WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.379 As we're going through life, we discover that 00:00:03.379 --> 00:00:06.580 the world in each subsequent generation is always 00:00:06.580 --> 00:00:08.660 a little bit different. We're always trying to 00:00:08.660 --> 00:00:11.779 make sense of how to navigate it. You know, whenever 00:00:11.779 --> 00:00:14.339 I was in elementary school, whenever we would 00:00:14.339 --> 00:00:16.579 finish the school day, my parents were still 00:00:16.579 --> 00:00:19.579 at work, and so I was there at the after -school 00:00:19.579 --> 00:00:21.519 program. You know, and one of the things with 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:23.320 after -school programs, you know, you get a chance 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.359 to do fun, you know, hobbies and events and maybe 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:29.379 play sports and do other things. But that's not 00:00:29.379 --> 00:00:31.379 what I did in the after -school program. You 00:00:31.379 --> 00:00:34.719 see, my parents, they didn't realize how much 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:38.280 homework kids had anymore since when they were 00:00:38.280 --> 00:00:40.740 kids. So they would always tell me, Jason, do 00:00:40.740 --> 00:00:42.799 your homework first, and then you can go play. 00:00:43.259 --> 00:00:45.659 They forgot that they had enrolled me in the 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:48.820 advanced, gifted, and talented program. And so 00:00:48.820 --> 00:00:51.460 I was trying to get through all the homework 00:00:51.460 --> 00:00:55.100 before they came to pick me up. And the thing 00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:57.450 is, the math... That wasn't an issue whatsoever. 00:00:57.729 --> 00:01:00.369 I love math. Everything's great. I was always 00:01:00.369 --> 00:01:05.030 a slow reader. See, I was a child back before 00:01:05.030 --> 00:01:07.530 they invented ADHD. You know, it didn't exist 00:01:07.530 --> 00:01:10.769 back then, of course. So, but, joking aside though, 00:01:10.890 --> 00:01:13.409 is my mind would always be scattered all over 00:01:13.409 --> 00:01:16.250 the place, and I just could not get through it 00:01:16.250 --> 00:01:18.890 that quickly. And by the time I finished it, 00:01:18.909 --> 00:01:21.849 or even hadn't gotten through most of it yet, 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:24.439 and my parents came and I'd miss out on getting 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:28.340 to go play with everybody else. And that was 00:01:28.340 --> 00:01:30.879 one of the things about this is my parents, they 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:33.980 didn't realize what was going on because I never 00:01:33.980 --> 00:01:36.959 told them. I never said, hey, is there any way 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:38.799 that I can maybe do half the homework and then 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:41.439 I'll do the rest at home so I can spend some 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:44.519 time with the other kids? In my mind, Being a 00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:47.420 good kid meant I was supposed to do exactly what 00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:50.780 these rules had for me. Now, my sister, definitely 00:01:50.780 --> 00:01:53.079 not. No, she was going to go off and play with 00:01:53.079 --> 00:01:56.019 her friends and everything, and she had a great 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:58.560 time. Lots more friends and everything else, 00:01:58.739 --> 00:02:01.239 and that's totally why I'm still scarred to this 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:05.260 day. Kidding aside, my parents didn't know. That 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:10.300 wasn't anything. But realizing that I was spending 00:02:10.300 --> 00:02:13.199 so long... making sure that I was following the 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:16.280 rules from my parents, that I forgot that I had 00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:19.000 a relationship with my parents. I was spending 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:22.000 so long thinking that doing all these things 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:25.800 was somehow going to make me right in their eyes 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:28.759 and that they, I don't know, love me or whatever 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:30.900 might have been playing in my childlike brain, 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:33.460 and not realizing that I could have just turned 00:02:33.460 --> 00:02:37.180 to them and trusted that they would have given 00:02:37.180 --> 00:02:40.080 me opportunity to get to know other kids and 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:44.250 enjoy things. I was looking to the rules to guide 00:02:44.250 --> 00:02:47.509 me, instead of turning to my parents, the real 00:02:47.509 --> 00:02:50.229 guides, the real relationship that was there. 00:02:50.569 --> 00:02:53.210 And that's much of what we end up seeing from 00:02:53.210 --> 00:02:56.909 Paul today in the Galatians, is that in this 00:02:56.909 --> 00:03:00.129 letter, he's speaking about how people had been 00:03:00.129 --> 00:03:02.689 spending so long looking at the rules, the laws 00:03:02.689 --> 00:03:05.289 that they had, that they were missing out on 00:03:05.289 --> 00:03:07.189 the fact that they had been given the Son of 00:03:07.189 --> 00:03:12.199 God, and through Him, God's spirit. They had 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:15.300 spent too long looking at their laws and not 00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:19.939 looking by faith at God himself. But that's something 00:03:19.939 --> 00:03:24.400 to find that's important is to realize that the 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:28.379 law is oftentimes so temporary. It's not what 00:03:28.379 --> 00:03:31.460 actually has the final word in our relationship 00:03:31.460 --> 00:03:36.099 with God. See, laws change, but God's desires, 00:03:37.099 --> 00:03:39.830 they don't. And that's something that we can 00:03:39.830 --> 00:03:42.389 oftentimes miss out on. You see, the law, it 00:03:42.389 --> 00:03:46.250 serves an important role. Laws, rules, guides, 00:03:46.650 --> 00:03:49.830 they offer boundaries, guidance, discipline. 00:03:50.370 --> 00:03:54.990 Over time though, laws change. Different times, 00:03:55.210 --> 00:03:58.530 different places, different reasons. It doesn't 00:03:58.530 --> 00:04:02.129 mean that these were necessarily wrong, just 00:04:02.129 --> 00:04:04.909 because these might be right for today, but realizing 00:04:04.909 --> 00:04:08.379 that... they might have to be flexible for where 00:04:08.379 --> 00:04:11.780 we're at. Because the laws that we have aren't 00:04:11.780 --> 00:04:15.520 universal. When the children of Israel left Egypt, 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:20.279 they had left a country, a nation, where their 00:04:20.279 --> 00:04:24.279 standards were so biased toward these gods that 00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:28.040 they had there. They were so out of keeping with 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:30.779 what God would want, that basically had to start 00:04:30.779 --> 00:04:33.910 from scratch. He had to give them the Ten Commandments 00:04:33.910 --> 00:04:37.290 just to even make sure that they even knew what 00:04:37.290 --> 00:04:40.750 was even good and right in the world. But you 00:04:40.750 --> 00:04:42.730 see, the Ten Commandments, they were the moral 00:04:42.730 --> 00:04:46.370 backbone and the guidance of this nation, but 00:04:46.370 --> 00:04:51.069 this nation needed more guidance because there 00:04:51.069 --> 00:04:53.110 are other things that you're going to face. So 00:04:53.110 --> 00:04:55.910 there were rabbis that had these other traditions. 00:04:56.329 --> 00:05:00.410 They had different layers of how to try to do 00:05:00.410 --> 00:05:03.470 more with following what God was wanting. You 00:05:03.470 --> 00:05:05.930 see, some of them would be very, very helpful. 00:05:06.670 --> 00:05:09.110 Like, well, you know, what type of clothing should 00:05:09.110 --> 00:05:13.029 we wear? Or how do we prepare the food so that 00:05:13.029 --> 00:05:16.170 it's clean in the sight of God? And how do we 00:05:16.170 --> 00:05:18.410 make sure that our practices show that we're 00:05:18.410 --> 00:05:21.470 different? These could be really good, but they 00:05:21.470 --> 00:05:25.990 could also be really burdensome. Because sometimes 00:05:25.990 --> 00:05:30.470 they could... make up more and more rules that 00:05:30.470 --> 00:05:32.769 don't even serve the original purpose. Someone 00:05:32.769 --> 00:05:35.769 had mentioned before that apparently there was 00:05:35.769 --> 00:05:38.829 even a rule where on the Sabbath day when you 00:05:38.829 --> 00:05:41.050 were not supposed to work, you were not even 00:05:41.050 --> 00:05:45.009 allowed to spit on the ground because if you 00:05:45.009 --> 00:05:51.449 did, it was furrowing the dirt which was in their 00:05:51.449 --> 00:05:55.769 eyes the same as working. Did you catch that? 00:05:55.899 --> 00:05:58.980 They had gotten so caught up in trying to make 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:01.660 extra laws for themselves, they even took that 00:06:01.660 --> 00:06:04.019 idea of honor the Sabbath from the Ten Commandments, 00:06:04.379 --> 00:06:06.660 and they abused it to the point of, I saw you 00:06:06.660 --> 00:06:08.600 spit on the ground on the Sabbath day, you're 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:12.120 in trouble now. And that's oftentimes what we 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:15.959 do, is we may take something good, like the commandments 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:19.680 of God, and the way we use them can be so hurtful. 00:06:20.090 --> 00:06:22.149 And so even to the point where then we see Jesus, 00:06:22.250 --> 00:06:24.370 and Jesus, they come to him, they're saying, 00:06:24.589 --> 00:06:25.889 you know, well, Jesus, which of the commandments 00:06:25.889 --> 00:06:28.389 is the greatest? And he doesn't say something 00:06:28.389 --> 00:06:30.410 like, well, all 10, you gotta follow them all 00:06:30.410 --> 00:06:32.550 10, you know, perfectly, and then there you go. 00:06:33.089 --> 00:06:37.629 He says, love God, love your neighbor. And to 00:06:37.629 --> 00:06:39.829 remind them how straightforward it's really meant 00:06:39.829 --> 00:06:45.029 to be. But even to a point where people were 00:06:45.029 --> 00:06:47.610 even trying to figure out, not just for the Jewish 00:06:47.610 --> 00:06:50.319 community, But what about for everybody else? 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:54.740 What laws, what rules do we give them to make 00:06:54.740 --> 00:06:59.220 sure that God will be happy with them? But in 00:06:59.220 --> 00:07:01.279 Acts 15, they actually keep it pretty simple. 00:07:01.819 --> 00:07:04.920 Don't have sexual immorality and don't eat... 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:07.720 food worship to idols that still has the blood 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:09.980 in it and I know we get like kind of confused 00:07:09.980 --> 00:07:11.879 with that because how many of you how many of 00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:13.939 you like a really bloody steak I mean let's be 00:07:13.939 --> 00:07:16.939 honest right oh man yes thank you like medium 00:07:16.939 --> 00:07:19.839 rare rare on occasion if you really if the meat's 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:22.339 really really good but to be honest that's actually 00:07:22.339 --> 00:07:25.220 not really the blood when you're cutting it it's 00:07:25.220 --> 00:07:28.019 actually breaking the tissue and those that's 00:07:28.019 --> 00:07:29.579 actually what's coming out that's actually not 00:07:29.579 --> 00:07:33.050 the blood but the You like it tissue -y, doesn't 00:07:33.050 --> 00:07:36.129 sound nearly as good as liking it bloody. But 00:07:36.129 --> 00:07:38.949 the reason was because they wanted to make sure 00:07:38.949 --> 00:07:42.209 that they weren't worshipping other gods. All 00:07:42.209 --> 00:07:45.290 of these rules, all these laws, there was a purpose, 00:07:45.329 --> 00:07:48.689 there was a point, but it wasn't for their own 00:07:48.689 --> 00:07:53.329 sake. And it says in here, how is it that we 00:07:53.329 --> 00:07:55.810 would follow what God desires? And it talks about 00:07:55.810 --> 00:07:59.529 the idea that they used to follow the law, But 00:07:59.529 --> 00:08:01.509 now they follow by faith. And I want to make 00:08:01.509 --> 00:08:05.350 sure I clarify this. Is that Abraham, Moses, 00:08:05.550 --> 00:08:08.529 the people of Israel? They were always supposed 00:08:08.529 --> 00:08:11.170 to follow by faith. It says so in Romans and 00:08:11.170 --> 00:08:14.269 Hebrews. There was always faith to follow. But 00:08:14.269 --> 00:08:18.029 what Paul is trying to get at is they spent too 00:08:18.029 --> 00:08:22.490 long looking at the rules. And now we need to 00:08:22.490 --> 00:08:27.899 spend the time following after the Spirit. Because 00:08:27.899 --> 00:08:30.779 what we end up seeing is that while rules may 00:08:30.779 --> 00:08:34.820 change depending on circumstance Our faith and 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:37.759 the one we have faith in does not That's why 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:42.639 we say God's word never changes We don't say 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:47.080 God's law never changes We say God's word never 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:51.600 changes Because you have to see all of God for 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:56.299 who he is and for what it is he desires But then 00:08:56.299 --> 00:08:58.879 maybe asking this question of why was it that 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:01.860 the laws were even dividing people in the first 00:09:01.860 --> 00:09:05.059 place? Why was it so important that in the time 00:09:05.059 --> 00:09:07.740 of Israel? Why did they have all these laws with 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:10.679 distinctions that kept them separated? Why was 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:12.639 that such a big deal? Well, there were really 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:16.059 important reasons in that context like number 00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:19.179 one You had to make sure that you weren't following 00:09:19.179 --> 00:09:23.409 after other idols It is so easy that when we 00:09:23.409 --> 00:09:26.730 mingle with different people, we oftentimes take 00:09:26.730 --> 00:09:31.309 on their beliefs, their values, their morals. 00:09:32.429 --> 00:09:35.210 See, at that time, if they were too close to 00:09:35.210 --> 00:09:38.870 the Gentiles, they started picking up their idol 00:09:38.870 --> 00:09:41.590 worship. And there were some really terrible 00:09:41.590 --> 00:09:44.929 practices that came in with worshiping these 00:09:44.929 --> 00:09:48.200 other idols. It wasn't just bowing down. It was 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:51.159 death for children. It was harm for one another. 00:09:51.179 --> 00:09:54.759 It was sexual hurt and immorality. But the same 00:09:54.759 --> 00:09:58.440 thing also for marriages. When they married someone 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:00.799 from a different group, they were supposed to 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:04.500 also take on their idols. And that's why it was 00:10:04.500 --> 00:10:07.580 so key to remember to be united with someone 00:10:07.580 --> 00:10:10.620 who had the same beliefs and values. Because 00:10:10.620 --> 00:10:14.120 we're people. We have a natural tendency to try 00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:17.269 to find the middle ground wherever we are. or 00:10:17.269 --> 00:10:19.669 even more than that, they wanted to keep their 00:10:19.669 --> 00:10:24.269 cultural identity because Israel was tiny. All 00:10:24.269 --> 00:10:27.289 these other nations nearby, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, 00:10:27.330 --> 00:10:31.169 they were huge. And this tiny little place, if 00:10:31.169 --> 00:10:34.830 they weren't careful in holding on to their culture 00:10:34.830 --> 00:10:37.690 and their customs, they could easily get swallowed 00:10:37.690 --> 00:10:41.370 up by all these other places. But it turns out, 00:10:41.490 --> 00:10:44.549 even health and hygiene, were benefited by these 00:10:44.549 --> 00:10:49.009 things that if you had pork back then this isn't 00:10:49.009 --> 00:10:51.350 something like oh man one of the hot dogs that 00:10:51.350 --> 00:10:53.429 we have over here and we're like yeah grill it 00:10:53.429 --> 00:10:56.649 up guys this is going to be awesome this stuff 00:10:56.649 --> 00:10:59.549 was gross all right this was the sort of thing 00:10:59.549 --> 00:11:02.490 you did not want inside of you but also even 00:11:02.490 --> 00:11:05.549 their cleanliness because they didn't have the 00:11:05.549 --> 00:11:09.570 same types of soaps or antibacterial gel that 00:11:09.570 --> 00:11:13.700 you might have today and even making sure it 00:11:13.700 --> 00:11:16.659 kept them together. Ever wondered why we even 00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:18.919 have Advent and Lent seasons in the first place? 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:23.620 Things that help us to see the commonality and 00:11:23.620 --> 00:11:27.620 it draws us together as a community. But you 00:11:27.620 --> 00:11:30.720 see, God wanted all these things because He had 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:34.019 His people set apart. But here's the difference 00:11:34.019 --> 00:11:37.919 though, is that in today's world, you don't have 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:43.159 to be physically separated. to be separated in 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:46.720 spirit and in truth. The thing is, is that now 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:49.960 we can see the ways in which we can live alongside 00:11:49.960 --> 00:11:54.460 other people and still hold to who we are and 00:11:54.460 --> 00:11:57.120 what we believe. And even times where we may 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:00.059 even come together with someone and find out 00:12:00.059 --> 00:12:01.679 that while our backgrounds may be different, 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:05.259 is this an opportunity now to share Christ with 00:12:05.259 --> 00:12:09.659 this person? and to be able to bring our future 00:12:09.659 --> 00:12:12.700 families and our future community to know who 00:12:12.700 --> 00:12:16.639 God truly is. What we end up seeing here is that 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:20.980 to be set apart by faith, we can still be united 00:12:20.980 --> 00:12:24.179 in the world, but still hold to what we believe. 00:12:24.379 --> 00:12:27.360 And that's what Paul is seeing. You notice the 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:30.019 list that he made? The Jews and the Gentiles, 00:12:30.139 --> 00:12:32.419 the slaves and the free people, men and women? 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:37.169 It was realizing that now, The Jewish people 00:12:37.169 --> 00:12:40.289 were going to be living among the Gentiles, but 00:12:40.289 --> 00:12:45.710 they were all called to be in Christ Jesus. Even 00:12:45.710 --> 00:12:48.970 realizing that in those days, the ways in which 00:12:48.970 --> 00:12:51.549 they treated people that were called slaves or 00:12:51.549 --> 00:12:54.529 servants, whatever term they were using for them, 00:12:55.509 --> 00:12:59.909 and realizing that that was keeping them from 00:12:59.909 --> 00:13:03.070 who God was and from being in the family. And 00:13:03.070 --> 00:13:06.350 even more than that, The way that they use the 00:13:06.350 --> 00:13:09.090 roles of men and women and the way that they 00:13:09.090 --> 00:13:11.009 were harming the women in their society with 00:13:11.009 --> 00:13:14.850 it Paul is trying to remind them you may have 00:13:14.850 --> 00:13:19.470 had customs before that made sense But now don't 00:13:19.470 --> 00:13:25.049 let those keep people from a life in Christ It 00:13:25.049 --> 00:13:27.330 was not supposed to be about bloodline. It was 00:13:27.330 --> 00:13:33.750 supposed to be about faith But knowing this In 00:13:33.750 --> 00:13:36.070 the past, they had been like children with their 00:13:36.070 --> 00:13:40.409 laws, but now they were meant to live as heirs 00:13:40.409 --> 00:13:43.929 by the Spirit. You know, what would it be like 00:13:43.929 --> 00:13:48.309 if, as we grow up, we still end up going to our 00:13:48.309 --> 00:13:51.649 parents to answer everything for us and tell 00:13:51.649 --> 00:13:53.889 us what to do? Could you imagine that? I'm 45 00:13:53.889 --> 00:13:56.610 years old. Could you imagine me waking up in 00:13:56.610 --> 00:14:00.250 the morning and say, Mom? Can I have tricks for 00:14:00.250 --> 00:14:02.809 cereal this morning? I'd really like I've got 00:14:02.809 --> 00:14:05.210 some Golden Grahams mom would that be would that 00:14:05.210 --> 00:14:08.590 be okay? Could you imagine that I wanted to go 00:14:08.590 --> 00:14:11.110 to comic blues and I said mom I promise I'll 00:14:11.110 --> 00:14:13.289 be good. Don't worry I won't get into a whole 00:14:13.289 --> 00:14:16.789 bunch of trouble could you imagine that I'm even 00:14:16.789 --> 00:14:19.590 trying to make career changes and You know Christ 00:14:19.590 --> 00:14:22.049 Memorial calls me up and says would you like 00:14:22.049 --> 00:14:24.409 to be the pastor here? And I said yes, but let 00:14:24.409 --> 00:14:27.940 me check with my parents first Could you imagine? 00:14:29.100 --> 00:14:34.139 And yet, that idea is what people had been doing 00:14:34.139 --> 00:14:37.860 in regard to the law. They were acting like kids, 00:14:38.139 --> 00:14:41.480 going back over and over and seeing whether or 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:44.340 not the rules that they had created for themselves 00:14:44.340 --> 00:14:50.919 were still in place. See, we oftentimes use the 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:55.679 laws as guardians. because laws oftentimes make 00:14:55.679 --> 00:15:00.200 us feel comfortable. Even if it's not legal laws, 00:15:00.500 --> 00:15:03.259 we're also looking at things that we set up in 00:15:03.259 --> 00:15:07.220 our own lives, rules that we think will help 00:15:07.220 --> 00:15:11.860 us live the life that we want. I'll only be okay 00:15:11.860 --> 00:15:16.179 if I get this particular job, so I have to do 00:15:16.179 --> 00:15:22.080 that one. Or I must be married by this age. Some 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:27.129 of us are in trouble. Or, if I just stay in control 00:15:27.129 --> 00:15:31.649 of everything or everyone, then everything will 00:15:31.649 --> 00:15:35.669 be okay. I'm sure no one's ever felt that need 00:15:35.669 --> 00:15:40.690 to be in control. But we create these rules thinking 00:15:40.690 --> 00:15:44.409 that somehow that will bring life, even though 00:15:44.409 --> 00:15:48.529 we know that the law only brings death. And then 00:15:48.529 --> 00:15:50.690 we do the same thing for others in our lives 00:15:50.690 --> 00:15:53.700 too. We see them. We see the choices that they 00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:56.600 make. We see the words that they use. We see 00:15:56.600 --> 00:16:01.820 the ideas that they promote. And then we decide 00:16:01.820 --> 00:16:03.799 that there must be something wrong with them. 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:07.480 And God couldn't possibly have any use for someone 00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:11.179 like that. And we discover ourselves judging 00:16:11.179 --> 00:16:13.759 people for things that if we were being honest, 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:16.700 in our hearts, we're not following them either. 00:16:17.659 --> 00:16:20.649 We're being honest. We're struggling the same 00:16:20.649 --> 00:16:26.149 way. Using the law does not actually bring us 00:16:26.149 --> 00:16:29.129 life. We know that because of what happened to 00:16:29.129 --> 00:16:33.409 Christ Jesus. Christ was there among people and 00:16:33.409 --> 00:16:35.610 He was doing exactly what the Father wanted. 00:16:36.490 --> 00:16:39.370 But they had all of these laws and rules in their 00:16:39.370 --> 00:16:41.570 mind that they wanted to see people abide by, 00:16:41.789 --> 00:16:45.870 especially Him. And He ends up getting killed 00:16:45.870 --> 00:16:49.129 because He wasn't abiding by their rules that 00:16:49.129 --> 00:16:52.850 they wanted. That's the thing about what happens 00:16:52.850 --> 00:16:56.409 is that when we use the law and the rule around 00:16:56.409 --> 00:17:01.230 us, we use it as a weapon so often, instead of 00:17:01.230 --> 00:17:05.230 pausing and saying, how do I follow God more 00:17:05.230 --> 00:17:10.009 clearly at this moment in time? But the amazing 00:17:10.009 --> 00:17:13.789 part about grace is that even though Jesus had 00:17:13.789 --> 00:17:18.359 to suffer for our laws that we created, He still 00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:23.160 did it to bring us life. Forgiveness. His Spirit. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:25.920 Because that's the thing that we're trying to 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:27.960 see here is that Paul is trying to get across. 00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:30.799 Stop trying to make extra laws for yourself and 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:33.519 stop trying to make them for other people. Stop 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.619 and come to the one place that you and everyone 00:17:36.619 --> 00:17:43.200 will find life in Christ. Seek Him. Follow Him. 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:48.829 Know Him. Listen to His Spirit. Pause and ask 00:17:48.829 --> 00:17:51.869 not did I manage to do all the things that are 00:17:51.869 --> 00:17:55.109 expected of me Instead pause and say what would 00:17:55.109 --> 00:18:00.450 God call me to right now? What would God actually 00:18:00.450 --> 00:18:05.609 find joy in at this moment? Because that's the 00:18:05.609 --> 00:18:10.289 thing about us Is that it's time for us to finally 00:18:10.289 --> 00:18:16.269 grow up in faith is that it's time for us to 00:18:16.269 --> 00:18:19.190 stop letting what our rules and our laws in the 00:18:19.190 --> 00:18:23.009 past told us and dictated instead say, where 00:18:23.009 --> 00:18:27.250 are we supposed to be right now? Because if we 00:18:27.250 --> 00:18:29.390 spend all this time figuring out whether or not 00:18:29.390 --> 00:18:33.490 we are a failure according to things on our checklist, 00:18:34.349 --> 00:18:37.089 then we don't stop long enough to realize that 00:18:37.089 --> 00:18:41.990 we are a child of God because of love. And that 00:18:41.990 --> 00:18:44.970 as that child, we're called to live accordingly. 00:18:46.410 --> 00:18:50.130 When we see that, then we realize that following 00:18:50.130 --> 00:18:55.490 God's law is not about the laws. Following God's 00:18:55.490 --> 00:19:01.430 word is about following who God is. It's about 00:19:01.430 --> 00:19:05.109 asking what the heart of God is and then seeking 00:19:05.109 --> 00:19:10.769 how we make that our reality. Thing is, better 00:19:10.769 --> 00:19:14.609 laws will never be the true answer. We need them. 00:19:14.910 --> 00:19:17.970 And we need to follow them, because we need to 00:19:17.970 --> 00:19:20.990 make sure that in this broken world, we don't 00:19:20.990 --> 00:19:24.210 make a complete mess of it. But it's never the 00:19:24.210 --> 00:19:28.869 final say. Because we are the heirs to the kingdom. 00:19:29.869 --> 00:19:33.829 And as heirs to the kingdom, we already have 00:19:33.829 --> 00:19:37.509 God's law in the one place it needs to be, in 00:19:37.509 --> 00:19:43.049 our hearts. So my hope, for each of you, and 00:19:43.049 --> 00:19:46.279 for the church as a whole, is that we will spend 00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:51.000 our time asking how in the Spirit we're living 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:54.660 by relationship more than living by the rules. 00:19:55.660 --> 00:19:58.619 Because the rules always have their limits, but 00:19:58.619 --> 00:20:03.099 the love of God has none. May He lead and guide 00:20:03.099 --> 00:20:06.500 us now and always by His Spirit. Thanks be to 00:20:06.500 --> 00:20:06.740 God.