WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:01.199 Well, good morning. 00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:05.040 It's our last week, our last sermon going to the book of Galatians. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:10.480 The last three weeks have been how we should live because of the sermons before that. 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:17.920 And then this week we get this uh closing remarks by Paul, sort of his last chance to say something in this letter to these people. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:24.160 So last week, Christy and I were and the girls were driving uh through South Georgia, we're driving up I-75. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:32.079 I was on the phone with Matt Donald, and so we're cruising along, and sure enough, I'm I'm talking to Matt on the phone, and and I did what you do. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:34.000 I lost track, right? 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:41.119 Just lost track of how fast I was going and looked up to the right, up on the shoulder ahead, and I see the cop car. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:47.039 Quickly looked down, and I had lost track, and it was it was more than what I wanted to be going. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:55.679 And uh, you know, so immediately I hang up on Matt uh and blue lights, I look back up, blue lights are going. 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:58.000 So I know it's it's either me or the truck in front of me. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:06.400 I was just traveling right behind this big gray truck, and so I know it's either it's either me or him, and I'm praying the wrath of God down on the gray truck, you know. 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:09.200 Pretty sure it's a nice truck, pretty sure he had some extra money. 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:12.319 So I'm thinking, you know, please, Lord, please, Lord, let it be him. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:17.439 We both move over to the middle lane uh like we weren't doing anything, you know, like we're hiding, you know. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:21.359 And sure enough, you know, five minutes later, I'm on the shoulder of the road. 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:25.599 And Officer Steve, that was his name, Officer Steve comes up to the window. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.239 Very nice, succinct man. 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:32.400 And he says, uh, are you aware of how fast you were going? 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:36.400 And I said, honestly, I I lost track. 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:43.519 I was just going the speed of the traffic and the lane until I saw you, I had, I I had no idea. 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:47.280 I and then just with every bit of emotion, I could go. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:50.079 I said, I am I am so sorry. 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:57.200 And he he was there any reason I shouldn't give you this ticket? 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:00.319 And I, as a pastor, am ready for this answer. 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:01.840 I know that I know this answer. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.239 And I said, I looked him right in the eyes. 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:11.280 I really wanted right into his eye, into his soul, and I said, I said, perhaps you're gracious. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:19.039 Now I didn't say perhaps you're feeling gracious, because I wanted him on his walk back to his car, because I knew he'd walk back to his car first to consider all this. 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:27.120 I wanted him to question in the core of his being, not if he was feeling gracious, but was he as a human being gracious or not? 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:29.919 But he responded right when I said that, I said, Perhaps you're gracious. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:32.080 And he did not miss a beat, Officer Steve. 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:36.400 And Officer Steve looked at me and he said, I am always gracious. 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:39.120 And with that, he walked back to his car. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:42.479 And I'm like, hallelujah, what are the chances? 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:43.759 What are the chances? 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:48.960 I get pulled over in South Georgia, where they make all their money off of speeding tickets. 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:55.360 I get pulled over by a police officer who is always gracious. 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:58.400 I look at Christie, can you believe our chances? 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:02.879 This is unb I'm not gonna get a I was going, I was going 85 and a 70. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:04.560 I mean, that's an automatic ticket, right? 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:08.719 Like, I know, like, but he's gracious, which means he's gonna handle it. 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:11.680 I don't have to handle it because he's always gracious. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:14.159 This must be what he always does. 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:19.840 And he comes back up to the car, hands me my ticket. 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:22.400 No smile. 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:24.960 Apparently, not a lot of graciousness. 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:28.879 He says, sign here, here's your ticket, you can pay online this week. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:31.360 Well, what happened? 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:35.599 I you said, I didn't say this to him, he left. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:40.080 I didn't want to get another ticket, but you said, I am always gracious. 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:41.199 That's what he said. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:44.960 And by definition, this is not by definition, this is justice. 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:45.759 This is what this is. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:46.560 It's still right. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:47.599 I'm not saying it's not right. 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:48.159 It is right. 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:52.639 I deserve the ticket, but he's the one who said, I am always gracious. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:54.639 And that's not what this is. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:04:07.759 And this is where we begin this morning because I think we hear words like, God is gracious, or grace, or unconditional love, which means not conditioned upon anything you do. 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:23.439 And we hear words like that, and we think it's sort of like this moment with Officer Steve, where it's like, I'm always gracious, but be careful, I might show back up and give you a ticket, and you might owe something. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:24.560 Right? 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:39.680 Like, I you might need to perform something in order to keep and right standing, or or or or you're gonna be like in God's like little jail of people who aren't quite as good as the other people who are doing a better job. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:51.040 In this book of Galatians, Paul is breaking down that kind of mentality, that kind of thinking that religious performance has anything to do with your forgiveness, absolution, acceptance, worth, righteousness. 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:58.000 He's just he's just breaking that down, those first four chapters, just systematically saying God is gracious. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:04:59.519 Period. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:20.800 By definition and in character, and in the person of Jesus, and that's why we're always saying our sin is taken by God, put on Jesus on the cross, and his righteousness is given to us, so we are fully always forgiven, not by anything we do, but by God, and we're fully always righteous, not by anything we do, but by God. 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:38.399 And then that's chapters one through four, and then five and six, Paul says, Because you are that free, that unbelievably free, that none of it has to do with you at all, because of that, not to earn anything, but in response to that, here's a few things, here's a few ways to live. 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:42.319 Walk by the spirit, not the world, not the flesh. 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:48.160 Love your neighbor, honor God, have tough conversations, we need to have them. 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:50.000 We talked about that last week. 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:53.920 But none of that is for earning, all of that is inside the freedom. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:58.480 So, Galatians 6, we're gonna focus on verses 13 through 15. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:07.600 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:16.720 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:19.519 And then here's the verse we're going to really focus on. 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:26.480 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision but a new creation. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:31.439 Now, the word circumcision is intimidating, a little strange. 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:33.759 I mean, it sort of makes us cringe, right? 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:40.240 I mean, after all, it is the taking, if I can be clear, it's the removing by surgery of the foreskin of the man's. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:41.199 You know what? 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:46.800 The removing of the, and this is, there's no anesthesiologist in the room when this is happening back then. 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:49.600 And this shows up in Genesis 17 at the beginning. 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:51.839 This is like the beginning of the Old Testament. 00:06:52.319 --> 00:07:00.160 And God's speaking to Abraham, and he says, Hey, you're my people, and because you're my people, here's gonna be the sign of that you're committed to me. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:06.160 Here's the sign: cut off the foreskin of every male's penis. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:09.519 I mean, you thought a secret handshake was a big deal to get into a club. 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:11.120 But I mean, this is serious. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:12.079 Can you imagine this? 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:14.720 And it seems bizarre to us because we're modern people. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:16.079 We think that's so bizarre. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:16.800 How weird. 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:17.360 Like, right? 00:07:17.439 --> 00:07:20.240 Even think, how what a strange thing. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:23.920 But they're an ancient society, and it's actually quite interesting. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:26.399 There was actually a real health benefit to this. 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:30.959 Because disease would always stay in the foreskin, the fold of that foreskin. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:34.480 And so when men and women had sex, then disease would get passed on to women. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:36.319 You never knew you needed to thank God for this. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:38.959 But women, you'd say, thank you, God, thank you for circumcision. 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:41.120 You didn't know it, but that's a big thank you. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:42.959 This is how disease was being passed on. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:50.000 So there's an incredibly, incredibly practical thing here of God protecting and helping his people. 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.000 But even more than that, it's symbolic. 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:54.560 The more profound thing is it's symbolic. 00:07:54.959 --> 00:08:05.360 And the point is that circumcision points us to the fact that cleansing is needed at the very core of who we are. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:10.000 And this circumcision becomes the symbol of the old covenant. 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:10.639 Right? 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:14.480 We have Old Testament, Old Testament, we read so much about the Old Covenant. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:22.879 You read about the Old Covenant and the New Testament, but pretty much in the Old Testament, we read about the Old Covenant, the New Testament, Jesus comes, we start to read about the New Covenant. 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:26.959 And covenants are firm commitments between people. 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:30.079 When I was a senior in high school, I only applied to one college. 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:31.439 I applied to Barrie College. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:32.320 Any Vikings? 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:33.759 Do we have any Vikings? 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:35.039 Viking, that's right. 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:35.679 Viking. 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:38.799 Okay, so I applied to one college, Barrie College. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:44.720 I didn't graduate there, but one day I walk out in Larchville, Georgia, where I grew up. 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:50.799 I walk out to the mailbox, I get out there, I open the mailbox up, and I read my letter of acceptance. 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:56.399 And what it said was, it said, I was accepted to be a Barry College Viking. 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:01.600 It welcomed me, it accepted me, it declared me to be a Barrie College Viking. 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:02.799 I was this. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:04.240 I was a Viking. 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:05.919 I get there the first week, right? 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:10.320 Freshman orientation week, you get there and they show you all around, they're welcoming you and all that. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:15.679 And within that, we get this uh we get this code of conduct. 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:29.679 Hey, what you should do and shouldn't do, the curfew, the curfew on campus, the curfew for girls to be out of the boys' dorms, the boys to be out of the girls' dorms, down to like how many uh how many things could be plugged into to outlets, right? 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:31.840 So you don't like cause a big fire in the dorms. 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:32.960 I mean, it was all of that. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:37.039 You had to sign, and the RA could come in your room once a month to check everything, right? 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:44.080 And but all of a sudden, like this acceptance started to feel a little bit different just by all these rules and all these laws, right? 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:52.480 It was sort of like uh you're accepted, but Officer Steve's gonna come back with a ticket. 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:53.840 I mean, that's sort of what it was. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:58.000 You're accepted, but there's a lot for you to maintain to stay here. 00:09:58.080 --> 00:09:59.039 And that's how it works. 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:00.080 That's how college works. 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:02.399 You gotta maintain your grades, you gotta maintain your conduct. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:03.120 That's how it works. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:08.320 But the point is that that standing as a Viking was not unconditional. 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:09.919 That was very conditional. 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.480 It was a very conditional relationship. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:15.200 It was conditioned upon grades and conduct. 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:20.480 So I was in, but it was not secure. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:22.720 It was still back on me. 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:25.360 And this is sort of like the old covenant. 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:36.559 The old covenant is like you're God's people, and here are a lot of rules and laws and procedures in the Old Testament. 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:38.159 We read about it, we go, oh, it's so weird. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:39.440 What's all that about? 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:42.960 To stay in right standing with God. 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:46.000 So maybe you've read enough of the Bible to read that stuff in the Old Testament. 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:47.279 You go, this is so strange. 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:49.519 And then you read the New Testament, you're like, this is more like it. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:51.039 This is what I like over here. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:51.919 So what is that? 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:53.679 Like, what is that about? 00:10:53.759 --> 00:11:03.120 Why does God seem so different in that Old Testament, Old Covenant, to God being all of a sudden you go, oh, now He's loving, like over here in this New Testament, New Covenant. 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:11.840 And here's point number one: the Old Covenant was a conditional covenant, showing us our need of an unconditional God. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:18.080 So the Old Covenant helps us see that we need God to be gracious to us. 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:26.960 And Paul's saying in this verse, circumcision, that big symbol for us to understand that religious performance counts for nothing. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:30.159 Now reread that, we kind of cruise through it. 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:35.440 But these people, this was this is what they gave their life to was living enough by the rules. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:43.360 But then Paul also says, irreligion, doing whatever you want, rebelling from God, do your own thing, be your own God. 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:44.960 He says, that counts for nothing. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:47.039 That's not gonna help you either. 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:57.600 He says, only the cross, only God's gracious movement toward you and redemption of you by his work, his love toward you. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:02.240 Only that, only that can go to the core of who you are as a human being. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:03.679 Into your soul. 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:05.360 That's what creates new life. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:08.639 Religion won't create a new life, and irreligion won't create a new life. 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:14.240 Because the law can never declare and create what it demands. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:16.480 Now, one of my little girls got in trouble this week. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:19.600 I asked her twice to not run off and go to the playground. 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:24.559 We're picking up another little girl at the soccer practice, and I said, please, please don't run up there and play. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:25.600 We're just grabbing the other one. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:26.960 We're just, we gotta go somewhere else. 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:27.679 Please don't. 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:31.120 I tell her two times, don't go, of course, turn my head, she goes, right? 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:31.840 Like that's how it works. 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:32.799 And so she's up there playing. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:37.279 I'm sort of watching her a little bit, like, let her enjoy this moment because she's gonna get it later. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:43.039 And so she finally I call her, I call her to come back, doesn't come. 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:44.480 I know she hears it, I can tell. 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:47.360 And she mosey's across the monkey bars, she's having a great time. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.200 Call her again, doesn't come back. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:51.919 Third time, she finally comes back. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:58.879 And I just calmly said, Hey, by the way, I asked you twice not to go up there, called you back three times. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:02.639 Apparently, you're doing your own thing, just want to let you know it'll have a consequence. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:03.519 Sound good? 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:04.399 All right, let's go. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:06.399 And you know, my gosh, I didn't hear you. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:07.919 You know, yeah, you did, I know. 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:25.919 So I'm tucking her into bed that night, and we talked about last week, she's been telling me I have bad breath at night, and so you know, I brush the teeth before I go tuck her in, I go to tuck her in, and I say what so many parents say, it's what my mom said to me growing up. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:30.320 Hey, I I can't, I can't love you anymore, and I can't love you any less. 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:30.960 Right? 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:39.200 That's what I said, babe, when you were disobedient today and you ran off, did what you wanted to do, I didn't love you any less. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:43.679 Like the love doesn't change, like you're secure in the love because it's not based on your word. 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:45.840 I just love you all the time. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:55.600 And this is where I'm learning a lot about new covenant, is like in this parenting relationship, because love just simply is not based in the performance of the child. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:03.279 And the new covenant is love toward us from God is not based on our performance toward the Heavenly Father. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:06.720 It's his His love, the Heavenly Father's love toward us. 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:11.279 And God is using this old covenant where we read it and you go, What? 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:11.840 What is this? 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:12.399 What's going on? 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:13.120 What is all this? 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:16.639 These rules and laws and procedures, and everybody's having to do this to maintain this. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:17.519 What is this? 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:23.600 Well, he's using the old covenant of law to help us see we need a new covenant of grace. 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:24.399 That's what it's about. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:27.840 This is how the Bible is set up, the structure of the Bible. 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:39.200 Now, before we get that Genesis 17, where uh God goes to Abraham and says, Hey, you need to do the circumcision thing with all the males, before we get that, we get Genesis 15, two chapters before. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.360 We've talked about this before, maybe you remember it. 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:46.399 God goes to Abraham and he says, Hey, you're my people, I will bless you. 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:50.000 Abraham says, How do I know? 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:51.039 Like, I don't know for sure. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:52.320 Like it's a big statement, right? 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:54.720 Like, how am I really gonna know that? 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:56.960 And God says, Well, here's what I want you to do. 00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:58.879 I want you to kill some animals, I want you to cut them in half. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:01.919 I want you to put them in two rows of the aisle down the middle. 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:02.960 Seems odd to us. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:06.720 Again, another like ancient thing that for us, or like, what is it? 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:08.240 For him, he gets it. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:09.519 He does it all. 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:11.519 Because this is how commitments are made. 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:13.039 It's how covenants were made. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:17.120 Is the lowly person in the agreement would cut up the animals, set them in rows. 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:26.080 The lowly person in the covenant would walk through and vow and promise to the higher person in order for the covenant and the commitment to be made. 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:29.919 So Abraham cuts them all up, two rows out on the middle. 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:32.159 By this time, night has fallen. 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:44.240 And we get this unbelievable happening where in the darkness a fiery pillar comes and God passes through the pieces, but Abraham never has to. 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:55.440 And here's what the story is telling us God is saying, I will bless them when they obey, and I will bless them when they don't obey. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:05.840 Because this commitment is not based on their promise to me, it's my promise to them. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:08.799 I, God upholds the relationship. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:25.200 So before even the old covenant, before that, before the circumcision, before the ceremonial law, before all of that, before the Ten Commandments, before all of that, we get this promise that God will uphold the relationship. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.080 Listen to Hebrews 8, verse 6. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:28.720 Listen to this. 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:30.320 The Hebrews is a great book. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:35.519 It helps us understand these covenants and how Jesus plays into this and how all this Bible fits together. 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:48.320 Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old, as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:55.200 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 00:16:55.440 --> 00:17:00.960 Then down in verse 13, in speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:07.519 And what is becoming obsolete is growing old, is ready to vanish away. 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:09.519 Here's the second point. 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:17.839 The new covenant is an unconditional commitment from the unconditional God to you. 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:28.640 There's this story in John 4 where Jesus shows up at a well and there's a Samaritan woman there, and he says to the woman, Jews would normally not say this because Jews hated Samaritans. 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:31.200 But he says, Hey, will you give me a drink? 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:34.400 And she says, What you're a Jew, why would you be asking me for a drink? 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:36.079 Jews don't ask to talk to Samaritans. 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:37.359 Why are you asking me for a drink? 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:44.960 And he says, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asked you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:45.279 Right? 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:47.359 So he switches over into some figurative language here. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:50.319 She doesn't pick up on that, kind of like we don't pick up on a lot of figurative language. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:51.200 So she doesn't pick up it. 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:53.519 She says, Sir, you have nothing to draw with. 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:55.359 How can you drink? 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:01.920 And he says, Everyone who drinks, he's sticking with the figurative here, everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:06.720 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:13.119 The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up to eternal life. 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:16.079 Sir, give me that water. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:19.039 If I have that water, I won't have to come back here anymore. 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:23.920 And then Jesus says, Go and call your husband. 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:29.839 And this is the point in the conversation where her heart would have dropped. 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.839 And she says, I don't have to have a husband. 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:38.880 And Jesus says, Yeah, I know. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:40.640 You've had five. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:44.880 And now you live with a man that's not your husband. 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:48.559 And see, here's the law right here. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:52.160 It is right and it is holy and it exposes her. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:56.799 It exposes us as sinners in need of God's grace. 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:00.880 And Jesus doesn't condone her and say, you know what? 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:04.559 You be you, five husbands, you are you feeling good in this new relationship? 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:05.279 You be you. 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:06.960 Do what you need to do, like whatever. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:07.839 Hey, you're good to go. 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:10.400 So he doesn't condone your religion. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:16.319 But Jesus also doesn't say, hey, you filthy lady, get your act together. 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:23.519 And if you get your act together and you show up the temple and you start getting everything down just right, I'm gonna show back up in a month or two months, I'll check things out with you. 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:27.200 See, if you're doing well enough, then we can have the right relationship. 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.200 Jesus calls her to a third way. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.279 The gospel's always the third way. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:33.200 Right? 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:35.920 He says, I'm all the water you will ever need. 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:39.279 And your soul won't be thirsty anymore. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:42.960 And this lady takes off. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:48.720 She doesn't seem to have any shame about being called out by the law. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:56.079 And the reason why she doesn't is because the law exposed her as a sinner, but the grace of Jesus rescued her. 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:01.920 And she finds all these other people and she says, Hey, hey, come, there's this man, come, and you gotta you gotta see this man. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:04.000 He has told me everything. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:05.680 He's told me everything I ever did. 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:06.480 Can you imagine that? 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:11.519 Can you imagine like bragging about somebody telling you everything you ever did? 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:15.039 Usually that'd be like, somebody knows everything I ever did. 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:18.000 Like that's something I'm gonna get away from as much as possible. 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:22.319 But because the law exposes, but the grace of Jesus fully heals. 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:25.119 She's like, this guy told me everything. 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:27.519 Do you think he could be the Christ? 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:31.279 And this brings us to our last point, point number three. 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:39.359 New life in you, new life in you is created by the grace given to you in Jesus. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:52.799 The reason why we say things like I can't love you anymore, and I can't love you any less is because we we know if we get the heart, we get the relationship, and if we get the relationship, we'll eventually get behavior. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:21:08.400 And this is how the gospel operates it goes to the heart, not just to get behavior modification in religion, not just to get some uh commitment to being more moralistic, but to get a heart that is healed and rescued by the grace of Jesus. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:09.680 So, what does this mean to you? 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:12.559 Well, it means you're free, is what it means. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:15.599 It means you are free in the grace of Christ. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:22.480 It means you're a sinner, like me, I'm a sinner, but it means we're fully forgiven and fully righteous and fully secure. 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:31.119 And so we are free to walk in the spirit in our imperfection and mess ups, but free to walk in the spirit means we're free to love our neighbors, love our families. 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:40.559 And we're free to do all of that without any fear, without any fear that the relationship, our relationship with God, is at risk. 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:50.160 So we can stop all, every bit of religious performance and the exhaustion and the condemnation it produces. 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:52.319 My brothers and sisters, may you hear Paul's words. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:54.480 I'll close with Paul's words, verse 16. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:22:03.119 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:04.720 Let's pray together. 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:07.680 God, thank you for your grace and your mercy. 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:10.000 We even thank you for the law. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:17.200 We thank you for the law that is pure and holy and righteous and exposes us as sinners that are in need of your grace. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:24.960 We thank you for the old covenant that takes us to the new covenant, that you are a mediator of what is better and deeper and more profound. 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:27.200 You are the fulfillment of the law. 00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:34.559 That we owe no payment toward you because you paid it all. 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:40.960 God, would you give us deeper trust and faith? 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:45.519 Greater astonishment of Jesus. 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:53.440 And would we know greater and greater wholeness and healing in our hearts as we work out this salvation that's been given to us? 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:56.720 And would our lives honor you in great ways. 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:58.000 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:58.880 Amen.