WEBVTT 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:09.199 After you become aware of your sin, what do you do as a child of God? 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:19.679 It's often a very pride-swately, humbly thing to confess your sins to a God who loves you and has sent his son to die for the sins you just confessed. 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:28.239 This podcast is a ministry of Rand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know enjoying glorifying God. 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:33.439 For more information about Rand Parkway, visit Red Artway.org. 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:53.759 Not because we are good or great, not because our circumstances are the way we want them. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:56.159 It's because, Jesus, you are good. 00:00:56.880 --> 00:00:59.200 And so, Lord, we say thank you. 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:04.480 And Lord, uh I pray for those of us who might be heavy-hearted this morning. 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:16.959 God, that you would minister to us, and that as we leave today, Lord, that it would be well with our soul, that our heart's cry would be one of worship and praise because you are worthy. 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:18.719 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:19.680 Amen. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:21.920 Good morning. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:28.879 My name is Travis Dunham, and I'm the Connections pastor here at Grant Parkway Baptist Church. 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:38.400 And what that means is I get to help people assemble into the life of the church, and I also get to oversee our discipleship groups and our community groups. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:44.079 And I am really comfortable in those one-on-one or in those small group environments. 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:52.079 So a few weeks ago in a staff meeting when Neil asked how many of y'all think Travis should preach this summer, and all my friends betrayed me. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:58.400 I had two competing thoughts going through my mind. 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:01.040 And the first one is, man, what an honor. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:03.840 And that truly is the dominant thought. 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:07.920 It is an honor to be with you. 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:14.159 Robin and I have been here almost two years, and we have truly grown to love this church family. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:19.280 One of the things I love about this church is kind of not, it's not the staff and the congregation. 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:21.759 I mean, we're together, we're a family of God. 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:23.919 And I love that about this church. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:28.000 So today I get to speak to people I love about a God I love. 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:30.159 And so it's going to be a great day for me. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:32.879 I may stumble through it a little bit. 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:34.240 I may get emotional. 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:38.240 But the truth is, I'm excited to proclaim God's word to you this morning. 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:47.280 On Monday mornings, around 6.30, I meet with a group of guys to study the Bible and to see how the Bible should be applying to our lives. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:51.199 And for about six weeks, we've been looking at the book of Galatians. 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:58.400 And I love the book of Galatians because in some ways it's similar to the other epistles, but in some ways it's completely different. 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:03.919 I mean, Paul kind of starts off with the same greetings, but then real quick, I mean, he changes gears. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.719 He puts on his dad hat and he starts jabbing people. 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:08.240 He starts rebuking people. 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:11.120 And uh, as a dad, I kind of like that a little bit. 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:19.360 But uh, to give you a little bit of the background, the book of Acts teaches us that Paul was a tent maker by trade. 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:23.280 And in his spare time, he would proclaim the gospel. 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:32.080 He would gather a group of men and women around him, and he would begin to disciple them, to love them, to invest in them, and he would establish a church. 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:38.080 And once that church was established, he would leave there and go to a new location and kind of do the same thing all over again. 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:43.280 But the important thing was when he left the church, he entrusted them with the gospel message. 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:47.360 He entrusted them to proclaim the same message that he taught them. 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:54.639 So when Paul learned that the church in Galatia had kind of drifted away from the message that was taught, he was frustrated. 00:03:54.800 --> 00:04:02.159 And so he wrote them a letter called Galatians, and he's kind of writing from the standpoint of, hey, I am your spiritual father, I'm your spiritual dad. 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:07.680 And so with that in mind, let's kind of look at Galatians, starting with verse 3. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:11.280 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:13.599 See, it's kind of like a normal greeting. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:18.959 But in verse 4, right here, he kind of begins to tip his hand, he begins to share what's most important to him. 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:33.360 He says, Who himself, um, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of God the Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:34.000 Amen. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:37.040 See, real quick, Paul just kind of gives a gospel jab. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:41.680 I mean, he is constantly through the book of Galatians sharing the gospel message. 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:45.040 But then in verse 6, he says, I'm astonished. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.959 And if you were to keep reading the letter, Paul's like this frustrated dad. 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:50.639 He just kind of gets after it again. 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:58.800 So in Galatians chapter 3, he says, You foolish Galatians, and he just gets on this tyrant. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:01.759 How many of you dads have ever lost it with your kids? 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:04.399 Okay, so I'm not alone in that. 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.720 And that kind of you know brings a little comfort. 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:13.920 Um but this earlier this summer, uh, it was hot outside, I was working, and I wanted to quit, actually. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:16.079 And so I came inside and I gathered my kids. 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:16.879 I have four little girls. 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:20.079 I said, hey, um, it's hot day, let's all go out for ice cream. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:22.720 And everybody's excited, which they should have been. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:25.600 And I said, Hey, but before we go, we gotta clean up a little bit. 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:30.560 So I want you to do this task, I want you to do this job, and you're doing this, and and you're gonna do this. 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:34.480 And everybody agrees, and I've been down this road before, so I had them repeat it back to me. 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:35.680 Hey, what are you gonna do? 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:41.279 And everybody kind of agreed upon the assignment, and um, we're happy, so we're gonna get ice cream. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:46.480 So I go take a shower, I get back, and I come out of the bedroom into the living room, and what do you think's happening? 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:52.000 Yeah, two of them are fighting, one's watching TV, and I have no idea where the other one is. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.399 And I am frustrated. 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:56.240 I'm like, what in the world's going on? 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:59.600 We agreed upon something five minutes ago, and now you're not doing it. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:01.920 And I said, This is just so foolish. 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:04.959 And then my wife looks at me, you shouldn't call our kids fools. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:06.160 And I'm like, I didn't. 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:10.800 I said, This is foolish, I didn't call them fools, and I'm just frustrated. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:13.759 And I think that's what Paul felt like. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.319 He's like, hey, I entrusted you with something so great and so glorious. 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:20.480 I was your pastor and I taught you well. 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:24.639 You know the right thing to do, but you're turning away from it. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:30.639 And Paul was a little frustrated because instead of trusting God, they were doubting. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:37.120 And in short, if you study the book of Galatians, the reason they were doubting God is because they were fearing man. 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:40.480 Yet Paul wasn't like that. 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:48.879 Paul was a man who was willing to endure hardship, suffering, and even isolation for his faith. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:55.600 After all, Paul was the person who penned in Galatians 2.20, I had been crucified with Christ. 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:59.759 It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:08.000 And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:10.079 That last part. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:17.199 I live by faith by the power of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:20.639 Paul truly believed that, the core of who he was. 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:27.920 And the point of the message this morning that I hope to bring out is behavior always follows belief. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:31.199 Behavior always follows belief. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:36.399 Paul believed that he was deeply loved by God, and that impacted his behavior. 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:45.759 See, the Galatians may have agreed with some of Paul's teaching, but it doesn't mean they had the same convictions or the same mindset as Paul did. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:53.199 So I'm naturally a curious person, so I begin to wonder, what did Paul believe that the Galatians didn't? 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:57.600 What did Paul understand that made him stand out, that made his conviction so strong? 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:00.720 To where when the Galatians kind of fumbled the ball. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:06.160 And in chapter four, Paul kind of gives us some insight to what he believed. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:09.839 Excuse me. 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:21.920 So in chapter four, verse four, it says, But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:25.279 See, right there again, see how Paul just kind of gives a gospel jab? 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:28.480 Over and over again in Galatians, he is presenting the gospel. 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:35.919 And then he finishes the verse, he says, So that you might re so that you might receive adoptions as sons. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:38.159 And that was the key point. 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:42.799 Paul believed that he was an adopted son of God, and that changed everything. 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:44.240 Primarily in two ways. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:51.279 One was kind of a more formal, legal manner, but the other was more of a relational, practical, everyday life. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:58.799 Tim Keller explains that under Roman rule, the moment adoption occurred, several things immediately were true of the new son. 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:01.840 There were four facts in one assumption. 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:07.840 The first fact: his old debts and legal obligations were paid. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:14.399 He got a new name and was an instant heir of all that the father had. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:47.360 They understood what that meant. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:50.960 The question was, did they truly believe it? 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.000 Did they truly believe that God was that good? 00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:00.879 That God was good enough to forgive all their debts and sins and to take responsibility for their lives. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:04.320 Clearly, Paul believed this. 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:07.360 God's adopt excuse me. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:09.200 Paul believed it. 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:13.759 Paul believed that he was an adopted son of God, and that changed everything. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:17.039 The second thing it changed is the way he related to God. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:24.799 He no longer had to relate to God out of performance or under the wall, but he could relate to God out of Jesus' grace. 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.480 Because Jesus was perfect, we don't have to be. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:30.720 And that's the good news for us, right? 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.840 Because Jesus was perfect, we don't have to be. 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:45.679 And if we place our faith and our devotion in Jesus and in his perfect performance, and in his finished work on the cross, then we are accepted on the basis of Jesus' performance. 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:50.159 Through the years, this has been called the great exchange. 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:56.480 We exchange our sinful performance for Jesus' righteousness, and we become children of God. 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:03.360 Not everyone's a child of God, and that's a different message for our culture. 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:04.799 But it's true. 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:10.559 Only those who place their love and devotion in Jesus have the privilege to become a child of God. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:19.279 But for those who don't, their only choice relating to God is through their own performance by obtaining the law. 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:25.600 And they just simply can't do it because God's standard has always been perfect performance. 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:36.799 And we can assume from the rebuke or the tone of Paul's letter that instead of turning to God's grace, the Galatians turned their back on God's grace. 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:43.679 And for Paul, for a child to turn away from the grace of God, this was just simply astounding. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:45.279 It was unfathomable. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:47.840 But what about us? 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:49.120 What about you? 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:55.120 After you have sinned, after you have blown it, what do you do? 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:59.600 Do you immediately turn to God's grace asking forgiveness? 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:05.279 Or do you kind of distance yourself from God, kind of getting on this performance trap mentality? 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:10.639 After you've broken your promise again? 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:16.960 After you binge-watched Netflix all day, neglecting your responsibilities. 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:22.240 After you clicked on that website, you swore you'd never go back to. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:28.720 After you've gone on a shopping spree, racking up debt you know you can't afford. 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:37.600 After you posted something on social media, knowing it was the wrong thing to do, but really not caring. 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:47.279 After you've lied or intentionally gossiped, after you fantasize about something in your mind, knowing you shouldn't. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:52.639 After you become aware of your sin, what do you do as a child of God? 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:58.879 Do you go to Him knowing that He's your Heavenly Father and asking for grace? 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:01.120 I mean, the reality is that just sounds so simple. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:03.120 Just go to God and ask for grace. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:09.120 And in some ways it is, because He's that good, but in other ways, it's really not simple at all. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:22.559 It's often a very pride-swallowing, humbling thing to confess your sins to a God who loves you and who sent his son to die for the sins you just confessed. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:29.519 But this process of going to God asking for grace is very transformative in our lives. 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:36.960 As we continue to go to God and ask for grace, we find that God lavishes his grace upon us. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:45.840 And this process begins to transform us, it begins to renew our hearts and our minds, and we learn to depend upon God. 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:53.919 The second option we have is if we're not going to turn to God for his grace, then we distance ourselves from him. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:02.799 We kind of distance ourselves from God. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:11.360 I don't know just why we do it, but we kind of do for like this mythical amount of time to where we feel like we cleaned up our act before we can go back into God's presence, right? 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:14.159 Sometimes you're like, oh man, I've done this sin. 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.919 I got to distance myself and I gotta clean up my performance. 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:20.639 Or I gotta strengthen my commitments. 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.360 I'm gonna read the Bible more, I'm gonna pray more. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:26.720 And we make all these commitments that truthfully we just can't keep. 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:30.080 In fact, they just kind of add to our shame and our guilt. 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:40.159 And I'm sure there's a lot of reasons why that mentality is wrong, but this morning I just kind of want to list three of them of why this performance trap is not good for us. 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:45.360 First, it's a poor understanding of the gospel. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:52.320 This person has a false mindset, believing that the goal of the Christian life is to sin less. 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:56.559 But the sin less has never been the aim of the Christian life. 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:59.200 The goal of the Christian life is to depend more. 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:04.080 Sinning less is a byproduct of depending upon God. 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:09.600 Think back to a few weeks ago when we were going through John 15. 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:14.080 Jesus said, Apart from me, you can do nothing. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:20.879 Or if you think about the Lord's Prayer that Clyde read to us earlier, who talks about giving us today our daily bread. 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:29.120 If you read through the Bible, you'll see that constantly Jesus is calling upon his people to depend upon him and not their own strengths. 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:34.399 God doesn't want us to white knuckle things with our own effort. 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:38.799 Instead, he wants us to come to him and learning to depend upon his love and grace. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:46.000 The second reason people kind of excuse me. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:49.120 Lost my spot here, guys. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:56.879 But the truth is, the person who kind of has this mindset, the reality is sometimes they don't want to change. 00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:59.120 It's just the truth. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:02.720 They just want freedom from the guilt they experience. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:04.000 They want release. 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:05.759 They don't want true repentance. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:09.200 And the truth is, God will allow you to flirt with your sin. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:17.519 In fact, the Bible teaches that he will hand you over your sin until the weight of your sin and the consequences of your sin breaks you down. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:25.440 And then when you are broken as a broken child of God, you will turn to God, to your Heavenly Father, longing for His grace. 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:28.799 And because He's good and gracious, He will give it to us. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:35.279 When He gives us His that grace, we learned that relying upon God is not a crutch. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:37.759 In fact, it's a pathway to peace. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:44.320 The third problem with this performance trap mindset is it's just simply not the gospel. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:51.840 The gospel teaches us the only way we can ever relate to God is through the grace of Jesus, not on our performance. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:58.080 In Galatians, Paul is reminding these people over and over again of the gospel that he taught them. 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:03.039 To rely upon Jesus and to trust his grace and not your performance. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:12.559 As a dad, I understand this, and I get to see this kind of lived out on a daily basis, kind of this gospel performance track. 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:18.319 I have one little girl, and almost every day I hear these phrases out of her mouth. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:20.880 Daddy, did I do good? 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:26.079 Have I been good today, Daddy? 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:28.559 Did I do this right? 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:36.079 The heartbeat behind these questions is have I performed good enough today? 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:42.480 And to be honest with you, as a dad who loves that little girl, I hate those questions. 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:44.400 I really do. 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:48.960 Because I don't like watching her live with that uncertainty. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:57.759 I want her to fully understand and know that she is loved by her dad, regardless of a good performance or a bad performance. 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:05.440 And if I want that for my girl, as messed up as I am, imagine how much our Heavenly Father wants that for us. 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:11.440 I have another little girl who currently she understands this. 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:13.519 This past week she got in trouble. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:18.880 So I brought her into our bedroom and I set her on the bed and we began to talk about the consequences of her actions. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:21.359 And um, she didn't like that. 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:33.119 She started to tear up, her bottom lip was quivering, and um all of a sudden she got this little smirk on her face, and she goes, Um, it'll be okay, daddy, because I know you still love me. 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:36.799 See the difference? 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:46.240 One is trying to fight to search for approval that's already hers, and another one's living in the fact that she knows she's accepted. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:50.079 As a dad, I love both girls equally. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:58.240 But their understanding of my love for them or what they believe about me defines how they relate to me. 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:07.920 Behavior always follows belief, and what you truly believe about God defines how you relate to Him. 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:12.799 And if you're a child of God, God relates to you out of grace. 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:24.079 On a side note, as children of God, we should model that grace-based relationship with other people, right? 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:29.599 Our relationship with other people shouldn't be one of performance, but sometimes it is. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:37.119 And if you think about it, a performance-based relationship always demands something, doesn't it? 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:46.640 If you're brave enough on your way home today from church, kind of ask the people in your car, do I relate to you out of grace or out of performance? 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:49.759 Sometimes that can be a frightening question. 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:52.720 I have a little OCD tendencies. 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:54.880 In other words, I like things to be a certain way. 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:56.640 Anyone else like that? 00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:58.880 Good, I'm not alone. 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:02.799 So um last Thursday night, we invited some people over for dinner. 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:04.240 This has been planned for a while. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:06.000 We were looking forward to it. 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:10.400 And uh there was this assumption that when I got home, everything would be ready. 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:13.279 And so, you know where this is going. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:18.559 So when I got home, uh I immediately noticed um things were not as I expected. 00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:21.279 Not necessarily wrong, just not what I expected. 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:22.960 And I kind of went into dad mode. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:24.480 I started barking orders at our kids. 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:27.599 Hey, this needs to be done, this needs to be done, and why didn't you do this? 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:30.880 I told you three times, and I'm getting frustrated. 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:37.359 And as I'm barking orders to kids that I love, um, my wife's my wife tells me, You're sighing a lot. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:41.279 And I'm like, well, you're right. 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:45.200 But inside the back of my head, I start hearing this voice. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:47.039 This is not grace. 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:49.759 This is not grace. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:21:01.440 And so, frustrated, I had to go back to my daughters one by one, and apologize for my attitude and my actions. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:07.119 Our friends came over and um things were still undone. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:11.119 I was still frustrated, but nobody else seemed to care or mine. 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:16.400 And the truth was, after I got over my frustration, everybody had a great time. 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:22.160 We had a great meal, we laughed, we joked, and then around 10:30, I kicked them out. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:26.480 But here's the problem. 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:34.720 Most of us struggle with grace-based relationships because it hasn't really been modeled for us. 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:39.519 If we're honest, most of our relationships to other people are on performance. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:42.799 We have to perform a certain way to be expected. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:46.240 Or we treat people that way. 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:50.160 In order for you to be accepted by me, you have to perform to this level. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:59.839 So sometimes it's hard for us to understand that we can go to God and see if an abundance of grace because it's simply not modeled for us in our day to day life. 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:05.519 Another reason is because we're kind of taught this, right? 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:17.200 I mean, growing up, right off the bat, whether it's academics or athletics or anything else, you're taught, hey, be the best, be the fastest, be the strongest, outperform someone else. 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:21.039 So this performance mindset is all around us. 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:25.519 The problem is, it's just simply not the gospel. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:34.720 In the gospel, the only performance that matters is Jesus' perfect performance and our faith and devotion to Him. 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:50.880 Kind of getting back to the text here in chapter 4, verse 6, Paul goes on to say, so because we are sons, God has sent his spirit of his son into our hearts crying out, Ah, the Father. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:54.319 Have you ever noticed that names really matter? 00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:57.920 Is anybody other than myself called somebody by the wrong name? 00:22:58.720 --> 00:22:59.920 Yeah, it's embarrassing. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:04.880 It's a little awkward, especially if that person's introduced themselves to you several times. 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:07.440 But um, it happens. 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:14.799 But um, my wife, her name's Robin, and you usually call her um Sweetie, and there's nothing wrong with that. 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:18.079 Um, in fact, it kind of helps define our relationship. 00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:28.000 But let's pretend that I started going around the office and calling Marcy and Kim and Amy, the ladies working in the office, I started calling them Sweetie. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:30.640 Yeah, it would be a little awkward. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:33.119 Um, it might cause a few problems. 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:36.960 And I would probably get called into the next elders' meeting. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:40.240 Because that term doesn't match the relationship. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:41.599 There would be a disconnect. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:43.519 It wouldn't be appropriate. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:51.599 But here in the text, God says that we can call him Abba Father or we can call him daddy. 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:54.240 It's a term of affection. 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:58.079 It's supposed to describe one of the most intimate relationships you can have. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:03.200 And our Heavenly Father says, I want that kind of relationship with you. 00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:13.359 Have you ever um you ever been um around a kid that doesn't trust his dad? 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:15.759 I mean, it's a sad thing. 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:23.200 The kid's kind of shy, he's withdrawn, he doesn't look up, he kind of hides behind somebody or something. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:27.920 And when his dad calls him, he rarely ever says daddy. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:29.359 He can't. 00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:35.759 Because even a kid knows that the word daddy is too intimate of a word for someone you don't trust. 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:40.480 But have you ever been into a home that's filled with love? 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:44.160 I mean, all you seem to hear is daddy this, daddy this. 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:48.799 And when dad comes home, what you hear is daddy's home, daddy's home. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:56.480 I mean, there's a completely different environment when a child knows that he's loved by dad. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:07.519 And just like the environment of a house is different when a child knows that he's loved by dad, the environment of your life would also be different when we understand and grasp that we are truly loved by God. 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:12.559 Um, several years ago when we lived in Alabama. 00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:17.279 Reese, my second child, she had a nightmare. 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:19.759 And as far as I can recall, it was her first nightmare. 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:22.319 And she screamed, bloody murder. 00:25:22.559 --> 00:25:23.920 Has that ever happened to y'all? 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:25.519 I mean, it's frightening, right? 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:26.559 I mean, it scared me. 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:30.079 I woke up, and um, being the dad that I am, I just yelled back at her. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:31.440 Go back to sleep. 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:34.480 Not really. 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:36.319 I mean, I was frightened. 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:42.240 I got up, I started running, stepping on toys, and I turned the corner and stubbed my toe. 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:45.359 And the truth is, when I got to her, none of that mattered. 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:51.279 The only thing that mattered was she called for her dad, and I wanted to comfort her. 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:53.680 Here's the point. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:26:01.200 As a loving parent, not a perfect parent, but a loving parent, when my kids call out for daddy, I respond. 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:06.720 Imagine how much more our perfect Heavenly Father responds when we cry out to him. 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:11.359 So here's my question for you. 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:14.400 Kind of like the first question. 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:25.119 When your life is spinning out of control, when the concerns of your heart seem to be getting heavier and heavier instead of lighter, what do you do? 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:34.319 As a loved child of God, do you go to your Abba father, say, Dad, I need help? 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:41.039 Or do you kind of distance yourself from God again? 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:45.200 And just kind of say, hey, I'm wise enough to figure this out on my own. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:49.119 I have enough resources, I'll be okay given enough time. 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:53.519 Man, I can just bury my head and work harder and hope it all works out. 00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:59.839 Or, maybe some of you just intentionally distance yourself from God. 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:06.240 Like, hey man, I've been disappointed in circumstances, I've been disappointed in people. 00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:12.079 And if I bring what really matters to me to God, God may disappoint me too. 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:14.559 And I just don't know if I can handle that. 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:17.920 Maybe some of you are in that camp. 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:20.559 I know that I was for a long time. 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:26.720 As a young man, I wanted a wife, I wanted a family, I wanted to be married. 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:28.559 And uh I wasn't. 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:31.839 So I prayed, nothing ever really happened. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:35.920 Prayed a little bit more, and nothing really happened. 00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:40.160 So one day I just decided I'm gonna stop praying about it. 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:49.200 And I watched my friends get married, and I watched them have kids and families of their own, and truly I was happy for them. 00:27:49.839 --> 00:27:52.240 But at the same time, I was bitter at God. 00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:56.000 My thoughts were, God, you are sovereign. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:59.359 And if you wanted to, you could change my circumstance. 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:03.119 But for one reason or another, he didn't. 00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:12.960 And so, out of my hurt, out of my frustration, I just simply never engaged God about what really mattered to me. 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:16.799 And then one day I just finally broke down. 00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:29.599 I don't know what caused it, but I just broke down and I became gut-level honest with God about my desires, about my frustrations, and even my false belief of somehow thinking it was his fault. 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:35.759 And if you would have been in the room watching me pray that day, you would have thought I was being so disrespectful. 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:37.519 Because it was ugly. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:42.400 But I wasn't being disrespectful, I was just finally being honest. 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:49.599 Well, not too long after that prayer, nothing happened. 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:56.640 I was still single, but my perspective had changed. 00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:05.359 And what I began to notice over time was God was working in me, changing me into a man that was able to handle the responsibility of marriage. 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:10.079 And when God deemed it to be the right time, he brought Robin into my life. 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:16.000 Again, the point is behavior always follows belief. 00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:25.359 When you do not believe that God is worthy of your deepest concerns, you won't go to him. 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:27.359 You'll avoid them. 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:31.839 But that's not the way the relationship was intended to be. 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:36.799 We are children, as a Christian, we are children of God. 00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:43.039 We have the privilege to call out Abba Father, and his father heart wants us to come to him. 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:49.200 But if we choose not to, what we're really doing is exposing our pride. 00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:53.440 Because we have the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the great I am. 00:29:53.680 --> 00:29:56.400 And throughout the scripture, he says, Come to me. 00:29:57.039 --> 00:29:59.599 Cast all your cares upon me, for I care for you. 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:05.920 And for you to turn your face from him and say, I have this, that's just prideful. 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:14.480 Years ago, I was listening to a podcast on this preacher who had just got off his sabbatical. 00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:25.119 I know it was a podcast, so I didn't really get to see the video, but you can kind of hear the excitement in the crowd a little bit, kind of build the anticipation of what is the preacher going to say after coming off sabbatical? 00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:31.200 And he gets up there and he goes, Man, um, on my sabbatical, I learned a lot about myself. 00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:32.880 I learned a lot about God. 00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:37.039 And he goes, um, what I learned was I really love Jesus. 00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:42.000 And you can kind of hear everybody like, uh, we know that, you're a pastor. 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:44.079 Tell us what you really learned. 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:49.440 And he goes, I learned that I really love Jesus. 00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:52.000 I just don't enjoy talking to him. 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:56.559 Man, you can kind of feel the crowd just kind of get quiet. 00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:00.640 Man, what an honest moment from a pastor. 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:05.440 I really love Jesus, but I just don't like talking to him. 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:09.279 I wonder how many of us are in that same category. 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:10.960 I love God. 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:16.240 I love going to church, I love worshiping, I love the fellowship of believers. 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:17.920 I love studying my Bible. 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:20.000 I love learning new things. 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:22.640 I love discussing the things of God. 00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:24.480 A bit practically on day-to-day. 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:25.759 I really don't talk to them. 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:35.759 Man, uh, how do y'all uh, if you were to go home and your wife were to ask you about your day, and you just kind of said, hmm, just fine. 00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:37.039 You just went about your business. 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:41.200 And every time she tried to engage you with something, you'd be like, hmm, okay. 00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:43.920 Uh you still enjoyed all the benefits of marriage. 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:49.359 Uh you enjoyed the partnership of having a clean home and dinner and all this, everything was good. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:51.759 You just enjoyed life, being married. 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:56.000 But every time she tried to engage you with something, you just kind of went, hmm, okay. 00:31:56.640 --> 00:32:00.799 Never didn't treat her wrong, just kind of never really engage her in conversation. 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:09.519 If I were to do that, day one, Robin might give me a little space, like, okay, there's something going on, he'll figure it, you know. 00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:12.400 Day two, she might show a little concern. 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:15.759 But by Friday, we'd be in couples counseling. 00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:16.720 Right? 00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:19.119 Because there would be something wrong with the marriage. 00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:20.880 It would be dysfunctional. 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:39.200 And the truth is, for us, as children of God, who have complete access to God, for us not to engage him about matters that are important to us, for us not to engage him in just the day-to-day life, that is a dysfunctional relationship. 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:45.119 And the truth is, as children of God, we can have so much more. 00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:51.279 The next verse. 00:32:52.160 --> 00:32:55.759 So you are no longer slaves, but a son. 00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:59.119 And if a son, then an heir through God. 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:07.599 Paul no longer identified with his past. 00:33:09.599 --> 00:33:16.960 Man, what freedom in that! How many of y'all had things in your past before Christ you wish you didn't identify with anymore? 00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:18.640 You don't have to raise your hand. 00:33:18.880 --> 00:33:20.640 But I talked to a lot of you, I know it's true. 00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:23.839 Hey, you wish that wasn't a part of your life. 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:27.039 And Paul just says, hey, I have a new identity. 00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:29.599 As a child of God, all things are new. 00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:32.400 And Paul embraced that new identity. 00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:35.920 Just in the three things we talked about this morning. 00:33:36.319 --> 00:33:39.200 As a child of God, you are no longer a slave. 00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:43.759