Life At The Ridge

In Mark 6 we see the awesome encounter of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with a few fish and few loaves. In this passage we see Jesus serving the sheep and providing for them. What do we learn from what Jesus provided and how he served His sheep?

Paul began the fifth chapter of Galatians with the command to stand firm in the liberty Christ gave us. We stand on God’s grace, and we depend on His strength, not ours. The liberty and the freedom of the Gospel was under attack. The false teachers were saying that to live a life of grace you would be doing what ever you wanted to do. To live that way would produce all kinds of law breaking. As we looked at last week, Paul argues that to live in liberty it’s not a license to do whatever you want to do. Instead a Gospel grounded, grace driven life will produce a type of life that seeks to obey God, not because we are trying to merit God’s love or favor, but we have been called to a new way of living and we aren’t abandoning the law instead we fulfill the the law by serving one another through love. As Christians, we are free, but we should use this freedom to reflect God’s love. Our text this morning Paul is going to show us that one of the things we encounter when we try to live for God is a conflict. I

Paul has been talking about being spirit filled. In this last chapter we are going to see how a spirit filled believer actually lives their life. Remember why Paul was writing these things. It’s a defense of what the false teachers were saying to live a life apart from the law would lead a person into all kinds of wrong living. He however was showing them that a believer is to live by grace and those that have been transformed by grace live a different type of life. They serve one another, they don’t walk in the flesh, but rather decide to walk in the Spirit and are led by the Spirit. In these next set of verses Paul is going to show us practical what the spirit filled life looks like in how they love their life.

These believers were in danger of abandoning the incredible grace they had in Christ. They had got off the course of grace. Paul's letter was an attempt to get them on course again and this section is an emotional plea for them to get back in the race of grace. How could they, and how can we, get back to running in grace?

Paul has been answering the false claim that to live a life apart from the law and only live by grace one would go into all kinds of sin. He did this by showing us that every believer has a conflict within. The desires of the flesh are at war with the desires of the Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill those desires of the flesh. So we have to make a conscious daily decision to walk in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is not something that is mystical or taboo. Its basic Christianity 101. The Spirit is already blowing we have to put up our sails to catch the wind. We do that through basic Christian practices of reading God’s Word, prayer and worship. Paul said it was important for us to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit (5:16,18). The result of being led by the Spirit and walking by the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit becomes evident in our lives. This is a result of the Gospel that has taken root in our hearts. You cannot have the fruit of the Spirit apart from knowing Ch

Allan McGuire brings the message for us our of Mark 6. This is another "Markin Sandwich" where Jesus teaches His disciples in how to handle those who reject you when you preach the Gospel.

This list here today is a list of many things that can and will show up in our life when we are not walking in the Spirit. The Gospel can and will save you from these things if and only if we are walking in the Spirit. We don’t have to live this way.

As we begin a new chapter here in Galatians, Paul is going to defend his belief in the Gospel and the freedom it brings. The false teachers were saying that living a life of Gospel freedom would produce a life of unrestrained behavior where one could do whatever they wanted. However Paul is going to show us that the Gospel actually produces a life where a person is free to live for God.

In Mark 6 we get a look at the life of King Herod and his actions of what he did to John the Baptist. Herod's life was marked by family dysfunction and it showed in how he had John the Baptist beheaded.

As we wrap up chapter 4 today, Paul is going to use another story from the OT to prove his point about how we are brought into our relationship with God. Paul goes all the way back to Genesis again and retells the story of Hagar, Sarah, and the birth of each of their sons. It will be thorough this story from the OT that Paul will use to help the Galatian believers see that they need to reject legalism and cling to grace.

As we look at chapter 4:8-20 today, we will see the the pastor side of Paul. As he is giving the Galatian believers truth he makes a loving appeal. He’s pleading with them to remain free in grace and not attach all these laws in order to gain favor with God. With a bleeding heart, Paul begged the Galatians to stay firm in the gospel of grace.

As we finished chapter 3 last week we saw what faith is able to do. When we believe in Jesus by faith we become sons of God and we are part of the family of God. Paul is saying all these things because he is building on the relationship that we have with God because of our faith. We don’t earn a relationship with God through works. What the Galatian believers were caught up in and what we sometimes find ourselves in is this idea that our relationship with God is dependent on if we do or do not do certain things. We are saved by grace through faith alone, and our growth in Christ is by grace through faith. As we look at chapter 4 today Paul is going to continue the thought about our relationship with God that we looked at last week and stress the importance of God as our Father.

As we have been working through chapter 3 Paul has been giving us point after point that a person can only be accepted by God through faith in the gospel. Keeping the Old Testament law is not necessary, and Paul has been reaching back into the OT to prove this. If you have just joined us Paul is addressing the issue of legalism that one must keep the law to be accepted by God. It’s not Jesus + the law or Jesus + circumcision but rather Jesus + nothing. Pauls argument is: faith in Jesus and Jesus alone. Today, Paul is going to tell us what that faith does to us. What happens when we believe in Jesus alone by faith? When we truly believe, what happens to us?

Here in Marks Gospel we have the story of two women who were touched by Jesus. What do we learn about them and what do we learn about Jesus?

As we have been working through this letter that Paul wrote, If you haven’t noticed already the big question Galatians attempts to answer is: How do we relate to God? How do we engage with Him? Do we experience God as a reward for good works? Do we gain more of an understanding of God by keeping His laws of nature, conscience or Scripture? Or do we encounter God by His grace? Do we enjoy Him through faith in His promises? How do we relate to God? Paul was arguing for that we are justified by faith and not through the law. What is the purpose of the law then? What is the difference between law and grace?

If you follow any type of Christian media, or Christian based news you’ve probably even heard some end time prophecy things come up or even discussions amongst other Christians or your friends. When things like these world events come up people question - is this a sign of the End? We can look at Matthew 24 for direction and simply Jesus tells us "Don't be alarmed"

Paul has been giving the Scriptural arguments of why salvation is only through grace through faith and not through works. When We believe in Jesus just in simple faith like Abraham we are blessed. What are those blessings? Paul will tell us here in Galatians 3:10-14.

Beginning in chapter 3 Paul begins giving the Scriptural arguments of why salvation is only through grace through faith and not through works. To prove his point Paul is going to call in a star witness: Abraham. Abraham and his story were the perfect way to combat the false teachers. He predated Moses by some 500 years and Paul is going to show that Abraham was justified by God not became of what he did but by simple faith in God.

What kind of authority does Jesus have? What can He do? What can He do in our lives?

This Sunday we wanted to take some time and talk about deacons. We are seeking to have a man who could serve in that official office in this church. So we, the elders, thought it would be helpful to all of us to understand what a deacon is and what a deacon does.