WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.600 Last week, Christy and I we were headed to bed. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:15.679 Usually she goes to bed about an hour before I do, and I veg for a little bit, and so I get to sneak into the bedroom after it's you know the lights are out, and I just sneak right into bed and fall right asleep and she's already asleep. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:29.359 But for whatever reason, we were both headed to bed at the same time, and she was talkative, and I was not talkative, and I don't want to be talkative when I go to bed, and because I so that makes me nervous because I I want to listen. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:46.399 I don't want to cause an issue here at bedtime, and so I want to listen, but at the same time, if there's a lot of talking on my mind gets going, and as soon as my mind gets going, I can't go to sleep, and so then she's asleep, and then I'm awake, and then I'm back on the couch watching Seinfeld episodes until I'm sort of like numb enough to go to sleep again. 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:48.640 So we're headed to bed. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:52.159 I'm in bed, Christy remembers it, I'm in bed. 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:53.840 Uh she doesn't know I'm telling the story. 00:00:53.920 --> 00:01:06.079 Uh I'm in bed, my lights out, earplugs are in my hand, like the signals are going out, and she's talking, she's in the closet, and she's talking about someone and something and the thing that happened. 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:15.760 And I'm I'm listening, and in the middle of her talking, there was no comma, no pause, no semicolon, there's no break in breath. 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:17.760 I just said, Did I lock the front door? 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:19.599 And that wasn't good timing. 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:22.480 Uh you know, you you weren't listening to me. 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:29.359 Which then I repeated back to her her last two sentences, which was impressive. 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:31.439 But it was not helpful. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:34.799 That was not a that was not a helpful thing to do in that moment. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:36.159 It was impressive I was able to do it. 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:37.200 I was impressed with myself. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:39.120 She was not impressed, but I was like, ah, look at that. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:40.959 Look what I was able to do. 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:42.640 And that was not helpful. 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:44.719 And then we went to sleep. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:53.200 We know enough after you know 15 years, we know enough that sometimes you just let things ride to the next morning, and then you you know you say you're sorries and you're better. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:55.359 Um, but we knew we were gonna survive this. 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:57.120 So we fall asleep. 00:01:57.280 --> 00:01:58.319 Here's my point. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:01.040 Uh we fell asleep the same as always. 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:03.519 We're 10 inches apart in this little queen bed. 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:13.759 So physically, physically, you can be extremely near someone physically, and at the same time, relationally be worlds away. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:14.240 Right? 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:17.599 We fell asleep right next to each other, 10 inches apart, like every other night. 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:21.759 But it was very clear relationally worlds away. 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:23.280 So hold on to that idea. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:25.439 You know that idea, but hold on to that. 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:28.960 And then there's that pivotal verse we've talked about in Galatians 4.9. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.560 I just want to repeat it as we kind of work our way into this passage that is challenging for us. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:47.840 4-9 says this, but now that you have come to know God, and that's good news, I mean this was a religious performance uh culture and town, and finally Paul's saying, hey, you know God. 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:51.520 Like you don't just have to know rules and performance, like you know God. 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:54.479 And that's good news, not just religion or formula. 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:59.120 And then Paul goes, or rather, to be known by God. 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:10.960 And that's like the really, really good news is that it's not just like, oh, it's all on me to know God, but God actually knows me, and our knowing of Him is in response to His knowing of you. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:13.840 And so this is point number one. 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:22.639 You are known by God, and this is tying into this passage today, you get to walk with God. 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:25.599 You ever been in a dating relationship? 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:42.560 Maybe it was way back, maybe it's right now, you're in a dating relationship, and you maybe you're in that kind of phase where you're in the standard Friday night, it's understood date, and it's gonna be it's gonna be dinner, you're gonna go to chilies, and you're gonna movie, and then you're gonna take her home and handshake, kiss on the cheek, whatever. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:49.360 But it's just like the standard, polite, respectable date relationship. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:04:02.240 But you don't really know about their mess or what they're like when it's messy, or what they're like when things aren't easy and comfortable like things are at Chili's in the movies, right? 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:09.199 Like you don't know, you don't you don't get phone calls throughout the day, like, oh my mom just called me, my dad, my brother, this thing, this thing at work. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:11.280 Like, you don't get the 10 texts a day. 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:14.240 You're not in that kind of relationship. 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:17.360 But you want that, like you're ready to go to the next level. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:36.639 You want to take that deeper, and so you're ready for that next level, and so you've worked on your uh DTR to find the relationship talk, and you've got that thing honed in, you've got your intro and three points and conclusion, and you've gone through it, and how you're gonna work your way into that talk, you've got it all figured out because you want that deeper relationship. 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:45.839 You want more than the sort of just like polite, respectable relationship, but there's distance to all that, there's no relational nearness, so you want to you want it deeper. 00:04:46.160 --> 00:05:04.240 So you what you wait for the right moment, end of the date, and you enter in and you worked your way through that intro, and you're in point number one of this reasoning of why we should go deeper, and his eyes or her eyes just blaze over, and you're like, oh no. 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:20.160 But there's no turning around, and so you could you hit your point two and your point three and you do your conclusion, but you know, and you finish your spiel, and he he's nice or she's nice, but it's like no thank you. 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:23.839 And your heart's broken, right? 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:25.439 Because you you want a deeper relationship. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:32.079 You don't just want this physical nearness that you get, but you actually want you want to do life, you want to walk. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:38.480 You don't just want physical nearness, you want relational nearness. 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:39.920 You want to walk together. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:52.480 This is where Paul is taking us in the book of Galatians, that your heavenly father desires not just to know you, great news, but to walk with you. 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:58.879 So it's not just like polite Sunday morning date, respectable, it's polite, physical nearness. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:06.560 But it's actually a turning of your mind's attention, your heart's affection toward him day in and day out, step by step. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:19.519 That's the idea of this walking step by step, and it's including him and his love for you, your identity as his, as his beloved, by his grace through Jesus, the first four chapters of Galatians, into your life. 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:22.879 And so you're doing that when you're in church, yes, we're doing it. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:26.240 But we're doing it Monday in traffic on the way to your job. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:37.199 You're doing it with horrible, you know, Bob from accounting, and you're in a meeting and he's going on about your TPS reports, and you're just dying inside about him and his job and all of it. 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:43.839 But you're including God into all of it, into your parenting, relationships, conflict, family, all of it. 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:46.079 Because you're walking with him. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:48.160 You're including him in. 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:49.759 What here, Lord? 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:50.560 What do you want here? 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:51.759 What is this about? 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:53.920 Have your way with this, have your way with that. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:54.800 What's going on here? 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:56.560 Why am I upset here? 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:58.800 What's going on here, Lord? 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:05.199 Verses 16 and 17 of Galatians 5 says, But I say, walk by the Spirit. 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:12.480 And you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, for the desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the desires of spirits are against the flesh. 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:14.639 So these two different options here. 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:19.680 For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:21.439 Point number two is this. 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:23.519 Little rephrasing here from point number one. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:24.079 I'll admit it. 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:26.079 It's a little bit of rephrasing, but I think it's important. 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:30.800 Being known by God affects our nearness to God. 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:35.759 We could also say being known by God empowers our nearness to God. 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:48.639 We start with the first four chapters of Galatians in order to get to this point in Galatians 5 where Paul says, like, by the way, here's how now you should live because of all of that good news. 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:58.480 Imagine you have a little five-year-old boy, let's just call him Johnny, and you go to Kroger and you park, and you get out of your car, and you say, Johnny, stay close. 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:00.879 We're in the parking lot, we've got some cars moving around, stay close. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:06.160 You start walking into the store, Johnny stops and picks up a coin, a little penny, puts it in his pocket. 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:08.319 You're about 10 steps ahead at this point. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:14.959 Johnny, come on, hurry up, come on, Johnny, hurry up, hurry up, and stops, picks up a waffle fry, he's eating on the waffle fry. 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:16.959 Now you're 20, you're 20 steps ahead. 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:19.439 Johnny, hurry, stay with me, Johnny. 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:19.920 Walk with me. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:21.199 Come on, we're in a parking lot. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:23.600 Walk with me, stay with me. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:30.720 Right now, at no point, at no point was the relationship gone. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:33.360 He was never without you. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:35.440 He was never without your love. 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:38.159 None of that was at risk. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:38.960 None of it. 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:40.080 Ever, ever. 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:45.679 But the boy lost the experience of the nearness. 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:51.120 So he didn't, physical nearness was set, like, especially if we can convert this over to like God and us. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:55.279 I mean, God's being omnipresent, our relationship with him is secure in Jesus, not by our merit. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:55.919 It's set. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:00.720 Like we have it, but our experience of that nearness, that can change. 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:13.840 And Paul's presenting this to us, like, hey, you can walk by the flesh and not know relational nearness to God, or you can walk by the Spirit and no relational nearness to God. 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:15.279 We can walk by the flesh. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:18.000 So that would be just do whatever you want to do, basically. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:19.759 Itch whatever itches, and you know what? 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:22.000 It'll keep itching, by the way, it won't stop. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:24.799 And the flesh keeps you busy. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.000 It keeps you bent in upon yourself. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:40.559 I want that, and I'll do that, and I'll say that, and I'll do that other thing, and I'll do it all, and I'll find love, and I'll earn love, and I'll be my own savior ultimately. 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:43.200 And maybe you do this by the world. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:47.279 All these different pleasures and sins that Paul just lists out. 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:48.320 He nails all of us, doesn't he? 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:49.840 God, he nails all of us in this passage. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:55.360 Well, maybe you're not the orgy and the drunk person, but maybe like the dissensions and division stuff. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:56.960 Oh yeah, the anger stuff. 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:58.799 You go, okay, he got me there, right? 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:00.879 He gets all of us at some point. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:03.200 And that's the flesh. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:12.799 Just doing whatever you want to do, saying whatever you want to say, without any, any going like, God, I repent of that. 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:14.720 That is not healthy. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:16.159 That is not good. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:19.200 Or we could walk by the Spirit. 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:24.080 Still imperfect, still gonna have a mess at times. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:28.399 But we're driven and governed and empowered by the gospel. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.960 So we're already secure in Jesus, first four chapters of Galatians, very clear. 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:35.759 And so we come before God to say, hey, here's who I am. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:44.639 I'm including you into everything in my life, at every step, step by step, walking with you and the fact that I'm already loved, already redeemed, already accepted. 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:47.679 All of that, nothing for me to earn. 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:48.639 Right? 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:52.879 We've been saying, like, there's no earning left, but inside the grace of God. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:53.840 There's some effort. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:54.960 There's this walking. 00:10:55.120 --> 00:11:02.639 Paul turns it around, turns it around, pivots it for us, says, hey, here's some effort in the grace of God for us, but it's in the grace, it's in the freedom. 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:08.559 And this freedom and this gospel, this informs everything else in your life. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:11.600 Not to earn anything. 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:15.600 It just is an empowerment because you're known by God. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:17.279 Galatians 5, 18 through 21. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.080 But if you are led by the Spirit, you're not under the law. 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:22.720 Here's where Paul nails us, starting in verse 19. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:34.639 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these, I warn you. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:41.120 He gets very stern here, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.720 Now that's quite a stern warning here, but it is reserved. 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:52.480 It's reserved for someone who habitually is giving their life to these things without any concern for God or relationship with God. 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:57.600 And Paul's saying, if you do that, you will never know peace. 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:01.039 You'll never know joy. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:05.279 But verse 18 guides the positive, right? 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:06.879 It's the positive thought. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:08.480 You can be led by the Spirit. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:10.000 You could walk with the Spirit. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:12.399 So, not world, do whatever I want to do. 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:18.000 Not religion, I'm going to perform and be good enough with enough good evidence, but gospel. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:24.799 By Jesus' work alone I am redeemed and right, saved and whole. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:26.720 Therefore. 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:30.320 I love this image of walking. 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:35.360 When Christy and I lived in Atlanta and our girls were little, I was working at a big church in Atlanta. 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:37.120 I'd get off work about 4:45. 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:41.039 I'd drive the connector through downtown from Buckhead down to Grant Park. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:42.399 And always take about 30 minutes. 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:44.960 I'd get home, be a little frazzled, right? 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:55.600 From weaving through all that traffic, be a little frazzled, change clothes, and she'd put the little one in the stroller, strap in enough snacks and toys to last like a couple hours. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:58.240 Just want to make sure you'd got enough crackers forever. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:12:59.440 And we would go out and walk. 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:00.720 We'd walk every day. 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:04.720 Didn't matter the temperature, didn't matter if it was freezing, didn't matter if it was burning hot. 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:07.200 We were going to go walk. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:10.879 And at first it was always casual and polite, right? 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:12.240 Hadn't seen each other all day. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:13.200 How was your day? 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:14.080 Good. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:15.440 What's going on? 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:16.320 Good. 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:17.600 Good. 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:18.320 How are you? 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:20.559 Good, good, doing good, doing good, right? 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:33.519 And then slowly what happens when you walk together is your hearts begin to sink up, and you go from like, good, I'm doing good, to like, yeah, I'm really angry about that. 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:38.320 I'm really I'm really disappointed in her. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:42.879 I really upset somebody today. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:47.360 I don't know what to do with that that thing or that person. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:49.840 Or you or you know what? 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:51.759 I I'm really upset with you. 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:56.240 Last night when we went to bed, you weren't listening to me at all, right? 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:01.840 There's this guy, Bob, he talks about these TPS reports all the time. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:03.360 He's driving me nuts. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.799 I don't know about my job, I don't know about my purpose, right? 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:10.960 I mean, all of a sudden by walking, all of a sudden you kind of get past this like, how are you good? 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:12.480 I'm doing good, life's good. 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:14.399 I'm blessed, blessed. 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:15.440 Right? 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.720 And it's more like, and it's more like, you know what? 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.679 I'm doing really good with this. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:27.679 And then there's this over here, and I'm having a hard time over here, and this is tough. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:34.960 And I don't go around talking about this with everybody, but when you start to walk with people, you you tell them about all of it. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:36.879 You just get all of it. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:38.080 Right? 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:39.440 And that's relationship. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:44.399 That's healthy relationship inside the security of love that is permanent. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:51.679 And that's point number three, because you are loved by God, Galatians 1 through 4, very clear, because you are loved by God, walk with God. 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:53.759 And that's the shift. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:15:00.799 The shift is from like good enough with enough good evidence to walking in the Spirit of God in relationship. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:05.039 And maybe you grew up with a merit formula type of religion. 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:10.960 For me, I think it was a lot like attend church plus Sunday night service, right? 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:11.759 That was the big one. 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:13.120 Like, you had that one on. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:16.720 Plus a morning devotion of a particular length. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:31.840 I remember when it got under 10 minutes, all of a sudden I felt, I don't know what the why ten minutes was magic, but it was like, man, if you got to 10 minutes, like you were like, I am a good Christian, but if it was seven, it was like, I don't think I spent enough time. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:39.279 And like if you get the formula right, plus your Bible on your desk, and you get all that, like now you're a good Christian. 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:41.039 All those are good things. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:43.360 None of those things are bad. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:45.519 The formula is bad. 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:49.519 If you live by a formula, it's still about you. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:56.480 It's about trying to keep God on your side, but really there's distance. 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:00.480 Because your formula is your savior. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:05.279 Your religion is your savior, and that will eventually lead to exhaustion. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:06.720 You'll get there eventually. 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:12.240 And it will end in judgment toward others because they don't live by your formula. 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:17.200 And so your formula is the right formula, and they don't live by it. 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:19.360 So they must not be a good Christian. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.080 You'll become self-righteous, perhaps disillusioned. 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:24.960 And I just say, trust me on this, because I was there. 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:28.159 I'm stared still there sometimes, I admit that. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:33.519 But it's always exhaustion, it's always judgment, it's always self-righteousness. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:37.759 Your heart will never be free when you live by religious performance. 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:39.600 And Paul says, no, no, no, no, no. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:43.360 You are not in that anymore. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:46.399 You're not under the law. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:49.200 You are in a relationship of grace with God. 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:54.240 So walk with God because of that, walk with God, honor, honor him with your life because of that. 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:57.120 Because you are free, honor him with your life. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:59.600 So maybe you would say, okay, great, great, great. 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:04.000 I want to move from religious to relationship. 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:06.559 I don't even know how to do it. 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:10.400 Here are a few thoughts, not a formula. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:12.960 Few thoughts, not a formula. 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:18.960 I would say from a point of like kind of describing what it might look like. 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:22.880 It might look like public, but also private. 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:25.839 Meaning this Sunday morning's great, public. 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:32.240 You can do, but you can be culturally this and it not be real, not be relationship. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:34.640 So it's this plus it's private. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:35.599 It's all your time. 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:39.599 Walking with God means you give him also your private, your walking with him. 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:43.119 It implies step by step, it implies all of life. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:59.680 It's relationship that includes set prayer times, walks, journaling, your your drive time, but it also includes those meetings and uh parenting, includes all of it because God is not stuck in the temple on the temple mount. 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:05.680 And you are not stuck under the law, performing up to him, all of a sudden warranty his acceptance. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:08.799 And you're not stuck having to go visit God at the temple. 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:10.960 It actually says, you're the temple. 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.559 And the Spirit of God lives in you. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:20.720 So public but also private, learn and soak. 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:24.960 I I like those words because I I love to learn, but also like to soak. 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:33.920 And it's not a competition of like, oh, I read a book a week, oh, I read a book a month, or it's not even a competition like, oh, you read, oh, you read Max Lakeda, I can't believe that. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:34.559 I read J.I. 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:35.119 Packard. 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:41.440 You know, like it's not even it's not even a contest of like who you're like who you're reading, oh, I read so much deeper than you. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:44.319 It's just about are you learning about the gospel? 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:49.039 Are you learning about God and his character and his love for you and your belovedness in him? 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:50.640 And that's the movement. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:19:01.119 The movement that I'm talking about is that you're moving from like learning by by obligation, like force fed, like right now, I'm kind of like forcing this on you. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:17.759 Like you put yourself in this position, but like I'm kind of like on top of you, to like you start to have a little bit of like curiosity about this stuff, like who you are in Christ, and like, oh, there's a God of love, like not just judgment, but love. 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:18.799 Like, who is that? 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:25.279 And I want I think I want to read a little bit about that, and then I want to kind of like soak in that and think about that and meditate on that. 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:30.240 The last one I would say is openness and confession. 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:34.400 You know, because you're already secure in Jesus, there's no formula. 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:39.519 You're already secure, which means you can say, Spirit, what like what's messed up in me? 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:47.519 You're already secure, so you could actually say that, and then you can actually voice back like, God, I'm so greedy today. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:51.839 I'm so judgmental today, I'm so self-righteous, I'm so lustful today. 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:55.759 You I mean you could just say all of it because you're already secure in Jesus. 00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:58.079 I'm at my end, God. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:19:59.759 Like I have nothing left here. 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:02.240 I can't handle this, I can't control this. 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:09.599 Like all relationship, formula religion will never allow that because you could never be that real. 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:11.680 Because too much is at risk. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:17.680 But if it's by the grace of Jesus alone, now all of a sudden you are free to say, This is who I am. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:27.839 There's this really this part over here that I'm so I'm celebrating this part of my life because God, you've done so much, but then there's this other part, and man, this is this is messed up, and this isn't good. 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:32.559 And God, I I I repent of that, and I need your help with this. 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:38.480 And Lamont says there's three great prayers help, thanks. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:39.519 Wow. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:41.680 Pretty good summary. 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:47.920 I find my prayers getting more and more simple the longer that I walk with God. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:51.200 I don't think he just needs to hear me ramble that much. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:52.160 I think it's just much more. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:56.880 I just need to like be surrendering these things and saying, like, oh yeah, that thing, help, please, help. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:58.319 That, oh that, help. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:20:59.920 Oh that, thanks. 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:01.119 Thanks. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:03.119 Oh that, wow, wow. 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:04.880 Like, what happened there? 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:08.960 Oh, now I'm back to help again because I messed that up. 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:10.000 Help. 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:23.599 And all of this comes off of four chapters of Paul breaking us down and how we so badly want to perform to receive the acceptance of God, and Paul's saying, it'll never work. 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:25.680 You'll never be free. 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:28.319 But it's over. 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:31.920 You are beloved by God because of Jesus' word for you. 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:34.799 And he says, Because of that. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:36.640 And this is where it starts in five. 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:38.640 And the rest of the book, this is this is us. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:40.240 How do we live because of that? 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:41.200 How do we live? 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:44.240 And the first part is we walk with God. 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:53.359 Not just public, not just set times, but step by step, moment by moment, because we belong to Christ Jesus. 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:56.640 My brothers and sisters, you don't belong to a formula. 00:21:57.359 --> 00:22:01.519 Your heavenly Father wants a relationship with you step by step to walk with him. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:02.400 In Jesus' name. 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:03.680 Let's pray together. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:05.359 God, thank you. 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:12.079 That by your grace you don't wait for us to have our acts together to warrant a relationship. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:15.839 And we don't have to live by a formula or live up to a formula. 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:18.319 But you know us. 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:35.200 And while we were sinners, that you died for us, and our sin and our guilt is taken on the cross, forever taken care of, and your righteousness is given to us, we are forever taken care of to be fully righteous in your sight, and so we are free. 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:38.319 We are truly free. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:42.559 And with that empower. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:46.640 Would that empower us to know you? 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:49.039 Would that empower relational nearness? 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:54.799 Would that empower us to want to walk with you and honor you with our lives? 00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:56.240 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:57.039 Amen.