WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:06.719 All right, Harvest, why don't you get your Bibles open now to Galatians chapter four is where we're at today. 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:12.640 And as you are getting yourself situated and figured out over there, grabbing your copy of God's word. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:25.440 I remember when I was a little kid, and maybe you would, you know, kind of share this similar type of experience, but when we would go out as little kids and we'd go play, I don't know, street hockey or go skateboarding or something like that. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:35.039 I remember that if if an older kid ever came out and played with us, that was like that was a huge deal, wasn't it? 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:35.359 Right? 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:36.399 And you remember that. 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:46.079 And you remember that if that older kid happened to learn your name and then use it, you're like, that was like, that was the next level. 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:46.560 Right? 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:52.880 And you're and and I remember it just me, it kind of filled you with this, with this kind of swagger a little bit. 00:00:53.039 --> 00:01:02.000 And and it kind of changed kind of the way you conducted yourselves, you know, when you were you were playing together, and it gave you this sort of this confidence and all that. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.319 And you're like, wow, that that older kid, he he kind of knows me. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.319 You know, and then and I think I'm kind of a big deal because of that now, right? 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:15.200 And that's that's how we thought, that's how we kind of treated uh those kinds of situations. 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:22.560 Now, now maybe that sounds a little bit silly, right, when we think about that and the way you know we were as kids and all of that. 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:29.200 But listen, there are some similarities there uh with uh to how our relationship with God works. 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:29.680 Right? 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:32.000 There absolutely is some parallels. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:37.760 And in Galatians chapter 4, Paul tells us that we have come to be known by God. 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:49.840 That's what he says there, right in the passage, and then he proceeds to show us, you know, basically how we should operate as a result of the fact that we are known by God Himself. 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:52.959 We should conduct ourselves differently. 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:58.239 We should have a little bit of a non-proud swagger, right? 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:08.080 We should we should be affected and carry ourselves a little bit differently or or really a lot differently through throughout life. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:20.719 But what was happening here, of course, in the context and in Galatia, was that the these people, these churches here, the Galatians, they were they were drifting away from the gospel, of course. 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:24.400 That's what we've been talking about all the way through this series here. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:26.800 They were, you know, they were they were walking away from it. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:32.800 They weren't resting in the incredible reality that they were known by God. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:34.400 They were known by him. 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:36.800 And what was it doing? 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:38.560 Well, it was doing damage. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:41.520 It was doing damage to their relationship with the Lord. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:49.280 It was it was putting a strain big time on their relationship with Paul, and we're gonna see all of that play out. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:03:00.000 And it was also ruining some ministry opportunities and some serving opportunities that God had given them as a church. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:13.840 It's yet another reminder, as we have seen all through this letter so far, uh, that the gospel must, must take deep roots in our hearts and in our minds. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:20.240 Because when it does, okay, when it does, listen, we just operate, we just function properly in all kinds of different ways. 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:28.159 And when it when it doesn't take root, okay, when it doesn't take deep roots, we, I mean, it just makes sense, we don't function properly. 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:32.000 We don't operate uh the way that we really should be. 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:43.759 And life gets more challenging and more difficult for us because our understanding of our relationship with God and his relationship with us is skewed. 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:47.919 It sets everything off on this kind of warped-bent path. 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:51.919 All right, so let's just take a look at this here and the idea that we are known by God. 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:58.479 If you were in Galatians chapter 4, uh, let's read this right now, uh, starting uh in verse 8. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:05.759 It says this formerly, hey, formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:16.959 But now that you have come to know God, or rather be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:21.120 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:24.800 I'm afraid that I may have labored over you in vain. 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:31.920 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:33.519 You did me no wrong. 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:37.839 You know that it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:47.279 And although my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God as Christ Jesus. 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:50.800 What then has become of your blessedness? 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:58.079 For I testify to you that if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:02.959 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:06.319 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:09.839 They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:21.439 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you. 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:30.000 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed, perplexed about you. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:43.839 God, we come before you as your church, once again recognizing that the gospel becomes so easily detached from our hearts and our minds. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:06:00.000 It's like you want the gospel and our lives to be sewn together, but it's like the stitching continues to come undone, and we forget that we are we are saved, we are we are chosen, we are adopted, and as we're gonna talk about today, we are known by the God of the universe. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:06.480 God, I pray that as we unpack the gospel even more, Lord, would you link our hearts to this inseparably? 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:12.800 Lord, I pray that all of life would operate out of the foundation, the understanding that you know us. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:15.199 God, help us in these things, Lord. 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:16.560 We are weak people. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:20.720 We need the reminder constantly, we need the encouragement, we need your spirit. 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:25.120 So, God, would your spirit fall on this place right now, Lord? 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:26.720 Would you teach your people? 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:30.319 We're hungry, we're open-handed, we're we're reaching out to you, God. 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:34.480 Would you reach down and have mercy on us, Lord? 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:40.560 We pray that in all of these things, as we talk about these things, as we study your word, Lord, would you be glorified and honored? 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:42.160 Lord, it's not about us, it's about you. 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:45.839 So, Lord, make much of your name today. 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.839 We pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:50.800 Amen. 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:52.160 Amen. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:07:01.680 All right, well, being known by God is the incredible reality that impacts my life in, I mean, so many ways, so many ways. 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:04.160 And so we're gonna look at a few of those ways here today. 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:11.759 And the first thing, if you're following along in your notes there, it's that it keeps me from turning back again to idol worship. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:16.079 Okay, that's what being known by God um keeps me from doing. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:18.240 Okay, let's take a look at this, verse eight, okay? 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:19.519 Let's go through these verses here. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:35.360 Verse eight says this Paul says, formerly, okay, formerly, when you did not know God, okay, so he's talking about before they got saved, before they were justified through Jesus Christ, okay, before all of that, you were, look at this word, enslaved. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:39.519 You were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:41.600 Okay, you were enslaved by those. 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:44.079 Now, a little bit of a recap here, all right? 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:51.600 So we kind of remind ourselves of the context and what was going on and who are the players in uh you know in the scene here, what's really going on. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:08:01.600 Okay, well remember that there were really two main types of people uh that were a part of these church families uh in Galatia. 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:10.319 Okay, so so over here you kind of had you had these Jews who had converted to Christianity from Judaism. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:12.800 Okay, and so that was like one of the groups in the church. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:16.079 And then over here you had this other group of people. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:30.319 They weren't Jews, they were Gentiles, and they you know formerly were involved in all kinds of pagan things and you know, pagan religions, and and just flat out pagan irreligion as well. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:40.000 All right, so you've got these two different kinds of groups of people now coexisting together under one roof under the church. 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:46.000 Now it's it's not so hard to kind of picture what that would be like because that's every church, right? 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:46.960 Every church is like that. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:48.480 Our church is like that too. 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:52.960 You know, we've got a number of people here who you're relatively new to this whole game, right? 00:08:53.200 --> 00:09:10.720 You you know, you've lived a life kind of doing whatever you've wanted to do, and maybe it was a little bit, you know, later in life that Jesus came and saved you and made the gospel so clear and helped you recognize your sinfulness and how that was a barrier between you and God and showed you that he went to the cross to forgive you, and so that's relatively new. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:11.200 Right? 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:17.120 And then we've got a bunch of us here in this room as well who you know have have been in the church since day one. 00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:17.600 Right? 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:23.759 You were you were a little one, and and maybe you were even dedicated in a church, like Rachel was here today. 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:29.919 And and you've done the youth group thing and you've done the VBS thing and you've grown kind of all the way up through that. 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:34.240 And so we have we have differing experiences, don't we? 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:47.600 So when Paul here, when he says that before you knew God, okay, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods, it might be kind of natural for us to think, oh, okay, he's talking to the pagan crowd right now. 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:48.960 That's the group, right? 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:56.320 That the the the the the pagan worship that they used to be involved in with these kind of false gods, right? 00:09:56.399 --> 00:10:05.200 They would have literally bowed down to some of these things, some down to some of these carved statues that you know that we know are not they're not actual gods, okay? 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:05.919 They're they're not. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:15.840 They're they're these man-made images of of wood or stone or metal or whatever that don't really have any ability. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:18.879 They have zero ability to to save you, right? 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:25.120 To to provide for you, to you know, to fulfill you and love you, all of that kind of thing. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:32.240 So again, it would be really easy for us to think that that's those are the people that he's talking to here in this moment. 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:36.000 And and Jews, hang on a second, I'll I'll get to you in just in just a minute. 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:38.480 But listen, he's he's not just talking to the pagan crowd. 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:39.360 Okay, he's not. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:45.120 He's he's addressing the entire church here uh when he talks about thing uh these things. 00:10:45.279 --> 00:11:02.960 Okay, he's also writing to the Jews who came out of this this religion that was really all about trying to earn your salvation through your good works, through your law obedience, and and through a very, very deep spiritual commitment to moralistic living. 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:05.039 That's where that's where they have come out of. 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:06.799 Now you might be wondering, like, why are you belaboring this? 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:09.200 Like, why is this so why is this so important? 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:19.440 Well, because when it says that you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods, he's showing us something that's extremely important for us to understand. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:34.879 He's showing us that that pagan immoral religion or or irreligion and moralistic religious obedience to the law, listen, they are both forms of slavery. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:36.480 They're both slavery. 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:38.639 That's why he uses the word enslaved. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:42.960 Okay, so they're they're both false gods, if you will. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:45.120 They're both idolatry. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:47.360 You may think, well, like why? 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:48.080 How how? 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:54.159 Well, because at the at the core of these very these two very different looking practices, right? 00:11:54.240 --> 00:12:05.120 Anything like pagan worship and and and just flat out immoral living and all of that looks differently than you know, growing up in the church and following all the rules and being the good kid. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:07.200 Does it look different on the outside? 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:09.039 Absolutely, it totally does. 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:14.240 They're very different looking practices, but listen, they're both the exact same at the root. 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:19.200 Really, at the core of it, when you boil it all down, they're both works-based. 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:20.799 They both are. 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:25.600 Pagans are trying to find uh or achieve a salvation of sorts. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:36.320 They probably wouldn't use that word, but they're trying, they're trying to find salvation in, you know, or peace or meaning in life or purpose in life, pleasure, all of that. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:40.480 They're trying to find that through outright sinful living, right? 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:46.320 Like I, if I if I just fill my lives with these things, then I'm gonna sort of get saved. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:49.600 I'm gonna find ultimate meaning and purpose and hope in life. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:13:00.960 Or through, you know, irreligious, you know, false idol worship and you know, trying to appease a stone-carved, you know, false God idol. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:12.960 Okay, just like those who are following the Mosaic law, the Old Testament law, are trying to find their salvation through obedience and self-righteousness. 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:14.320 Do you see that? 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:20.399 Moralistic religion, immoral, religion, irreligion. 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:22.879 Listen, it's all works-based through and through. 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:25.919 Okay, all of it is at the core, at the heart. 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:29.519 And so here's the here's the thing. 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:42.720 The religious person is just as lost and just as in need of Jesus Christ as savior as the blatantly irreligious person. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:49.679 Because all of it, if you think about it, all of it is us trying to be our own saviors. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.159 It's us trying to save ourselves. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:54.000 Now, naturally, we don't think about it that way. 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:59.679 We think about the, you know, the radical, external, you know, obvious rebel. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:02.960 We think, well, that person needs Jesus more than anybody. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:03.519 Right? 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:08.799 They've got so many vices and they've fallen into so many temptations and troubles. 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:14.480 Listen, the legalistic person that's trying to earn their own salvation through their efforts, they need it just as much. 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:16.000 They need Jesus just as much. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.200 And that's what this whole entire letter is really driving towards. 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:22.639 And that's the message for us here as the church. 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:26.240 And so, Paul, he's saying, listen, he's like, this is who you were. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:28.639 You were you you were that kind of a person. 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:33.679 You were lost in one version of works-based living or the other. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:34.320 Right? 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.799 You were all in the same boat, essentially. 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:40.000 Okay, and now he says this, verse 9, take a look. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:46.720 He says, But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to all this? 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:52.799 You know, to the to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:56.879 You observe days and months and seasons and years, right? 00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:07.279 He's talking about these requirements of the law, these different festivals and stuff that the false teachers were insisting that the Jews and these churches had had to follow, right? 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:11.679 You and you know, all of it, this is what you have to do in order to be truly loved by God. 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:14.960 And so, Paul, he's he's frustrated here. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:18.320 He says, I may I'm afraid I may have labored over you in vain. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:22.080 He's like, this whole thing, it just feels like it's been a big waste of my time. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:27.360 At once you appeared to get it, but now you're like going in the complete, completely wrong direction here. 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:35.759 He's like, how can you, he's like, now that you know God, or rather, God knows you, okay, we'll get to that in a second. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:37.919 He's like, how can you just how can you just go back to this again? 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:44.720 How can you go back to the weak and worthless, this is how he says it, the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:46.000 What's that all about? 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:54.960 Well, what he means by that is to say that at the core of all religion and irreligion is this foundation, or he uses the word elementary, right? 00:15:55.039 --> 00:16:00.399 This elementary belief that that we can save ourselves, that we can do this. 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.120 And he says, you know, you've been set free from all of this. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:12.559 You've been set free from this from this legalism and this idolatry and this trying to save yourselves through your performance or you know, all of these things, different things. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:15.519 You came to understand that Jesus Christ saved you by grace through faith. 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:16.879 He's like, why go back to all of that? 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:19.279 He calls it weak, he calls it worthless. 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:23.440 Why go back to that broken system? 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:27.519 It is not helping whatsoever. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:30.159 And so, what does Paul do here? 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:31.200 Look very carefully. 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:37.120 He actually points us back, he points the Galatians here, he points us as well, reading it all these years later, back to the gospel. 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:44.399 But he stresses that being known by God is actually uh more important, if you will. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:46.000 That's kind of what he means by rather. 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:49.679 It's it's more important than the idea that we know him. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:54.879 And what he's doing is putting the emphasis on the fact that God accepts us. 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:55.519 Right? 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.919 He accepts us through Jesus Christ. 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:07.440 Now, sure, we accept him in the sense that we receive him as savior in the moment that we, you know, get justified and all of that. 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:12.400 But more importantly, God accepts us through Jesus Christ. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:13.119 He adopts us. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:15.759 That's what we talked about just last week. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:27.359 He declares us righteous, he makes us spiritually clean, he declares us holy, he offers us forgiveness, he allows the slate to be wiped clean, he changes us and all of that. 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:37.599 Okay, the point here is that our standing with God really comes down to what he has done as opposed to what we do. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:38.240 Right? 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:40.559 That's the bedrock of all of it. 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:46.160 And because God is unchangeable, God's not fickle like we are, right? 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:47.359 He's unchangeable. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:54.079 He never changes, he's he is constant, he is he is good, he doesn't waver on any of those those things. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:18:01.759 Because of that, we can be assured of the fact that that God knows us is a status that will never change. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.359 It's never gonna change. 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:12.000 We can't improve upon that through our through our obedience, through our our service, through our morality. 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:20.559 We also can't take away from that when we are evil, when we have a bad day, when we have uh when we have a bad week or a bad month or a bad year. 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:25.839 If we truly know Jesus Christ, he knows us, and that is never changing. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:30.960 And listen, when our hearts grasp that, guess what? 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:33.839 We won't ever want to turn back to idols. 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:34.319 Right? 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:36.960 We're not gonna want to go back to all that stuff. 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:44.880 Okay, Tim Keller, I feel like he is a personal friend at this point of me and our church, right? 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.079 He's been helping us out with uh a number of things. 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.119 Um, how great would it be to have that guy come preach here at some point? 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:52.319 Listen, this is what he says. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:58.640 He says, it is our insecurity regarding our acceptance with God, which is the reason we make idols. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:00.160 So true. 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:00.960 So true. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:01.759 He goes on. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:11.119 He says, the great and central basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakably his heart is set on us. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:18.960 And if we begin to grasp that we are known by God, we won't seek to bolster our self-image or standing before him through our works. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:24.400 We won't worship any idol, we will love him, the one who knows us. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:26.000 Love that. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.359 And hey, Keller is so right. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:36.720 He is so on the money to identify our secure our insecurities as the root of the problem. 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:37.440 Right? 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:40.880 Have you realized just how insecure we are as people? 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:43.200 We're insecure about everything. 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:43.839 Right? 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:48.079 We're insecure about uh about our bodies. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:48.559 Right? 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:58.240 Like I don't like the way I look, and it's gonna, I'm gonna try and cover myself up, or I'm gonna, you know, try and hide you know, that we're we're insecure about what people think of us. 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:06.400 You know, and maybe you've even come into this room thinking, I hope that person approves of me, and you know, I hope that person, you know, likes the way I look and all of that kind of stuff. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:09.519 We're insecure about our about our salaries. 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:10.720 Is it enough? 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:13.119 We're insecure about the the car we drive. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:13.759 What is this? 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:17.039 What is this the vehicle that I drive say about my status? 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:17.759 Right? 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:23.599 Is a person you know shaking their head because I've got rust on my car? 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:25.680 Like right, I'm insecure about that. 00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:29.039 We're insecure about our past and and our upbringing and and all of that. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.480 We're insecure about our future. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:31.599 Where where are we going? 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:32.400 What's happening here? 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:38.720 I'm I'm insecure about my present in this very moment because the pastor keeps using the word insecurity and and I'm uncomfortable. 00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:46.880 If you didn't laugh, I would have been really insecure right there about that attempt at humor. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:49.200 Right? 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:51.200 We're so insecure. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:21:00.559 And it's it's these insecurities that stem from a deep enough heart belief, okay, that God knows us. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:02.799 We know it up here. 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:03.279 Right? 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:05.519 Are you realizing this is the problem for us? 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:07.920 It's not a lack of knowledge. 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:09.440 We are knowledged out. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:11.519 We are almost drowning in knowledge. 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:12.720 It's heart belief. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:13.680 It's the, what is this? 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:16.319 Like a nine-inch gap, six-inch gap? 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:19.119 I'm short, it's shorter for me, I guess. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:20.400 Right? 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:21.200 That's the problem. 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:23.200 We know it, but our hearts don't. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:27.680 Our hearts have have a really hard time with all of this. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:35.039 And that's the very thing that causes us to turn back again to the various idols that we worship. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:36.720 That's the thing. 00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:46.799 And so, kind of depending on your natural inclination and and kind of the way your heart sort of operates, you're gonna turn. 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:52.480 If you're not, if you're not settled on the fact that God knows you and finding your identity in all of that, what are you gonna do? 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:59.599 You're gonna turn in your idolatry either to blatant irreligious idolatry, where you're just trying to fill your life with all. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:13.599 Of the fleeting pleasures of sin, and and I didn't I just want to feel something good, and so I'm gonna go after whatever those things are, and those things become idols, and those things don't really satisfy us, uh, of course. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:28.079 But I I wanna just I want to feel something in the moment, please again, this pleasure as as as short term as that may be, and regardless of the consequences that I'm gonna face or people I love around me will face. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:38.000 Okay, and so that might be the natural inclination of your heart, and you continue to go back to you know this foolishness of your life before Jesus Christ, and and and on and all of that sin. 00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:44.559 That's still a temptation and still a draw because you're not solidified in the fact that God knows you. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:52.319 Okay, that's one direction you might go, or okay, or and this is huge for Christians. 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:53.920 We need to listen up to this one. 00:22:54.160 --> 00:23:01.440 This is another thing we can turn to moralistic religious idolatry. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:21.279 Moralistic religious idolatry, where we try to make ourselves feel secure, not through like going after blatant outright sin, but by going after awesome performance to the law, by trying to behave well enough to impress the Lord or impress uh other people. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:23.440 Do you do this? 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:24.559 Do you do this? 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:28.880 For example, are you like, well, hey, listen, I I read my Bible a lot this week. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:30.160 I performed well. 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:31.920 Look at me, look at me go. 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:32.319 Right? 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:40.640 I'm I'm doing really well here, and you've got that, you've got that strut, and you feel really secure in that moment because your performance that week has been pretty good. 00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:42.319 But then what happens? 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:53.119 You have a bad day, you have a bad week, you have a bad month, and all of a sudden you're like, I'm brutal, I'm the worst, because you're basing the entire thing on your performance, which has been terrible of late. 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:53.680 Right? 00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:54.880 Do you see that? 00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:58.720 You see how you are that that becomes idolatry for you? 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:01.279 Or maybe for you it's serving in the church. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:08.240 I'm serving in all these different ministries, and I'm on the worship team, and I'm helping out in harvest kids, and hey, and guess what? 00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:18.640 I also come and and I and I set up and I'm a small group leader, and you know, all of these different things, and I'm serving really well, and you know, that's where I find my security in for sure. 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:43.200 But if if something happens and you know, life gets overly busy or stressful, and you have to, you know, you can't you can't make it one Sunday, or you have to cancel serving for some reason in some way, or you get sick and you can't show up, all of a sudden your insecurity starts to rise up because you're basing your security on your performance, and your performance hasn't been very good of late. 00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:50.799 Now, the danger here, the danger, and this is why this is so important for us to understand this is the church. 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:55.759 The danger is that externally, all of this looks great. 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:56.480 Right? 00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:57.279 It all looks great. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:07.279 Wow, that person, that person's so great at reading the Bible, and they they have so much knowledge, and wow, that person's serving in like 15 ministries, and wow, how great are they? 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:11.359 They are a servant of the Lord, and uh, you know, they're better than me and all of that. 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:18.799 But listen, internally, maybe what's going on in that person, or if this is you, it's your it's a heart that's turning back into idolatry. 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:25.839 You're trying to earn a standing with the Lord, you're trying to make yourself secure through your obedience, through your performance, through your works. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:27.839 Those have become your idols. 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:31.680 Listen, why is this so dangerous? 00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:34.400 I would I would suggest this. 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:52.559 Okay, that that religious moralistic idolatry is perhaps more dangerous than the external irreligion and the running after sin and all of those things because the obvious rebel who is just doing all the bad things, that's obvious sin. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:57.279 Like we look at that, that person doing it looks at that and we're like, yeah, I'm totally doing the wrong thing. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:57.680 Right? 00:25:57.759 --> 00:25:59.599 You think about the the prodigal son. 00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:03.200 We always make it about the youngest rebellious son, it's about two sons. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:03.839 Right? 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:14.240 The the younger son, he's the one who just goes and and and blows all his all his father's money on prostitutes and on wild living and all of those things. 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:16.240 What does the older son do? 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:25.039 He's at home with his father, slaving after over him, doing everything that the father said. 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:33.039 But listen, what we realize and what we see at the end of that story, it's the rebellious younger son that gets right with the Lord. 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:35.119 The older son does not. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:35.839 Why? 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:40.480 Because he's he's he's basing his relationship with the father on his performance. 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:44.559 The father's trying to say, listen, all I've all all I have is is yours. 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:45.359 Right? 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:46.720 You don't have to earn anything. 00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:49.119 I I I give it to you to you freely. 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:50.640 Listen, that's the danger for the church. 00:26:50.720 --> 00:27:05.440 I I believe that that the church, churches everywhere are full of people who on the outside look like they're doing all the right things and think that they're doing all of the right things, but in the in the heart, it's not there. 00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:15.119 Because again, they're trying to perform, they're not, they're not operating out of the basis that God knows them, and therefore I want to serve and I want to do that well. 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:20.079 But no, they're doing it to mask insecurities. 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:22.400 And you see how subtle that can be? 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:25.039 Optically, you and I, we can't see that. 00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:27.359 And that's why the gospel is so awesome. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:36.079 Because it starts to till the soil of the heart, it starts to show us what's actually going on under the hood, underneath the surface. 00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:45.759 And it can get in there and it can it can convict and it can it can set things straight again and and get us operating the way that we should be operating. 00:27:46.480 --> 00:28:00.799 Listen, if if any of this at all strikes a chord with you, recognize that the solution, regardless of what your insecurities are, what your idols are, regardless of all of that, it's to camp out in the incredible reality that you are known by God. 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:01.920 You are known by him. 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:06.480 That word known signifies a deep personal connection. 00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:09.200 It's not like, hey, yeah, I think I remember that guy's name. 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:10.240 That's not what God's saying. 00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:11.359 Like I know you, right? 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:13.839 We you know connect it to what we talked about last week. 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:14.960 You've been adopted. 00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:16.720 He is your heavenly father. 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:21.200 Abba, Father, you have this incredible relationship with him now. 00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:22.640 You are known by God. 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:24.400 We should be thinking, wow, God knows me. 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:25.599 This is amazing. 00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:29.039 That and recognize that's what my heart really wants. 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:38.880 All of the yearnings that I have and all the you know, the hole in my heart that I'm trying to fill with sin, that I'm trying to fill with performance and legalism and all of that. 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:42.240 What I really want is a close relationship with the Lord. 00:28:42.319 --> 00:28:43.039 Well, guess what? 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:44.319 You've got it. 00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:46.000 Jesus secured it for you. 00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:47.839 You were known by God the Father. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:50.000 And that's what brings us true satisfaction. 00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:55.519 That's what brings us true joy and pleasure and that security that we're all longing for. 00:28:56.480 --> 00:29:04.160 We should be thinking the more that the gospel starts to implant itself deeply into our hearts, the more you think, why would I ever want to go to any other idols? 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:05.440 This is nonsense. 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:07.599 It doesn't make sense at all. 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:12.480 It's actually harming me and harming others to be doing that. 00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:15.119 Alright, here's the second thing. 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:16.720 Spent a lot of time on that first one. 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:18.480 I just want you to know I'm aware of that. 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:19.039 Okay. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:21.519 These next two will be a little shorter. 00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:25.119 You guys are thinking, oh boy, can be here for a couple hours. 00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:26.240 Here it is. 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:33.519 Being known by God is the incredible reality that produces authentic joy in serving those around me. 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:34.799 Authentic joy. 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:38.799 Now, the Galatians, uh, how do you think they were doing in terms of joy? 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:40.000 Yeah, not so great. 00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:41.519 They had completely lost their joy here. 00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:43.039 Take a look at this, verse 12. 00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:51.200 Okay, as he says, this, brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. 00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:53.039 And so he what's this all about? 00:29:53.119 --> 00:30:04.559 Well, he he's urging them to become like him in the sense that they too should be finding their joy, they should be finding their worth and their standing in Christ alone, just like just like he was, right? 00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:08.400 Not in their legalistic efforts or their performance or whatever. 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:32.160 Okay, for I also have become as you are, is to say that when when Paul was initially building relationships with these people and they were, you know, starting this church and watching this church uh grow and get off the ground and all of that, he never insisted that these people, and remember, a large part of them were Gentiles, that didn't have the same Jewish upbringing and culture that they heeded. 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:34.240 He never insisted that they needed to have all of that. 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:35.440 Or he didn't. 00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:44.319 He wasn't saying, like, you need to look like me and and and dress like me and act like me and follow the rules and the law the way that I have. 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:51.039 No, he's saying, I ye became like them, meaning that he inserted himself into their culture. 00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:54.559 He came to enjoy the things that made them unique. 00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:56.559 He ate the foods that they ate. 00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:01.119 He enjoyed the unique elements that their culture practiced. 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:01.440 Why? 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:09.599 Well, so as to show that Christ alone makes us acceptable in God's sight, not adherence to cultural norms. 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:18.720 Okay, it's not about the clothes you wear, the foods you eat or don't eat, the, you know, it's not it's not about the you know the festivals and the rituals you follow. 00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:21.039 No, it's not about any of that kind of thing. 00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:22.880 And then he says this, keep going. 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:25.680 He says, You did me no wrong. 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:30.559 You know that it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first. 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:40.240 And though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:45.920 And he says, This, what then has become of your blessedness? 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:49.200 Okay, that word blessedness there literally meaning joy. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:49.759 Right? 00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:51.839 Well, what's become of your of your joy? 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:55.839 For I testify to you that if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 00:31:55.920 --> 00:31:56.960 That sounds kind of weird at first. 00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:58.160 We'll get to it. 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:00.880 Well, let's get to it right now. 00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:03.039 Why go on, right? 00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:12.799