Galatians 4:1-20
Notes
Transcript
SLIDE 2
1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
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SLIDE 3
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
GAL 4.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
GAL
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Read vs. 1-7
SLIDE 4
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
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Intro:
Some of the things we read about in the Bible, are down right shocking. They are offensive to our ideas of justice, compassion, and truth.
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Instead of bringing our minds into the context of each situation, we instead bring the context of modern thought into an event that happened 2000, maybe 4000 or 5000 years ago.
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In the book of Numbers.. we read about a man who was caught.. picking up sticks on the Sabbath…
They held this man’s actions up against the Law..
And complied to the law.. by stoning him to death..
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Sure.. he wasn’t s’posed to be working on the Sabbath..
But come on.. - When we bring our modern sympathies to this ancient story, our understanding is offended
and we confess…
That’s pretty serious..
That’s really severe..
That is extremely.. harsh..
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No wonder people walk away from a casual reading of the Bible..
And say.. “This book is full of: hatred, killing, discrimination and unnecessary violence.”
There are parts of the O.T. that.. when they stand alone.. – are pretty hard to swallow.
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God commanded the destruction of entire people groups… including women and children amongst the enemy..
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God sent out ravenous plagues of death upon His own children..
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God created standards of behavior and practice..
That were impossible.. to fully comply to.. -think about that for a moment… God gave His people laws, that they were incapable of fully keeping
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And the people were told.. if they failed in one point of the law..
They have failed in them all.
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Because.. I would have had to do the impossible..
And because of these nightmares.. I would sit up.. screaming.. eyes wide open.. - but not aware of reality.. I was being terrified by something happening in my mind…
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And it wasn’t because of monsters. It wasn’t because of tornadoes or axe wielding maniacs..
No.. it was because.. in my dream, I was being told to do something.. that I knew was impossible..
And by doing it.. I was sure to die.. or others would die.
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And sometimes.. my failure to do the impossible..
Would insure the destruction of humanity.
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They were crazy dreams..
But to me.. they were terrifying..
Because.. I would have had to do the impossible..
To save my life.. and the lives of others..
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And as I look back..
Those dreams have served as a lesson.. on understanding the law…
Those dreams were harsh..
But so was the law..
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Those things I was told to do in my dreams.. ..
Were impossible.. and were insuring death and destruction..
The same with the law..
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It was impossible.. to fulfill the law, in all its points..
And according to :
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SLIDE 5
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
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.. by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in God’s sight.. because the law brings about.. the knowledge of sin..
If I’m not justified before God..
I’m separated from God..
I’m lost and hopeless… in my own sin
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Sin.. left to its own device.. (according to ).. when it is full grown.. brings forth.. death
because He’s s’posed to be a loving God.. who is compassionate and slow to anger..
and yet.. He had His people under such a harsh law..
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He demanded, at times, and for specific reasons… so much death and bloodshed..
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He laid before them a standard of perfection.. that insured the failure of even the most devout follower…
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And then.. as we move into the New Testament..
We see so much conflict between the legalism and of all the violence..
Verses the grace and compassion..
It all.. seems.. so hard to understand.
Jesus is God… and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever...
and yet, it seems like He operated quite differently between the OT and the New.
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Why the transition.. from hard law.. to gentle grace?
Why not… just bring in.. the gentle grace thing.. right away???
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Well.. that’s not the way God did it. Since He’s all knowing.. He must have kneown.. that way wasn’t going to work..
For God to provide.. the gentle grace..
He first had to place humans.. under the hard law..
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Why?
The answer is simple..
What humanity was going to get.. in Jesus Christ.. was going to be a huge gift.
But.. if Jesus showed up in , and died for the sins of mankind.. it would be difficult for mankind to see or understand the enormity of that gift..
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Man needed to understand.. how great a debt, had been incurred, in and through that disobedience in Genesis 3...
Man was cursed.. with a sinful nature.
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God created man for relationship… but specifically, for a relationship where man lived to glorify Him..
God wanted to be worshiped… but not by robots were were programed to do so. God wanted to be worshipped by a people who came to him, willfully and willingly....
He didn’t want robot slave worshippers..
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So.. to create a being in His own image.. and in that being, He included a very unstable.. inconsistent.. and volatile factor..
He had to include.. a very unstable.. inconsistent.. and volatile factor into his making..
God gave humans.. the ability to choose.. right, from wrong..
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reveals the negative fruit of choice..
Man sinned..
That negative choice.. it wasn’t just a one time thing..
No way..
It became a part of mankind’s identity..
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Picking and eating that forbidden fruit..
.. was like.. the fatal exposure.. to the most powerful disease ever..
A disease that had a 100% chance of being passed on.. to the descendants..
This is the disease we were all born with..
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… a disease.. that affected the ground we walk upon.. and eventually.. after the days of Noah.. it affected the atmosphere around us..
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Like many diseases.. it mutates.. it manifests itself differently and in differing degrees randomly throughout humanity..
This is why.. we aren’t perfect..
This is why the world isn’t perfect..
This is why there is violence.. this is why there are great storms.. this is why there are wars.. this is why there are diseases, disasters and death..
This is why some people are born..
With bodies that don’t work right..
… and minds that aren’t wired perfectly..
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It was a huge mistake.. It was the worst choice ever.. - But, in spite of God’s warning… mankind made that mistake.
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So, God devised a plan, that would enable mankind to see the tragedy of this decision…
God showed them… how great an effort.. it would be.. for a human w/a sinful nature.. to gain the simple acceptance and fellowship that Adam and Eve had with God.. before they sinned.
What those effects mean..
And how great an effort.. it would be.. for a human w/a sinful nature..
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To gain the simple acceptance and fellowship that Adam and Eve had with God..
Before sin.
Before the fall, they just.. walked and talked with God in the garden.. that was a Huge privilege.
And that privilege was more than.. just lost. It was rendered impossible by their act of disobedience.
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That’s the lesson of the law.. – it is impossible for man, in his own strength, to do anything, that would restore the relationship that was lost..
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When we read about all of the shocking death and hardship in the OT… we are reminded… this happened, because of sin.
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Sin is intimately linked to death on all ends..
And because of sin.. man was given the law…
And.. because of the law…
There will be ultimate punishments.. upon, even the small infractions… like picking up sticks on the Sabbath..
There will be battles.. that are hard to understand..
There will be plagues.. that are brutal and heartbreaking to even think about.. ..
There will be impossible standards..
That are totally perplexing.
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But.. historically.. about 2000 years ago.. something changed..
The essence of the law.. has gone through a metamorphosis.
It has gone.. from one state.. to another..
It’s still real.. it still exists..
But.. it has taken on a new nature..
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SLIDE 6
In .. Jesus said:
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
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Paul had much to say on this in Romans…
Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
SLIDE 7
(NKJV)
31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
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SLIDE 8
(NKJV)
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
4 For dChrist is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
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SLIDE 9
(NKJV)
28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
28 Therefore we conclude fthat a man is 9justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. [1]
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SLIDE 10
(NKJV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, awho 1do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For bthe law of cthe Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from dthe law of sin and death.
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The law still exists..
But.. not in the same way… AT LEAST.. for the redeemed believer.
It is no longer a set of rules through which we attempt to gain righteousness..
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But… it still teaches us about the principles of right and wrong..
It still instructs us in the principles of health and holiness..
However… it is no longer a labor, by which we try to earn God’s favor..
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On our behalf, Jesus has fulfilled the law… and through Him, we have fully gained God’s favor. Jesus earned it… we receive it freely, through grace.
And more..
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So, now.. when we read the law..
And we see an infraction that demands death..
We don’t scratch our head in confusion… instead, we can rejoice..
Because that demand for death.. is satisfied forever, in the death of Christ.
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When we feel like we are failing… like we are losing..
We can still rejoice.. because Jesus is eternally victorious in our place..
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When we become overwhelmed by the many points of the law..
We are relieved.. for Jesus has made it clear.. if we focus on loving God and our neighbor as ourselves....
The other points of the law.. will naturally fall in line..
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In our previous study.. Paul said the law.. was our guardian.. - which was a term for a specific kind of slave..
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the law.. was the slave.. that was responsible for raising and educating the children..
the Jews were the children..
The law is the slave that was instructing them..
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In that culture.. the child did not have rights or authority..
They would gain them as they got older..
But until then..
They had the status of being a child..
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but until then, they were under the instruction of their tutor… their, guardian.
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So, in the previous chapter… Paul is talking about a family dynamic… one where slaves taught children.
But they didn’t have the benefits of being an adult child..
As Paul continues to teach us about grace..
He takes us into a Roman family..
And uses these familiar principles of “family life” .. to communicate his point.
Let’s look again at the first seven verses:
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SLIDE 11
1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
2
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SLIDE 12
3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
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SLIDE 13
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
GAL 4.6-7
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(NKJV)
IN THE NEXT LETTER… to the church at Ephesus, Paul writes:
SLIDE 14
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
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5 ehaving predestined us to fadoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, gaccording to the good pleasure of His will, [2]
We are … adopted into the family.. by JX..
But.. we also come into the family.. by becoming a new person.. by.. regeneration..
.. according to -By.. being: born again…
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3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
-By.. being: born again…
By.. being: born again…
In human families..
we are either adopted into a family.. or, we are born into a family..
But with God..
It’s a combination.. of both.. at the same time..
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The NT word for adoption means “to place as an adult son”..
It has to do w/our standing in the family of God..
We are not.. “little children with no rights, under the guardianship of a tutor slave..
No.. we are like.. adult children..
w/legal rights and privileges..
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When a sinner trusts Christ.. and is saved..
As far as his “condition” is concerned.. he’s a “spiritual infant”..
But.. as far as his “position” is concerned.. he is an adult son, who can draw on the Father’s wealth.. and exercise the wonderful privileges of son-ship.
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You see.. we enter God’s family by birth (by regeneration).. but we enjoy and experience God’s family.. by adoption..
Paul describes the spiritual condition of the Jews.. under the law..
they are like.. the child.. who is no different than the slave.. –under the guardian.. appointed by the father..
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In the OT analogy…
was a picture of.. the Law..
That child’s position.. will some day change.. when he grows up.. and steps out from under the guardianship of his tutor..
At that point.. he will gain the privileges of being a son..
Why? Symbolically.. he has stepped out from under the law..
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In vs. 3.. Paul speaks of the “elementary principles of the world”..
As children.. there is a bondage.. living under these things..
Now.. in this family analogy..
This probably speaks of the child.. living under the tutor… learning the rudimentary elements of life.
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The word “elementary” here, speaks of those things which stand in a line.. or.. are in order..
And it’s used to describe the ABC’s..
So this child.. is learning the ABC’s.. but.. is not benefiting from them..
They can recite the alphabet..
But they can’t spell, or read the words.. they can’t step away from memorizing the letters in order..
To actually break them up and use them as they are intended..
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It’s almost as if.. the enslavement of verse 3 speaks of.. a life under the rules..
Which.. does not experience.. the many benefits of those rules..
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.. being more interested in performing the rules.. or fulfilling the traditions.. or observing the holidays..
Than actually.. experiencing the benefits of these things…
What are these rules protecting you from?
How are they intended to bless your life? - “I don’t know.”
What is the meaning of that tradition?
What is it teaching you? - I don’t know.
What does the holiday mean?
What is the truth behind the feast?
What lesson is God trying to teach us?
What is God trying to prepare us for? - I don’t know…
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That’s.. being a child.. That’s.. living under the authority of a slave-tutor..
following the elementary rules… in order… the ABC’s… but not benefitting from the ultimate use of those ABC’s.
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But Paul is re-enforcing a greater principle..
We are not children under slaves anymore..
We are Sons and Daughters.. of the Most High..
With all the privileges.. of being adult children..
Not only that… but we are heirs..
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We have the Spirit of God.. in our lives.. developing this reality..
Where we begin to relate to God..
Not as an authoritative master..
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No servant calls his master “papa”
But that’s exactly what God is instilling w/in us..
That relationship.. where we look to Him..
And cry out “Abba, Father!”
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The son says “Father”
The slave says “master”
The slave obeys out of fear and obligation
The son, obeys, out of love and loyalty..
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The servant.. is poor..
But the son.. is rich.. – considered an adult child.. right away..
Born into the family of God.. as a child of God..
Immediately.. adopted into the family..
As a full grown heir..
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What does it mean to be an heir?
It means… you will benefit from the riches of your father..
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Let’s talk about those riches for a moment:
If our Father is God.. and we are His heirs.. shouldn’t we be interested in knowing.. what kind of riches He has?
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The riches of God.. are an inheritance that we get to experience.. now..
We don’t have to wait for God to die..
And that’s a good thing.. because that will never happen..
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It’s a concept that it totally foreign to Him..
So what are the riches?
We learn about them in Ephesians:
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SLIDE 15
(NKJV)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
7 jIn Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to kthe riches of His grace [3]
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SLIDE 16
(NKJV)
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in mHis kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [4]
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Wow.. that’s relevant to our current study..
Grace.. that is one of the riches of God..
And He is showering this inheritance upon us… all the time..
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He wants us to embrace grace with gusto..
Don’t diss grace.. Don’t despise grace..
Get over yourself.. get over your guilt.. get over your pride..
And receive from God freely.. that which you don’t deserve..
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If you’re a child of the King.. this is your right.. this is your inheritance..
You have a responsibility.. to experience it..
Let’s see.. what else is there?
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SLIDE 17
(NKJV)
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
19 And my God bshall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. [5]
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What are your needs?
This doesn’t say.. “wants”.. this says: needs..
God’s going to take care of you..
He’s already laid out an order of priority for us..
We.. seek Him first.. and then, all these things will be added unto us..
Our food, our clothing, our shelter..
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This is the order of claiming and experiencing this part of our inheritance..
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Not: “I’ll take care of all my needs.. and then I’ll give God a little of my time.. a little of my worship.. a little of my money.”
That’s backwards thinking..
His promise.. goes the other way..
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Your tithe.. your time.. your worship..
Are deeds of recognition… that He is your provider.. your sustainer… your everything…
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Give to Him first..
Give thanks to Him.. and worship Him..
Instead of worrying and stressing over the stuff you don’t have control over..
Give Him your service.. your talent.. your time.. your money...
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don’t put your commitments to God on the bottom of the priority list..
Give them precedence..
And you’ll be amazed.. at how He will dish out the inheritance that is yours..
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SLIDE
What else is there?
SLIDE 18
(NKJV)
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
4 Or do you despise cthe riches of His goodness, dforbearance, and elongsuffering…..
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God wants you to experience.. and benefit from:
His kindness.. His forbearance.. and His patience..
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When you feel like you need to give up..
Know this.. God hasn’t given up..
When you’re being too hard on yourself..
God extends to you, His forbearance.
When you’re fed up with yourself..
God is still being patient..
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Go ahead..
You are His Son and His Daughter.. and this is the stuff that He has for you..
You need to experience it and enjoy it.. this part of your inheritance..
What’s next?
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SLIDE 19
(NKJV)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
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Right there in your hands.. in your laps.. on your smartphones…
You have a volume of 66 books..
And in those 66 books.. there is profitable information.. that will benefit your life in more ways than you know..
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There is great wisdom, and unsearchable knowledge..
On it’s own.. it’s an impressive piece of literature..
But once you combine the H.S. that is w/in you, with the Word of God..
You get insight and understanding.. that is living.. powerful.. sharper than a two edged sword..
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God has given us His word… but it gets better. Check out this part of your inheritance…
An infant.. benefits from very little..
But.. as believers.. we might be.. spiritually.. an infant.. or a child..
We were born-again into this family w/Christ.. and have a lot of growing to do..
SLIDE 20
But don’t forget.. infancy might be the condition..
But adoption is our position..
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
The moment you say “amen” in that prayer of salvation.. here’s what you have…
(NKJV)
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3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue, 4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust.
As believers.. it’s all ours..
We have the right.. the privilege.. as heirs..
To benefit from everything God has to offer..
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If it pertains to life
God has it for you..
Through prayer, an open heart, study and service to Him.. we will discover.. what is ours..
He wants to share.. His divine nature w/us..
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When you think about this stuff.. it’s awe inspiring..
God has so much for us.. as sons..
And Paul is trying to show the believers.. here in Galatians..
Just exactly what they are doing..
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They are sliding back.. into immaturity.
Into that position of childhood, where there are no rights.. and you are under the teaching of tutor…
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And going back.. under the tutelage.. the training.. tutoring..
Conclusion:
SLIDE 21
Of the slave!
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
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SLIDE 22
10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
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In their previous.. pagan religions.. they worshipped the cosmic powers..
under those religions.. they had a ritual of observing special days..
When the moon was in a certain position..
When the stars were aligned just so..
They had.. a “special day”.. when good luck could be expected..
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Observe this particular day by going through this particular ritual..
And you can channel some of the goodness that is being created by the star alignment.. down upon your crops for a good harvest..
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That was how they practiced religion before Christ… But now.. as believers, they are beginning to operate by some of those same principles.. ..
It’s not that the feasts and the holidays are bad..
In fact.. the Jewish feasts are incredible lessons..
.. wonderful learning opportunities..
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But.. if by participating in a feast.. you think that you are earning favor with God..
Then.. you are applying a pagan mentality..
To a spiritual thing..
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It’s sad.. and it’s unfortunate.. that so many believers now a days..
are doing exactly what the Galatians did..
they are living out their understanding of Christianity..
through weak and beggarly elements..
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They say things like… You know.. I’ve built up a lot of negative points with God this week.. ..
Compound these negative points with the previous 6 weeks..
And I’m starting to feel a little bad..
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Y’know.. I think I’m going to go to church this week.. show up.. make my appearance w/God..
He’ll see me there.. “Oh, there’s Bob.. let me adjust his negative points back up to zero.”
Okay.. I’m good with God for a while..
I’ll bet this week will be really good.. My crops will prosper, rains will fall, the sun will shine, I will be be blessed.
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Christmas and Easter.. are the Sunday services where God comes in a little closer..
There’s.. just.. more of God here on those days..
You can’t miss those services..
You can miss the rest of them.. but not those two..
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You know.. we haven’t been to church in a while..
but.. well.. things are tough at home.. the business is starting to struggle..
maybe if we go to church for a few weeks..
God.. will fix all this stuff up..
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This would be a modern representation of what Paul is talking about .
When we do this… we are applying a “pagan” mentality to our worship..
We’re getting it all wrong..
The purpose is wrong..
The reason is wrong..
The motivation.. is wrong..
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Yes.. we should respond to our problems by getting our butts in fellowship and get nourished and fed..
… but.. to go to church.. because we think it will make God happy with us…
That’s all wrong..
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If you think that God will fix your problems and be happy with you.. just by showing up at a Bible study now and then..
Then you’re creating a false expectation…
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For when everything continues to be bad and your business tanks..
You’ll say… “But I went to church and studied the Bible and gave money… “
“How could God let this happen to me?”
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God is not pleased by your simple presence here today..
God is pleased.. by your participation..
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He has.. an inheritance to dish out to His children..
He has.. riches.. that He wants you to benefit from..
He’s looking for those.. who have the channels of communication open..
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Real worship..
Not just.. singing the song..
But rather.. experiencing the message of the song..
And giving God sincere worship..
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Real prayer..
Scripture calls us to pray for one another..
And don’t take advantage of the opportunity we provide..
We are up here during worship..
And.. after the service..
To pray with you..
You have problems.
Your lives aren’t that perfect..
You can’t fool me..
You have problems.. you have struggles..
Scripture calls us to pray for one another..
The effective prayer of a righteous man avails much..
Real prayer.. the channels are open.
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Real knowledge and Wisdom..
Enduring a Bible study is not considered a sacrifice unto the Lord..
“Lord.. I made it.. and didn’t fall asleep once.”
Hear the Word.. follow the cross references.. take down some notes..
Put your own life into the equation..
See how you can be better equipped.. by God’s instruction..
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Real service..
You will be amazed.. at what God will teach you..
.. if you.. serve.. w/the right heart..
If.. you get your feelings hurt.. or despise the service.. or, are looking for a pat on the back..
You might not get much out of your service..
God wants to funnel more inheritance into your life..
And serving Him.. is a great funnel..
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SLIDE 23
12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.
SLIDE 24
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15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.
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SLIDE 25
18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
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Paul lets them know..
I remember what you were like..
You were so good to me when I came there before..
You were such a giving and compassionate group..
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There was so much love..
But now.. a new philosophy has entered into your life..
And I kindof feel like.. I’ve become an enemy..
Simply because.. I’m bringing you the truth..
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MAYBE YOU’VE EXPERIENCED THIS AS PARENTS OF OLDER CHILDREN… We have…
They move into adulthood, and do things that you oppose… they do things that perplex you… they do things and say thing that just aren’t true…
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And.. out of love.. and concern..
You had a great relationship with someone.. and they start to go down a different path..
And you love them so much.. so you try to protect them and counsel them…
But they are determined.. anyway.. to go down that path..
But you keep on trying.. hoping.. that they will comply..
And through the process.. you feel like..
You’ve become the enemy..
About 5 years ago.. we took legal custody of Evan and Katie’s older sister.. Phebe..
She was the first of the three to come and be part of our family..
About 9 months ago.. her boyfriend came here from Ca.. and asked for my blessing..
.. he wanted to marry her..
I wanted Phebe to come for a time.. after graduation..
For two reasons..
One.. give their relationship a time of testing and strengthening.. teach them how to communicate.. see how they put up w/separation..
Two.. selfishly.. this would have been our last chance to have Phebe at home w/us. An opportunity to plan the wedding w/her and have it here..
.. so that her family could be part of it..
He’s a believer.. he’s sincere.. he’s a nice guy.. has a lot of growing up to do.. but it’ll happen..
gave my conditional blessing..
He agreed..
Until he found out.. that she didn’t.
And even though we’ve compromised our request..
She hasn’t budged..
She’s getting married today.. in California.. w/no family present.
It was a battle..
It still is a battle. It ends today.. the moment they say, “I do.” – then.. this responsibility that I’m carrying ends..
But.. out of love.. and concern..
We try to share.. what we consider to be.. wisdom..
And through the process.. - as our intervention is rejected...
We began to feel like.. the enemy..
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But, we hope for the best, and want to give advice and counsel to those whom we love who are going astray…
.. when that friend.. that loved one.. that family member..
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Is going down a questionable path..
Most people.. will probably stick to their guns, continue in their behavior and suffer the consequences....
But some.. will hear your counsel.. will hear your advice..
And they will take it..
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And they will love you even more.. for it..
It’s a strange concept..
But being a good friend.. doing what good friends do..
Sometimes.. makes you the enemy..
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The Galatians were becoming zealous about these legalistic ideas…
And these Judaisers wanted the Galatians to be zealous about their doctrine..
But once, in the past.. when Paul was there.. they were zealous about grace..
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But when Paul left..
The zeal waned..
Look at 18..
It’s good to be zealous in a good thing.. always..
Not only.. when I am present..
When Paul was there..
They were zealous for the things of Paul..
When Paul left.. they were zealous for the things of the Judaisers..
You know..
Sometimes.. we’re this way..
“Hey Pastor Chad.. Praise the Lord.. we’re just so happy and shiny and holy and wonderful and praying and in the Word and smiling and stuff.”
But.. what about the rest of the time..
We put on one “face of zeal” for certain people..
“church zeal!!!”
Bless God! I just love everybody.
Work place zeal!!!
I hate my boss and I’m stealing this stapler because I’m not appreciated!!!
Home zeal!!!
Shut up woman.. I’m watching the game..
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Notice Paul’s counsel..
it doesn’t matter who’s around.. it doesn’t matter where you’re at..
.. it is good to be made much of for a good purpose..
Paul had great love for the Galatian church..
He didn’t give up on them..
He was.. laboring in birth again.. for them..
He was.. going through the painful process.. of trying to bring them again..
To the right place… spiritually..
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It’s a more difficult battle the second time around..
The first time.. it’s new.. exciting information..
The second time.. - It’s difficult.. – for you’re up against a conflicting zeal.. you’re up against shame.. you’re up against regret and pride.. you’re up against stubbornness..
But Paul loved them.. and he was going for it.. he wanted to see them come back..
With Jesus.. you can always come back.. You can go down hill for years..
Hundreds of steps down..
How many steps back up?
One.
His arms are open wide..
Band / Prepare to close..
Salvation invitation..
Encourage to pray..
Close!
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9 declared righteous
[1] The New King James Version. 1996, c1982. Thomas Nelson: Nashville
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[2] The New King James Version. 1996, c1982. Thomas Nelson: Nashville
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[3] The New King James Version. 1996, c1982. Thomas Nelson: Nashville
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[4] The New King James Version. 1996, c1982. Thomas Nelson: Nashville
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[5] The New King James Version. 1996, c1982. Thomas Nelson: Nashville
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3 depravity