
Spirited Word
By God's Word proclaimed, the Holy Spirit works faith in God's grace in Jesus, when and where he pleases. Sermons by Pastor Adrian Kitson, Lutheran Church of Australia.
St Petri Lutheran Church, Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia.
www.stpetri.org.au
Spirited Word
Sowing and Reaping Freely
After several short stints which have seen us journey through the Letter to the Galatians over twelve Sundays, we complete the journey today.
We hear Paul signing off to the people he loves and wants the best. He has tried to convince them to stick to what they first believed about Jesus and not cave in to the old nature within them or the surrounding pagan culture or those wanting them to adopt Jewish ceremony and Law to be assured that they are safe and secure in God’s grace and free to live in those marvellous fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Now he reminds us of this and then makes it very clear that this Christian gospel life is a team sport! They will need each other to grow in the gospel character and way.
Paul is ever the realist. He knows the human heart. He tackles the problem that all churches and all Christians have – Conceit and envy. Both are lethal to the freedom we share in Jesus’ grace.
In our insecurity and lack of trust in God’s word in Christ, we can easily fall into thinking ourselves to be ‘honourless and without glory’ as we constantly fixate our ears on what other people say and do in the drive to find that glory; that honour and worth. We either become conceited or envious, and neither are necessary for the person of gospel freedom
Praying to receive that good news of life and hope for yourself today so that you can be part of the team that sustains us all.
Pastor Adrian