Well I have a thesis for you. I want you to see if you agree with my thesis. It's a bold statement so see if you agree.
! My thesis is this. Every one of us in our hearts loves rules. We all love rules. Let me give you some evidence to try and back it down.
When we first had a child seven and a half years ago, we suddenly discovered that everyone around us had different baby books.
These are books that tell you what routine to follow, how often to feed them, when to put them down for a nap, what to do, what not to do, how dark in the room must be, etc.
And everybody craved these books with their newborn children because they all followed them religiously like a manual of instructions
because the baby, unlike the new TV, doesn't come with a manual.
And so people love these rules so they have some idea what to do.
And we get very... they make these rules and make them feel secure.
Let me give you another example.
Exercise books and magazines that tell you how to get fit.
Or what goes with them, the Fitbits and apps on your smartphone that measure how far you've run, how many calories you've burned off,
how high your heart rate has been.
Why do people spend a huge amount of money on these things?
Because they like the rules, they like the targets.
We want to know how we've done.
See, it's not that actually we like rules in themselves.
Probably most of us have some rules we don't like.
The stink limits or rules that come from the government somewhere.
But actually in our hearts, we all want the security of rules, of black and white,
of being able to measure ourselves like these apps on our smartphones and Fitbits and things like that do.
To tell us how we're doing.
To make us feel like we're making progress.
We all love rules.
Isn't that right?
And not only do we love rules, we love the praise of other people.
We love other people telling us we're doing a great job or we're good folks.
Now that's understandable because we're human beings,
we've been made for relationships, made to live in community.
So it's understandable we should want the praise of others.
In fact, Jesus in some of his parables
uses the thought of getting praise from him on the last day
as an incentive for obedience now.
So there's nothing wrong with wanting to be praised by others.
There isn't necessarily wrong with some rules in themselves.
But the danger with rules, with loving rules and loving the praise of others,
is we can become slaves to them.
If we find our security in keeping certain rules
or in being affirmed by other people,
then we'll end up being slaves to those rules
or slaves to those other people.
And that is what was happening to these young Christians
in Galatia, what is now modern Turkey,
2,000 years ago.
And there's a danger for every one of us today
who professes to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
There's very much a danger for those who do not yet know Jesus Christ.
So what's going on here?
Well, Paul has been writing to these Galatians
to not be slaves but to retain the freedom they have in Jesus Christ.
But these false teachers have come in
who are very sincere, very plausible, very polite.
And they said, no, you need to follow these rules.
If you want to be truly secure as part of God's people,
you need to follow these Old Testament rules over here,
like we do.
Then you'll know you're really part of God's people.
So Paul is warning them against that slavery.
He starts to go before and after contrast to remind them.
Look at verse 8.
Formally, he said, when you did not know God,
you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
In those days, these people would have followed
the gods of the Roman world or the Greek world
or the local cults in Asia Minor.
But all those religions were basically the same
as every religion is across the world.
All based on the basic principle,
the elementary principle, as Paul puts it in verse 10.
If you do enough good stuff, God will accept you.
That's what drives, in a sense, the new mother
looking at those baby manuals.
If I do this, it will all be alright.
What drives the devout Muslim
keeping the fast of Ramadan
in the hope that if he keeps these rules,
Allah will be merciful to him on Judgment Day.
See, those things are essentially fear-driven.
Keeping the rules to hope you'll be alright.
And that means they're always self-centered, actually.
So we're always consumed with our own performance.
Have I done enough?
And when we're consumed with rules
or wanting to please others,
it either goes one of two ways, doesn't it?
Our self-centeredness, it either leads to pride,
we look down on other people
who don't do it as well as we do,
or despair,
if you're another type of person,
where you think, I have never matched up.
And so instead of freedom and joy,
we end up with slavery, self-centeredness,
pride and despair.
Paul's saying that formally.
You follow those rules,
but you shouldn't anymore.
Look at verse 15.
Remember what happened after
you first believed the Gospel.
What then has become of your blessedness,
your happiness, we could say?
For I testify to you
that if possible,
you would have gouged out your eyes
and given them to me.
See, Paul had only ended up in Galatia
preaching the Gospel
because of some illness.
It seems probably connected with his eyes.
He said, you are so happy,
the joy you experienced
in knowing the living God
through faith in Jesus Christ.
Made you generous.
You are saved from despair
and pride and slavery.
To be generous,
has God been generous to you?
Now how would that happen?
It's because in the good news
of Jesus Christ,
this Gospel that Paul preached,
people could discover
they could be accepted by God,
not because of what they had done,
but because of what Jesus has done.
When they had this blessedness,
as Paul puts it in verse 15,
it's because they could say
what Paul said back in chapter 2,
verse 20.
The life I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me.
They knew they'd be loved by the living God,
loved by the Son of God
who had given himself for them.
So they were set free
from the religious rules,
set free from pride and despair,
set free from the self-centeredness
of performance.
To be generous,
to be joyful,
to be blessed.
A joy-driven, self-giving life.
Paul says that's what you experience.
So why,
why are you heading back to the slavery?
Well of course the reason
they're heading back to slavery,
the same reason you and I
will head back to the slavery of rules,
is we like rules
because we feel we're achieving,
we feel we're secure.
We like the praise of other people
because it is tangible,
it is there for us.
We're just like them, aren't we?
So what does Paul do
to win these people back?
How can we be kept
living by faith
in the Son of God
who loved us
and gave himself for us?
Well as we look through these verses
we'll see Paul
is reminding them
of the joy and delight
they had by faith in Christ.
He's reminding them
two things of that.
First of all,
he's calling them to enjoy
the security they had
with God
by faith in Christ.
Enjoy the security
of your relationship
with God,
he says.
Now you see they weren't
enjoying that security
if you look at verse 10.
What were they doing
in their slavery?
You observed days
and months
and seasons
and years.
These were all
Jewish practices,
mainly from the Old Testament
but then embellished
by Jewish tradition.
Because the false teachers
were telling them
if you kept these rules
you'll really be part
of God's people.
You'll really know
you're secure and loved.
But actually those rules
were no longer relevant.
Those things all pointed forward
to the coming of Jesus Christ
the true rescuer.
They were the school teachers
Paul put it
in the last chapter
of the Guardian
who was to point them
to Christ.
They were now redundant.
They served their purposes.
So they were not rules
to keep anymore.
because they served
their purpose.
Yet you see the temptation?
They felt if they were
doing something.
They felt if they could
measure their performance
against a rule
then actually that would
mean they're okay.
Now I don't imagine
you or I
are very tempted
to observe
Jewish customs
of months and seasons
and years.
But I bet there are rules
we all like to follow.
And I know that
from my own experience.
I mentioned earlier
my daughter being born
seven and a half years ago.
When she was about
three months old
when she'd wake up
in the morning
I'd go and take her
out for a little walk
around where we lived
so my wife could have
a little bit of extra sleep
having been up in the middle
of the night feeding her.
Now my practice
has always been
for years and years
and years
first thing in the morning
to have that as my
time of reading the Bible
and praying.
That was my time
for God
as far as I was concerned.
And so I used to get
really frustrated
on those days
where I'd sit down
and I'd finally
get a Bible open
and then Zoe
would start crying.
And I'd get really angry
with my three year old daughter.
Why?
Because I felt
she was interfering
with the thing
that maintained
my relationship
with God.
So in my mind
it was like a rule
I had to follow.
I had to have that time
of the morning
of reading and praying
otherwise I wasn't
a good Christian.
What was I doing?
I was doing exactly
the same as these Galatians.
And I was thinking
that somehow
my relationship
with God
depended
on what I was doing
not on what Christ
had done.
And so that's why
I was angry.
That's why I was angry.
Now what's the cure
for thinking
we can get right
with God
by rules
or by our own
performance?
Well let me tell you
what the cure is.
The cure is not
don't make rules
because that's just
another rule isn't it?
That doesn't help.
The cure is to enjoy
the security we have
with our Father
in Heaven.
That's what Paul
reminds me of
in verse 9 here
of chapter 4.
Now you've come
to know God
or rather be known
by God.
Do you know
how he puts it
both ways?
I think he puts it
both ways
for this reason.
Often our feelings
tell us
that we don't
really know God
or God doesn't
really know me.
That's how feelings
go up and down
don't they?
I feel terrible
unless I've had
some food.
Some of you
are probably
feeling quite sleepy
and need to have
some more coffee.
Our feelings change
with what we've eaten
with the time of day
with the weather.
Guess from America
British weather
really affects us.
You've seen the rain clouds
the last few days
you'll know why.
Our feelings
go up and down.
What does not change
is God's truth.
That's why Paul says
you've come to be
known by God.
And that word
known in the Bible
is a very personal word.
It's not like saying
I know Canberra
is the capital
of Australia.
That's just
intellectual knowledge.
Know here
is a personal word.
It's like me saying
I know my wife.
So Paul is reminding them
of this security
they have in Christ.
By faith in Christ
they are known
by God.
They're included
in the Lord Jesus.
Included
in God's family.
In the verses
before he's told them
how God has given
them his spirit.
So by the spirit
they can cry out
Abba, Father.
They are children
of the living God
simply by trusting
in Jesus Christ.
Not by what they do.
So when we're tempted
to think
we need to follow rules
to be accepted
by God
or when we're tempted
in society
to think that
our worth
our identity
is found in what we do
what we've achieved.
We need to come back
and remember
and enjoy
the security
we can only have
through faith
in Jesus Christ.
The security
of being known
and loved
by our Father
in Heaven.
That does not come
by going to Mass
every week.
It does not come
by heading to church
every so often.
It does not come
through being
a nice person.
It comes only
through faith
in Christ.
Here's the first point
Paul is making.
Enjoy the security
of God's relationship
with you.
Flee the slavery.
Flee thinking
you need to have
that 20 minutes
in the morning.
But your relationship
with God
depends on that.
It does not.
It depends
on Christ
who died for you.
There's another reason
that Galatians
have been tempted
to turn back
to slavery.
Not just the attraction
of rules
so they can feel
they can measure
their progress
but also the attraction
of praise
from others.
Look down to verse 17
for a moment.
Paul talks about
these false teachers.
He says,
they make much of you.
Now we all like
being made much of,
don't we?
We all have people
packing us in the back
saying,
you're great,
well done.
Notice what Paul
does here
to woo these
young Christians
back to the truth
of Jesus Christ.
He doesn't give them,
he doesn't flatter them.
Rather,
he compares
his ministry
and the ministry
of these false teachers.
He compares
his motives,
his methods,
his goals
and his results
and their methods.
Motives,
methods,
goals and results.
So let's quickly
look at that contrast.
First of all,
what is Paul's motive?
What is Paul's motive
in sharing the good news
of Jesus Christ with them?
Well back in chapter 1
verse 10
he said,
I'm not out to please people.
If I was,
I wouldn't be preaching
the gospel message.
But those verses
I quoted earlier
from chapter 2
verse 20,
turn back over the page
if you like.
He tells us
his motivation
for everything.
Chapter 2
verse 20
The end of the verse,
the life I now live
in the flesh,
I live by faith
in the Son of God
who loved me
and gave himself
for me.
See,
Paul's motivation
is love for Christ,
love because Christ
has loved him.
So that's his motivation.
Love for Christ.
What's his method?
We'll turn back to chapter 4
and look at verse 12.
Brothers,
I entreat you,
become as I am
for I also
became
as you are.
What was his method
in sharing this good news
with other people?
It wasn't to stand
in the street corner
shouting at them.
It wasn't even just
to give them a little look.
It was to identify
with them,
to live with them
in their community,
to live their way
of life with them.
He tells us elsewhere
in 1 Corinthians
chapter 9
verses 20 and 22
that this was his method.
He would identify
with people
in order to get away
all the barriers
that could prevent them
hearing the good news
of Jesus.
And the reason
he puts it like this here
is he wants the Galatians
to stop identifying
with those false teachers
saying you need
to do these rules
but instead
to identify
with him
and being motivated
to live their life
by love
for the saviour
who first loved them.
Well that's Paul's
motive and method.
What's the false teacher's
method?
Oh he spells it out
in verse 17.
They make much of you.
They were flattering
with Galatians.
They say you guys
are really special
and you can be
even more special
if you're doing this
or you're following
our rules.
That's just like
the TV evangelists
we see today
who will tell you
you will be blessed
if you donate money
and give you
some credit card
details now.
Or like the false teachers
who will tell you
God has a perfect plan
for your life.
God has your best life now.
If only you'll put your
if only you'll come
and read my book
follow my way.
Or like the others
who say
if you really want
your prayers heard
and you're good enough
to come on my special
retreat over here
learn this meditative
technique
then
you'll really
get free to God.
These teachers
were making much of them
they were flattering them.
And what's their motive
for doing it?
Now look at the rest
of verse 17.
They make much of you
but for no good purpose
they want to shut you out.
In other words
these teachers
could see
the Galatians
going off
following the true gospel
and they didn't want that
because they wanted
to crowd for themselves
they said come over here
wonderful
special blessed people
God has a perfect plan
for you.
So flattering them
so they
could gain the following.
They wanted to have
more Facebook friends
they wanted to have
more people
following their tweets
they wanted to have
more hits
on their blog
and on their websites
more donations
in their accounts.
So their goal
was to shut
these young Christians
out of the kingdom
of God.
what was at the bottom
of all that?
It's pride
isn't it?
Pride
it's pride
that makes us
want to follow rules
it's pride
that makes us
want the praise
of other people
it's pride
that made these
false teachers
want to have
their rules
want to have
their following.
In contrast
what's the goal
of Paul's ministry?
He tells us
in verse 18
isn't he?
It is always good
to be made much of
for a good purpose
not only when I am
present with you
in other words
he's saying
I don't mind
other people
encouraging you
and affirming you
if they're doing it
for a good reason
I'm not trying
to control you
I'm not hung up
about the number
of people
following my tweets
I don't care
about that
so I don't mind
if they're encouraging
you for a good purpose
rather than
drag you away
but here's Paul's goal
verse 19
my little children
for you am I
again in the anguish
of childbirth
until Christ
is formed
in you
see what's Paul's goal?
it's not that he'll
have lots of followers
it's not that people
will like him
his goal
is that the lives
of these believers
will be transformed
so that Christ
is formed
in them
that instead of
being insecure
feeling they're
not good enough
they may know
the power
and presence
of the Lord Jesus Christ
instead of fighting
and squabbling
and being proud
they may know
the humility
and wholeness
of Christ
he wants to see
Christ's character
developed in them
you'll see that
more and more
when we get to
chapter 5
and do you know
just how passionate
he feels about this
again he is in anguish
as in the pains
of childbirth
it's the expression
of his heart's desire
for him
not only his heart's desire
but his work for him
in writing this letter
it's a pained letter
it's the expression
of his prayers for him
the anguish
that he has
as he prays for them
day by day
now wouldn't it be
wonderful
if it was our desire
for Christ
to be formed in us
not our desire
to be approved of
by others
or to feel good
about ourselves
from following rules
our desire
to be transformed
to reflect
instead of our
brokenness
and confusedness
and muddledness
the beauty
and wholeness
of the Lord Jesus
you see
that is the gospel
promise
that is what
God is doing
at the end of this
letter Paul will
talk about
the new creation
is all that matters
that is the new creation
God is bringing about
by the work of the
risen Jesus
in the hearts
of all who trust
in him
so you see how
the Galatians
are supposed to
respond to this
contrast
remember your
form of slavery
you fled that
and you had that
blessedness
when you first
trusted in Christ
the blessedness
that comes
because you knew
you were declared
right with God
you knew you received
the Holy Spirit
by faith
by which you call out
Abba
Father
no the fatherhood
of God
you've been included
in God's people
you're heirs of
God's promises
adopted as God's
children
all of that
encompassed by
Christ is being
formed in you
you're being made
into new people
he's wooing them
back isn't he
he wants them to
see the blessedness
the happiness
the goodness
they once had
the happiness
of knowing
they're truly loved
that their failings
and rebellions
would not be held
against them
the happiness
of knowing
they're secure
before the Holy God
and that only comes
by trusting
in Jesus Christ
now what are a couple
of practical consequences
of longing
for that blessedness
what Paul spells out too
briefly tells us
what we should listen for
we should listen
for the truth
don't just listen
to people who
will make much of you
as these false
teachers were doing
if we only listen
to people who
agree with us
and who at the end
of the day
we're actually
submitting to
if we only listen
to things that
make us feel better
then how is Christ
going to be formed
in us
we will not change
we'll just end up
in slavery
we also need to
listen for the
whole truth
we need to listen
to the truth
we need to long
for Christ
to be formed in us
that should be our
aspiration
that should be our
prayer
often our prayers
we long for little
things don't we
for someone to
to feel a bit
better
for someone to
do well in exams
for someone to
have a refreshing
holiday
they're not bad
things to pray
for
but isn't there
something deeper
and better
that Christ
may be formed
in us
because that is
the work God
is doing
he's forming
the character
of his son
in us who
believe
remaking all
our brokenness
remoulding all
our wonkiness
and forming
even in us
the beauty
and fullness
of Jesus
now how's that
going to come
about
not by
following rules
not by longing
for praise
of others
but by trusting
in the Lord
Jesus Christ
the son of God
who loved us
and gave himself
for us
let's enjoy the
security we have
with God
because of him
let's enjoy
the blessing
of God's work
in us
because of Christ
let's pray together
God