WEBVTT 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:05.059 I want to start this morning as we wrap up the 00:00:05.059 --> 00:00:07.879 letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:12.160 in Galatia, modern -day Turkey. As we wrap up 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:14.720 this letter, because we are in the last section 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:18.839 of the last chapter, I want to ask a question 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:21.600 that many of us have felt at different moments 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:24.140 in our life, and if you haven't felt it yet, 00:00:24.300 --> 00:00:29.609 you will, because we get there. or you're six, 00:00:29.850 --> 00:00:32.909 you ask a question, and it is, what am I building 00:00:32.909 --> 00:00:36.189 my life on? Now, that question may look different 00:00:36.189 --> 00:00:39.390 for you, but it's the same question. It's, what 00:00:39.390 --> 00:00:41.810 do I want to do with my life? Who do I want to 00:00:41.810 --> 00:00:43.909 be? What kind of person am I going to be? What 00:00:43.909 --> 00:00:46.310 do I want people to see when they see me? When 00:00:46.310 --> 00:00:49.450 somebody reads the eulogy at my funeral, what 00:00:49.450 --> 00:00:52.850 is it going to say? What am I building my life 00:00:52.850 --> 00:00:55.990 on? What are people going to know and think and 00:00:55.990 --> 00:01:00.520 feel when they think of me? There are things 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:04.579 that we say we value. We value family. We value 00:01:04.579 --> 00:01:07.760 friendships. We value our faith. We value success. 00:01:07.980 --> 00:01:10.420 We have these things we say we value, but sometimes 00:01:10.420 --> 00:01:14.060 when we look at how we spend our time, when we 00:01:14.060 --> 00:01:17.079 look at where our minds wander when we're tired, 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:20.280 when we look at what we spend our money on when 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:22.920 we have desires, when we look at the things that 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:27.400 we fear losing when we're stressed out, we realize 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:30.609 that our identity might be built on something 00:01:30.609 --> 00:01:34.890 entirely different than faith and family. Some 00:01:34.890 --> 00:01:36.730 people build their identity on accomplishment, 00:01:37.010 --> 00:01:40.069 on how much success they can have. Some people 00:01:40.069 --> 00:01:43.590 build their identity on reputation. Some will 00:01:43.590 --> 00:01:47.269 build their identity on control. What can they 00:01:47.269 --> 00:01:51.549 take hold of and have power over? We all build 00:01:51.549 --> 00:01:53.670 our identity on different things, or at least 00:01:53.670 --> 00:01:56.629 we end up building our identities on different 00:01:56.629 --> 00:01:59.459 things. The problem that we have, though, is 00:01:59.459 --> 00:02:02.260 that those things will always shift. They always 00:02:02.260 --> 00:02:06.200 change. Jobs change. Health changes. People's 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:09.500 opinions of us change. Our relationship statuses 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:13.520 change. Life happens and things change. And when 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:16.159 we see these things change that we've built up, 00:02:16.219 --> 00:02:18.060 that we've built our identities on, when those 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:21.180 things move, we move. And when we move and they 00:02:21.180 --> 00:02:25.319 move, the foundation cracks. That's exactly what 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:28.539 the Apostle Paul is writing to. and Galatia. 00:02:29.780 --> 00:02:33.520 They had started strong. They came to know the 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:36.479 gospel. They were believers in Christ. They believed 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:38.900 that Christ had died on the cross to save them 00:02:38.900 --> 00:02:42.020 from their sins. They believed that this was 00:02:42.020 --> 00:02:44.479 the truth that they needed to live their life 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:48.379 by. They started out really strong. They made 00:02:48.379 --> 00:02:51.680 disciples. They built churches. They were the 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:56.469 model church. But then... They started to stray. 00:02:56.710 --> 00:02:59.490 Then other voices came in convincing them that 00:02:59.490 --> 00:03:02.389 they needed to prove themselves, that they needed 00:03:02.389 --> 00:03:04.650 to improve themselves, that they had to earn 00:03:04.650 --> 00:03:08.430 something in order to really belong to God because 00:03:08.430 --> 00:03:12.909 grace wasn't enough. At least that's what these 00:03:12.909 --> 00:03:15.430 false teachers were telling them. And they were 00:03:15.430 --> 00:03:18.580 believing it. And sometimes we find ourselves 00:03:18.580 --> 00:03:20.259 believing that whether you're a Christian or 00:03:20.259 --> 00:03:23.280 not, you find yourself believing that you have 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:26.199 to prove your worth to the people that matter 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:29.340 to you. You feel like you've got to prove your 00:03:29.340 --> 00:03:31.020 worth to your parents. You feel like you've got 00:03:31.020 --> 00:03:32.879 to prove your worth to your friends, to your 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:37.020 spouse, to God. And so Paul writes these closing 00:03:37.020 --> 00:03:40.819 words of this letter to pull all of them back. 00:03:41.629 --> 00:03:44.490 Not to pull them back to a rule or a set of rules. 00:03:44.650 --> 00:03:47.930 Not to pull them back to a system, but to Jesus 00:03:47.930 --> 00:03:52.490 Christ and Christ alone. So I want us to read 00:03:52.490 --> 00:03:54.750 what Paul says to close his letter to the Galatians. 00:03:54.789 --> 00:03:58.509 In Galatians 6, verses 11 -18. And we're going 00:03:58.509 --> 00:04:00.250 to read through this and then we're going to 00:04:00.250 --> 00:04:04.330 discuss it as we do. So starting in verse 11. 00:04:05.349 --> 00:04:08.050 See with what large letters I'm writing to you 00:04:08.050 --> 00:04:11.060 with my own hand. It is those who want to make 00:04:11.060 --> 00:04:13.199 a good showing in the flesh who would force you 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:16.319 to be circumcised and only in order that they 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:19.100 may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:22.540 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves 00:04:22.540 --> 00:04:25.740 keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised 00:04:25.740 --> 00:04:30.279 that they may boast in your flesh. But far be 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:33.759 it from me to boast except in the cross of our 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:36.819 Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been 00:04:36.819 --> 00:04:40.029 crucified to me and I to the world. For neither 00:04:40.029 --> 00:04:43.790 circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, 00:04:43.790 --> 00:04:48.370 but a new creation. And as for all who walk by 00:04:48.370 --> 00:04:52.189 this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon 00:04:52.189 --> 00:04:55.709 the Israel of God. From now on, let no one cause 00:04:55.709 --> 00:04:58.870 me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of 00:04:58.870 --> 00:05:02.389 Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be 00:05:02.389 --> 00:05:06.579 with your spirit, brothers. Amen. See, Paul begins 00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:09.019 pointing out something interesting in verse 11. 00:05:09.379 --> 00:05:12.660 He says, see with what large letters I'm writing 00:05:12.660 --> 00:05:14.959 to you with my own hand. So when I first read 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:17.040 this, this was something that was kind of like, 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:19.600 what is Paul talking about? Why is that relevant? 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:22.990 So this is. Kind of my best understanding of 00:05:22.990 --> 00:05:26.209 it. In that time, an important letter like this 00:05:26.209 --> 00:05:28.350 would always be dictated. It would be spoken 00:05:28.350 --> 00:05:30.670 to a scribe, and the scribe would write the letter 00:05:30.670 --> 00:05:33.149 down for the person delivering the message. And 00:05:33.149 --> 00:05:36.589 so Paul is speaking this message, this letter 00:05:36.589 --> 00:05:39.029 to a scribe, and the scribe is writing it. And 00:05:39.029 --> 00:05:41.910 now, well, the scribe would be somebody who has 00:05:41.910 --> 00:05:44.230 really good handwriting. So this is like whenever 00:05:44.230 --> 00:05:46.709 I need to send a birthday card to somebody or 00:05:46.709 --> 00:05:49.029 I need to send a card of encouragement, I don't 00:05:49.029 --> 00:05:51.319 write it myself. I get Eliza to write it. my 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:53.279 wife, because she's got really good handwriting. 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:57.420 And my handwriting looks, well, it looks like 00:05:57.420 --> 00:06:01.579 Easton did it. So this is what the apostles would 00:06:01.579 --> 00:06:03.600 do. They would speak this and a scribe would 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:06.100 write it for them. And so what Paul is saying 00:06:06.100 --> 00:06:09.660 here is he's taking the pen himself. Paul takes 00:06:09.660 --> 00:06:12.680 the pen from the scribe and he writes in these 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:16.459 large, uneven, unpolished, scraggly letters. 00:06:16.660 --> 00:06:20.540 And that actually tells us something. One, It 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:23.480 tells us that this is urgent and it's important. 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:26.439 So this is something that Paul wants to write 00:06:26.439 --> 00:06:29.899 himself. There's some importance here. It's like 00:06:29.899 --> 00:06:32.839 when a CEO writes a handwritten note instead 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:35.139 of having the secretary just type it out and 00:06:35.139 --> 00:06:37.639 put a stamp on it. Have you ever gotten a letter 00:06:37.639 --> 00:06:40.040 from somebody important and it didn't look like 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:43.180 they actually wrote it themselves? I saw this 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:45.519 one guy. He posted a picture and I was like, 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:47.399 that's awesome, man. He got a letter from the 00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:49.459 president. And he was like, I got this letter 00:06:49.459 --> 00:06:51.360 from the, he was so excited about it. And in 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:52.959 my heart, I'm like, the president didn't write 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:56.920 that letter. He just, he didn't. And that signature 00:06:56.920 --> 00:06:59.500 looks like a stamp. Like it looks printed on 00:06:59.500 --> 00:07:03.480 there. That is, you know, hey, you did something 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:05.740 commendable. So we're going to send you something 00:07:05.740 --> 00:07:08.939 from the president. And now maybe you have actually 00:07:08.939 --> 00:07:10.339 gotten a letter from the president. If you have, 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:13.060 that's awesome. But this is not what Paul's doing. 00:07:13.139 --> 00:07:15.889 What Paul is doing is he's saying. I need to 00:07:15.889 --> 00:07:19.850 put my pen to paper here for you. Now there's 00:07:19.850 --> 00:07:22.410 some speculation that the letters were large 00:07:22.410 --> 00:07:24.189 because Paul was having some trouble with his 00:07:24.189 --> 00:07:27.370 eyes. That is one way to take this. But I like 00:07:27.370 --> 00:07:30.410 the idea of, this is Paul saying, this is important, 00:07:30.589 --> 00:07:33.269 pay attention. It's like when you text somebody 00:07:33.269 --> 00:07:35.750 and it's in all caps. And then they respond, 00:07:35.889 --> 00:07:39.730 why are you yelling at me? Paul is saying, look. 00:07:40.350 --> 00:07:43.670 This is serious. I need you to hear me. He's 00:07:43.670 --> 00:07:45.949 not trying to impress anybody here. If he was 00:07:45.949 --> 00:07:48.050 trying to impress people, he'd let the scribe 00:07:48.050 --> 00:07:49.790 keep writing so the handwriting looked nice. 00:07:49.930 --> 00:07:51.990 Nobody would have to know that Paul writes like 00:07:51.990 --> 00:07:56.170 a doctor. He would be able to have a good, clean 00:07:56.170 --> 00:07:58.790 presentation. But Paul's not worried about managing 00:07:58.790 --> 00:08:02.490 his image. He's reaching out like a father, grabbing 00:08:02.490 --> 00:08:04.970 his troubled child by the shoulders, looking 00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:07.449 them in the eye, and saying, I need you to hear 00:08:07.449 --> 00:08:10.230 me when I say this. Because this is important. 00:08:10.970 --> 00:08:15.149 And you have to understand this. And so then 00:08:15.149 --> 00:08:18.050 Paul gets into trying to point out the contrast 00:08:18.050 --> 00:08:21.810 between the motives of the people that are pressuring 00:08:21.810 --> 00:08:24.649 them, the Christians there in Galatia. They're 00:08:24.649 --> 00:08:27.110 trying to get them to go with a different gospel. 00:08:27.250 --> 00:08:29.250 Remember I told you at the beginning of this 00:08:29.250 --> 00:08:32.049 series, if you were here, the Jesus plus gospel 00:08:32.049 --> 00:08:35.720 is this Jesus plus your works. Jesus plus your 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:38.320 commitment. Jesus plus your money. Jesus plus 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:41.139 your energy. And all those Jesus plus gospels 00:08:41.139 --> 00:08:44.960 as opposed to just Jesus. And so these people 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:46.759 are trying to pressure the Christians there in 00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:50.139 Galatia to go with these Jesus plus gospels. 00:08:50.179 --> 00:08:52.340 And Paul says, I need you to understand that 00:08:52.340 --> 00:08:55.100 their motives, their motives are not the same 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:59.299 as my motives. My motives are from God. They're 00:08:59.299 --> 00:09:03.570 a good motive. Their motives are to get you to 00:09:03.570 --> 00:09:07.129 be able to say, so and so helped me. For you 00:09:07.129 --> 00:09:11.129 to be able to say, so and so led me to salvation. 00:09:11.830 --> 00:09:16.049 So and so helped me be a better person. Their 00:09:16.049 --> 00:09:18.429 motivation is a little bit different than Paul's. 00:09:18.450 --> 00:09:20.110 And this is what he says. He says, the people 00:09:20.110 --> 00:09:22.669 pushing circumcision, they want to make a good 00:09:22.669 --> 00:09:27.049 showing in the flesh. They want to look spiritual. 00:09:27.690 --> 00:09:30.549 They want people to see them and see an influential 00:09:30.549 --> 00:09:33.789 person. This is like, you know, if every time 00:09:33.789 --> 00:09:37.950 somebody got baptized, I came up here, I took 00:09:37.950 --> 00:09:39.830 a picture with them, and then we put it on our 00:09:39.830 --> 00:09:41.950 sign out front and said, look at what our preacher 00:09:41.950 --> 00:09:45.070 is doing, as opposed to look at what Jesus is 00:09:45.070 --> 00:09:49.070 doing. And so Paul says, they want these spiritual 00:09:49.070 --> 00:09:51.669 trophies. They don't want you to be spiritually 00:09:51.669 --> 00:09:56.879 transformed. They want you to be able to say, 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:02.860 they did this. They helped me. They saved me. 00:10:03.399 --> 00:10:10.460 Not Jesus saved me. And so Paul continues, and 00:10:10.460 --> 00:10:14.539 he says, so that they may not be persecuted for 00:10:14.539 --> 00:10:18.320 the cross of Christ. See, these false teachers 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:22.580 are giving you a new gospel. And what Paul wants 00:10:22.580 --> 00:10:24.879 you to see is these people, they want Christianity 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:28.240 to be something respectable, acceptable and comfortable. 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:30.840 They want something that nobody's ever going 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:34.179 to question. Nobody's ever going to try to persecute. 00:10:34.500 --> 00:10:37.500 Nobody's going to talk down on. They want Christianity 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:40.220 to be something that everybody's just going to 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:43.080 welcome in and love and accept. And it's going 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:45.980 to be this great thing, even though Jesus told 00:10:45.980 --> 00:10:49.960 them and he told us that it would be the narrow. 00:10:51.629 --> 00:10:55.409 It would not be the road that everybody traveled. 00:10:55.769 --> 00:11:00.549 It wouldn't be the popular thing to do. You see, 00:11:00.549 --> 00:11:03.250 they want to follow Jesus without carrying a 00:11:03.250 --> 00:11:08.049 cross. Sound familiar? We live in a culture where 00:11:08.049 --> 00:11:11.029 the worst thing that can happen to us is being 00:11:11.029 --> 00:11:13.830 uncomfortable. The worst thing that can happen 00:11:13.830 --> 00:11:17.769 is that we feel pressure for our faith. We want 00:11:17.769 --> 00:11:20.210 God as long as He fits nicely into our lives. 00:11:20.330 --> 00:11:23.110 We want discipleship as long as it doesn't interfere 00:11:23.110 --> 00:11:26.389 with my preferences and my desires. We want blessings 00:11:26.389 --> 00:11:29.269 as long as we never have to say no to ourselves 00:11:29.269 --> 00:11:33.149 or yes to sacrifice. Many of us, we want what 00:11:33.149 --> 00:11:38.429 I would call a convenient Christianity. 20 or 00:11:38.429 --> 00:11:40.929 so years, you've probably heard the phrase consumer 00:11:40.929 --> 00:11:43.389 Christianity thrown around a lot where people 00:11:43.389 --> 00:11:45.409 just want to sit in a pew and they want to hear 00:11:45.409 --> 00:11:47.210 somebody talk to them and tell them about how 00:11:47.210 --> 00:11:49.169 God is going to bless them and God's going to 00:11:49.169 --> 00:11:51.429 give them everything that they want and God's 00:11:51.429 --> 00:11:53.429 going to make them successful. God's going to 00:11:53.429 --> 00:11:54.929 help them score the touchdown. He's going to 00:11:54.929 --> 00:11:56.909 help them get the promotion. And that's that 00:11:56.909 --> 00:12:00.210 consumer Christianity. But what I think we struggle 00:12:00.210 --> 00:12:03.370 with more than anything in the church is convenient 00:12:03.370 --> 00:12:06.769 Christianity. We want to add faith like we add 00:12:06.769 --> 00:12:09.309 a gym member. It's something beneficial that 00:12:09.309 --> 00:12:12.490 requires very little from us. It doesn't really 00:12:12.490 --> 00:12:14.990 require a ton. You know, that's how Planet Fitness 00:12:14.990 --> 00:12:17.789 makes all their money is they give you a $15 00:12:17.789 --> 00:12:20.470 a month gym membership because they know you 00:12:20.470 --> 00:12:23.649 only paid $15 for this, you're not coming. Because 00:12:23.649 --> 00:12:27.090 guess what also costs $15? Netflix and an order 00:12:27.090 --> 00:12:30.230 from Taco Bell. And so instead of going to the 00:12:30.230 --> 00:12:33.429 gym, I can go sit on my couch, watch whatever 00:12:33.429 --> 00:12:36.629 show I like, and eat Taco Bell. And I don't get 00:12:36.629 --> 00:12:39.009 better, but I'm still spending the same amount 00:12:39.009 --> 00:12:41.450 of money. And we want this convenient Christianity 00:12:41.450 --> 00:12:43.929 that doesn't cost us more than a normal life 00:12:43.929 --> 00:12:46.610 costs us. We want a Christianity that doesn't 00:12:46.610 --> 00:12:49.730 require us to sacrifice, to put in blood and 00:12:49.730 --> 00:12:52.929 sweat and tears. But the truth is, we were told 00:12:52.929 --> 00:12:55.929 that it would require us to take up a cross. 00:12:56.250 --> 00:13:00.139 It's not... and it was not meant for consumers. 00:13:02.100 --> 00:13:06.100 And so many churches, so many preachers and teachers 00:13:06.100 --> 00:13:09.039 have learned to market that version of Christianity. 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.860 We've learned to, not we, they have learned to 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:16.360 sell a Christianity that's inspiring, but it's 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:19.509 not convicting. It's emotional, but it's not 00:13:19.509 --> 00:13:22.049 transformational. It's a Christianity that never 00:13:22.049 --> 00:13:25.309 challenges or never wounds our pride. Listen, 00:13:25.470 --> 00:13:27.809 if I never step on your toes, I'm not doing my 00:13:27.809 --> 00:13:29.990 job. And if you don't step on mine, then you're 00:13:29.990 --> 00:13:32.909 not doing yours either. This is something that 00:13:32.909 --> 00:13:36.570 the Bible is, I mean, it's confrontational. This 00:13:36.570 --> 00:13:38.629 whole letter from the Apostle Paul has been a 00:13:38.629 --> 00:13:44.149 big confrontation. And so it does come with its 00:13:44.149 --> 00:13:48.340 sacrifices. Just like the Galatian Christians, 00:13:48.539 --> 00:13:52.220 we're tempted to shrink the cross. We're tempted 00:13:52.220 --> 00:13:54.259 to make it something that we can just wear around 00:13:54.259 --> 00:13:58.519 our neck. That we can just put in our Facebook 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:03.039 bio. That we can just attend on Sunday morning. 00:14:04.100 --> 00:14:06.580 Because if we can shrink the cross and if we 00:14:06.580 --> 00:14:08.899 can make it something that's pleasing to everybody, 00:14:09.299 --> 00:14:13.080 then nobody will ever think we're strange. And 00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:15.889 nobody will think we're foolish. Nobody will 00:14:15.889 --> 00:14:18.330 think we're weak because if we can shrink the 00:14:18.330 --> 00:14:21.169 cross and its significance, we can make it about 00:14:21.169 --> 00:14:29.129 us. But Paul says that's not Christianity. That's 00:14:29.129 --> 00:14:32.690 not being a disciple. That's just self -preservation 00:14:32.690 --> 00:14:36.909 wearing a religious t -shirt. Only the cross 00:14:36.909 --> 00:14:41.610 frees us and it marks us as Christ's people. 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:47.299 I love how deep the Father's love for us. That 00:14:47.299 --> 00:14:52.639 last verse, I will not boast in anything. I've 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:56.500 got nothing. I have nothing that I can put my 00:14:56.500 --> 00:14:59.200 stamp or my signature on and say, I did this. 00:14:59.220 --> 00:15:01.960 And I have nothing that I can put my stamp or 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:04.259 my signature on in your life and say, I did this. 00:15:04.340 --> 00:15:08.220 It's only Jesus. It has always been just Jesus. 00:15:09.580 --> 00:15:14.019 Okay, sorry for the rant. Now, in verse 14. The 00:15:14.019 --> 00:15:16.779 Apostle Paul, he draws this clear line and this 00:15:16.779 --> 00:15:19.200 is where we go with this boasting thing. But 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:23.159 far be it for me to boast or brag except in the 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:26.299 cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember I said 00:15:26.299 --> 00:15:29.080 it's just Jesus by which the world has been crucified 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:32.159 to me and I to the world. You know, Paul had 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:36.759 status once. The Apostle Paul used to be Saul. 00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:40.610 And Saul, he was known. He was notable. He was 00:15:40.610 --> 00:15:44.070 this rising star in the Jewish religion. He was 00:15:44.070 --> 00:15:46.370 this guy that people looked to and said, he's 00:15:46.370 --> 00:15:49.450 next up. He's something special. He's got it. 00:15:49.629 --> 00:15:52.629 He was respected. He had wealth. He was educated. 00:15:52.870 --> 00:15:57.330 He had status. But he says all of that, the achievements, 00:15:57.429 --> 00:16:02.710 the image, the approval, the success, I don't 00:16:02.710 --> 00:16:05.809 care about it anymore because it doesn't matter. 00:16:07.250 --> 00:16:10.840 It doesn't matter. I can make all the money in 00:16:10.840 --> 00:16:15.059 the world. I can own all the businesses that 00:16:15.059 --> 00:16:17.940 there are to own. I can be as successful. I can 00:16:17.940 --> 00:16:21.279 be as popular. I can be as famous as anybody 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:23.980 in the world. But none of it matters because 00:16:23.980 --> 00:16:27.399 my worth, my identity, my foundation, what I 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:30.980 am building my life on, the only thing that matters 00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:35.559 is the cross. It is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 00:16:36.460 --> 00:16:39.700 Because the cross is our identity. That is our 00:16:39.700 --> 00:16:42.460 firm foundation. That is, the cross is where 00:16:42.460 --> 00:16:45.679 Jesus, He doesn't just forgive our sins, but 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.879 He offers an abundant and eternal life. It is 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:51.820 where Christ remakes us. It is where He reshapes 00:16:51.820 --> 00:16:54.960 us. And He turns us into something new and beautiful. 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:57.879 Something that the world cannot understand, but 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:00.379 they can be jealous of. And it is free to them 00:17:00.379 --> 00:17:04.539 too. And then comes one of the most liberating, 00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:09.039 Most freeing sentences in all of scripture. For 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:12.980 neither circumcision counts for anything. Nor 00:17:12.980 --> 00:17:17.119 uncircumcision. But a new creation. Now if you 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:18.940 don't know what circumcision is. I think I mentioned 00:17:18.940 --> 00:17:20.859 it a few weeks ago. You can look it up if you 00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:24.579 want to. I don't advise it. Just know. You don't 00:17:24.579 --> 00:17:29.420 want to look that up. Yeah. Don't go. Circumcision 00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:33.319 image. Don't do that. Okay. So Paul says. In 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:38.490 a summary. The works of the law, not the works 00:17:38.490 --> 00:17:42.069 of the law. None of it matters. All that matters 00:17:42.069 --> 00:17:46.170 is that I have been made a new creation because 00:17:46.170 --> 00:17:50.690 of Jesus Christ. Do you ever feel bad about yourself? 00:17:51.450 --> 00:17:53.569 Do you ever feel bad about the things you choose 00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:55.809 to do, the mistakes that you make, the places 00:17:55.809 --> 00:17:58.569 that you go and the problems that you get into? 00:17:58.990 --> 00:18:02.369 Do you ever feel bad about yourself? Yeah, all 00:18:02.369 --> 00:18:07.250 the time. What Paul says is it's okay because 00:18:07.250 --> 00:18:10.750 Jesus is offering you a self that you don't have 00:18:10.750 --> 00:18:14.269 to feel bad about. He's offering you a life that 00:18:14.269 --> 00:18:16.769 you don't have to have sorrow over, that you 00:18:16.769 --> 00:18:19.410 don't have to stress over because this new life 00:18:19.410 --> 00:18:23.089 is full, it's abundant, it's free, it's forgiven, 00:18:23.369 --> 00:18:25.930 it's grace -filled, and it is fully from God. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:30.039 It's not about what you do. Your religious resume 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:33.079 doesn't save you. Your achievements, they don't 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:35.839 save you. And your failures, they don't disqualify 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:40.319 you. Your lapses in judgments don't disqualify 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:43.539 you. Your light momentary afflictions, they don't 00:18:43.539 --> 00:18:46.420 remove you from the grace of God. Your stupid 00:18:46.420 --> 00:18:49.259 actions, your foolish actions, I'm talking to 00:18:49.259 --> 00:18:51.700 myself here, they don't remove God's grace from 00:18:51.700 --> 00:18:53.779 you. In fact, that's where God's grace is needed 00:18:53.779 --> 00:18:58.859 more. Because it's not, nor has it ever been, 00:18:58.900 --> 00:19:02.380 about what you can do. It's not about what I 00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:05.700 can do. Because if it was about what I can do, 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:09.279 I would be up a creek without a paddle. If it 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:11.640 was about what you can do, you would be hopeless. 00:19:13.900 --> 00:19:17.720 It's simply a question of, has Christ redeemed 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:21.140 you? Has Christ made you new? Has He saved you? 00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:25.529 Has He put His stamp on your life? Not have you 00:19:25.529 --> 00:19:28.569 cleaned yourself up. It's not a question of have 00:19:28.569 --> 00:19:31.230 you gotten consistent enough. It's not a question 00:19:31.230 --> 00:19:34.369 of have you been perfect lately. It's simply 00:19:34.369 --> 00:19:39.750 has Christ made you new. Have you let Him make 00:19:39.750 --> 00:19:45.130 you new. And Paul continues in verse 16. And 00:19:45.130 --> 00:19:49.609 as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy 00:19:49.609 --> 00:19:54.480 be upon them and upon the Israel of God. You 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:57.839 notice Paul doesn't say the anxiety that comes 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:01.180 from trying to impress God. Paul doesn't say 00:20:01.180 --> 00:20:04.380 the insecurity of wondering whether you've done 00:20:04.380 --> 00:20:06.220 enough or you've been good enough. He doesn't 00:20:06.220 --> 00:20:09.619 say the exhaustion of constantly keeping up appearances 00:20:09.619 --> 00:20:17.099 and trying to look good. Paul says peace. Peace. 00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:21.380 Because Christ has already finished the work. 00:20:22.730 --> 00:20:28.809 It's just Jesus. Mercy. Because God doesn't treat 00:20:28.809 --> 00:20:32.170 us as our sins deserve. Because if He treated 00:20:32.170 --> 00:20:36.849 me as my sins deserve, I would be dead. I would 00:20:36.849 --> 00:20:41.329 be lost. I would be worthless. But because Jesus 00:20:41.329 --> 00:20:49.089 came to save me, I can have peace. I can be at 00:20:49.089 --> 00:20:52.440 peace with my life. As long as my life is in 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:55.980 Christ, I can know that God has shown mercy upon 00:20:55.980 --> 00:21:01.339 me because Jesus has paid my debt. He doesn't 00:21:01.339 --> 00:21:06.440 say stress, fear, worry. He says peace and mercy. 00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:09.180 And then he gives a challenge and an encouragement 00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:13.160 in verse 17. From now on, let no one trouble 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:18.180 me, for I bear on my body the mark of Jesus. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:21.720 Paul's saying, I don't need to prove myself. 00:21:22.940 --> 00:21:25.920 I don't need to worry about what you think of 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:28.440 me. I don't need to worry about what they think 00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:33.740 of me. I just need to know that I've been crucified 00:21:33.740 --> 00:21:37.119 with Christ. Look at my scars. And for Paul, 00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:39.460 I mean, he's not talking about metaphorical scars. 00:21:39.619 --> 00:21:41.940 Paul is talking about some real deal scars from 00:21:41.940 --> 00:21:44.660 being beaten, from being stoned, from being whipped, 00:21:44.819 --> 00:21:46.859 from being chased out of cities, from being in 00:21:46.859 --> 00:21:49.890 prison. I mean, Paul... faced real life persecution. 00:21:51.549 --> 00:21:54.630 Paul says, I don't need to prove myself to you 00:21:54.630 --> 00:21:56.190 because I know what I've been through for the 00:21:56.190 --> 00:22:00.230 sake of Christ, for the life in Christ, from 00:22:00.230 --> 00:22:02.630 living a life where obedience to Jesus actually 00:22:02.630 --> 00:22:06.690 cost me something. It wasn't me just sitting 00:22:06.690 --> 00:22:09.130 in a church house in a seat and listening to 00:22:09.130 --> 00:22:12.089 somebody talk for 45 minutes. It was me going 00:22:12.089 --> 00:22:14.450 out, sharing the gospel, even if it meant I could 00:22:14.450 --> 00:22:17.079 die for it. It was me going out and sharing the 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:18.880 gospel, even if it meant I would lose friends 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:21.640 for it. I would lose family for it. It is a gospel 00:22:21.640 --> 00:22:24.460 obedience that costs you something. It is staying 00:22:24.460 --> 00:22:26.859 faithful when it's dangerous. It's loving Jesus 00:22:26.859 --> 00:22:29.900 and loving people when others hate you for it. 00:22:30.660 --> 00:22:32.640 Paul's saying these marks are my credentials. 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:35.680 They're not titles. They're not accomplishments. 00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:38.519 It's not popularity. It's not a reputation. It's 00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:41.140 kind of the opposite. These scars, the suffering, 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:45.009 they show who I belong to. And I belong to Jesus. 00:22:45.789 --> 00:22:50.450 And Jesus, well, he was beaten. And Jesus was 00:22:50.450 --> 00:22:53.769 chased out of cities. And Jesus was killed for 00:22:53.769 --> 00:22:57.089 his teachings. Jesus was killed for loving the 00:22:57.089 --> 00:23:00.869 unlovable. He was killed for hugging the sick 00:23:00.869 --> 00:23:04.089 and the unclean. He was killed for being there 00:23:04.089 --> 00:23:10.109 for the outcast. And so will I. If need be, I 00:23:10.109 --> 00:23:14.630 will die for Christ. That's the life Paul exemplifies. 00:23:14.670 --> 00:23:16.410 That's the life I want to live. I want to live 00:23:16.410 --> 00:23:19.910 a life that is obedient even if it costs me my 00:23:19.910 --> 00:23:26.990 life. And there's a freedom there. I know it 00:23:26.990 --> 00:23:29.630 sounds terrible, the idea that it's freeing to 00:23:29.630 --> 00:23:35.009 be okay with dying. But think about it. If you 00:23:35.009 --> 00:23:38.130 live a life of fear, If you're always worried 00:23:38.130 --> 00:23:40.890 about, am I good enough? Or do people think I'm 00:23:40.890 --> 00:23:43.309 good enough? Or have I done enough? If you live 00:23:43.309 --> 00:23:45.490 a life that's worried about people's opinions, 00:23:45.769 --> 00:23:48.609 it's very stressful, is it not? I mean, those 00:23:48.609 --> 00:23:51.690 are chains in themselves of trying to keep up 00:23:51.690 --> 00:23:54.670 appearances. But it's freeing to know that I 00:23:54.670 --> 00:23:56.789 don't need to impress you. I just need to live 00:23:56.789 --> 00:24:01.230 a life that pleases God. I don't have to win 00:24:01.230 --> 00:24:05.210 arguments. I don't have to prove my worth. I 00:24:05.210 --> 00:24:07.529 don't have to be good enough for you. I just 00:24:07.529 --> 00:24:12.369 have to be obedient to God. It's a freedom that 00:24:12.369 --> 00:24:15.890 says I can simply just belong to Jesus and live 00:24:15.890 --> 00:24:18.450 a life in step with Jesus. However that looks, 00:24:18.609 --> 00:24:20.970 whatever that costs me, whatever may come from 00:24:20.970 --> 00:24:25.269 it, I just live in a life that belongs to Jesus. 00:24:25.369 --> 00:24:27.890 That's the freedom that Galatians has been calling 00:24:27.890 --> 00:24:31.589 us to all along. Paul's saying, don't worry about 00:24:31.589 --> 00:24:33.910 those false teachers. Stop listening to them. 00:24:34.250 --> 00:24:36.609 Because what they want you to do is be a slave 00:24:36.609 --> 00:24:39.250 to them. They want you to be a slave to their 00:24:39.250 --> 00:24:41.509 traditions. They want you to be a slave to their 00:24:41.509 --> 00:24:45.230 laws. But all God is calling you to do is to 00:24:45.230 --> 00:24:50.190 just be his child. Now being a child of a parent 00:24:50.190 --> 00:24:52.710 comes with rules, does it not? And you got to 00:24:52.710 --> 00:24:54.390 obey the rules, otherwise you get a spanking. 00:24:54.789 --> 00:24:57.049 And I think God's spankings look a little different 00:24:57.049 --> 00:25:00.950 than my spankings. So you've got to follow some 00:25:00.950 --> 00:25:02.869 rules. I mean, there's still an obedience there. 00:25:02.990 --> 00:25:06.769 But it's not an obedience to man. And it's not 00:25:06.769 --> 00:25:12.190 obedience to man's faulty laws. It's an obedience 00:25:12.190 --> 00:25:20.170 to God's good, just law. And even when you fail, 00:25:20.369 --> 00:25:24.049 because man is not as forgiving as God is man. 00:25:24.589 --> 00:25:28.349 No. We live in cancel culture. We live in a world 00:25:28.349 --> 00:25:30.269 where if you mess up one time and somebody gets 00:25:30.269 --> 00:25:32.170 it on video, it's all over the internet and you 00:25:32.170 --> 00:25:39.230 can never live it down. But God, the Bible tells 00:25:39.230 --> 00:25:42.609 me so and I believe it. God looks at my sin and 00:25:42.609 --> 00:25:44.630 when I ask him for forgiveness, he says, forgotten. 00:25:47.089 --> 00:25:49.130 And this is what Paul finishes with in verse 00:25:49.130 --> 00:25:54.690 18. The grace, this undeserved mercy, the grace 00:25:54.690 --> 00:25:59.109 of our Lord. Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 00:26:00.509 --> 00:26:03.109 If you were here when we started this series, 00:26:03.210 --> 00:26:07.190 back in the first chapter, Paul starts out saying 00:26:07.190 --> 00:26:13.690 grace and peace to you. And he closes with grace 00:26:13.690 --> 00:26:19.430 and peace. Because when you live a life that's 00:26:19.430 --> 00:26:22.029 trying to prove, when you live a life that's 00:26:22.029 --> 00:26:24.619 trying to earn, when you live a life that's trying 00:26:24.619 --> 00:26:28.059 to say, I am worthy, I am good enough, all that 00:26:28.059 --> 00:26:31.359 brings is stress and headache and exhaustion. 00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:35.700 But Paul says, God wants you to have peace. He 00:26:35.700 --> 00:26:38.519 wants you to have this peace knowing that He's 00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:40.859 shown abundant grace to you. He has forgiven 00:26:40.859 --> 00:26:43.880 you. After everything, after all the corrections, 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:47.079 after calling them out, after holding them accountable, 00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:49.880 Paul says grace is going to be the last word 00:26:49.880 --> 00:26:53.710 here. I'm going to leave you. With grace, always 00:26:53.710 --> 00:26:56.869 grace in your life or if your life has been built 00:26:56.869 --> 00:27:00.569 on proving something. If you've been trying to 00:27:00.569 --> 00:27:03.269 perform, if you've been trying to compare and 00:27:03.269 --> 00:27:05.890 keep up, if you've been trying to make sure that 00:27:05.890 --> 00:27:08.970 your image looks the way you think or society 00:27:08.970 --> 00:27:14.049 says it should look. Hear Paul and believe him 00:27:14.049 --> 00:27:19.579 when he says what counts, all that matters. Is 00:27:19.579 --> 00:27:22.019 being made new in Christ. You don't have to impress 00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:25.180 him. You don't have to earn his love. You are 00:27:25.180 --> 00:27:29.920 invited to rest in his redeeming power. In his 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:34.809 good mercy. So today if you need prayers. if 00:27:34.809 --> 00:27:37.089 you have any concerns, if you've been struggling 00:27:37.089 --> 00:27:40.130 with a life that is bound by the chains of society, 00:27:40.269 --> 00:27:42.150 if you've been struggling with a life that has 00:27:42.150 --> 00:27:44.250 been maybe a little bit too reckless, a little 00:27:44.250 --> 00:27:46.910 too carefree, if you're just not sure what you're 00:27:46.910 --> 00:27:48.970 building your life on, if you don't know where 00:27:48.970 --> 00:27:53.369 you stand, if you've not been redeemed by the 00:27:53.369 --> 00:27:56.710 free gift of salvation in Christ, if you've never 00:27:56.710 --> 00:27:59.869 given your life to Him in baptism, if you need 00:27:59.869 --> 00:28:03.950 to be redeemed and given new, abundant, full, 00:28:03.950 --> 00:28:08.369 eternal life. The water is ready. If you just 00:28:08.369 --> 00:28:11.210 need prayers, we will pray with you. If you need 00:28:11.210 --> 00:28:14.809 hugs and support, we're here. Whatever you need 00:28:14.809 --> 00:28:18.710 to help you be free and to be able to rest in 00:28:18.710 --> 00:28:22.470 the grace and the peace of Christ, we invite 00:28:22.470 --> 00:28:24.450 you to come now as we stand.