t matter if you are circumcised or not. All that matters is that you are a new person.
If you follow this rule, you will belong to God’s true people. God will treat you with undeserved kindness and will bless you with peace.
On my own body are scars that prove I belong to Christ Jesus. So I don’t want anyone to bother me anymore.
My friends, I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you! Amen. [Galatians 6:15-18, CEV]
And with that, the letter ends, leaving us with some unanswered questions. For example, what did Galatians do after reading this letter? Did they listen to what Paul wrote, and did they remember what they’d been taught, and did they reject the false gospel they’d received? And did they decide to accept Paul’s message of undeserved grace and simple trust and responsible freedom and then did they allow these truths to shape their lives. We just don’t know.
But there are few things we do know. I mean, over ten weeks we’ve talked about what Paul wrote to Galatians; therefore, we know that the grace we’ve received is an undeserved gift from God. And we know that God simply wants us to trust that it’s been given. And we know that, as a result, God has set us free so that we can love others as much as we love ourselves. As a matter of fact, we even know that we’ll harvest what we plant; therefore, we have an excellent reason to avoid what is wrong and to do what is right. I mean, because we’ve spent ten weeks in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, these things we know. As a matter of fact, for us, there’s really only one question left; what are we going to do about it?
During most of the Summer, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church will explore the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians and consider how we might claim the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. During our time together, we'll explore the following:
During most of the Summer, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church will explore the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians and consider how we might claim the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. During our time together, we'll explore the following:
6 My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don't be tempted yourself. 2 You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand.
3 If you think you are better than others, when you really aren't, you are wrong. 4 Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others. 5 We each must carry our own load.
6 Share every good thing you have with anyone who teaches you what God has said.
7 You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. 8 If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. 9 Don't get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don't give up. 10 We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.
Final Warnings
11 You can see what big letters I make when I write with my own hand.
12 Those people who are telling you to get circumcised are only trying to show how important they are. And they don't want to get into trouble for preaching about the cross of Christ. 13 They are circumcised, but they don't obey the Law of Moses. All they want is to brag about having you circumcised. 14 But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned.
15 It doesn't matter if you are circumcised or not. All that matters is that you are a new person.
16 If you follow this rule, you will belong to God's true people. God will treat you with undeserved kindness and will bless you with peace.
17 On my own body are scars that prove I belong to Christ Jesus. So I don't want anyone to bother me anymore.
18 My friends, I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you! Amen.
6 My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill[a] the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads.
6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.
7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.
Final Admonitions and Benediction
11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which[b] the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. 15 For[c] neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From now on, let no one make trouble for me, for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.
18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
Footnotes
[a] 6.2 Other ancient authorities read in this way fulfill
[b] 6.14 Or through whom
[c] 6.15 Other ancient authorities add in Christ Jesus
6 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual [that is, you who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit] are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness [not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness], keeping a watchful eye on yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. 2 Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something [special] when [in fact] he is nothing [special except in his own eyes], he deceives himself. 4 But each one must carefully scrutinize his own work [examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior], and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable [a]without comparing himself to another. 5 For every person will have to bear [with patience] his own burden [of faults and shortcomings for which he alone is responsible].
6 The one who is taught the word [of God] is to share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his spiritual and material support]. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap. 8 For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in. 10 So then, while we [as individual believers] have the opportunity, let us do good to all people [not only being helpful, but also doing that which promotes their spiritual well-being], and especially [be a blessing] to those of the household of faith (born-again believers).
11 See with what [b]large letters I [c]am writing to you with my own hand. 12 Those who want to make a good impression in public [before the Jews] try to compel you to be circumcised, just so they will escape being persecuted for [faithfulness to] the cross of Christ. 13 For even the circumcised [Jews] themselves do not [really] keep the Law, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh [that is, in the fact that they convinced you to be circumcised]. 14 But far be it from me to boast [in anything or anyone], except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything [of any importance], nor uncircumcision, but [only] a new creation [which is the result of a new birth—a spiritual transformation—a new nature in Christ Jesus]. 16 Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule [who discipline themselves and conduct their lives by this principle], and upon the [true] Israel of God (Jewish believers).
17 From now on let no one trouble me [by making it necessary for me to justify my authority as an apostle, and the absolute truth of the gospel], for I bear on my body the [d]branding-marks of Jesus [the wounds, scars, and other outward evidence of persecutions—these testify to His ownership of me].
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my [e]brothers and sisters. Amen.
Footnotes
[a] Galatians 6:4 Lit to himself alone and not to.
[b] Galatians 6:11 Paul frequently dictated his letters to a secretary (such as Tertius, Rom 16:22). In this case, however, he applied the ink himself. His reference to “large letters” has been variously interpreted: (1) Paul may have been using large print for emphasis; or (2) Paul may have been referring to some problem with his vision (cf 4:15).
During most of the Summer, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church will explore the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians and consider how we might claim the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. During our time together, we'll explore the following:
On Sunday, we continued the series by looking at Galatians 5:13-26 and by discussing how we can live as men and women who've been set free.The video of the service, a recording of the sermon and the bulletin are below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT) You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.
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