<p> Painful Plea of a Perplexd Pastor Lesson 14 Galatians 4:12-20</p><p>“Paul was prepared to use every weapon in his arsenal to rescue his beloved converts from their peril. So he did not hesitate to make his appeal on a personal level. He will use doctrine, reproof, sarcasm, divine logic, and scripture. He will also make a personal appeal to the love they had for him.” John Phillips</p><p>I. Introduction</p><p>Can people change?</p><p>What is God doing?</p><p>Rom 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,</p><p>1 Cor 15:49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.</p><p>2 Cor 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.</p><p>2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature </p><p>1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.</p><p>Paul was familiar with immaturity and the fickleness of the human heart Acts 14:11-13, 19</p><p>II. The love of a pastor demonstrated Gal 4:12-16</p><p>A. A request for the present</p><p>12a I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. </p><p>1. what it means to beg for change</p><p>2 Cor 2:4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. NIV</p><p>2 Cor 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. NKJV</p><p>2 Cor 10:1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ — NKJV</p><p>1 2. what it means to become like Paul</p><p> a. what he left behind Phil 3:4-6 4 If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.</p><p> b. what he gained Phil 3:7-9 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.</p><p> c. what he modeled</p><p>1 Cor 4:14-16 14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.</p><p>1 Cor 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.</p><p>Phil 3:17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.</p><p>Phil 4:9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice.</p><p>1 Thess 1:5b-6a You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord;</p><p>2 Thess 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.</p><p>3. what it means to become like others</p><p>1 Cor 9:19-23 19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. </p><p>4. what it means to “contextualize” the gospel</p><p>23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.</p><p>2 B. A reminder of the past </p><p>1. how Paul came to the Galatians</p><p>12b You have done me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. </p><p>Is this illness Paul’s thorn in the flesh?</p><p>2 Cor 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.</p><p>The theories concerning Paul’s affliction</p><p>Jerome (347-420ad) sexual temptation</p><p>Luther (1483-1546) trials and persecutions</p><p>More contemporary migraines, ophthalmia, epilepsy, malaria</p><p>2. how the Galatians came to Paul</p><p>14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. </p><p>“That which was a temptation to you in my flesh.” (W. E. Vine)</p><p>“You did not despise me or reject me with abhorrence because of the trial that my bodily condition must have caused you.” (F. F. Bruce)</p><p>“You did not shrink from me or let yourselves be revolted at the disease which was such a trial to you.” (J. B. Phillips)</p><p>“And your temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor loathed.” (R. Govett)</p><p>C. A reasoning with the people</p><p>15 What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? </p><p>III. The loyalty of a people diverted Gal 4:17-20</p><p>17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you [from us], so that you may be zealous for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! </p><p>3 The L ook of a Pastor’s Love The Look of a People’s Loyalty</p><p>1. Their attitude toward him must never be 1. He should always have the people’s best determined by external factors interest at heart. 14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not 17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed good. What they want is to alienate you [from us], so that me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus you may be zealous for them. himself.</p><p>The word ‘Paul’ literally means “small” or “little”. The earliest physical description of Paul comes from The nd 2. He should teach to effect permanent change Acts of Paul and Thecla, a 2 century apocryphal writing that describes the apostle as “a man of small stature, with a bald head and crocked legs, in a good state of 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, body; for now he appeared like a man, and now he had and to be so always and not just when I am with you. the face of an angel.” 2 Peter 1:12-15 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in truth 2. Their attitude toward him must never be you now have. determined by peripheral theological trends 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 3. Their attitude toward him should be determined by his loyalty to the apostolic message, both in teaching and example 3. He should long to see Christ formed in the people</p><p>19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of 1 Thess 2:5, 7-8 childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed — God is our witness. “If ministers wish to do any good, let them labor to form Christ, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her not to form themselves, in their hearers.” little children. John Calvin 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.</p><p>TNBS Questions Lesson 14 Preparation for week 15</p><p>4 Read Galatians 4:21- 5:1 (It would be very helpful in this study to read Genesis 16, 17, and 21:1-21. The Galatians passage is impossible to understand without this background)</p><p>1. Write a brief “compare & contrast” for each of the following as Paul describes them.</p><p>Hagar ______Isaac Ishmael ______Birth Birth ______</p><p>Old Covenant New Covenant ______</p><p>Mount Sinai Mount Zion ______</p><p>Present Jerusalem Heavenly Jerusalem ______Sarah</p><p>2. Paul speaks of two covenants. How do we know he’s not speaking of two ways of salvation? ______</p><p>3. What does Paul say we enjoy as a children of the heavenly Jerusalem? What is the basis of this blessing? ______</p><p>4. What does Paul mean that “like Isaac, you (we) are children of promise” (vs 28) ? What does his miraculous birth teach us about the nature of grace? ______</p><p>5 5. In what ways are you tempted to think as though God’s acceptance of you depends on your actions? ______</p><p>6. What does Christian “freedom” mean? ______</p><p>6</p>