The Church of Eleven22 - Stop Going Back to Your Old Ways: Be Free - Wk 10

Episode Date: June 9, 2024

In Galatians 4:9 Paul says, "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?” If we are saved and set free, why do we not act like it and keep turning back to our old ways? - The Church of Eleven22® is a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. Eleven22 is led by Pastor Joby Martin and based in Jacksonville, Florida, with multiple campuses throughout Jacksonville and the surrounding areas. To find out more about how God is moving at Eleven22, go to CoE22.com

Amen and amen and amen. What a great testimony. Anybody catch that brother's name? Tugboat. That's the most 11-22 thing I've ever seen to my whole life. Brother sharing testimony is named tugboat. Hashtag northeast Florida. Hey, if you got your Bibles, grab them.

Galatians chapter 4. We're going to study verses 8 through 20. We have been studying the book of Galatians now for a long time, and we've got a long way to go. And last week, really, this is just a continuation of last week. If you guys would all sit here long enough, I could have just governed it all in one run, that I think it was J.I. Packer that said the best definition, the most concise and best definition of salvation is adoption through propitiation, adoption through propitiation,

that God is not primarily a judge in a courtroom that is rendering verdicts of guilty and not guilty, but God is primarily the father of a family, not just an idea to be believed in, but a person to be loved. And so what Paul is saying to the church in Galatia is, so if you have been adopted as sons, then why in the world would you act like a bond servant? And then Paul's going to do a thing that he doesn't often do. He do it every once in a while, but just for a little while.

He's going to make an emotional appeal. He is going to appeal to the relationship that he has with the folks here in Galatia. Galatians 4-8. says formally, like before you knew who Jesus, how many of you know we all got some BC years, right, before Christ's years? So formally, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not, and look, little G gods. The reality is, is every single one of us are mastered by something. Every single one of us worships something.

Even if you don't use that kind of language like worship, every single single. one of us has some thing, some idea, some relationship in our life that we treat as of highest value. And to that thing, we give our time, our money, our effort, and our attention. And what's crazy is the Bible says that we become like what we worship. Now, the reality is this, is that we live in a world where all of these little G. Gods that we are enslaved to, the Bible says, could be summed up in three phrases. First John, the author John says, do not love the world or the things of this world, for all this world has to offer are these three things. Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes on the pride of life. I've told you

a million times. The enemy comes at you and he's trying to trick you, trap you. The only thing he wants to do that he comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus says, but I have come in, that you may have life and have it abundantly. But the only thing that is that you may have it abundantly. But the only thing that the enemy can trick you with or trap you with or lure you with is three things. Less of the flesh, less of the pride of life. The enemy is like a good bass fisherman, right? But he's only got three lures. And the reason it's called a lure is because it's alluring.

But every bait has a hook. And you think, ooh, I got it. And you're like, who, nope, it got me. That's what happens. One of them is the lust of the flesh. The lust of the flesh. Now, when we hear the lust of the flesh, and by the way, the ESV says the desires of the flesh, but the King James says, lust, I like that word better.

It just sounds dirty, and that's what we're talking about. Lest of the flesh. Our mind goes to like sex drugs and rock and roll. Well, it can be that, but it's much deeper than like just wild living. The lust of the flesh is this desire to feel. That's what it is. So everybody get ready. we're going to go through the little G guys that you and I have a tendency to worship.

So take off your shoes, get those toes out, and I hope you get offended. And if you don't get offended, come see me in the lobby, I'll make it personal. I'll just insult you to your face, okay? This is what the Bible does. The gospel is offensive. And so the lust of the flesh is when you convince yourself, you deserve to feel a certain way. And again, man, it could be sex drugs and rock and roll. Like, you deserve her because that's what you feel, or you deserve him because that's what you feel.

or you deserve to have one drink that turns into four because you deserve to self-medicate because of how hard your life is. This is what lust of the flesh is all about. This is where addictions come from. And this is how crafty the enemy is. The root of any addiction is this lust of the flesh. And you may be addicted to crack or cookies. It's actually the same root cause. Now the immediate impact is drastically different.

Okay, so if you have to choose, choose a cookie. But the root of it, you follow that long enough. It all has the same destination. Some of you are addicted to these feelings which play themselves out in the next vacation. You just think, man, when I get my toes in the water and in the sand, and if you just cussed in church in your brain, how dare you? But you begin to think when I just get there, oh, I'll be fully and finally satisfied. And it never works.

some of us chase after comfort and ease we're spending all of our lives we talk about this a lot we spend all of our life trying to get to this one little section of humanity called retirement we're going to get a really nice RV and waste our time riding up and down the eastern seaboard collecting seashells and stiff arming God's command to take the gospel into all the earth this is the lust of the flesh this is what this is. Some of us are ruled by relationships because you don't actually love that person. You never say that because you feel the feels, but what you love is how they make you feel. That's what you actually love. That's why you use them for you. This is all lust of the flesh. I told you it was offensive. Some of us don't really, maybe the lust of the flesh, is it our lure of choice? For some

of us, it's the lust of the eyes. This is a desire to have. If lust of the flesh is a desire to feel, this is a desire to have. This is like when you, walked through that story and you didn't realize you needed that thing until you saw that thing and now you can't live without the thing. You ever notice that? You ever notice you go to get a new car and you never even seen that car before. The moment you set your eyes at them, there's at north, east, south and west, at every stoplight, there they are, just calling out your name. Drive me. And you could be like McConaughey and a Lincoln. All right, all right, all right. It's a lot, man. And you begin to chase stuff. And stuff will love.

lie to you. You realize your money is a liar. Your money is a liar. You know, we're supposed to love God and use money, but a lot of times what we do is we love money, so we try to use God and use people in order to devote ourselves to money. And here's the thing, man, anytime you talk about money, nobody amends the money stuff. It gets real quiet, but like, I knew it. It's all they want your money. No, no, all you want your money. You know how I know this? Because your money lies to you. Here's the lie your money will tell you, if you love me, I'll love you back. And it's a lie. It just can't do it.

And the lie that your money tells in this is, I will bring you satisfaction or security. That's the lie. If you think that you are going to find ultimate satisfaction and security in your money, then you are worshipping a little G God of this world. You see, some people look to their money for satisfaction, as if things can fully and finally satisfy you. By the way, around here we lovingly call that the cul-de-sac of soul.

stupid of stupidity. Is it because money's stupid? No, it's because you're stupid. You think a new pair of pants is going to do something for your soul. It's not. My favorite thing about that is your pants that you just had to have that you spent way too much money on that you didn't have to impress people. You don't even know. We're going to take your pants, and one day when you're dead, we're going to sell them

in a host closet for $3. And some chick you don't even know right now is going to look better in your pants than you did. Say la. How about that? I'm just telling you, man. I'm just telling you. It might be pants or half bath or a new neighborhood or a new car, whatever the thing is.

But if you think that ultimate satisfaction is found there, it will never fully and finally satisfy. Listen, if the people with the most money were the most deeply satisfied people in the world, then wouldn't Hollywood and New York be the epicenter of happiness? And all those pagans leave there and move down here with us and Jesus here in Florida. Amen? Welcome all you Yankee. that have moved here. We're super glad you're here. Welcome back to America. So anyway, and now here's what's happening. Here's what's happening. See? Some of you,

you believe the other lie of your money because you're telling, you're saying, you get them, pastor. My wife, you just spends money and spends money and spends money. And I am so reasonable. Look here, fool. You're no fun either. Do you realize this? Only go to Chili's on triple coupon Thursday and just save and save and save and save. and you're like a dragon trapped on a pile of money and you can't enjoy any of it. What are you doing with all that money? You see, here's the problem. You think it can actually protect you and keep you secure so you log onto your account.

And there's some arbitrary number and if it's over that, it makes you feel a certain way. That's a little G God that you're worshiping. Dude, I was talking to a guy that I loved very, very, very much two weeks ago about his life in the next couple of decades of his life and what he's going to be doing in his life. And he's so worried about having enough money for everything. And again, the Bible says you should bring your first and best of God. You should save some to be a blessing to your grandchildren. And then you should glorify God with all of it.

But the reality is the large majority of us listening to me right now will run out of time before you run out of money. What's going to do with all that money? Leave it to your kids? You're not going to live it to your kids because the time you leave it to them, they're going to be too old. You're actually going to leave it to your grandkids. and what if they're idiots?

And honestly, they're probably going to be idiots. You know why? Because your children raised them, do you understand? This is all ecclesiastes. I didn't make this up. It's what it says. Some of you love money. And so you rob God.

Every single week, you rob God. You don't bring him back what's his. You begin to think, more is mine. And the reality is that your treasure will direct your heart. And if you direct your treasure at you, you will just worship you. and you are a terrible God. Because where your treasury is, there your heart will be also. This is about to get real practical.

JP is moving to Tallahassee in August, okay? So, and everybody's asking me, does your arm do this? I've been a Braves fan forever, man, so you all stole that from them. That's fine. They say, have you bought FSU stuff? Not yet. But I'm sure the first couple of checks go in that direction, no problem. We all hate the gators, so, you know, common enemy.

This world spends billions of dollars a day to get you to buy into the lie that your money will take care of you. And it is a little G God not worth worshiping. And so for some people it's not the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eyes, it's the pride of life. This is the desire to be. This is when you determine that yourself is the most important thing in this world. This is the air that we breathe in this culture. that self-determination is what he is. You see, here's the problem with pride.

Here's the problem with self-help. It's you. Do you not realize that you're your biggest problem? Listen, whenever I do weddings, which I don't do them anymore, so don't even ask. We'll get you married. We've got about 50 pastors. We'd be happy to do that, but I can't do that anymore. But when I would do a wedding, I get these two people, this man and this woman.

And they'd always like, can we read her own vows? No, because they're dumb. You don't even vow the right thing. Oh my God, you're so hot. Oh my God, you're so hot. That's not a vow. Save it for that night. What you vow is I promise no matter what.

And you actually make a promise you can't even keep. You ever thought about your vows? You can't even keep it. It's impossible. And so I will say there's only two problems with the future of this marriage, this man and this woman. Other than that, it's perfectly set up. But thank God, it's not just this man and woman, but there's another here. And his name is Jesus.

And if the tomb is empty, anything is possible, even two sinners living together, right? You see, still today, the largest section in all of a bookstore is the self-help section. Problem is, it's yourself that got you in your ditch. How in the world do you think yourself is going to get you out? You're not the solution. You're the problem. And basically what the pride of life is, if you begin to believe, if I could just make me a better version of me, then I'll be fully and finally satisfied.

You know what the problem with that is? You'll still just be you. Like, what if you accomplish all of your goals? And this time next year, you just come walking in here with abs and cash falling out your pocket. Have you met people with abs? They're miserable. I mean, seriously, man. You're sitting at dinner together and you order cheesecake, and they're like, I wish I could have cheesecake, but they can't have cheesecake and abs.

They don't go together. And you want their abs and they want your cheesecake, and nobody's happy, don't you understand? It's not until you know Jesus that you can understand what actual contentment is. The problem with you is you. Think about this. Have you been a believer for a minute? Didn't you think you'd be a little further along than you are right now? Think for a second.

Think about the you five years ago. That person was an idiot. Wasn't he? Wasn't she? I got terrible news. The five years from now you thinks that you right now is an idiot because it's true. We begin to believe that if I can just get that next title, then I'll be sad to Well, when you are defined by your title, then who are you when that title changes?

Why are we so caught up in what everybody else thinks about us? It's the pride of life. And here's what Paul is saying to the Galatians. And religion? Religion is just like man-made, works-based religion is just self-help with a robe and a set of rules. And we begin to think, if I can just obey the rules, then somehow God will be more pleased with me. And Paul's like, that is a little G God that you made up. If you want to know if God loves you, look at the cross. Because God loves you and Jesus is the proof. And he has demonstrated

his love for us in this that while we were still yet sinners, that Christ died for us. And it is not our performance that earns us a right relationship with God. It is our position as an adopted son of God. So why are you acting like a bond servant? Why don't you act like a son? So this week, I didn't go to the woods. On Monday, I was recording an audible book for my next book that's coming out this fall. So we got a little studio right over here. And so I had to be here at whatever time. And so I didn't go to the woods.

I was sitting on my back porch, me and my couch and the birds and some worship music. And it's not as good as the woods, but Jesus is there. I checked. Okay, so it's fine. So I'm working on Galatians 4. Okay? I'm about three hours into it. And again,

I'm just walking through this idea that we are not bond servants to try to earn a right standing with God. We are sons who have been adopted because of what Christ did for us. And if we believe anything else, then it will begin to drive us towards either pride because I think I'm better than you or exhaustion because we know we can't do it right. This is what Paul has been talking about so far. And as I wrote this line, I'm sitting out on my brief. back deck. That song How He Loves is playing. You know that? He is jealous for me. That one.

And the Jesus uses, they're like, to my eyelids. You understand? I'm writing the sermon about three hours in. Got some worship music going. And our back door slides open. It's real heavy. And out walks my 14-year-old Reagan Capri. It's right there. She's sitting right here. At the crack of 10.03. She's been away for like six seconds. And she's like, oh, just bedhead, sleeping her eyes, half awake. You know, teenagers are like a diesel. They got to, like, warm up before they get to full speed. You know what I'm saying?

And so, dude, I take blow-by-blow notes exactly what's happened. She doesn't say a word. Not a word. She looks at me. She grabs a blanket, even though it's 86 degrees, whatever. That's just how it goes. She didn't ask me what I'm doing. She didn't ask if she can interrupt.

None of that. None of that. She steps very awkwardly right over me, you know, sits on the little outdoor couch we have and just puts her head on my shoulder. And I thought, that's it. It's exactly what Paul is trying to convince the Galatians of. That's it. You're a child of God.

Why don't you act like a child of God? Now, does she have chores? Yes, she has chores. She's in the family. We all got to do stuff so we can eat hot food and live indoors, and it doesn't smell like a foot in my house. You understand? but I'm not sitting there with a list of a checklist going after you do your chores,

then maybe you can come sit with me. That's not how it works. You see, it's not her performance that determines her relationship with me. It's her position as my daughter. So she boldly just walks out, interrupts what I'm trying to do by serving you and just plops down on me and puts her head on my shoulder and listen to this. And I love it. I love you, girl.

I love you so much. I love it. What do you think I want from her? grudging submission? No, I want her. Why? Because she's my daughter. This is what God wants from you. This is what we studied last week. God sent Jesus to legally and actually adopt you into his family. And then he went a step further and sent the spirit of his son, the Holy Spirit, inside of you so that you can emotionally and relationally experience the reality of what Jesus did so that from the inside out, you cry out, Abba Father. So don't settle for anything less. This is what he's saying.

So he says, and now that you have come to know God, think about that? Like, dude, you're like buddy and elf. When they announce Santa's coming, he's like, I know him. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, this is even better. It's one thing if you think you know somebody, it's a whole other thing when they know you. This is a relationship. I know him and he knows me. How can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world

whose slaves you want to be once more? He's like, listen, you know the big G, almighty, eternal God who is your father. Why would you keep going back to the little G gods of this world that just can't do what they promised to do? It doesn't make any sense? Here's what's crazy. from my own experience in 31 years as a pastor, here's what I have learned, that we as broken humans have a propensity

to go back and hit the default settings. Whether when things are going so good, we get comfortable or our world starts falling apart. And for some of you, what you do is you hit default and you go back to rebellion, the ways of this world. And some of you, you hit default, and you go back to man-made religion where you think you can earn,

a right standing with God, that it's about earning instead of grace-driven effort. And either way, what Paul is saying here is it's a return to slavery. You're being mastered by something that's not your Heavenly Father. I think what he is pointing to, because Paul was a Pharisee before he became a Christian, so he knows the whole Bible, and he's pointing back to the people of God who were slaves in Egypt. and they cry out to God. And God hears their cry, and by grace, sends Moses, an unlikely leader, to come and stand before the Pharaoh, talked about this last week, and say, let my people go.

And then sure enough, God sends the plague of the firstborn. It's called the Passover. And eventually Pharaoh is like, okay, get out of here. And then God's people go to the Red Sea. God parts the Red Sea. They pass through on dry ground. And then when they cross over while they are in the desert on the water, they're in the way to the promised land, they begin to grumble and complain.

And they begin to lose their minds. And the reason they begin to lose their minds is because they're not getting what they want temporarily in their life. And what they want is something to eat. And I don't know if you know this, but church people haven't changed that much. God can do miracles among them and they still complain about what's in front of them. Oh, yeah, we're so hungry. It's like, okay, here, I'll give you some manna.

It was like frosty flakes, minus the frosty. every morning, just a gift from God. And they're complaining. And we want some meat. And he's like, oh, I got you meat. He sends quail, just like crazy. And they've got all this meat. And they've got freedom.

And yet even in their freedom, they have a propensity to hit the reset button and try to remember, why don't we go back to Egypt? It was better there. We had lamb and onions. And you had beatings and slavery, you dummy, what is wrong with you? Hey, listen, old people, listen to me.

And you feel like, is he talking to me? Yeah, Yancey. I'm talking to you, man. You've been old for a long time. Listen, old people. It's like me and up. Ready? We have a tendency to convince ourselves

that the good old days were somehow better than these days. No, they weren't. Listen, these are the good old days. You know why? Because this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. It's today where I'm not.

I know him and he knows me and he doesn't have you worrying about tomorrow or even reminiscing too much about yesterday, but living in today because his grace is sufficient for you today. See, it's a trick of the enemy to try to get you to remember things better than they actually were. And so he says, I know God and or better yet. I am known by God. When the Bible uses the word no, it doesn't just mean like to know. It means an intimate relationship.

Literally, in Hebrew, to know means to place my love upon. So like the best illustration of this is the Bible says in Genesis, and Adam knew Eve, and she bore a son. Like there's knowing, there's knowing, you know what I mean? That's what that is. This is why God says in Romans 8, for those whom he foreknew, he predestined and called. That before you were ever even a twinkle in your daddy's eye,

before you could ever do anything to earn the love of God. He takes his love because God is love and he places it on you and then he acts like it for all of the rest of eternity. That God loves you and Jesus is the proof. So if you know the love of God, why in the heck would you and I then return to a bond servant's mentality when we have been adopted as sons? Paul's like, bro, this don't make no sense.

A beautiful example of this is in John chapter 5. It's called the pool of Bethesda. Jesus walks into Jerusalem. He goes in through the sheep gate. This is where they would keep all the like lambs and things for sacrifice, so you don't want the whole city to smell like a goat, so you know, you kind of keep them all over there. And at the sheep gate, there are these couple of pools

with a bunch of little porches. And either it actually happened or rumor said that occasionally an angel would come in and stir up the water, and the first person that got into the water would be healed. So there's lame, cripple, there's all these people with a lot of diseases and things that need to be healed. And Jesus walks up and there's a brother laying on this mat for 38 years. And Jesus says, such an important question. Do you want to be healed?

And you think the answer would obviously, of course I do. Let me ask you, do you want to be healed? You can be healed. The problem now, when God heals you, you don't have an excuse for your bad behavior anymore. So a lot of times people don't want to be healed because you'd rather be a victim. Like you've been playing the martyr for so long, your identity is wrapped up in your victimhood. We live in a world that wants you to remain a victim, not a victor. And Jesus says, do you want to be healed?

And you know what the guy does? He begins to gripe and complain. Oh man, it's not my fault. Every time the water's stirred, he's faster and he's faster and I can't. One time I trip, Neck. Thank God I'm not the Savior. I'd be like, well, forget you, dude.

You want to be healed you? Heal you, heal you. I'd be handing out healings like overhand's out cars, and you get a healing, and you, not you, you had your chance. But thank God, he is so patient with us. And not even based on this guy's response, he heals him anyway. He says, all right, take up your mat and walk. And the guy gets up and rolls up his mat.

Let me ask you this. What do you think the condition of that mat is? is. Okay? The Greek word is shnasty. You know what shnasty is? Yeah, man, that's shnasty. That's what that is, man. Think about it. Think about your little stretch mat that you have, mama. It don't smell good. It smells like a sock, and you don't even use it as much, and you chloroach wipe it every single time. This dude has owned this mat for 38 years. He cannot leave to do things and then come back to the mat. And yet God tells them, you roll up that shnasty mat and put it under your arm, because I want everybody, when they see the mat,

they're going to see a miracle. And then there's this one group of people, the Pharisees. And because he didn't do it on the right day, he did it on the Sabbath. They don't see the miracle that a man is walking. They see the mat. Every single time you begin to live in a works-based righteousness, your primary emo in your mind will be this. Well, that's not fair.

Well, that's not fair. Why does he get a healing? I don't get a healing. I went to Hebrew school. I memorized the whole book. Bible. I served at my church. Why does he get to go to heaven? And I've been working so hard to get in and he just gets in. That's not fair. And the moment you begin to get in and that's not fair mentality, you begin to build a group around you because you can't build anything. So all you want to do is

tear it down. And you begin to see the mat instead of the miracle. And you're like, does that still happen? How about you and I got to experience a miracle about a month ago? And we saw 1,614 people proclaim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior at baptism. Ha! And the comments we get from church folks is, did that really count? You want it to count, don't you? Because what it looks like to me is all you can see is a mat and not the miracle. And when you begin to do that, you ain't playing for Team Jesus.

You're playing for Team Pharisee. That's what's happening in the Book of Galatia. There's a group of Judaizers who have moved in and said, God's grace as demonstrated on the cross is not enough. Look at Jesus on the cross and say, almost, partner, but thankfully I'm here to help you with the rest of my salvation. That's not how it goes at all.

Now, if you were to begin to see this guy on the mat, five weeks later, and he laid down on that mat, what would you think? Wouldn't you be like, ugh, dude, what are you doing back on the mat? And he's like, I don't know. But it's mine and it's comfortable and it's all I've known.

You know, so many people, man, we're like babies with a dirty diaper. Like, I know it's nasty, but it's warm in his mind. I'm just going to sit in it for a while. We have a propensity as walking people to go lay back down on a cripple man's mat. Why do you lay back down on that mat? You're walking.

When you begin to return to the elementary principles of this world and chase after the little G-gods of this world, whether it's lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, or man-made religion. It's like a man that can walk that goes back to laying down on the mat. It just doesn't make any sense anymore. So let me ask you this question. What slavery do you tend to return to when things don't go your way? Where do you tend to revert back to?

This is what Paul is saying to the Galatians. It is for freedom that you have been set free. Why in the world are you returning to an old system of law? Is it a person? Listen, there's some dudes you should never talk to again. God loves them, and he may save them, but he don't need you. Is it a bottle where you self-medicate? Is it a pill?

Is it a pipe? What is it? Is it unhealthy ways of thinking? That's one of the ways we can revert. We can hit the default, and we can begin to tell ourselves, like, I'm unworthy, I'm not good enough. God doesn't love me. I'm on my own. Those are whispers from the enemy.

Is it control? Is it anger? Is it anxiety? Is it an unhealthy pessimism? Is it victimhood? Listen, man. Listen to me. You try to fight the devil in the dark

and he's going to kick your tail because that's where he lives. And what the good news is that the gospel of Jesus Christ does is invites us through the cross. The cross outs. Every single one of us, the cross is evidence that I'm a sinner in need of a Savior. So instead of being ashamed of that sin, what I need to do is Christ has put shame to death. It's nailed to the cross.

You take that thing, you take those bondages, those chains that you tend to get wrapped up in, and you drag them out into the light and say, God, I need your help. And gross things can't grow in the light. So why do you turn back is what Paul keeps saying. And then he's going to get specific about, well, they were turning back to. They were turning back to man-made religion, to the law, as if he could earn a right standing with God. He says, you observe days and months and seasons and years. Now, listen, he's talking to Galatians in Galatia. These are Gentiles. He's like, why are you

trying to become Jewish? You're not even Jewish. You're Turkish. What you're doing? Yom Kippur for, bro. That ain't even for you. I don't understand. These festivals were to prepare the of Israel to know the Messiah. That's why it was there. Guess what? He's here. That you can know him. You don't have to know about him.

It still happens today. There's a lot of people, a lot of people become Christians. And listen, man, it is a wonderful thing to learn the beauty and complexity of the old covenant and God's covenant with the Jewish people so that the Messiah would be recognized when he comes on the scene. And if those things help you love Jesus more cool, but there's nothing in it of itself, of practicing some Old Testament ritual that is going to make you more spiritual. Listen, participating in religious activities for the sake of the religious activity is so dumb.

It's like Facebook stalking your wife. Can you imagine how dumb it would be? Have you seen my wife? Very fearfully and wonderfully made, okay? Super pretty. Can you imagine if I settled for an Instagram relationship with her and just liked her pictures and commented on her pictures? When the real thing that's laying in my bag,

and I can go mouth kiss her. That's what I want to do. I don't want to just read about her. I want to know her in her, no me, in the biblical sense. You understand? You love that part, don't you, Reagan? You love it. That's why you exist. So think about that for the rest of the service. But it's true. So many people will settle for a 2D experience with the Lord. and he offers this like 4D reality for us to live into. Do you know him like that? And then a super sad verse, I'm afraid I may have labored over you in vain. Dude, that's the worst thing a preacher can never think about his people.

Am I wasting my time? Have I poured my life out and taken the beatings and preached the gospel that now you are going to just be shackled up in the chains of legalism again? Instead of acting like free people set free by the free gift of Jesus's life, death, in imminent return, you're now going to be slaves to the law? Are you dumb? He's like, what are you doing? It is for freedom that you have been set free.

So be free to be in this deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. And then he shifts, this has been kind of hard, right? Kind of in your face a little bit. And now he's going to shift from like an apostolic, legal, theological plea. and he's going to bank on their relationship but they have. He says, brothers. I'm not saying you're not saved.

I'm just saying you're not acting like it. Brothers, I entreat you. That word doesn't carry enough oomph in English. The King James says, I beseech ye therefore brethren. That's worse. Intreat means to beg. That's what it is.

I, Paul's a big deal, right? He's the apostle to the Gentiles. And he lowers himself below the Galatians and it's like, please, please, please, please, please, please. Please don't walk away from the gospel. We know what this word means because in Luke 15, I'm going to preach a sermon on it this fall. It's a poorly named parable. We call it the prodigal son. It's a bad name.

It actually should be called the two lost sons. The word prodigal means lavish. the lavish one in the story is the dad. Anyway, there's a younger son who goes out and ruins his life and then comes to his senses, comes home, and the dad lavishes his love by grace upon the boy, adopts him back into the family and then throws a party for him. And the moment this happens,

the one in the story in Luke 15, that's like the Judaizers is the older brother. He's the legalist. And he thinks his activity is going to earn a right relationship with God, the father. And so he's ticked. And he hears music and dancing, and here's what he thinks. That's not fair. That's not fair.

I have worked my whole life, and I didn't get a party. Listen, man, the moment you can't build anything up, you want to get a bunch of people around you to try and tear it down. And the dad, the Bible says, after the dad has already humiliated himself for the younger son, he hikes up his robe and runs after his rebellious son. You're not supposed to do that. He does it again. He leaves the party and goes out to the church.

kid. This is who he's talking to, to the older son, to the one that thinks he has earned a right relationship with the father, and yet he's not acting like a son. He's acting like a slave. And the Bible says that the dad in trick begs him. Come on, boy, what are you doing? What are you doing? All that I have is yours. You've been with me forever. This party is also for you. We got to throw the party. Your brother was dead and now he's alive. And why are you going to let your legalism and your arrogance keep you from the party. And the Bible talks about the emotion with which the dad begs his older son. This is the posture that I have here. Please do not sacrifice a relationship with Jesus for a little bit of church attendance and some better morality. He loves you. He's

here for you. Like a father who loves his kids, he wants a walk with you. I entreat you. Become as I am. Here's what he's saying. Paul's like, I get it. I was caught up in legalism too. So before Paul gets converted on the road to Damascus, he was called Saul of Tarsus. So was Saul under law or grace? He was under law and miserable. See, Philippians 3, he gives this whole religious resume.

And then he meets Jesus, and he is invaded by the grace of God. And he says, Galatians, why don't you become as I am? I used to be under law. Then I met Jesus. now I am under grace, that I know him and he knows me. Become as I am. Think about this. The grace of Jesus set Paul free.

This brother is the freest man that's ever lived. The freest man who's ever lived. Paul just lived differently. And you wish you could live like him. I do too. I mean, from prison, the apostle Paul writes these words. I have learned the secret of being content in any situation. Can you imagine living with that kind of contentment?

In Philippians, they come to him. And he says, to live as Christ, to die his gain. Do you know how much freedom is there? Paul, if you don't quit with this Bible study stuff, we're going to kill you. Thank you. I get to go home. Never mind. We're just going to keep you here and beat you.

Sweet. First of all, I consider it a joy to be considered worthy to be abused like my Savior was. Secondly, how about bring me your jailers because I'm going to lead them to Christ? They're like, what do you do with a guy like that? Even in this, in Galatians, he says, am I now trying to win the approval of God or man? If I were trying to win the approval of man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Can you imagine if nobody's opinion of you mattered except God's opinion of you and you knew what his opinion of you is because of what Christ did on the cross? You'd be the freest person alive.

But we're all bound up. So he says, become as I am. For I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. you know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first. You see, Paul was like, I didn't even mean to come talk to you people.

But commentators go crazy on this. It really doesn't matter what the ailment is, but they think he probably got malaria because malaria can attack the ocular nerve, and there's some evidence in Second Corinthians and at the end of Galatians that the thorn in Paul's flesh could have been an eye problem.

I don't know, maybe. And though my condition was a trial to you, did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God as Christ Jesus. In other words, he's like, guys, don't you remember when I showed up on the scene and shared the good news of the gospel? We were brothers. You love me. You received me with great grace.

What then has become of your blessing? He's like, what change? Something's changing. For I testify to you that if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. This is why people think the whole I thing. Maybe. and then check this out. Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

He's like, what happened? Something happened. At first you treated me like a brother, now you're treating me like an enemy, and the reason is because I'm just telling you the truth. Listen, I know I see this through the lens of a pastor because that's what I am. I'm not primarily a pastor,

I'm primarily a son in God's family, but I do this a lot, so this is what I think about. And I can tell you from 31 years of experience and a whole bunch of brothers in this thing with me that there are some times where there were folks that were part of the family. I say, I love you. And then you fast forward a little bit,

and they're like, I hate you. You're my enemy. And here's why. Here's why people will go from loving you to hating you because you preach the truth. That's it, man. Because you preach the truth. Do we learned a lot through COVID?

Remember COVID? If from those of you, not from Florida, it was like three weeks of hell. Two things begin to happen, man. People that were with us and, you know, I'm with you. And then I would not adopt the political agenda of whoever the person was. And here's the reason why. Because I do not bow to the donkey or the elephant, but we bow to the lamb who is the lion, period, end dot. It's just what we're going to do, okay?

And so we're just going to teach the book, man. We're just going to teach the book. And then another thing is sometimes people will take a secondary issue and they want to make it the primary thing we're about. And that's not what we're primarily going to be about. What we are primarily about is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We're going to declare it and we're going to demonstrate it. And we're just going to be about what the book tells us to do. And I'm not taking some kind of social agenda.

It's a gospel agenda. And the gospel has implications in all of our lives. And then one of the reasons people will call me their enemy is because, I get to the part of the Bible that tells you your life what you're doing is a sin. That's it, man. But I've told you, I don't make it up. Listen, I'm offended too. This is the worst piece of propaganda in the history.

If this is nothing but propaganda, have you read it? Nobody made this up. This is from an almighty sovereign God who came up with the idea of life. Of course he knows how to live it better. and if you stand in judgment on it, who do you think you are? It took some of you two tries at the eighth grade, and you want to stand in judgment over God on how to live life? Listen, man, submission isn't submission until you don't like it.

There's a whole bunch of stuff in here I wish I would take out. I wish it was salvation by works, and the works were chicken wings and cold beer. I'd be in heaven on a freight train, son, but that's not how it goes. It is by grace that we are saved. James, the brother of Jesus, says, You know why you mad? you know what causes fights and quarrels among you?

Because you want something and you didn't get it. And what they wanted is they wanted, the church at Galatia wanted Paul to adjust his message to fit them. And Paul's like, that's not how sanctification works. The way sanctification works is by the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, God begins to mold you to fit with his word. He says, have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? He says, they, talking about the Judaizers, make much of you, but for no good purpose.

They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. Be careful of anybody that makes much of you. They probably want something from you, mostly a vote or either your money. And here's what he's saying, listen, they're only trying to use you to justify themselves. The Judaizers are twisting what it means to be justified by faith, by taking the focus of Jesus and putting it on your work to legitimize them. And so when you make it all about you, the problem at the end of the day you have is you or all you have. Then he keeps going.

He says, it is always good to be made much of for a good purpose. And not only when I am present with you, in other words, it's fine for God to use you. It's what he does. Verse 19, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you. It's very interesting that for like seven verses, Paul just told. talks about God the father, God the father, God the fatherhood of God, which is what we spent all last week on.

And then here he shifts it. And he's like, and I love you like a mama loves her babies. Listen, we say this all the time. Ain't no pain like kid pain. Ain't no love like mama love. I'm just telling you. I know all of my examples are from the perspective of man because that's what I am.

But listen, ain't no love like mama love. I mean, me and a bunch of my buddies got a bunch of graduating seniors right now, so we all go to these graduation party things. And there's a bunch, you know, they're all the same. They're all the same, just a different kid in the middle. All the other kids are the same around the edge. That's all it is, but we go to somebody else's house.

And what we ought to do is all the parents should line up in a circle and just hand everybody on the right $100. Then be like, okay, cool, cool, cool, all right, good. Even. Anyhow. But the new thing at all the graduation parties is the slideshow. You've got the slideshow going.

and it starts where they're just, you know, they're little and they're getting bigger, bigger, and here's what I've noticed at everybody's slideshow as I was looking at it and reflecting. But the fourth one I was at, I was like, Mama does everything. Like, I'm serious, man. Mama does, you know, dad coaches. And Mama does everything else. That's what it is. I mean, she births them.

That's what he says. She's willing to go through childbirth and think about this. This hit me the other day. In the first century, when this was written, Mama, when you found out you were pregnant, it was a potential death sentence. And every mama was like, worth it. Worth the risk. And then you birth them, me and the crime baby have worked on this all week.

Good job. Keep it up. Come on. Come on. Shake that baby or something. Don't make a stop. This is going to be better. Don't shake it hard.

That's not what I'm saying. Save the emails. Just enough. But think about it. You birth them. You raise them. you wash them, you teach them, you feed them, you hurt for them, you worry about them. And the crazy thing is, most dad's relationship with their kids,

as hard as we fight against, it has some performance base to it. Just does, man. But not mama. Mama just, I love you for who you are. And the Apostle Paul is like, I love you like a mama loves her kid, willing to do whatever it takes for you. Not for me. I mean, honestly, what does a mom get out of the deal?

It is not a good deal for the moms. You guys got a bad deal. But the reason it is so rewarding is that you have been created in the image of God. And what you want, your reward, is that love that you receive from that child. This is how he feels about them. Listen to 1122.

I feel some stuff about you. It's for real, man. And then he says, I love Sparta. I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Perplexed. He's like, what are you doing?

Why are you so dumb? You know what the Hebrew word for dumb is? Teenagers. You ever been perplexed by your teenager? Is it not, listen, parents, this is just true, man. Simultaneously, two reality. these are more real than the air you breathe. You look at this little human that was created in your image and you love them so much,

don't you? Like you want for them so much. You provide for them and you love it. Of course, you don't do it right because we're all evil. That's what Jesus says about parents. We're all evil. But in your heart, you just love them and you want for them and you don't want them to hurt and you want them to love God and be successful in all the things.

And simultaneously, you would rip out your own heart and give it to them if that's what required of you. And at the same time, you want to strangle them to death because they're idiots. What are you doing? I am perplexed. You know why you feel about it, that way about them? Because they're you. You spawned. What aggravates you about them is you, you idiot. You're looking at a mirror. Don't you understand? And so Paul is like, I want so much more for you. I am perplexed. By the way, Church of 1122, honest to goodness, I am not perplexed. I am not perplexed by you, I am so proud to get to be a part of this with you. Your heart for the Lord and your heart for your and one more's and what you allow God to do in us and through us and to us,

it's perplexing but not in an aggravating way in an awe, God, who are we that we get to be a part of this kind of way? So here's what I want to leave you with. Okay, if you are a son adopted into God's family, why in the world are you turning back? to your old ways of works-based religion or for the lives of this world, when Jesus has set you free. I mean, we're going to sing it in just a minute. I have decided to follow Jesus.

No turning back. No turning back. One of my favorite illustrations of this. I always love to use the Bible to illustrate the Bible. In John chapter 11, one of Jesus' best friends dies, which, by the way, you prosperity cult people, this is why the prosperity gospel is a lie. Because the Bible says that Jesus gets news

that his friend is sick and waits where he is for four days before he goes to see him. Anybody ever notice that God doesn't always answer your prayers the way you hoped he would? And yet we know that he loves us because of the cross, not because of our circumstances. So he shows up four days later, his friend Lazarus is dead.

So he meets with both the sisters and consoles them in the way that they should be consoled. And then he says, show me where he's buried. And Martha takes him to where Lazarus is buried and says, oh, Lord, he stinketh. That's what the King James says. My Lord, he stinketh. The Bible wants us to know that there's no levels of dead. There's not like dead, dead, or indebtest.

That's not it, okay? This isn't Princess Bride, mostly dead. No, no, no, he's all the way dead. And then Jesus looks into the tomb. He says, roll that stone away. and calls out Lazarus's name. Says Lazarus, come forth. Spurgeon says that the reason Jesus had to call Lazarus,

it says, if he had just said, come forth, then the whole graveyard would have empty. And it had been thriller out there. He didn't say, Spurgeon didn't say thriller. But it would have been thrilled. And so what happened? If you've ever gotten saved, that's what happened. You were dead in your trespassus.

And God, the author of life, called your name. And you heard it way louder and you hear your ears. You heard it deep down in your soul, and here's what happens. So Lazarus, from dead, comes back to life, and Jesus says, Lazarus, come forth. Here's the thing, man, he's wrapped up in about 150 pounds of burial cloth. So that joke, he has a lot. Hop out. Here it come.

Can't even talk. And the first command that Jesus gives to this dead man who is now alive, he can't even do it by himself. He needs some help with his friends. He goes, take off the grave clothes. Why? Because living people shouldn't be wearing dead people clothes. How dumb would it be?

Three weeks later, you went back to Bethany where Lathers is, and he's all wrapped up again. But I'm like, what are you doing, dummy? Why are you wrapped up in dead people clothes, man? You're alive. Live the free life that the free gospel has set you free to live. Listen, man, sons don't wear a change. People can they walk don't lay down on nasty mats. And living people don't put on dead men's clothes.

So sons and daughters are the most high God. Why in the world would you go back to the little G gods of this world or to go back to some man-made religion as if it is about you? It is for freedom that God has set you free. So where do you have a tendency to go back? You know, man. See, here's the thing. There's only one real preacher at 1122.

He's the Holy Spirit, not me. I can't do anything to change your life. There's nothing I can say that to change your life. That's why we teach the Bible. because it has the power to divide in places in your life that my simple words can't get into. But right now, the Spirit of God is getting down in there. The Word of God is getting down in there. And you know you have a tendency to turn back to some elementary principles of this world.

Like do the things you used to do, believe the things you used to believe. You hold that thing in the dark. You try to fight the devil in the dark. He's going to kick your butt. the reason we do what we do at the end of these services and we invite you to come and pray to come cast your cares upon him because he cares for you because what you're doing is you're taking that thing that elementary principle that the enemy tries to lie to you about and you're going to drag it up here into the light and lay it at the foot of Jesus and say God I need help and God's going to say Father forgive them they don't even know what they're doing but the cross is out of the salt so in just a second we're going to sing and bring and pray and if you're going to come pray I would highly encourage you to not do it alone I dare you to just whisper, hey man, I need that lust of the flesh thing's killing me. That lust of the eyes thing is killing me. I was raised so religious.

I have a tendency to not believe the gospel. Will you come pray for me? And if you came alone, listen, this is 1122. Just grab a rando. Say, hey, dude, pray for me. They will. If you want like a trained person, find somebody with a care badge, blue badge, they won't be, there'll be a little less weird than the random person that's it next to you.

But this is not a fight that we should fight alone. And this is definitely not a fight that we should take in the dark. But we should drag it into the light because it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. So I'm going to invite you to stand and I'm going to pray for you and then we're going to respond. Our good and gracious Heavenly Father God, I love you more than anything because you love us first. And Lord, I thank you that it is our position as adopted sons that we get to enter into the throne room of grace and ask for help. because you're a good dad and you want to help your kids

and God the enemy is wearing us out as we have a tendency to go back to the old us God would you remind us by the power of the good news of the gospel we don't have to do the things we used to do because we're not the people we used to be that we are new and alive in you may we walk in that

so God I pray for the man the woman student that has been believing the lives of the enemy. And Lord, I pray in this moment, the loving voice of our heavenly Father would be so loud it would drown out the lies of the enemy. And God, I pray that we, because of the power of the spirit of the sun in us, could say, I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back. We prayed in Jesus' name. Amen. So church, we're going to bring our ties and offerings, our first and our best. we're going to sing what we just preached and we're going to pray. Let's respond.