WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:01.600 Well, happy new year. 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:05.519 I hope you had a restful Christmas and you're having a good new year. 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:07.839 We enjoyed last Sunday off. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:11.599 We weren't here and Davis taught, and I heard good things about that. 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:31.679 And I I am so grateful that we have other guys in the church who are willing to get up, and Brad's done it, and different past elders and Davis at last week who are willing to get up here and preach or teach or communicate for 20 minutes, which is incredibly anxiety-ridden for weeks to come for these guys and for them to be willing to do it. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:32.399 Some believe them. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:34.079 I heard great things about that. 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:42.560 And what I'm happy about doing that is it it is possible for us just to take some money and pay a preacher somewhere else to come in and preach for us. 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:50.479 And we purposefully, at this point in our history, we purposefully don't do that because I we want you to know Davis. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:54.479 And we want you to know another elder, we want you to know another leader. 00:00:54.640 --> 00:01:09.760 And maybe it maybe it's not you know a preacher coming in, but you get to know some other leaders in our church, and maybe you connect with Davis you're gonna see in the next week or the next month, and you have a question, or you you want to have lunch with them, or something like that, and now you have a connection. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:13.040 And so we we do that on purpose, and I'm grateful for that. 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:17.200 So, right before Christmas, I watched Coldplay's new documentary. 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:24.480 So Coldplay's my band, it might not be your band, maybe your band is Fleetwood Mac, maybe your band is something more current, maybe your band is the Beatles. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:25.200 I don't I'm not sure. 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:26.400 Coldplay's my band. 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:31.599 Uh and Coldplay had this great documentary that just came out, and so I watched it and I learned a few things. 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:35.519 So in January of 1998, it was their first rehearsal. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:42.319 I mean, they were in a bedroom, small apartment in Camden, England, 1998. 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:48.239 Four young guys, 15 months after that first rehearsal, they had signed a record deal. 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:53.439 Now, at that time, there's no YouTube, I mean, this is the only way to get your music out, was a record deal. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:54.959 So this is this huge step. 00:01:55.120 --> 00:02:02.159 And then they write this song, Troubled, they write this other song, which you're probably familiar with, Yellow, they write this song that's still being played. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:04.159 You walk in Target, you can hear it sometimes. 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:06.719 You've heard it even if you don't know the name of it. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:17.919 And then four years after that, four years after that, they go from that bedroom in Camden to writing an album that sells around the world to playing huge stages. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:22.960 Then they write this other song, Clocks, which all of us know, whether you know the name of it or not, you've heard it. 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:30.400 And like the previous album, it sounds the same as it did before, and yet it's matured in some way. 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:31.680 This is what great bands do. 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:36.000 And then they write X and Y, and then they write Viva La Vita, and they write another one, another one, and another one. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:39.520 I'm a little boring you about cold play history if you don't love cold play. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:41.280 But you have a band, okay? 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:42.800 You have a band you love. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:57.759 And what you know about great bands, and this is true about great families, great organizations, great basketball teams or football teams, and even churches, is that in one way that they're the same as they've always been. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:02:58.080 Right? 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:01.759 You hear a new cold play song, you're like, oh, yeah, I hear Chris's voice. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:03.439 Okay, yeah, I hear, okay. 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:14.319 Like it it feels this, it feels in some way the same as it did in 1998, and yet in another way, it has matured in all sorts of ways. 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:14.879 Right? 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:20.240 They're making new music and it's fresh and it's new, and yet at the same time, uh, it feels the same. 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:21.840 It's never changed. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:34.000 And I mentioned this because, like Brad mentioned, uh, Redeemer, our church, we're moving into a season where we're gonna be talking about new sanctuary space on the other side of our building, and this room eventually becomes more children's space. 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:38.479 And so some things will change, and with that, maybe it might feel just a little bit different. 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:39.680 It's not gonna feel totally different. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:42.719 We're still the same church, we're not gonna go and change everything up. 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:49.840 Maybe some new ministries develop, maybe you jump on those ministry teams, and in that there's some maturing, right? 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.759 Just like your family might mature, or a great band matures. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.599 But at the same time, we're who we've always been. 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:04.400 And the reason why is because, like we've said over and over and over again for the past six years, our our vision is not a building. 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:06.879 Our vision is not a size. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:09.280 Our vision is a message. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:19.120 And that's why we say every week that we're more broken than we originally thought, more sinful than we originally thought, but but in the grace of God, we're more loved by Jesus than we could ever dare to dream. 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:20.160 And that's our vision. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:21.040 That's our vision. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:26.959 So, size-wise, maybe we grow, maybe we grow slow, maybe we grow, maybe a little faster, maybe we plateau. 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:28.319 We've plateaued before. 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:29.439 Maybe we shrink. 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:30.879 That could happen. 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:32.560 It's okay. 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:35.759 Because our vision is the message. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:46.240 And that's what we're gonna keep saying over and over and over again, that we want to be a people, resting and growing in the grace of God. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:55.279 And we want to talk about Jesus' work for us much more than us turning our total focus on our work for Him. 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:57.600 And I was becoming kind of concerned with this. 00:04:57.680 --> 00:04:58.639 This is why I bring this up. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:08.959 And so I brought this to my mentor, Scotty, and said, Scotty, I said, you know, we're starting this building thing, and I hate capital campaigns, and we're not gonna do a thermometer in the back of the room, we're not gonna get into that. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:14.319 But I have this concern because sometimes I've been in places where it feels very self-congratulatory. 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:24.160 Like you become, you you glorify the building and you forget like the thing you should be saying, or you glorify the money and you forget the thing you should be saying. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:29.839 And I'm like, I'm just worried because I have to start talking about buildings and I have to start talking about money. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:34.560 I I just have this concern, and I'm just kind of letting this out a little bit with him. 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:36.879 And he said, That's he said, it's fine. 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:44.480 He's and he said this, and I wanted to say that he said it because I wasn't this wise, is he said, it's fine, just remind your people. 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:53.279 What this is about is not the hype of a new room, it's about the hope people breathe when they come in. 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:54.959 See, I couldn't have come up with that. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:55.839 That's too good, right? 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:57.600 I mean, you're like, Russ didn't come up with that. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:05:58.800 That's too good. 00:05:59.519 --> 00:05:59.920 Right? 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:05.519 It's not about a new sanctuary that that's maybe a step up and niceness than this one. 00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:06.560 That's not what it's about. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:20.399 It's about when you walk into it, your family, your friends, your neighbor, the next person, when they walk in, is it are they impressed with the hype, or are they breathing in the hope of the message we talk about? 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:28.319 And that's that's why it's a maturing in a way, but it's the same thing as we've always been. 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:34.399 It's the same thing as when we're in the dentist's office, the same thing as when we were in the preschool, and we're Brian's living room. 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:36.399 It's the same thing. 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:40.480 So for the next one nine weeks, we're gonna talk about the book of Galatians. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:44.879 So we've been going through the lectionary, different passages, but we're gonna take a break from the lectionary. 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:52.000 And for the next nine weeks leading up to Lent, Lent's the season going into Easter, the next nine weeks we're gonna go through the book of Galatians. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:07:13.600 And I chose this book very purposefully because this is a book where Paul goes to a group of people who have forgotten about the message, and is Paul's a little pumped up about this, he's upset, and he lets loose, and I we're not I'm not letting loose on you, but this is just a reminder of us of what is important, admits while we talk about some other things. 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:16.160 What is really, really important. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:19.120 And this is what we get with Paul. 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:22.959 He's writing this letter, and I love that Brad read the whole chapter, right? 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:24.000 Because this was a letter. 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:31.120 These people would have experienced this, not like we do in writing, where you read four verses and you shut it and you come back later. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:33.199 These people would have received a letter. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:36.160 They would have received a letter from Paul from somewhere else. 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:41.519 Somebody would have gotten this letter, stood up in front of a group of people, and would have read the entire thing out loud. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:44.160 No chapters, no verses, it was a letter. 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:46.240 They would have heard the whole thing. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:52.879 And I kind of liked hearing just all of chapter one all at once, because you sort of could feel, wow, Paul's really adamant. 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:58.000 Paul's really into this, because this is this is like little dynamite, this book. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:02.800 It's like a little package that can wonderfully affect our lives. 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:15.120 And so my hope is that you journey with me and us in the next nine weeks, but even more so that because I'm not gonna be able to dig in like an inductive Bible study level on every single thing. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:20.000 Even more so, you go and do that on your own in between weeks. 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:23.920 Now, imagine that you loved and raised some kids in a healthy family. 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:25.040 I said, imagine. 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:31.279 Imagine the family's healthy, and maybe you have to imagine you're married, or maybe you have to imagine you have kids, but you're gonna work with me here. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:46.159 And you raised your kid in a secure, healthy family, and you were present for him and loving, and you taught your kids with words and taught your kids with your actions about communication and conflict and compassion. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.320 You taught your kid about Jesus and your kid's worth and God. 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:56.799 You did all of this and you did it really well, and he moves away, and then you find him. 00:08:56.960 --> 00:09:03.600 He kind of pulled away from you and he hadn't reached out, and eventually you find him, and he's emotionally crippled. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:12.559 He's selfish, he uses his life to manipulate people, he uses people, he uses achievements in very self-absorbed ways. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:13.919 He ignores his family. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.200 He had a girlfriend, he lost a girlfriend because he played Fortnite too much. 00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:20.399 I mean, this is the caliber son you now have. 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:22.879 And this would upset you, right? 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:26.080 You turned your back for just a little bit. 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:28.159 And you could then you see him again. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:29.279 You're like, what happened? 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:30.240 What happened to you? 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:33.440 And maybe you sit down and maybe you write him a letter. 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:37.360 And your letter would have a lot of compassion in it, but it would have a lot of urgency in it. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:38.480 And this is Paul. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:39.919 This is Paul in this letter. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:44.480 A lot of compassion, but a lot of urgency because he loved these people. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:47.120 He helped form their faith. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:50.159 He turns his attention elsewhere for just a little bit. 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:59.200 And he comes back, and this group of people have turned their attention to something else, to a merit-based system of spirituality and approach to God. 00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:01.120 And Paul's heartbroken. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:03.600 So we jump in in Galatians 1. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:05.679 I'll read verses 3 through 7. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:24.320 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever amen. 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:30.399 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him, who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:37.519 Not that there is another one, but there are some of some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:39.679 So I'll make four points this morning. 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:42.639 Number one, religion won't work. 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:45.919 We need the grace of God known in Jesus. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:47.039 Religion won't work. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:49.120 We need the grace of God known in Jesus. 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:50.399 I could just say this point every week. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:51.039 I sort of do. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:52.159 You've picked up on that. 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:54.080 A merit-based religion, right? 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:57.360 That is, I will obey, then I'm accepted. 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:01.039 That sort of merit-based religiosity, it won't work. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:01.840 It never will. 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:08.000 You'll never get the right amount of good behavior together for you to feel secure or for you to be able to earn that. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:09.919 It doesn't work, it doesn't exist. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:12.320 And Paul's saying, don't do that. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:19.200 Don't turn away from the gospel, which is you are accepted in Jesus, so obey. 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:20.879 Right? 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.159 Religion emphasizes on you, on what you do. 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:26.879 And so you're always moving into more pride or more despair. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:27.919 Either way, you're exhausted. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:30.639 You usually become more judgmental, more self-righteous. 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:32.960 And Paul says, Don't turn. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:35.600 Don't turn away from the gospel. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:42.320 Over Christmas break, we we went to the Christmas tree lighting in uh Lawrenceville. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:47.440 I guess it was all the way back toward Thanksgiving time, and they were lighting the tree in Lawrenceville over in Gwinnett County. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:51.360 That's where we grew up, and our parents live out there, and we were with Christy's family. 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:58.399 And so Christy and I and her family, we go down to the historic courthouse, it's a cool quaint small town courthouse. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.120 We get there a little bit early, and so we have some time to spare. 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:04.559 And so I take our three girls and we go over to kind of a lawn area. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:05.759 We start to play freeze tag. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:06.480 Remember freeze tag? 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:08.159 Remember the rules, basic rules, right? 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:09.200 I decide I'm it. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:12.559 That's the easiest way to kind of settle that with the sisters, no whining possible. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:14.879 If dad starts as it, so I start as it. 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:16.639 Tag one, right? 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:18.240 You get tagged, you're frozen. 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.720 We play feet out, arms out, and so we play. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:23.440 Can't move other than that, you're dead, you're frozen. 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:25.519 Somebody has to come and get you. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:27.279 Somebody has to come and rescue you. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:32.879 So I tag the biggest sister first, and I tag her, so sister number one is frozen. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:34.320 The other two sisters are out there. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:41.360 I purposefully gauge my speed to make sure I get sister number two, just as sister number three frees sister number one. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:42.960 They think this is really fun. 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.480 And we just keep this going over and over again. 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:50.320 And you've been frozen in these games, right? 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:54.960 I've been whether it be uh freeze tag, maybe maybe kick the can, you have to go to jail. 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:55.600 Right? 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:57.279 Maybe you've been in jail, right? 00:12:57.360 --> 00:12:58.720 You know that feeling, some of you. 00:12:58.960 --> 00:12:59.679 It's possible. 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:01.039 We won't raise hands on that. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:03.600 I know, I know, I know, it's true. 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:05.440 And you're stuck, right? 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:08.399 You're frozen, you're in jail, you're in kick the can't jail, whatever. 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:09.039 You're stuck. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:10.080 You know that feeling. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:14.639 It doesn't matter how good you are, you need someone to come and free you. 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:20.559 You are by definition, by definition, in need of outside help. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:21.919 Right? 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:27.279 This is this is why the grace of Christ rescues us and why religion doesn't work. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:30.080 Because we, by definition, are stuck. 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:31.279 We're frozen. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:34.080 We cannot earn our acceptance with God. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:39.360 We need his reach toward us to unfreeze us. 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:40.960 We get that verse 4. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.159 He gave himself for our sins, which means you don't have to pay for your sin. 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:49.440 You don't have to pay for your shame. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:51.840 You're rescued, you're delivered from that. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:14:01.120 You don't you don't have to score every motive and action and try to do more good than bad and get scales right. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:07.600 Your sin has been taken from you, put on the cross, his righteousness has been given to you. 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:13.360 So you're righteous while you're righteous, and you're also righteous while you're unrighteous. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:14.799 Isn't that amazing? 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:16.320 That's the grace of Christ. 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:18.159 So, yes, grace unto peace. 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:20.240 Now you can see why it's grace unto peace. 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:25.200 And then it says, deliver us from the present evil age. 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:31.600 So this idea of deliverance is not deliverance from presence, it's deliverance from power. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:34.080 Here's what I mean: you're still here, right? 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:39.679 You haven't been delivered from the present evil age in terms of presence because you still exist in it. 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:44.879 You still exist, I still exist in the present evil age of oppression. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:52.720 Because the world is telling you one thing you're not enough, and you should do something about it. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:55.600 Or you should try to escape the feeling of it. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:02.720 And the gospel is that you've been delivered from that enslaving power over you. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:06.399 And the grace of Christ is the power over you now. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:12.960 It's your definition, it's the soundtrack you get to walk with in life. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:20.879 Point number two you are the passive agent, and God is the active agent. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:23.440 I'll explain it with a quote. 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:27.360 Theologian Gerhade Fordy wrote it like this. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:34.720 For the point is that the unconditional declaration of justification, there's some big words in the quote, just hang with me, okay? 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:36.240 I'll just reread the first six words. 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:37.360 That was already hard. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:59.840 For the point is that the unconditional declaration of justification, the imputation, the flat out declaration that which offends and shocks us so, that which shatters all our ambitions for something to do, that declaration is our death and our life, the new beginning. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:05.840 It is the act which recreates, redeems God's creation. 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:17.919 Death, you see, is put in the position of not being able to do anything according to the ways of the world, the law, religion, the upward climb with all its plans and schemes. 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:22.399 They suddenly stop, come to an end. 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:26.320 I, through the law, died to the law that I might live to God. 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:31.440 Both our vices and our virtues come to a full stop. 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:38.480 The justification declaration is precisely that, a full stop. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:42.720 You have died, says Paul. 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:44.480 It is all over. 00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:54.559 I mean, this is this is a fancier theological way to say that you are frozen and dead in need of deliverance. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:58.159 And that comes from outside of you, not from you. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:07.599 The Galatians reverted and they move themselves from a passive position back into an active position. 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:10.640 They miscategorize themselves. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:16.079 They forgot that God is the active agent and they are just the passive person. 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:21.680 At our best, at our best, we're just all learning how to die. 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:30.240 And at our best, we're we're learning that we're already dead and simply made alive by the grace of Christ. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:32.559 That's how we discover life. 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:36.559 If we jump into verse 14, this is Paul talking about himself. 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:38.240 Love these few verses. 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:40.000 It's his own little story. 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:41.920 And I was advancing in Judaism. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:44.079 This is his religion, his merit-based system. 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:47.359 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age, right? 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:49.599 There's all that comparison life. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.559 So extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 00:17:55.759 --> 00:18:12.880 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, see, he's the passive agent, he was the passive, and who called me by his grace, God was active, was pleased to reveal his son to me. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:15.440 And isn't that amazing? 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:19.920 Just to think someone is pleased with you. 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:26.880 I was listening to a podcast this past week, and it was with the author of the book Wild, which turned into the movie Wild. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:28.720 Her name is Cheryl Strait. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.680 And maybe you read it, maybe you saw the movie. 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:35.039 And she talked about how in her 20s she was a mess. 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:43.200 She had been married, and then she she had an affair on her husband, and she was so enamored with other men's interests in her. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:45.119 She just needed that for validation. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:48.000 She just was constantly wondering, other people, who's pleased with me? 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:48.799 Is he pleased with me? 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:49.599 Is he pleased with me? 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:53.519 And the sexual interest of another man was all that she wanted. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:58.640 And this just was magnified with her mother's death, and then her dad's not around. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:10.400 And it's just her life became the toil and the mess of constantly going to other people saying, Are you pleased with me? 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:11.759 Are you pleased with me? 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:13.119 Are you pleased with me? 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:16.319 And it's easy to spend our lives like that, isn't it? 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:21.839 Just going around asking different people, are you pleased with me? 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:22.799 Right? 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:25.759 You go to your boss, you go to people at work, are you pleased with me? 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:26.160 Right? 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.839 This is just kind of your the subconscious hum of your life. 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:36.799 Your distant father, your disapproving mom, your older sister, older brother, a group of friends, are you pleased with me? 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:37.920 Will you be pleased with me? 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:40.799 Will you take pleasure in me? 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:44.480 And the question is natural. 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:45.920 The question's there. 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.640 We can sense it in Paul here. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:53.519 But it's just the question was never meant for people. 00:19:57.039 --> 00:19:58.480 It was meant only for God. 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:03.759 Point number three: you are welcomed into God's family in God's pleasure. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:06.000 You are welcomed into God's family. 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:07.519 By grace you have been called. 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:09.039 He reveals his son to you. 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:10.960 You have been welcomed into God's family. 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:14.880 And then the end of that verse, and it was God's pleasure to do this. 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:22.880 God doesn't welcome you because you prayed some prayer and you walked an aisle and he goes, Well, you know, Betty prayed the prayer. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:25.119 I guess I gotta love Betty now. 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:27.920 You know, you know, Craig came to church. 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:33.599 I never really liked him, but now I guess I'm stuck with Craig. 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:34.079 Right? 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:35.519 That's not what's going on here. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:39.359 God welcomes you because he takes pleasure in you. 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.880 It pleases him. 00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:45.759 It pleases him to love you. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:48.240 It pleases him to like you. 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:57.200 Man, we start with a God like that that is loving like that through the grace of Christ. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:01.680 And how does that transform what how you think about yourself? 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:06.000 And then how does that begin to set security in your heart? 00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:11.119 How does that change and transform your life and your behaviors? 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:18.240 Now we can get into a conversation about the growth in the grace of God or transformation, sanctification. 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:29.359 How we begin to see other people, love other people, become giving people, sacrificial people, parents who don't yell at our kids, parents who don't we don't yell at each other, or you love a friend sacrificially. 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:32.960 Verse 10. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:34.960 And this is jumping back. 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:36.559 I skipped over, I'm coming back. 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:40.079 For am I now seeking the approval of man? 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:41.920 Or of God? 00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:44.960 Or am I trying to please man? 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:49.519 If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:51.039 And this is last point. 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:53.119 This is connected to point number three. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:22:03.279 The chase of people pleasing, it can be over because you are already pleasing to God. 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:07.759 The chase of people pleasing can be over because you are already pleasing to God. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.039 We all want someone to be pleased with us. 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:18.480 Maybe you don't act like it, or maybe I don't act like it, but we're all kind of underneath, going like, you know, maybe I wonder if they like me. 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:20.000 I mean, we're doing that. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:23.759 And God is saying to us, and Jesus, like, I'm pleased with you. 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:25.839 Like, I'm really pleased with you. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:29.920 I'm forever pleased with you in the grace of Christ. 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:35.519 And Paul is fearless and free. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:46.400 And he wants these people to know this as he seeks only God's approval, which he knows he already has. 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:48.079 Isn't that amazing? 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:52.480 It's not that we're seeking God's approval to please God because he's not pleased with us. 00:22:52.640 --> 00:23:02.319 We're seeking God's approval and want to please God and honor God with our lives because he is already pleased with us and already loves us in the grace of Christ. 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:09.599 So, my brothers and sisters, in Jesus, God's favor and approval of you are already yours. 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:10.960 Let's pray together. 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:18.559 God, we thank you for the goodness, sufficiency, and fullness of the gift of Christ. 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:29.359 That it is by the grace of Christ and the grace of Christ only, that we have justification, freedom from what else should I do to please you, God? 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:34.400 Freedom from are do you do you are you pleased with me? 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:35.359 Are you pleased with me? 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:36.480 Are you pleased with me? 00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:38.000 And for freedom of God. 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:43.599 Help us move to a freedom where we are resting in Jesus. 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:46.720 You are pleased with me. 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:51.119 In Jesus, that you take pleasure in me. 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:53.920 In Jesus, I am righteous. 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:07.279 That you love us in an unconditional way, that there is a declaration of justification in Jesus. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.480 And would we trust you in a greater way? 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:15.359 In the powerful name of Christ.