Sowing and Reaping for the Good of One Another

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Leader Guide Sunday, February 25, 2018

Sowing and Reaping for the Good of One Another Sermon Text:​ Galatians 6:6-10 Study Texts:​ Hebrews 3:12-14 Sermon Recap​: In this week’s sermon text, we look at Paul’s admonition to care for our brothers and sisters within the Church. As followers of Jesus, we are called to do good to one another. Paul is developing an idea in this passage, and that idea is “you reap what you sow.” This is not karma; it is a divine directive from the Holy Spirit. Paul is clear that when men and women sow in the flesh—live worldly lives—they will reap worldly things. This can lead to worldliness, sin in the Church, and cause ungodly problems. On the contrary, Paul says that we should sow in the Spirit—we should live lives of faith and holiness, living unto God. When Christians live faithful lives, the Church flourishes because Christians are called to genuinely care for one another, and this care is an outworking of being filled with the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-26). This gospel principle is most clearly seen in the relationships between Christians within the local church and the home. Sermon Connection:​ In the same way, the writer of Hebrews calls us to do the same. As we read over these short verses, we are struck with the call to care deeply for those within the Church. We are called to guard one another against sin and hard-heartedness; we are to encourage one another everyday; and we are to help each other persevere towards our hope in Jesus. This is precisely what Paul says in Galatians 6:10, “.​..let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.​” Genuine Christian community is built on loving Jesus and being obedient to His teaching. Furthermore, Jesus calls us to live this out inside the community of His people, the Church. As we seek to follow Christ, we guard one another against sin and encourage one another to keep after the great hope of eternal life in Christ.

Lesson Plan Lesson Goal: ​To see that the Body of Christ—the Church—is to have a genuine interest in the sanctification and well-being of one another.

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Lesson Points: Point 1: The Command to Guard​ (v. 12) Point 2: The Command to Encourage​ (v. 13) Point 3: The Command to Persevere​ (v. 14) The Context: ​In this section of Hebrews, the writer1 is expounding on the differences between Jesus and Moses, encouraging the Christian Jews to see that Jesus is greater than Moses. Some of these early Christians had rejected Moses and were in danger of rejecting Jesus. The writer, then, is warning them of the peril of rejecting Jesus and encourages them to guard and encourage one another as they live faithful lives unto Jesus. Having encouraged these believers to treasure Christ above all, the writer calls “fellow Christians” to encourage and treasure one another. Opening Question: ​Describe a time in your life when you were called out and confronted? Why does correction ​for the sake of your own good​ make it easier to hear and process? Transition Statement: ​In this passage, the writer of Hebrews is calling the Christian community to watch out for one another and guard one another against falling into sin... Point 1 - ​The Command to Guard​ ​(v. 12) The writer uses the phrase, “​Take care, brothers…​” Another translation is “​Watch out, brothers…​” What does he mean? As we noted in the context section, some of the letter’s original recipients were in danger of (or close to) rejecting Jesus. Therefore, the writer warns, not only those in danger of rejecting Jesus, but also the others in the same community. The writer’s concern is not only for the few in danger of rejecting but for the community itself to be on guard against any loss of faith. The verbs, which are translated “take care” and “watch out,” are calls to action; they are calls to awareness and attention to detail. The writer is saying that the community of faith must be on guard, not only maintaining their own personal faith, but guarding the faith of others. Why is it important to note the writer’s use of the plural “brothers”? We can tend to read the Bible with an individual perspective, thinking that the Bible is only speaking to and addressing us as individuals. And while there are times of that, the Bible often addresses and instructs the community of faith, “the brothers.” It is important to note the plural because it reminds us that we are in a community. Being saved through Christ means being reconciled to God through the gospel, but it also means—just as importantly—that we 1

Hebrews is the only book of the Bible with an unknown author. There are numerous theories, but nothing certain.

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have been reconciled to God’s people, the Church. Being a Christian means loving God and loving God’s people. How does this to shape our understanding of Christian community? How is it tied to Gal. 6:9-10? It should help us to see that true Christianity is found in community. Being a true follower of Jesus means being a part of the people that God is forming through the gospel. We cannot be the Church on our own; we must have membership in the local church. Paul tells us in Gal. 6:10 that we should do good to all, “...​especially to those who are of the household of faith.​” Christians are to have a special care for the people of God. Being that this letter is written to Christians, what does the phrase “​evil, unbelieving heart...​” mean? (Heb. 3:12) See also Gal. 6:8. On first reading, we might see “​evil, unbelieving heart​” and think the writer is speaking of non-Christians. We do not like to think of ourselves in such terms. And yet, this is a passage written to Christians. What the writer points to here is the Christian’s ongoing struggle against sin. Although we stand justified2 before God in Christ, we are still being sanctified, and that means we still struggle with sin. Thus, the command given to “take care” or “watch out” means we are to guard one another against the sin that still plagues our hearts. This is what Paul means in Galatians 6:8. We are to guard against sowing in the flesh (sin) as we—together—seek to sow in the Spirit. Can someone who has truly been saved fall away from the faith?​ If not, what does verse 12 mean? A very common struggle among many Christians today is fearing that salvation can be lost based on their actions or attitudes. The writer says, “.​..leading you to fall away from the living God.​” While some might understand this verse to be communicating the loss of true salvation, we must understand this verse in the context of the whole Bible. God speaks in numerous places about His work of salvation; that it is totally His doing (Eph. 1:4; 2:8; Phil. 1:6). But, the Bible is also clear that we play a part in our being sanctified (Phil. 2:12; Col. 3:5). We give evidence through our lives that we are, in fact, followers of Christ. Thus, to distill the point of this verse down, we may say: The writer is warning against false faith​. True saving faith is the work of God and is certain for eternity; it cannot be To be justified means that God ​declares​ us righteous on the grounds of Jesus’ righteousness. Justification does not mean that we have been perfected. Sanctification means that God is ​working ​in us through the Spirit and ​will one day make ​us totally righteous (glorification); thereby completing the declaration He made in our justification. 2

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lost because its ownership is in God (Col. 3:3). See also the parable of the seeds Matthew 13:1-23. Transition Statement: ​Knowing that we are called to watch out for one another, guarding against worldliness and sin, we now see that we are to also encourage one another towards faithful living... Point 2 - The Command to Encourage​ (v. 13) What does it mean to “​exhort one another...​”? As we follow the flow of this passage, we come to the phrase “​exhort one another​.” In the context it means “to come alongside and call out.” Therefore, in the context, the writer is encouraging Christians to come alongside one another and remind each other of the gospel, of the goodness of God, and of the coming hope and reality of heaven. As Paul says in Galatians 6, we should exhort one another to sow in the Spirit and seek to do good. This is where we see the gospel working itself in the Church. The gospel is not only the good news unto salvation, it is also the way of life for the saved. How often are we to exhort one another? How does Acts 2:42-47 influence this? This is not an annual gathering or a by-monthly happening. It is clear that this is an everyday practice; it is a way of life. We are to come alongside and remind each other of the gospel day-by-day. Why? Because the gospel is our lifeblood in Christ. The gospel is what sustains the community of faith, the Church. It is when we move away from this that we fall, and this is why the writer warns against not encouraging one another and directly commands us to do so. We see a picture of this in Acts 2 and the formation of the Church. They were daily gathering to hear the Word taught, to pray, and to receive their provision from the Lord with glad hearts. We also see that, in coming alongside one another with the gospel, they had deep care and concern for one another. And the Lord blessed it... How might “...​exhort one another every day...​” apply to Growth Group? Knowing that we are called to come alongside one another and speak the gospel day-by-day, we should see growth group as a primary means of carrying out this work. While not the perfect/only way, Growth Groups are Parkwood’s way of carrying out many of the Scriptures’ commands, including “...​exhort one another every day…”​ As we gather in our weekly meetings, we should all be asking, “How can I encourage those in my Growth Group to love Christ more today?”

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How does this idea of exhorting and encouraging one another help us grasp Paul’s words in Galatians 6:9-10? In Galatians 6, Paul is encouraging the Church to care for one another, to bear one another’s burdens, and to live as unto the Lord. Because God is concerned for His people, His people come to share that concern. And so we see a sweet partnership between Hebrews 3:12 and Galatians 6:9-10. To come alongside fellow Christians, reminding them of the gospel and guarding them from sin, is the deepest and most worthwhile good we can do for one another. What is the purpose for daily encouragement and exhortation? We see clearly that the reason we are to encourage one another daily with the gospel is to guard one another from sin. Thus, verse 13 is the answer to verse 12. How can we watch out for and take care of one another? By speaking the gospel and reminding each other of Jesus! This is the heart of genuine, Christian community. Transition Statement:​ Having given us both the command to guard one another from sin and to remind each other of the gospel, the writer now points us to our great hope, Jesus! Point 3 - The Command to Persevere​ (v. 14) What does it mean to “​share in Christ...​”? To “share in Christ” means to be joined in Him, to be saved in the gospel, and to possess His righteousness through justification (2 Cor. 5:21). To share in Christ simply means to be a Christian. The writer says, “​...if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.​” Is he saying that our salvation is somehow depending on our actions? As we noted earlier, the completing of salvation is totally God’s work, but He expects that we will be obedient to all His teachings and commands. To hold fast to our original confidence means that we hold fast to Jesus and live like it. Jesus is our original confidence, for He is the gospel of salvation. Therefore, because we are saved completely through Christ, the writer calls us to live our lives faithfully and obediently. So, we can say that all who are truly saved will persevere because of the grace of God, and that believers are expected to persevere in faithful living. They work together. How are guarding and encouraging one another every day a part of “​holding our confidence to the end…​”? Because Jesus is our ​original confidence​, we now see that guarding one another from sin and encouraging one another towards righteousness is a primary way we hold that confidence in Jesus. Together, we put away sin, and together we treasure righteousness. We seek to be a community sowing in the Spirit. 5

The Big Picture As we have considered this text, we have seen that the Body of Christ—the Church—is to have a genuine interest in the sanctification and well-being of one another. The way this works itself out in daily life is by guarding one another against the hard-heartedness of sin through daily coming alongside one another with the Jesus-centered encouragement to persevere. We must daily commit ourselves to love Jesus and to love His Church. Guarding and encouraging those within the faith family is an essential part of being a follower of Jesus. Application Questions ● Are you to receiving guidance and correction from your brothers and sisters in the faith? Why or why not? ● How are you watching out and encouraging those in your life? ● Parents, are you guarding your home against sin and encouraging righteousness? How? ● Spouses, how are you guarding one another against sin? How are you building one another up into Christ? ● Growth groups, how are you carrying out these elements together in your community?

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