1 00:00:01,751 --> 00:00:04,265 I have been at this conference every year 2 00:00:04,265 --> 00:00:07,160 for the past four years. 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:08,812 And I think I can say 4 00:00:08,812 --> 00:00:10,308 that after a day-and-a-half, 5 00:00:10,308 --> 00:00:11,850 or I guess maybe two half-days, 6 00:00:11,850 --> 00:00:13,024 something like that, 7 00:00:13,024 --> 00:00:15,979 this one is my favorite. 8 00:00:15,979 --> 00:00:18,652 I have been ministered to in ways 9 00:00:18,652 --> 00:00:20,335 that I wasn't expecting, 10 00:00:20,335 --> 00:00:23,687 just getting to talk to brothers and sisters 11 00:00:23,687 --> 00:00:27,558 and receive encouragement in the Lord, 12 00:00:27,558 --> 00:00:30,989 and I hope I've been able to sit with a few of you 13 00:00:30,989 --> 00:00:36,116 and minister to you and encourage you. 14 00:00:36,116 --> 00:00:37,998 And so at the same time as I feel 15 00:00:37,998 --> 00:00:40,793 this opportunity to minister to 16 00:00:40,793 --> 00:00:44,038 and this opportunity to be ministered to, 17 00:00:44,038 --> 00:00:47,818 I have come away from the last day-and-a-half 18 00:00:47,818 --> 00:00:50,089 with an increased burden. 19 00:00:50,089 --> 00:00:52,239 I feel burdened. 20 00:00:52,239 --> 00:00:54,687 And I think I feel burdened 21 00:00:54,687 --> 00:00:59,092 in the best kind of way. 22 00:00:59,092 --> 00:01:01,884 I got to talk to John Sytsma 23 00:01:01,884 --> 00:01:03,346 this afternoon, 24 00:01:03,346 --> 00:01:05,002 and to hear about the obstacles 25 00:01:05,002 --> 00:01:09,060 to the work there in the 10/40 window. 26 00:01:09,060 --> 00:01:11,294 I got to hear from him 27 00:01:11,294 --> 00:01:12,811 of the sex trafficking 28 00:01:12,811 --> 00:01:13,969 in some of the countries 29 00:01:13,969 --> 00:01:16,575 where he's ministered. 30 00:01:16,575 --> 00:01:25,311 Entire towns without teenage girls. 31 00:01:25,311 --> 00:01:26,571 I've got a 13 year old. 32 00:01:26,571 --> 00:01:29,693 I don't even know how to process that. 33 00:01:29,693 --> 00:01:31,895 Because they've been sold, 34 00:01:31,895 --> 00:01:33,735 by and large, 35 00:01:33,735 --> 00:01:36,736 into the sex trade. 36 00:01:36,736 --> 00:01:38,249 I got to just say a few words 37 00:01:38,249 --> 00:01:39,898 to Josef Urban who we heard 38 00:01:39,898 --> 00:01:42,135 a great testimony from last year, 39 00:01:42,135 --> 00:01:44,916 and he was telling of a new church 40 00:01:44,916 --> 00:01:47,050 that's being planted in Mexico, 41 00:01:47,050 --> 00:01:49,191 and yet the thing under his breath 42 00:01:49,191 --> 00:01:55,491 is we need more workers. 43 00:01:55,491 --> 00:01:56,898 I got to speak to a brother 44 00:01:56,898 --> 00:01:58,441 who's a bi-vocational pastor 45 00:01:58,441 --> 00:02:00,275 who's serving a little church, 46 00:02:00,275 --> 00:02:03,079 but working a job that is killing him, 47 00:02:03,079 --> 00:02:06,294 and just seeing the quality of his service 48 00:02:06,294 --> 00:02:08,449 dwindle because of the amount of time 49 00:02:08,449 --> 00:02:11,600 he's having to pour into 50 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,686 the job he has at this time. 51 00:02:14,686 --> 00:02:16,975 Spoke to a friend who's having problems 52 00:02:16,975 --> 00:02:20,079 with his house - the actual, physical one. 53 00:02:20,079 --> 00:02:21,959 Like, it's breaking down. 54 00:02:21,959 --> 00:02:23,207 And then, on top of that, 55 00:02:23,207 --> 00:02:25,471 problems in the home; 56 00:02:25,471 --> 00:02:27,950 extended family. 57 00:02:27,950 --> 00:02:30,212 And I hear all that, 58 00:02:30,212 --> 00:02:32,402 and I'll be honest with you, 59 00:02:32,402 --> 00:02:36,161 my reaction as a preacher is: 60 00:02:36,161 --> 00:02:40,550 What's the sermon that can fix it all? 61 00:02:40,550 --> 00:02:42,372 I just want to help 62 00:02:42,372 --> 00:02:43,702 every one of those people 63 00:02:43,702 --> 00:02:45,570 and I assume that each of those people 64 00:02:45,570 --> 00:02:49,148 just represent all of us. 65 00:02:49,148 --> 00:02:52,489 That all of us have great need. 66 00:02:52,489 --> 00:02:54,270 And the question I come away 67 00:02:54,270 --> 00:02:56,808 from those conversations asking myself 68 00:02:56,808 --> 00:03:03,514 is what can sustain God's people? 69 00:03:03,514 --> 00:03:05,824 What can move so that there's 70 00:03:05,824 --> 00:03:07,812 more than enough workers in Mexico; 71 00:03:07,812 --> 00:03:09,997 what can move so whether 72 00:03:09,997 --> 00:03:12,295 a bi-vocational pastor gets more support, 73 00:03:12,295 --> 00:03:14,188 so he doesn't have to be bi-vocational, 74 00:03:14,188 --> 00:03:17,313 or he just gets strength to stay bi-vocational; 75 00:03:17,313 --> 00:03:20,739 what can move so that God's people 76 00:03:20,739 --> 00:03:23,564 are sustained when their homes 77 00:03:23,564 --> 00:03:24,638 and their houses 78 00:03:24,638 --> 00:03:28,337 and their extended family are falling 79 00:03:28,337 --> 00:03:33,466 as a result of the fall? 80 00:03:33,466 --> 00:03:35,960 And I believe we need 81 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:40,881 a tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 82 00:03:40,881 --> 00:03:44,594 We need an entire Person of the Trinity 83 00:03:44,594 --> 00:03:45,977 to help us. 84 00:03:45,977 --> 00:03:49,211 We need all of the Holy Spirit 85 00:03:49,211 --> 00:03:53,561 bringing us into all that Christ has done 86 00:03:53,561 --> 00:03:56,972 so that we can enjoy all of our relationship 87 00:03:56,972 --> 00:03:58,981 to the Father. 88 00:03:58,981 --> 00:04:02,162 And that sustains but it also motivates 89 00:04:02,162 --> 00:04:07,316 more to move out and help, doesn't it? 90 00:04:07,316 --> 00:04:09,483 I talked to another brother today, 91 00:04:09,483 --> 00:04:11,489 and he said in the last twenty years, 92 00:04:11,489 --> 00:04:14,380 I've heard better, clearer, 93 00:04:14,380 --> 00:04:16,859 theologically precise presentations 94 00:04:16,859 --> 00:04:22,089 of the Gospel than I've ever heard before. 95 00:04:22,089 --> 00:04:24,504 And I believe we are witnessing 96 00:04:24,504 --> 00:04:26,735 a season where there are many 97 00:04:26,735 --> 00:04:30,673 clearly and biblically articulating 98 00:04:30,673 --> 00:04:31,840 the Gospel. 99 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:34,888 And we should thank God for that. 100 00:04:34,888 --> 00:04:37,173 But he said before those twenty years, 101 00:04:37,173 --> 00:04:38,722 I heard less clear presentations 102 00:04:38,722 --> 00:04:39,628 of the Gospel, 103 00:04:39,628 --> 00:04:44,010 and they came with more power. 104 00:04:44,010 --> 00:04:46,424 That is not an excuse 105 00:04:46,424 --> 00:04:48,325 for a lack of precision in preaching. 106 00:04:48,325 --> 00:04:50,148 Study hard to show yourself approved, 107 00:04:50,148 --> 00:04:52,054 a workman who need not be ashamed, 108 00:04:52,054 --> 00:04:54,800 rightly dividing the word of truth. 109 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:59,647 But if it's rightly divided and powerless, 110 00:04:59,647 --> 00:05:03,224 that's one more testimony that we need 111 00:05:03,224 --> 00:05:07,895 the power of the Holy Spirit. 112 00:05:07,895 --> 00:05:10,001 And if those burdens weren't enough, 113 00:05:10,001 --> 00:05:12,847 then we heard those last two sermons. 114 00:05:12,847 --> 00:05:15,768 And I just walk away from 115 00:05:15,768 --> 00:05:17,925 Brother Mack's sermon 116 00:05:17,925 --> 00:05:20,357 and Brother Kevin's sermon 117 00:05:20,357 --> 00:05:23,467 with this desire in my soul 118 00:05:23,467 --> 00:05:25,021 that I want to share with you 119 00:05:25,021 --> 00:05:27,164 from God's Word tonight. 120 00:05:27,164 --> 00:05:28,880 Remember Brother Mack's sermon: 121 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,292 Christ was a man. 122 00:05:32,292 --> 00:05:34,641 He had an umbilical cord. 123 00:05:34,641 --> 00:05:37,353 He had been utterly dependent 124 00:05:37,353 --> 00:05:39,014 on His mother. 125 00:05:39,014 --> 00:05:40,218 He was a man. 126 00:05:40,218 --> 00:05:41,604 And yet, as a man, 127 00:05:41,604 --> 00:05:44,607 He moved like no other man moved 128 00:05:44,607 --> 00:05:47,355 because of the power and the presence 129 00:05:47,355 --> 00:05:51,107 of the Holy Spirit on His life. 130 00:05:51,107 --> 00:05:53,502 That's what motivated Christ. 131 00:05:53,502 --> 00:05:55,701 That's what empowered Christ 132 00:05:55,701 --> 00:05:59,027 to move as no other man moved 133 00:05:59,027 --> 00:06:01,693 was that He - our older Brother - 134 00:06:01,693 --> 00:06:04,004 had the Spirit that now 135 00:06:04,004 --> 00:06:06,927 we have been given. 136 00:06:06,927 --> 00:06:09,600 Oh, if that doesn't whet your appetite 137 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,103 for more empowerment from God's Spirit, 138 00:06:13,103 --> 00:06:14,835 you might need to put a mirror 139 00:06:14,835 --> 00:06:20,558 under your nose and check for breath. 140 00:06:20,558 --> 00:06:22,129 And then Brother Kevin 141 00:06:22,129 --> 00:06:26,206 so clearly laying out these two ways 142 00:06:26,206 --> 00:06:30,082 that men approach God. 143 00:06:30,082 --> 00:06:32,636 One: By blood sacrifice 144 00:06:32,636 --> 00:06:34,729 offered in faith - 145 00:06:34,729 --> 00:06:35,972 I love that point - 146 00:06:35,972 --> 00:06:38,256 that brings us to God. 147 00:06:38,256 --> 00:06:39,896 So glorious. 148 00:06:39,896 --> 00:06:47,252 It makes us accepted to God by Him. 149 00:06:47,252 --> 00:06:49,636 And the other way, 150 00:06:49,636 --> 00:06:52,717 which is offering our "very best" to God 151 00:06:52,717 --> 00:06:55,104 like He now owes us something, 152 00:06:55,104 --> 00:06:57,210 because we showed up to give Him our best, 153 00:06:57,210 --> 00:06:59,991 and how that is utterly rejected by God. 154 00:06:59,991 --> 00:07:01,960 And what I want to do in this message 155 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:03,783 is I want to try to combine 156 00:07:03,783 --> 00:07:04,949 the last two messages. 157 00:07:04,949 --> 00:07:05,855 I want to ask, 158 00:07:05,855 --> 00:07:09,049 how do you get the power 159 00:07:09,049 --> 00:07:10,279 of the Holy Spirit 160 00:07:10,279 --> 00:07:12,860 that the Lord Jesus Christ had 161 00:07:12,860 --> 00:07:14,198 on your life? 162 00:07:14,198 --> 00:07:16,814 How do you walk in 163 00:07:16,814 --> 00:07:18,840 the power of the Holy Spirit 164 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:20,690 that Brother Mack said was on 165 00:07:20,690 --> 00:07:21,967 the Lord Jesus Christ? 166 00:07:21,967 --> 00:07:23,908 And I want to answer that question 167 00:07:23,908 --> 00:07:27,611 by saying it's by the Gospel Kevin preached. 168 00:07:27,611 --> 00:07:28,903 You see, this Gospel 169 00:07:28,903 --> 00:07:30,244 that our brother preached, 170 00:07:30,244 --> 00:07:32,995 for unbelievers - to win many of you to Christ, 171 00:07:32,995 --> 00:07:35,072 is the Gospel that Christians 172 00:07:35,072 --> 00:07:36,915 are meant to live by. 173 00:07:36,915 --> 00:07:38,623 It is not something that's merely 174 00:07:38,623 --> 00:07:41,387 to take us at the moment of our conversion. 175 00:07:41,387 --> 00:07:42,987 It's not something that's merely 176 00:07:42,987 --> 00:07:45,149 to grip us at the moment 177 00:07:45,149 --> 00:07:47,132 when we are born again, 178 00:07:47,132 --> 00:07:49,185 but it is to be our lifeblood 179 00:07:49,185 --> 00:07:52,768 for the entirety of our - 180 00:07:52,768 --> 00:07:56,343 I was going to say lives, but that would be wrong. 181 00:07:56,343 --> 00:08:00,215 For the entirety of our eternity. 182 00:08:00,215 --> 00:08:03,169 The light of eternity 183 00:08:03,169 --> 00:08:09,629 will be the slain Lamb of God. 184 00:08:09,629 --> 00:08:11,627 And so I want to think with you about 185 00:08:11,627 --> 00:08:12,684 what does it look like 186 00:08:12,684 --> 00:08:16,996 for the Gospel to give us the Spirit 187 00:08:16,996 --> 00:08:18,274 that empowers, 188 00:08:18,274 --> 00:08:19,899 and what would get in the way 189 00:08:19,899 --> 00:08:22,047 of the Gospel giving us the Spirit? 190 00:08:22,047 --> 00:08:24,130 So we know we need the Spirit 191 00:08:24,130 --> 00:08:26,405 and we know (or I hope we know) 192 00:08:26,405 --> 00:08:28,544 that in order to have more of the Spirit, 193 00:08:28,544 --> 00:08:29,824 we need to make sure 194 00:08:29,824 --> 00:08:35,015 that we are clinging to the Gospel. 195 00:08:35,015 --> 00:08:37,553 And so what I want to do, 196 00:08:37,553 --> 00:08:40,876 is I want to ask you a question. 197 00:08:40,876 --> 00:08:44,176 Then I want to answer it. 198 00:08:44,176 --> 00:08:45,961 Then I want to read a Scripture. 199 00:08:45,961 --> 00:08:47,230 And then I want to pray. 200 00:08:47,230 --> 00:08:48,690 I am going to pray. 201 00:08:48,690 --> 00:08:51,732 But I want to first ask you a question. 202 00:08:51,732 --> 00:08:54,737 Then I want to give you an answer. 203 00:08:54,737 --> 00:08:58,105 And then I want to read you a Scripture. 204 00:08:58,105 --> 00:09:01,671 And then I want to pray. 205 00:09:01,671 --> 00:09:05,583 What should a good pastor do 206 00:09:05,583 --> 00:09:08,788 if he sees the people he loves 207 00:09:08,788 --> 00:09:14,177 drifting away from the Gospel? 208 00:09:14,177 --> 00:09:17,419 What should a faithful man of God do 209 00:09:17,419 --> 00:09:18,812 if he sees the people 210 00:09:18,812 --> 00:09:20,439 that he explained to them, 211 00:09:20,439 --> 00:09:21,217 he said to them, 212 00:09:21,217 --> 00:09:22,841 listen, the way you're saved 213 00:09:22,841 --> 00:09:24,357 is by nothing other 214 00:09:24,357 --> 00:09:27,282 than the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. 215 00:09:27,282 --> 00:09:29,077 It's by His shed blood alone, 216 00:09:29,077 --> 00:09:32,039 paying the blood penalty you should have paid, 217 00:09:32,039 --> 00:09:33,811 but He paid it. 218 00:09:33,811 --> 00:09:36,391 You simply repent and believe in Him. 219 00:09:36,391 --> 00:09:41,082 What if that man sees the people he loves 220 00:09:41,082 --> 00:09:43,776 swerving? 221 00:09:43,776 --> 00:09:46,591 Drifting into some system? 222 00:09:46,591 --> 00:09:50,071 Some man-made legalistic system 223 00:09:50,071 --> 00:09:52,222 that gives them another way 224 00:09:52,222 --> 00:09:53,384 to really be saved, 225 00:09:53,384 --> 00:09:55,090 or we'll even say, fully saved? 226 00:09:55,090 --> 00:09:57,150 To really enter in with God. 227 00:09:57,150 --> 00:09:58,945 What if he finds them learning 228 00:09:58,945 --> 00:10:01,292 that not only do they need to believe the Gospel, 229 00:10:01,292 --> 00:10:03,814 but they also need to abstain from all alcohol. 230 00:10:03,814 --> 00:10:06,256 That is clearly the way to heaven. 231 00:10:06,256 --> 00:10:07,780 What if he sees them find out 232 00:10:07,780 --> 00:10:09,644 that they need to embrace the Gospel, 233 00:10:09,644 --> 00:10:11,809 but clearly, they need to be homeschooling 234 00:10:11,809 --> 00:10:13,616 because if you're not homeschooling, 235 00:10:13,616 --> 00:10:16,802 you would clearly be in a second-class position 236 00:10:16,802 --> 00:10:18,136 with God. 237 00:10:18,136 --> 00:10:20,383 What if he sees them in a situation 238 00:10:20,383 --> 00:10:23,486 where they are hearing the Gospel, 239 00:10:23,486 --> 00:10:24,401 loving the Gospel, 240 00:10:24,401 --> 00:10:25,589 and then all of a sudden, 241 00:10:25,589 --> 00:10:27,970 they are being derailed into some idea 242 00:10:27,970 --> 00:10:29,418 that their church needs to be 243 00:10:29,418 --> 00:10:31,976 a particularly perfect kind of way 244 00:10:31,976 --> 00:10:34,148 before they can really flourish 245 00:10:34,148 --> 00:10:35,757 in the Gospel? 246 00:10:35,757 --> 00:10:38,676 What kind of things would a pastor say 247 00:10:38,676 --> 00:10:41,063 to his people if he felt 248 00:10:41,063 --> 00:10:43,779 and if he saw that they were drifting 249 00:10:43,779 --> 00:10:45,091 from the Gospel? 250 00:10:45,091 --> 00:10:48,289 That's my question. 251 00:10:48,289 --> 00:10:50,977 Here's my answer. 252 00:10:50,977 --> 00:10:54,113 You stupid fools! 253 00:10:54,113 --> 00:10:57,410 Who is feeding you this garbage? 254 00:10:57,410 --> 00:10:59,016 Are you drunk? 255 00:10:59,016 --> 00:11:01,824 Are you under some kind of spell? 256 00:11:01,824 --> 00:11:03,796 I preached Jesus Christ was crucified 257 00:11:03,796 --> 00:11:05,516 to pay for all your sins every week, 258 00:11:05,516 --> 00:11:06,839 and now you're eating up 259 00:11:06,839 --> 00:11:08,163 this legalistic garbage? 260 00:11:08,163 --> 00:11:09,234 Don't you remember 261 00:11:09,234 --> 00:11:10,802 when I first counseled with you, 262 00:11:10,802 --> 00:11:12,856 how you trusted the Gospel alone, 263 00:11:12,856 --> 00:11:14,500 and now you think you're going to 264 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:16,527 get the Spirit by some finishing 265 00:11:16,527 --> 00:11:18,347 of some legalistic expectation? 266 00:11:18,347 --> 00:11:19,445 Some checklist? 267 00:11:19,445 --> 00:11:21,068 Are you completely out to lunch 268 00:11:21,068 --> 00:11:23,106 having started by God's Holy Spirit? 269 00:11:23,106 --> 00:11:25,173 Now, you've got this little checklist 270 00:11:25,173 --> 00:11:26,388 that you're going to keep 271 00:11:26,388 --> 00:11:27,759 and if you keep it perfectly 272 00:11:27,759 --> 00:11:29,134 you're going to be empowered 273 00:11:29,134 --> 00:11:30,140 for obedience? 274 00:11:30,140 --> 00:11:34,242 You are foolish! 275 00:11:34,242 --> 00:11:36,366 Have you had so many glorious experiences 276 00:11:36,366 --> 00:11:37,955 that flow from the Gospel? 277 00:11:37,955 --> 00:11:39,996 Or are you throwing that all away 278 00:11:39,996 --> 00:11:41,509 so you can go to the legalism? 279 00:11:41,509 --> 00:11:43,125 Listen, God does not supply 280 00:11:43,125 --> 00:11:45,263 the Spirit to you and work miracles 281 00:11:45,263 --> 00:11:46,677 in this congregation - 282 00:11:46,677 --> 00:11:48,232 He doesn't do it because 283 00:11:48,232 --> 00:11:50,358 you've fulfilled some legalistic checklist 284 00:11:50,358 --> 00:11:51,518 of expectations. 285 00:11:51,518 --> 00:11:54,168 He does it simply because 286 00:11:54,168 --> 00:11:58,603 you believe the Gospel. 287 00:11:58,603 --> 00:12:04,739 And I think that's the right answer. 288 00:12:04,739 --> 00:12:06,560 I think it's the right answer 289 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:08,726 because I don't think that a godly pastor 290 00:12:08,726 --> 00:12:10,859 always sounds like Mr. Rogers 291 00:12:10,859 --> 00:12:15,899 on Valium with a Bible. 292 00:12:15,899 --> 00:12:19,358 Now Johnny, you really shouldn't be a legalist. 293 00:12:19,358 --> 00:12:21,560 Thinking you can work your way to heaven 294 00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:25,045 and you need to come on back to Jesus. 295 00:12:25,045 --> 00:12:27,115 I think sometimes a godly pastor 296 00:12:27,115 --> 00:12:30,082 sounds like a dad whose kid 297 00:12:30,082 --> 00:12:32,310 is playing in the road. 298 00:12:32,310 --> 00:12:34,469 And he engages in some sanctified yelling. 299 00:12:34,469 --> 00:12:36,004 You fool! Get out of the road! 300 00:12:36,004 --> 00:12:39,126 You're going to get killed in there! 301 00:12:39,126 --> 00:12:40,956 That car's going roll over you 302 00:12:40,956 --> 00:12:44,329 and it's done! 303 00:12:44,329 --> 00:12:45,813 But more importantly, 304 00:12:45,813 --> 00:12:48,865 I think that's the way you respond because that's the way 305 00:12:48,865 --> 00:12:52,329 the Apostle Paul responded in Galatians 3:1-5. 306 00:12:52,329 --> 00:12:55,032 That's the way he spoke. 307 00:12:55,032 --> 00:12:58,769 Now, time out. 308 00:12:58,769 --> 00:13:03,006 That's not the way you normally speak. 309 00:13:03,006 --> 00:13:04,003 Some of you, 310 00:13:04,003 --> 00:13:05,216 you can take this sermon 311 00:13:05,216 --> 00:13:06,749 and from now on you're going to be: 312 00:13:06,749 --> 00:13:10,836 You fool! You fool! You fool! 313 00:13:10,836 --> 00:13:14,704 This ought to be the big exception 314 00:13:14,704 --> 00:13:22,131 to the general gentleness of your life. 315 00:13:22,131 --> 00:13:25,225 "Oh, foolish Galatians. 316 00:13:25,225 --> 00:13:31,276 Who has bewitched you? 317 00:13:31,276 --> 00:13:33,482 It was before your eyes 318 00:13:33,482 --> 00:13:38,012 that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed 319 00:13:38,012 --> 00:13:41,211 as crucified. 320 00:13:41,211 --> 00:13:43,820 Let me ask you only this - 321 00:13:43,820 --> 00:13:45,661 did you receive the Spirit 322 00:13:45,661 --> 00:13:47,449 by works of the law 323 00:13:47,449 --> 00:13:51,431 or by hearing with faith? 324 00:13:51,431 --> 00:13:52,929 Are you so foolish 325 00:13:52,929 --> 00:13:55,415 having begun by the Spirit, 326 00:13:55,415 --> 00:13:57,703 are you now being perfected 327 00:13:57,703 --> 00:13:59,874 by the flesh? 328 00:13:59,874 --> 00:14:02,390 Did you suffer so many things in vain 329 00:14:02,390 --> 00:14:04,489 if indeed it was in vain? 330 00:14:04,489 --> 00:14:06,930 Does He Who supplies the Spirit to you 331 00:14:06,930 --> 00:14:08,842 and works miracles among you 332 00:14:08,842 --> 00:14:11,242 do so by works of the law 333 00:14:11,242 --> 00:14:16,366 or by hearing with faith? 334 00:14:16,366 --> 00:14:19,858 Just as Abraham believed God, 335 00:14:19,858 --> 00:14:22,184 and it was counted to him 336 00:14:22,184 --> 00:14:25,807 as righteousness." 337 00:14:25,807 --> 00:14:28,836 Let's pray. 338 00:14:28,836 --> 00:14:32,283 Father, we come before You. 339 00:14:32,283 --> 00:14:35,231 We ask You, Lord, that You would... 340 00:14:35,231 --> 00:14:36,492 well, first of all Lord, 341 00:14:36,492 --> 00:14:38,114 we just ask that You would 342 00:14:38,114 --> 00:14:39,848 pour out Your Holy Spirit on us 343 00:14:39,848 --> 00:14:41,708 and do miracles among us 344 00:14:41,708 --> 00:14:44,881 just by our belief in the Gospel. 345 00:14:44,881 --> 00:14:49,154 Just by the Gospel. 346 00:14:49,154 --> 00:14:50,429 That's my prayer, Lord. 347 00:14:50,429 --> 00:14:53,941 And I ask you to sanctify me to that task. 348 00:14:53,941 --> 00:14:56,246 Lord, I know that many of the things I'm saying 349 00:14:56,246 --> 00:14:58,012 are going to be said on a razor's edge. 350 00:14:58,012 --> 00:15:00,095 Give me clarity. 351 00:15:00,095 --> 00:15:02,100 Set a guard over the door of my mouth 352 00:15:02,100 --> 00:15:05,635 that I might not sin against You. 353 00:15:05,635 --> 00:15:08,438 I pray that You would anoint 354 00:15:08,438 --> 00:15:12,655 and empower and allow the Holy Spirit 355 00:15:12,655 --> 00:15:15,710 to be experienced 356 00:15:15,710 --> 00:15:22,229 so that Christ is known. 357 00:15:22,229 --> 00:15:24,293 I pray even for the moms with babies, 358 00:15:24,293 --> 00:15:28,013 that You'd even let them focus. 359 00:15:28,013 --> 00:15:30,719 Calm the children down. 360 00:15:30,719 --> 00:15:33,338 Lord, we pray this in Jesus' name. 361 00:15:33,338 --> 00:15:37,051 Amen. 362 00:15:37,051 --> 00:15:40,349 The Apostle Paul in this passage 363 00:15:40,349 --> 00:15:43,340 sounds like a man interrogating 364 00:15:43,340 --> 00:15:47,978 the Galatian Christians under lights. 365 00:15:47,978 --> 00:15:49,947 He is asking them questions 366 00:15:49,947 --> 00:15:53,779 of Gospel interrogation. 367 00:15:53,779 --> 00:15:55,345 Don't you remember how you 368 00:15:55,345 --> 00:15:56,818 received the Holy Spirit? 369 00:15:56,818 --> 00:15:58,986 Don't you remember what God did in your life? 370 00:15:58,986 --> 00:16:01,657 He's asking them rhetorical questions 371 00:16:01,657 --> 00:16:04,335 and he is asking them these questions 372 00:16:04,335 --> 00:16:06,477 so that they will be brought back 373 00:16:06,477 --> 00:16:07,599 to their senses, 374 00:16:07,599 --> 00:16:09,862 and they will be rooted and grounded 375 00:16:09,862 --> 00:16:10,945 in the Gospel, 376 00:16:10,945 --> 00:16:12,693 and they will continue on 377 00:16:12,693 --> 00:16:16,209 in the power of the Holy Spirit. 378 00:16:16,209 --> 00:16:19,186 That's why these firm questions 379 00:16:19,186 --> 00:16:22,207 are being asked by the Apostle Paul. 380 00:16:22,207 --> 00:16:24,099 The Galatian Christians, at this point 381 00:16:24,099 --> 00:16:25,099 in their history, 382 00:16:25,099 --> 00:16:27,026 were falling hook, line, and sinker 383 00:16:27,026 --> 00:16:28,836 for a teaching that said: 384 00:16:28,836 --> 00:16:30,596 Yes, Jesus is good, 385 00:16:30,596 --> 00:16:32,419 but you also need to get circumcised, 386 00:16:32,419 --> 00:16:33,615 you need to eat kosher, 387 00:16:33,615 --> 00:16:36,178 you need to celebrate all the Jewish holidays. 388 00:16:36,178 --> 00:16:38,956 Basically, you need to add the law of Moses 389 00:16:38,956 --> 00:16:40,141 to the Gospel, 390 00:16:40,141 --> 00:16:42,290 and then, you will be declared righteous. 391 00:16:42,290 --> 00:16:44,324 Then you will be fully 392 00:16:44,324 --> 00:16:46,083 part of God's inheritance 393 00:16:46,083 --> 00:16:48,029 and God's people. 394 00:16:48,029 --> 00:16:49,890 This is what they were drifting into, 395 00:16:49,890 --> 00:16:51,423 and this is why Paul puts them 396 00:16:51,423 --> 00:16:53,099 under the lights 397 00:16:53,099 --> 00:16:57,679 and asks them all these questions. 398 00:16:57,679 --> 00:17:01,582 And all of these questions have one goal. 399 00:17:01,582 --> 00:17:03,473 The goal of all of these questions 400 00:17:03,473 --> 00:17:07,164 in Galatians 3:1-5 401 00:17:07,164 --> 00:17:09,890 is to help the people of God see 402 00:17:09,890 --> 00:17:12,059 how they were justified; 403 00:17:12,059 --> 00:17:14,540 how they came to have the Holy Spirit; 404 00:17:14,540 --> 00:17:15,721 how they came to have 405 00:17:15,721 --> 00:17:17,025 the very power of God 406 00:17:17,025 --> 00:17:19,095 resting on their lives. 407 00:17:19,095 --> 00:17:20,613 And he wants them to see that 408 00:17:20,613 --> 00:17:22,662 it had nothing to do with circumcision, 409 00:17:22,662 --> 00:17:24,803 food laws, putting special days 410 00:17:24,803 --> 00:17:26,054 on your calendar; 411 00:17:26,054 --> 00:17:28,276 it is by something completely different. 412 00:17:28,276 --> 00:17:33,525 It is simply by faith in Jesus Christ alone 413 00:17:33,525 --> 00:17:34,872 and His finished work 414 00:17:34,872 --> 00:17:37,513 that the precious gift of the Holy Spirit 415 00:17:37,513 --> 00:17:41,706 is given to the people of God. 416 00:17:41,706 --> 00:17:43,793 And Paul, being a good preacher, 417 00:17:43,793 --> 00:17:46,398 does not ask complicated questions 418 00:17:46,398 --> 00:17:47,797 to the congregation. 419 00:17:47,797 --> 00:17:49,831 These were not questions 420 00:17:49,831 --> 00:17:52,397 where the Apostle Paul would ask you 421 00:17:52,397 --> 00:17:54,230 and you would go... 422 00:17:54,230 --> 00:17:56,001 Let me get back to you on that. 423 00:17:56,001 --> 00:17:57,842 Let me think about that. 424 00:17:57,842 --> 00:18:01,147 And let me respond at some time in the future 425 00:18:01,147 --> 00:18:02,845 with exactly what it is 426 00:18:02,845 --> 00:18:05,112 that is the answer to your question. 427 00:18:05,112 --> 00:18:07,735 No, these were very basic questions 428 00:18:07,735 --> 00:18:09,812 that the Apostle Paul was asking them. 429 00:18:09,812 --> 00:18:11,317 They were rhetorical questions. 430 00:18:11,317 --> 00:18:13,402 Like, what's two plus two? It's four. 431 00:18:13,402 --> 00:18:17,739 It's an obvious and a basic answer. 432 00:18:17,739 --> 00:18:20,514 And the Apostle Paul is asking them 433 00:18:20,514 --> 00:18:22,580 so that they will remember 434 00:18:22,580 --> 00:18:27,511 what it is that gave them the Holy Spirit. 435 00:18:27,511 --> 00:18:29,958 Are you clear on that? 436 00:18:29,958 --> 00:18:34,572 Are you clear on how a man or a woman 437 00:18:34,572 --> 00:18:39,563 receives the Holy Spirit? 438 00:18:39,563 --> 00:18:43,295 We all say we need more of the Holy Spirit. 439 00:18:43,295 --> 00:18:45,848 You probably can't find an evangelical 440 00:18:45,848 --> 00:18:50,038 that wouldn't say something like that. 441 00:18:50,038 --> 00:18:51,866 Everyone would acknowledge 442 00:18:51,866 --> 00:18:57,109 we need more of the Holy Spirit. 443 00:18:57,109 --> 00:19:00,384 Are you clear on how a person 444 00:19:00,384 --> 00:19:03,412 receives the Holy Spirit? 445 00:19:03,412 --> 00:19:08,636 And how they go on with the Holy Spirit 446 00:19:08,636 --> 00:19:11,607 in His power? 447 00:19:11,607 --> 00:19:14,150 These questions serve us. 448 00:19:14,150 --> 00:19:16,086 This is a pastor serving us. 449 00:19:16,086 --> 00:19:18,194 To make us crystal clear 450 00:19:18,194 --> 00:19:20,287 on how it is the church 451 00:19:20,287 --> 00:19:21,659 and the people of God 452 00:19:21,659 --> 00:19:25,100 receive the Holy Spirit. 453 00:19:25,100 --> 00:19:27,654 Question #1: 454 00:19:27,654 --> 00:19:28,956 The first question is, 455 00:19:28,956 --> 00:19:30,355 "Oh, foolish Galatians! 456 00:19:30,355 --> 00:19:32,528 Who has bewitched you?" 457 00:19:32,528 --> 00:19:35,235 Notice, he begins with a statement about them. 458 00:19:35,235 --> 00:19:36,923 They are foolish. 459 00:19:36,923 --> 00:19:38,910 And the question is: who? 460 00:19:38,910 --> 00:19:41,132 So, he says something bad about them, 461 00:19:41,132 --> 00:19:42,415 and then he asks, 462 00:19:42,415 --> 00:19:44,609 who's doing this to you? 463 00:19:44,609 --> 00:19:46,285 And we need to think for a minute 464 00:19:46,285 --> 00:19:48,495 about what a fool is. 465 00:19:48,495 --> 00:19:51,308 Because Paul is calling them foolish, 466 00:19:51,308 --> 00:19:53,176 but we need to think a little bit 467 00:19:53,176 --> 00:19:57,355 about what it is exactly to be a fool. 468 00:19:57,355 --> 00:19:59,234 And there's two aspects that I think 469 00:19:59,234 --> 00:20:01,635 are critical here about foolishness 470 00:20:01,635 --> 00:20:03,050 in the Bible. 471 00:20:03,050 --> 00:20:05,426 Foolishness in the Bible is first of all 472 00:20:05,426 --> 00:20:07,261 that a fool doesn't see 473 00:20:07,261 --> 00:20:11,006 where present decisions are going to take him. 474 00:20:11,006 --> 00:20:14,354 A fool does not see where present decisions 475 00:20:14,354 --> 00:20:15,941 are going to take him. 476 00:20:15,941 --> 00:20:18,496 So, Proverbs 1 is written so that 477 00:20:18,496 --> 00:20:20,640 fathers can learn how to keep their children 478 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:21,519 out of gangs. 479 00:20:21,519 --> 00:20:22,894 Because 3,000 years ago, 480 00:20:22,894 --> 00:20:24,650 apparently Solomon and the people 481 00:20:24,650 --> 00:20:25,894 in the time he was living 482 00:20:25,894 --> 00:20:27,790 were already dealing with gangs. 483 00:20:27,790 --> 00:20:29,221 This is not a modern problem. 484 00:20:29,221 --> 00:20:30,781 So in Proverbs 1, 485 00:20:30,781 --> 00:20:33,728 the father comes to the son and says, 486 00:20:33,728 --> 00:20:36,703 My son, if people come to you and say 487 00:20:36,703 --> 00:20:38,877 let's get rich, let's roll a few chumps, 488 00:20:38,877 --> 00:20:40,387 and let's get their money, 489 00:20:40,387 --> 00:20:41,672 do not go in with them, 490 00:20:41,672 --> 00:20:44,104 because you will die. 491 00:20:44,104 --> 00:20:46,982 You don't lay out a net for a bird 492 00:20:46,982 --> 00:20:48,139 in front of the bird. 493 00:20:48,139 --> 00:20:49,785 The bird won't go into that net. 494 00:20:49,785 --> 00:20:51,841 He's saying, you're going to get caught up 495 00:20:51,841 --> 00:20:53,338 in this messed up lifestyle 496 00:20:53,338 --> 00:20:55,186 and be destroyed, 497 00:20:55,186 --> 00:20:57,947 if you go in with these guys 498 00:20:57,947 --> 00:21:00,418 who want to make easy money. 499 00:21:00,418 --> 00:21:02,329 And what the father is doing to his son 500 00:21:02,329 --> 00:21:05,660 is he's saying, you need to know where this is going. 501 00:21:05,660 --> 00:21:07,553 The gang members are just going to say, 502 00:21:07,553 --> 00:21:08,611 hey, we're brothers. 503 00:21:08,611 --> 00:21:11,363 Hey, we're going to get rich. Hey, it's going to be good. 504 00:21:11,363 --> 00:21:13,876 Here's the immediate payback. 505 00:21:13,876 --> 00:21:17,619 But the fool doesn't see where this is going. 506 00:21:17,619 --> 00:21:20,019 You get shot. 507 00:21:20,019 --> 00:21:21,035 A wise man says, 508 00:21:21,035 --> 00:21:23,587 I know where that's going. 509 00:21:23,587 --> 00:21:26,430 Proverbs 5 is the same kind of language. 510 00:21:26,430 --> 00:21:29,234 Proverbs 5 says you see that beautiful woman? 511 00:21:29,234 --> 00:21:31,096 Her lips are dripping like honey? 512 00:21:31,096 --> 00:21:33,802 She's as bitter as wormwood. 513 00:21:33,802 --> 00:21:36,364 It does not say she's not pretty. 514 00:21:36,364 --> 00:21:38,231 If you try to convince a young man 515 00:21:38,231 --> 00:21:39,814 that a beautiful adulterous woman 516 00:21:39,814 --> 00:21:41,329 isn't pretty, he'll just think, 517 00:21:41,329 --> 00:21:43,442 you're out to lunch. 518 00:21:43,442 --> 00:21:45,205 She's pretty. 519 00:21:45,205 --> 00:21:47,786 The real answer is to tell him, 520 00:21:47,786 --> 00:21:50,308 she'll kill you. 521 00:21:50,308 --> 00:21:52,047 That's what's going to happen here. 522 00:21:52,047 --> 00:21:53,207 She is indeed pretty. 523 00:21:53,207 --> 00:21:55,520 She's poison. 524 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,213 But a fool doesn't see it. 525 00:21:57,213 --> 00:21:59,074 He just sees the benefits of the gang. 526 00:21:59,074 --> 00:22:00,882 He just sees the thrill of the girl. 527 00:22:00,882 --> 00:22:03,546 He doesn't see where it's going. 528 00:22:03,546 --> 00:22:05,582 And these Galatians were signing up 529 00:22:05,582 --> 00:22:06,629 to a legalist system. 530 00:22:06,629 --> 00:22:08,384 They were thinking, well, let's get circumcised. 531 00:22:08,384 --> 00:22:10,666 That will get us in touch with our rich Jewish heritage. 532 00:22:10,666 --> 00:22:12,269 That would really be exciting 533 00:22:12,269 --> 00:22:14,520 to practice all those Old Testament laws. 534 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:15,908 We want the full package. 535 00:22:15,908 --> 00:22:19,642 And Paul says in Galatians 5:2, 536 00:22:19,642 --> 00:22:21,658 Look, "I, Paul, say to you, 537 00:22:21,658 --> 00:22:24,292 that if you accept circumcision, 538 00:22:24,292 --> 00:22:28,663 then he is obligated to keep the whole law. 539 00:22:28,663 --> 00:22:30,231 You are severed from Christ, 540 00:22:30,231 --> 00:22:32,388 you who would be justified by law. 541 00:22:32,388 --> 00:22:34,276 You have fallen from grace." 542 00:22:34,276 --> 00:22:35,838 He's saying, you're just looking 543 00:22:35,838 --> 00:22:37,307 at the little entry package. 544 00:22:37,307 --> 00:22:38,850 Let's do the Passover meal. 545 00:22:38,850 --> 00:22:40,549 Let's do the special Jewish days. 546 00:22:40,549 --> 00:22:42,351 Let's practice all the Old Testament. 547 00:22:42,351 --> 00:22:43,322 That'll be so good. 548 00:22:43,322 --> 00:22:45,315 Paul's like, do you know what you're signing up for? 549 00:22:45,315 --> 00:22:46,612 You do a little bit of this 550 00:22:46,612 --> 00:22:48,060 and if you want to be accepted by God 551 00:22:48,060 --> 00:22:49,513 by doing a little bit of this, 552 00:22:49,513 --> 00:22:50,865 you've got to do it all. 553 00:22:50,865 --> 00:22:53,624 And you've got to do it all perfectly. 554 00:22:53,624 --> 00:22:55,669 So don't be a fool. 555 00:22:55,669 --> 00:22:58,072 They get tantalized by the appetizers. 556 00:22:58,072 --> 00:22:59,950 Because if you eat this poison pill, 557 00:22:59,950 --> 00:23:02,299 you need to take the whole meal. 558 00:23:02,299 --> 00:23:04,857 And I would have you have the Gospel, 559 00:23:04,857 --> 00:23:07,209 and not the law. 560 00:23:07,209 --> 00:23:10,243 But there's another aspect to being foolish. 561 00:23:10,243 --> 00:23:12,572 You see, the fool not only 562 00:23:12,572 --> 00:23:14,250 doesn't see where things are going, 563 00:23:14,250 --> 00:23:17,054 but the fool misses the obvious. 564 00:23:17,054 --> 00:23:20,724 The fool has said in his heart... 565 00:23:20,724 --> 00:23:23,554 there is no God. 566 00:23:23,554 --> 00:23:27,915 Now, I think the Bible makes it pretty clear 567 00:23:27,915 --> 00:23:31,520 that the reality of God is the most obvious reality 568 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,254 on the planet. 569 00:23:34,254 --> 00:23:35,836 My son and I years ago 570 00:23:35,836 --> 00:23:38,336 visited the Honda factory - 571 00:23:38,336 --> 00:23:40,867 I think it was the Honda factory - 572 00:23:40,867 --> 00:23:44,198 Toyota? Good thing I have my son here. 573 00:23:44,198 --> 00:23:48,615 So, the Toyota factory in Georgetown, Kentucky. 574 00:23:48,615 --> 00:23:50,285 And this place is amazing. 575 00:23:50,285 --> 00:23:51,807 We're driving around on this 576 00:23:51,807 --> 00:23:53,084 glorified golf cart, 577 00:23:53,084 --> 00:23:54,511 and there's all these robots, 578 00:23:54,511 --> 00:23:56,349 and they spring their arms into action 579 00:23:56,349 --> 00:23:57,923 and they drop weld beads 580 00:23:57,923 --> 00:24:00,621 right in the right place perfectly. 581 00:24:00,621 --> 00:24:02,058 They start with rolls of steel 582 00:24:02,058 --> 00:24:03,903 and out the other end of the factory 583 00:24:03,903 --> 00:24:05,567 drives a Camry. 584 00:24:05,567 --> 00:24:06,755 It's incredible. 585 00:24:06,755 --> 00:24:08,228 Can you imagine if I 586 00:24:08,228 --> 00:24:10,206 were to walk up to one of the engineers 587 00:24:10,206 --> 00:24:12,593 who had designed that marvelous plant 588 00:24:12,593 --> 00:24:14,625 and said, surely, there has been 589 00:24:14,625 --> 00:24:16,888 a whirlwind of metal here 590 00:24:16,888 --> 00:24:24,233 for billions and billions of years. 591 00:24:24,233 --> 00:24:29,859 I think he'd be insulted. 592 00:24:29,859 --> 00:24:32,730 But the fool misses the obvious. 593 00:24:32,730 --> 00:24:34,381 The fool misses waterfalls 594 00:24:34,381 --> 00:24:36,954 and fingernails that push out of fingers 595 00:24:36,954 --> 00:24:38,500 and all the glorious workings 596 00:24:38,500 --> 00:24:39,788 of the human body, 597 00:24:39,788 --> 00:24:41,694 and nature, and biospheres. 598 00:24:41,694 --> 00:24:43,672 The fool looks at all of that and says, 599 00:24:43,672 --> 00:24:47,244 "there's no God." 600 00:24:47,244 --> 00:24:51,154 And the Apostle Paul calls the Galatians fools here 601 00:24:51,154 --> 00:24:53,812 because they were missing the obvious. 602 00:24:53,812 --> 00:24:56,289 Paul's preaching, and I mean this with no offense 603 00:24:56,289 --> 00:24:57,373 to Kevin Williams, 604 00:24:57,373 --> 00:24:59,396 because Kevin Williams was, if anything, 605 00:24:59,396 --> 00:25:02,180 clear this morning, right? 606 00:25:02,180 --> 00:25:06,382 But Paul was clearer. 607 00:25:06,382 --> 00:25:11,483 Kevin's not taking that as an insult right now - don't worry. 608 00:25:11,483 --> 00:25:16,051 Paul was the clearest of clear. 609 00:25:16,051 --> 00:25:17,199 Paul said, 610 00:25:17,199 --> 00:25:19,658 "It was before your eyes 611 00:25:19,658 --> 00:25:23,635 that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed 612 00:25:23,635 --> 00:25:25,747 as crucified." 613 00:25:25,747 --> 00:25:28,479 My preaching was crystal clear on this point. 614 00:25:28,479 --> 00:25:30,152 I made abundantly clear 615 00:25:30,152 --> 00:25:31,768 that you were sinners 616 00:25:31,768 --> 00:25:34,114 and that Jesus Christ was crucified 617 00:25:34,114 --> 00:25:34,968 in front of you. 618 00:25:34,968 --> 00:25:36,050 That was my message. 619 00:25:36,050 --> 00:25:38,121 I preached it for years with tears. 620 00:25:38,121 --> 00:25:39,830 I went on and on about it. 621 00:25:39,830 --> 00:25:41,728 I determined to know nothing among you 622 00:25:41,728 --> 00:25:44,030 except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 623 00:25:44,030 --> 00:25:46,444 I was a one-string banjo player 624 00:25:46,444 --> 00:25:49,072 with just one note on my banjo: 625 00:25:49,072 --> 00:25:52,609 Jesus Christ is the liberator from sin. 626 00:25:52,609 --> 00:25:55,404 Jesus Christ is the sacrifice for sin. 627 00:25:55,404 --> 00:25:57,758 Jesus Christ is the one Who deals 628 00:25:57,758 --> 00:25:59,488 with all of the broken laws 629 00:25:59,488 --> 00:26:00,682 you've ever broken. 630 00:26:00,682 --> 00:26:04,544 Jesus Christ is the One Who saves you 631 00:26:04,544 --> 00:26:06,716 from the broken laws you've broken. 632 00:26:06,716 --> 00:26:10,358 He is the Savior of the world! 633 00:26:10,358 --> 00:26:15,950 I wonder if we need to get circumcised? 634 00:26:15,950 --> 00:26:18,015 You know, I think it's really important 635 00:26:18,015 --> 00:26:20,886 to make homemade bread. 636 00:26:20,886 --> 00:26:22,924 I mean it's loving your neighbor. 637 00:26:22,924 --> 00:26:24,206 It's loving your neighbor. 638 00:26:24,206 --> 00:26:26,806 All that mass marketing isn't loving your neighbor. 639 00:26:26,806 --> 00:26:28,612 Probably if you're a Christian, 640 00:26:28,612 --> 00:26:34,066 you basically have to do that. 641 00:26:34,066 --> 00:26:37,101 Surely, you must read your Bible 642 00:26:37,101 --> 00:26:38,855 for an hour every day. 643 00:26:38,855 --> 00:26:41,738 The Bible's clear. 644 00:26:41,738 --> 00:26:43,259 You know all those good verses 645 00:26:43,259 --> 00:26:48,635 about how you have to read your Bible for an hour? 646 00:26:48,635 --> 00:26:53,169 What's your favorite verse on that? 647 00:26:53,169 --> 00:26:57,990 I'm pretty sure you've got to do that to get to heaven. 648 00:26:57,990 --> 00:27:01,725 The fool begins to miss the obvious. 649 00:27:01,725 --> 00:27:04,523 The fool begins to fail 650 00:27:04,523 --> 00:27:06,910 to see where things are going. 651 00:27:06,910 --> 00:27:10,872 And so the fool misses out on the Gospel. 652 00:27:10,872 --> 00:27:15,464 And the Gospel is what brings the Spirit. 653 00:27:15,464 --> 00:27:17,564 And so the Apostle Paul 654 00:27:17,564 --> 00:27:20,060 asks these questions, 655 00:27:20,060 --> 00:27:22,339 and he asks them to bring them back 656 00:27:22,339 --> 00:27:23,915 to the Gospel. 657 00:27:23,915 --> 00:27:26,082 I should just comment on this one verse too 658 00:27:26,082 --> 00:27:27,484 before I move on. 659 00:27:27,484 --> 00:27:31,671 Notice he says "who" has bewitched you. 660 00:27:31,671 --> 00:27:33,550 Almost always when you begin to drift 661 00:27:33,550 --> 00:27:39,064 from the Gospel, there's a "who." 662 00:27:39,064 --> 00:27:41,851 And they're usually more exciting than your pastor 663 00:27:41,851 --> 00:27:48,566 because your pastor just plays that one-string banjo. 664 00:27:48,566 --> 00:27:49,837 And I want to tell you, 665 00:27:49,837 --> 00:27:52,836 that if you can identify the "who" 666 00:27:52,836 --> 00:27:54,899 that's pulling you away from the Gospel, 667 00:27:54,899 --> 00:27:57,065 you need to one-hundred percent 668 00:27:57,065 --> 00:27:59,694 and completely sever yourself 669 00:27:59,694 --> 00:28:01,276 from their teaching, 670 00:28:01,276 --> 00:28:02,688 and go with the most boring 671 00:28:02,688 --> 00:28:07,771 Gospel preacher you can find. 672 00:28:07,771 --> 00:28:10,142 That man will take you to heaven. 673 00:28:10,142 --> 00:28:13,840 Because that man will point you to the Man 674 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:20,219 Who saves us from our sins. 675 00:28:20,219 --> 00:28:23,051 Paul asks another question. 676 00:28:23,051 --> 00:28:27,474 Really, this is question number two and five. 677 00:28:27,474 --> 00:28:30,139 And this question is my favorite, 678 00:28:30,139 --> 00:28:33,567 specifically as it relates to our topic this evening. 679 00:28:33,567 --> 00:28:35,997 How did you get the Spirit? 680 00:28:35,997 --> 00:28:37,722 How did you get it? 681 00:28:37,722 --> 00:28:39,604 It's assumed here that the Galatians 682 00:28:39,604 --> 00:28:41,072 have experienced the presence 683 00:28:41,072 --> 00:28:43,873 and the power of the Holy Spirit of God. 684 00:28:43,873 --> 00:28:45,872 And now Paul asks them to remember 685 00:28:45,872 --> 00:28:46,912 their history. 686 00:28:46,912 --> 00:28:48,026 And he says to them, 687 00:28:48,026 --> 00:28:50,761 how did you get it. 688 00:28:50,761 --> 00:28:52,998 And he says, "let me ask you only this - 689 00:28:52,998 --> 00:28:54,947 did you receive the Spirit 690 00:28:54,947 --> 00:28:56,517 by works of the law 691 00:28:56,517 --> 00:29:00,271 or by hearing with faith?" 692 00:29:00,271 --> 00:29:01,872 And then in v. 5, 693 00:29:01,872 --> 00:29:04,673 "Does He Who supplies the Spirit to you 694 00:29:04,673 --> 00:29:06,492 and works miracles among you 695 00:29:06,492 --> 00:29:08,430 do so by works of the law 696 00:29:08,430 --> 00:29:12,028 or by hearing with faith?" 697 00:29:12,028 --> 00:29:13,505 And now, these Galatians 698 00:29:13,505 --> 00:29:15,259 had experienced the presence 699 00:29:15,259 --> 00:29:17,304 and the power of the Holy Spirit. 700 00:29:17,304 --> 00:29:18,831 They had come to the point 701 00:29:18,831 --> 00:29:21,084 where they said, "Jesus is Lord." 702 00:29:21,084 --> 00:29:22,455 And 1 Corinthians tells us 703 00:29:22,455 --> 00:29:24,995 no one says Jesus is Lord 704 00:29:24,995 --> 00:29:27,286 in a genuine heartfelt way 705 00:29:27,286 --> 00:29:31,832 except by the Holy Spirit. 706 00:29:31,832 --> 00:29:34,775 They had come to taste something of love, 707 00:29:34,775 --> 00:29:38,022 joy, peace, patience, 708 00:29:38,022 --> 00:29:40,284 and these things come by 709 00:29:40,284 --> 00:29:42,180 the Holy Spirit. 710 00:29:42,180 --> 00:29:44,485 They had come to receive spiritual gifts 711 00:29:44,485 --> 00:29:46,263 by which they served each other 712 00:29:46,263 --> 00:29:47,415 through prophecies 713 00:29:47,415 --> 00:29:48,546 and through miracles 714 00:29:48,546 --> 00:29:49,940 and through acts of service, 715 00:29:49,940 --> 00:29:51,730 through knowledge and wisdom. 716 00:29:51,730 --> 00:29:54,464 They had come to receive the Holy Spirit 717 00:29:54,464 --> 00:29:57,523 and Paul says when did that start? 718 00:29:57,523 --> 00:29:58,599 Come on. 719 00:29:58,599 --> 00:30:00,028 Remember your testimony. 720 00:30:00,028 --> 00:30:01,717 I've got you under the lights. 721 00:30:01,717 --> 00:30:04,899 When did all of that spiritual work 722 00:30:04,899 --> 00:30:07,019 begin in your life? 723 00:30:07,019 --> 00:30:08,716 And he gives them two options. 724 00:30:08,716 --> 00:30:10,863 Did it begin when you began 725 00:30:10,863 --> 00:30:12,792 to practice the works of the law? 726 00:30:12,792 --> 00:30:14,312 Or did it begin when you were 727 00:30:14,312 --> 00:30:17,555 hearing the Gospel with faith? 728 00:30:17,555 --> 00:30:19,683 Now the works of the law in Galatians 729 00:30:19,683 --> 00:30:23,343 means those works which God's law requires. 730 00:30:23,343 --> 00:30:25,310 It means the things that were commanded 731 00:30:25,310 --> 00:30:26,973 in the Old Testament law. 732 00:30:26,973 --> 00:30:28,493 It means ceremonial things 733 00:30:28,493 --> 00:30:30,487 like circumcision, special days, 734 00:30:30,487 --> 00:30:33,010 special menus. 735 00:30:33,010 --> 00:30:35,081 But it also means those moral things 736 00:30:35,081 --> 00:30:36,852 like "thou shalt not murder," 737 00:30:36,852 --> 00:30:38,515 and "thou shalt not covet 738 00:30:38,515 --> 00:30:39,892 another man's wife." 739 00:30:39,892 --> 00:30:42,380 It means all that God commanded 740 00:30:42,380 --> 00:30:44,630 in the Old Testament law. 741 00:30:44,630 --> 00:30:46,821 And he says, was it when you started 742 00:30:46,821 --> 00:30:48,998 doing all the right things 743 00:30:48,998 --> 00:30:50,217 that God commanded, 744 00:30:50,217 --> 00:30:53,294 that you were given the Spirit? 745 00:30:53,294 --> 00:30:56,178 Or, was it when you simply heard 746 00:30:56,178 --> 00:30:58,537 Jesus Christ publicly portrayed 747 00:30:58,537 --> 00:31:00,867 before your eyes as crucified 748 00:31:00,867 --> 00:31:03,072 that you became spiritual people 749 00:31:03,072 --> 00:31:05,864 who began to walk in the Spirit? 750 00:31:05,864 --> 00:31:08,652 And again, the Galatians are supposed to go back. 751 00:31:08,652 --> 00:31:11,029 Now, think about the average Galatian. 752 00:31:11,029 --> 00:31:12,840 The average Galatian had never read 753 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:14,963 the law of Moses. 754 00:31:14,963 --> 00:31:17,420 Ok, there was no confusion 755 00:31:17,420 --> 00:31:19,465 for the average Galatian. 756 00:31:19,465 --> 00:31:20,814 The average Galatian says, 757 00:31:20,814 --> 00:31:22,483 yeah, I was eating kosher, 758 00:31:22,483 --> 00:31:24,169 and then the Spirit came... 759 00:31:24,169 --> 00:31:26,272 No, they weren't eating kosher at all. 760 00:31:26,272 --> 00:31:27,206 They were not Jews. 761 00:31:27,206 --> 00:31:28,922 They were Galatians. 762 00:31:28,922 --> 00:31:30,460 They weren't trying to practice 763 00:31:30,460 --> 00:31:31,613 the Ten Commandments. 764 00:31:31,613 --> 00:31:33,438 They had never celebrated a Passover 765 00:31:33,438 --> 00:31:34,404 in their life. 766 00:31:34,404 --> 00:31:36,473 They didn't have any circumcised children. 767 00:31:36,473 --> 00:31:39,490 They did not have any allegiance to 768 00:31:39,490 --> 00:31:42,196 or practice of the law of Moses. 769 00:31:42,196 --> 00:31:44,227 And a preacher came into their town; 770 00:31:44,227 --> 00:31:46,709 preached Jesus Christ can save you 771 00:31:46,709 --> 00:31:48,267 from your sins. 772 00:31:48,267 --> 00:31:50,956 They believed it and they received the Holy Spirit 773 00:31:50,956 --> 00:31:53,432 right then and there. 774 00:31:53,432 --> 00:31:59,196 The only and exclusive prerequisite 775 00:31:59,196 --> 00:32:01,959 to receiving the Spirit of God 776 00:32:01,959 --> 00:32:05,794 is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 777 00:32:05,794 --> 00:32:08,192 You put your faith in the One 778 00:32:08,192 --> 00:32:10,131 Who walked by the Spirit 779 00:32:10,131 --> 00:32:14,184 and you will receive the Spirit. 780 00:32:14,184 --> 00:32:17,203 Now there are many good things 781 00:32:17,203 --> 00:32:20,492 in the Christian life. 782 00:32:20,492 --> 00:32:23,324 Family worship is a good thing. 783 00:32:23,324 --> 00:32:24,749 What a good thing for fathers 784 00:32:24,749 --> 00:32:28,075 to teach their children. 785 00:32:28,075 --> 00:32:30,227 Daily devotions. 786 00:32:30,227 --> 00:32:35,334 What a good thing to read the Bible every day. 787 00:32:35,334 --> 00:32:37,196 Principles of modesty. 788 00:32:37,196 --> 00:32:40,376 What a good thing to let the Lord Jesus Christ 789 00:32:40,376 --> 00:32:43,857 shape the way you dress. 790 00:32:43,857 --> 00:32:49,290 These are wonderful responses to grace. 791 00:32:49,290 --> 00:32:51,025 But it's amazing how quickly 792 00:32:51,025 --> 00:32:52,392 in the Christian life, 793 00:32:52,392 --> 00:32:56,149 we can turn them into new laws. 794 00:32:56,149 --> 00:32:57,017 New laws. 795 00:32:57,017 --> 00:32:58,316 So I want you ask you this. 796 00:32:58,316 --> 00:33:00,317 Had you mastered principles of modesty 797 00:33:00,317 --> 00:33:03,207 when you received the Spirit? 798 00:33:03,207 --> 00:33:04,592 You were just sitting there. 799 00:33:04,592 --> 00:33:07,166 The neckline was up to there and the skirt was down to there 800 00:33:07,166 --> 00:33:09,496 and the Spirit came! 801 00:33:09,496 --> 00:33:11,196 Right? 802 00:33:11,196 --> 00:33:12,588 Or maybe one day, 803 00:33:12,588 --> 00:33:14,646 you went into your quiet place 804 00:33:14,646 --> 00:33:16,342 and you said: now this devotional 805 00:33:16,342 --> 00:33:18,046 is going to be good. 806 00:33:18,046 --> 00:33:19,698 I'm going to read four chapters. 807 00:33:19,698 --> 00:33:23,391 McCheyne's plan. Come on. McCheyne. 808 00:33:23,391 --> 00:33:25,313 So you were going to do McCheyne's plan, 809 00:33:25,313 --> 00:33:27,612 but you weren't just going to do McCheyne's plan, 810 00:33:27,612 --> 00:33:29,341 you were going to do some meditating 811 00:33:29,341 --> 00:33:31,482 and some journaling. 812 00:33:31,482 --> 00:33:33,175 And you weren't just going to journal, 813 00:33:33,175 --> 00:33:35,085 you were going to do prayer and not just for you, 814 00:33:35,085 --> 00:33:36,943 but for the whole church you're a part of. 815 00:33:36,943 --> 00:33:38,977 And you know, you managed to split the time up 816 00:33:38,977 --> 00:33:40,369 and it wasn't too legalistic 817 00:33:40,369 --> 00:33:41,794 and you got that perfect 818 00:33:41,794 --> 00:33:44,540 quintessential devotional and boom! 819 00:33:44,540 --> 00:33:46,824 The Spirit of God fell on your life, right? 820 00:33:46,824 --> 00:33:48,693 That's how it happened for all of you, right? 821 00:33:48,693 --> 00:33:50,286 I know that's how it happened for me. 822 00:33:50,286 --> 00:33:58,351 I have the perfect devotions every morning. 823 00:33:58,351 --> 00:34:00,865 Was it the first time your rowdy family 824 00:34:00,865 --> 00:34:03,024 finally managed to do seven days a week 825 00:34:03,024 --> 00:34:06,454 of family worship? 826 00:34:06,454 --> 00:34:08,915 So the Spirit of God came? 827 00:34:08,915 --> 00:34:10,877 My wife's uncle used to make 828 00:34:10,877 --> 00:34:12,162 one of their children stand 829 00:34:12,162 --> 00:34:13,949 during family worship because he was 830 00:34:13,949 --> 00:34:16,512 so prone to fall asleep. 831 00:34:16,512 --> 00:34:24,924 The Holy Spirit's not on families like that. 832 00:34:24,924 --> 00:34:27,751 Beloved, the Holy Spirit comes 833 00:34:27,751 --> 00:34:30,692 on weak, wounded, broken, 834 00:34:30,692 --> 00:34:35,573 depraved sinners who believe the Gospel. 835 00:34:35,573 --> 00:34:37,376 And then after you get converted, 836 00:34:37,376 --> 00:34:39,860 there isn't a new way to get more of Him. 837 00:34:39,860 --> 00:34:42,172 There's that simple, continual 838 00:34:42,172 --> 00:34:45,909 trusting and resting in the Gospel 839 00:34:45,909 --> 00:34:48,526 that brings more of the power 840 00:34:48,526 --> 00:34:52,171 and the presence of the Holy Spirit. 841 00:34:52,171 --> 00:34:54,028 Will He gently lead you to be modest? 842 00:34:54,028 --> 00:34:55,013 You bet He will. 843 00:34:55,013 --> 00:34:57,412 Will He gently lead you to love His Word? 844 00:34:57,412 --> 00:34:58,414 You bet He will. 845 00:34:58,414 --> 00:35:01,299 Will He gently lead you to walk by the Spirit? 846 00:35:01,299 --> 00:35:02,711 Absolutely. 847 00:35:02,711 --> 00:35:10,026 But the order is everything. 848 00:35:10,026 --> 00:35:13,330 Question number three. 849 00:35:13,330 --> 00:35:16,457 Verse 3 850 00:35:16,457 --> 00:35:20,742 "Having begun by the Spirit, 851 00:35:20,742 --> 00:35:24,882 are you now being perfected 852 00:35:24,882 --> 00:35:29,382 by the flesh?" 853 00:35:29,382 --> 00:35:31,658 What's happening here? 854 00:35:31,658 --> 00:35:33,152 We've established something. 855 00:35:33,152 --> 00:35:35,425 Paul says we know you started by the Spirit. 856 00:35:35,425 --> 00:35:37,242 You were a bunch of pagan Galatians. 857 00:35:37,242 --> 00:35:38,706 You didn't have any background 858 00:35:38,706 --> 00:35:40,176 in biblical truth. 859 00:35:40,176 --> 00:35:41,652 You heard the Gospel. 860 00:35:41,652 --> 00:35:42,924 You got the Spirit. 861 00:35:42,924 --> 00:35:44,273 And now, I've got to ask you. 862 00:35:44,273 --> 00:35:47,436 Are you going to go on and become just like Jesus 863 00:35:47,436 --> 00:35:50,046 by the flesh? 864 00:35:50,046 --> 00:35:52,747 Now, one of the sad things 865 00:35:52,747 --> 00:35:56,000 about reading this text in America, 866 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,376 is that when we hear flesh, 867 00:35:58,376 --> 00:36:02,110 we tend to hear licentiousness. 868 00:36:02,110 --> 00:36:03,774 When we think of flesh, 869 00:36:03,774 --> 00:36:06,203 we tend to think of drinking too much. 870 00:36:06,203 --> 00:36:08,930 Sleeping around too much. 871 00:36:08,930 --> 00:36:10,262 Gambling. 872 00:36:10,262 --> 00:36:13,538 All those kinds of immoral and ungodly things. 873 00:36:13,538 --> 00:36:15,394 But for Paul here, 874 00:36:15,394 --> 00:36:18,318 flesh is referring to getting 875 00:36:18,318 --> 00:36:22,163 more religious, not less. 876 00:36:22,163 --> 00:36:24,959 The move towards the legalism 877 00:36:24,959 --> 00:36:26,207 of the Judaizers; 878 00:36:26,207 --> 00:36:28,544 the move towards the legalistic heresy 879 00:36:28,544 --> 00:36:29,940 that Paul was confronting, 880 00:36:29,940 --> 00:36:33,050 was a move of the flesh. 881 00:36:33,050 --> 00:36:34,062 Because you see, 882 00:36:34,062 --> 00:36:36,360 the flesh, when it can't just 883 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:41,482 rapidly grab all kinds of illicit sins, 884 00:36:41,482 --> 00:36:43,980 loves to clean itself up 885 00:36:43,980 --> 00:36:46,129 and make itself religious 886 00:36:46,129 --> 00:36:50,619 and be proud of its religion. 887 00:36:50,619 --> 00:36:51,468 In Indonesia, 888 00:36:51,468 --> 00:36:52,916 I've walked through Indonesia, 889 00:36:52,916 --> 00:36:54,872 and you see men with bruises 890 00:36:54,872 --> 00:36:56,393 on their heads. 891 00:36:56,393 --> 00:36:58,064 I'm told they get these bruises 892 00:36:58,064 --> 00:36:59,559 by rubbing cans on their heads 893 00:36:59,559 --> 00:37:01,100 until their heads are bruised, 894 00:37:01,100 --> 00:37:03,606 but the bruises are meant to look like 895 00:37:03,606 --> 00:37:06,635 they've hit the floor five times a day 896 00:37:06,635 --> 00:37:09,492 in prayer. 897 00:37:09,492 --> 00:37:12,085 That's not devotion. 898 00:37:12,085 --> 00:37:15,197 That's the flesh. 899 00:37:15,197 --> 00:37:18,969 And we're told here that that fleshly instinct 900 00:37:18,969 --> 00:37:21,571 can creep back into the Christian life. 901 00:37:21,571 --> 00:37:23,959 Now, the Christian is not ultimately in the flesh, 902 00:37:23,959 --> 00:37:25,549 under the dominion of the flesh. 903 00:37:25,549 --> 00:37:28,119 But the Christian still deals with the flesh 904 00:37:28,119 --> 00:37:33,634 and experiences the desires of the flesh. 905 00:37:33,634 --> 00:37:38,444 And those desires can be extremely religious. 906 00:37:38,444 --> 00:37:39,484 They can include: 907 00:37:39,484 --> 00:37:41,223 I can't miss a service. 908 00:37:41,223 --> 00:37:42,594 I know all my kids are sick 909 00:37:42,594 --> 00:37:44,414 and it would be really servant-hearted 910 00:37:44,414 --> 00:37:45,600 to take care of my wife, 911 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:47,343 but I cannot miss a service. 912 00:37:47,343 --> 00:37:52,053 I can't love you right now baby. 913 00:37:52,053 --> 00:38:01,687 I've got something fleshly to do. 914 00:38:01,687 --> 00:38:05,301 The flesh loves to accumulate 915 00:38:05,301 --> 00:38:10,290 religious duties in order to, often, 916 00:38:10,290 --> 00:38:12,875 tell other people about them. 917 00:38:12,875 --> 00:38:14,352 That's what the Pharisees did. 918 00:38:14,352 --> 00:38:16,217 But the flesh actually will sometimes 919 00:38:16,217 --> 00:38:18,756 be content not to tell anyone about them 920 00:38:18,756 --> 00:38:23,060 but just to suck on that self-righteousness 921 00:38:23,060 --> 00:38:26,086 like a lollipop. 922 00:38:26,086 --> 00:38:29,485 Just taste the sweetness of: I'm doing it. 923 00:38:29,485 --> 00:38:31,417 I'm getting it together. 924 00:38:31,417 --> 00:38:32,949 Now Christians get all in a huff: 925 00:38:32,949 --> 00:38:34,535 How do I know if I'm doing my devotions 926 00:38:34,535 --> 00:38:36,374 in the flesh or in the Spirit? 927 00:38:36,374 --> 00:38:38,609 It's not complicated, beloved. 928 00:38:38,609 --> 00:38:39,937 It's not. 929 00:38:39,937 --> 00:38:42,530 Paul says the works of the flesh are obvious. 930 00:38:42,530 --> 00:38:44,255 They're obvious. 931 00:38:44,255 --> 00:38:46,327 You come out of that room from doing your devotions 932 00:38:46,327 --> 00:38:47,878 and you're an angry mess with your family, 933 00:38:47,878 --> 00:38:49,636 I'll tell you one thing that wasn't happening 934 00:38:49,636 --> 00:38:52,668 in your devotions. 935 00:38:52,668 --> 00:38:55,793 It wasn't communion with the Spirit. 936 00:38:55,793 --> 00:38:57,910 Right, the works of the flesh 937 00:38:57,910 --> 00:39:04,356 are (Galatians 5) obvious. 938 00:39:04,356 --> 00:39:08,884 Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul says, v.19. 939 00:39:08,884 --> 00:39:11,982 The works of the flesh are very hard to understand, 940 00:39:11,982 --> 00:39:14,594 and you should engage in perpetual introspection 941 00:39:14,594 --> 00:39:18,727 to discover them. 942 00:39:18,727 --> 00:39:21,377 Right? 943 00:39:21,377 --> 00:39:23,547 Just gaze in there. 944 00:39:23,547 --> 00:39:25,759 Peel that onion of your soul. 945 00:39:25,759 --> 00:39:28,427 Was that the flesh? 946 00:39:28,427 --> 00:39:29,983 That's not the kind of bondage 947 00:39:29,983 --> 00:39:32,985 the New Testament puts you in. 948 00:39:32,985 --> 00:39:34,914 "The works of the flesh are evident: 949 00:39:34,914 --> 00:39:36,206 sexual immorality, 950 00:39:36,206 --> 00:39:37,748 impurity, sensuality, 951 00:39:37,748 --> 00:39:39,934 idolatry, sorcery, 952 00:39:39,934 --> 00:39:41,814 emnity, strife, jealousy, 953 00:39:41,814 --> 00:39:43,126 fits of anger, 954 00:39:43,126 --> 00:39:44,824 rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 955 00:39:44,824 --> 00:39:48,605 envy, drunkenness, orgies." 956 00:39:48,605 --> 00:39:50,910 There's a kind of devotion to the things of God 957 00:39:50,910 --> 00:39:55,431 that can't stop looking at porn. 958 00:39:55,431 --> 00:39:59,435 Because it's all just self-driven. 959 00:39:59,435 --> 00:40:00,775 There's a kind of devotion 960 00:40:00,775 --> 00:40:05,683 to this list of things God wants me doing 961 00:40:05,683 --> 00:40:08,843 that can't stop getting angry. 962 00:40:08,843 --> 00:40:14,058 Can't stop indulging in impurity. 963 00:40:14,058 --> 00:40:16,795 But the way to abandon that 964 00:40:16,795 --> 00:40:19,159 is the way to realize that the way 965 00:40:19,159 --> 00:40:20,852 you become perfected - 966 00:40:20,852 --> 00:40:22,999 perfected just more like Jesus - 967 00:40:22,999 --> 00:40:26,145 is you keep putting your faith in Jesus. 968 00:40:26,145 --> 00:40:29,000 You keep trusting in Jesus. 969 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:32,590 You put your faith in Jesus on your best day. 970 00:40:32,590 --> 00:40:34,743 Lord, I just ministered to people all day; 971 00:40:34,743 --> 00:40:36,584 poured my life out for people all day. 972 00:40:36,584 --> 00:40:37,602 You know what? 973 00:40:37,602 --> 00:40:40,028 I'm going to heaven because Jesus Christ 974 00:40:40,028 --> 00:40:44,514 was portrayed before me as crucified. 975 00:40:44,514 --> 00:40:47,149 And then you fall flat on your face one day, 976 00:40:47,149 --> 00:40:49,570 and you fall into the same old sins 977 00:40:49,570 --> 00:40:51,660 that have been dragging you down for years. 978 00:40:51,660 --> 00:40:54,335 You just fall right on your face, and you get up and you say, 979 00:40:54,335 --> 00:40:56,762 Lord, I need the Spirit right now. 980 00:40:56,762 --> 00:40:59,004 I need the Spirit and the only way 981 00:40:59,004 --> 00:41:02,442 I can get Him is because the Lord Jesus Christ 982 00:41:02,442 --> 00:41:07,767 paid fully for all of my sins. 983 00:41:07,767 --> 00:41:09,413 I have a friend who talks about 984 00:41:09,413 --> 00:41:10,799 how he does his devotions. 985 00:41:10,799 --> 00:41:13,313 I love what he says. 986 00:41:13,313 --> 00:41:17,130 He says that when he does his devotions 987 00:41:17,130 --> 00:41:18,285 on his best day, 988 00:41:18,285 --> 00:41:19,823 after he's done his devotions, 989 00:41:19,823 --> 00:41:21,291 he closes his Bible and says, 990 00:41:21,291 --> 00:41:24,824 Lord, that was a good time of communion with You, 991 00:41:24,824 --> 00:41:26,967 but I am not justified 992 00:41:26,967 --> 00:41:29,857 by that good time of communion with You. 993 00:41:29,857 --> 00:41:33,582 I am justified by the death, burial, 994 00:41:33,582 --> 00:41:38,198 and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 995 00:41:38,198 --> 00:41:40,595 And then he tells that 996 00:41:40,595 --> 00:41:44,729 when he does devotions on his worst days - 997 00:41:44,729 --> 00:41:46,028 you know the kind where 998 00:41:46,028 --> 00:41:49,509 you find drool on the page later? 999 00:41:49,509 --> 00:41:54,532 Or you feel like you're trying to get one of those bruises. 1000 00:41:54,532 --> 00:41:56,273 At the end of that devotional, 1001 00:41:56,273 --> 00:41:57,858 you just close your Bible and say 1002 00:41:57,858 --> 00:42:03,554 I'm not any less justified. 1003 00:42:03,554 --> 00:42:07,784 Not any less justified. 1004 00:42:07,784 --> 00:42:11,446 In fact, I am fully justified. 1005 00:42:11,446 --> 00:42:16,532 Not because of the quality of my time in Your Word, 1006 00:42:16,532 --> 00:42:18,812 but because of Your death 1007 00:42:18,812 --> 00:42:26,592 on the cross for me. 1008 00:42:26,592 --> 00:42:29,889 Question number four. 1009 00:42:29,889 --> 00:42:33,844 It's the shortest one. 1010 00:42:33,844 --> 00:42:39,183 Did you suffer so many things in vain? 1011 00:42:39,183 --> 00:42:41,740 Paul says did you suffer so many things in vain? 1012 00:42:41,740 --> 00:42:43,383 Did you suffer so many things 1013 00:42:43,383 --> 00:42:44,679 and now it's just useless? 1014 00:42:44,679 --> 00:42:45,928 And there's great debate 1015 00:42:45,928 --> 00:42:47,511 about what this word "suffering" means. 1016 00:42:47,511 --> 00:42:48,984 Generally, this word translated "suffering" here 1017 00:42:48,984 --> 00:42:50,423 does just mean exactly that. 1018 00:42:50,423 --> 00:42:53,135 Persecution - that kind of suffering 1019 00:42:53,135 --> 00:42:54,772 that we've just heard about. 1020 00:42:54,772 --> 00:42:58,123 I don't think that's what it means here. 1021 00:42:58,123 --> 00:42:59,981 And I think that because it would be 1022 00:42:59,981 --> 00:43:03,121 completely out of the context. 1023 00:43:03,121 --> 00:43:04,452 William Hendrickson says, 1024 00:43:04,452 --> 00:43:07,258 "if it is correct that this word suffering 1025 00:43:07,258 --> 00:43:13,621 (incomplete thought) 1026 00:43:13,621 --> 00:43:15,205 means physical suffering 1027 00:43:15,205 --> 00:43:16,756 or kind of emotional suffering; 1028 00:43:16,756 --> 00:43:18,255 if that was correct, Paul would be 1029 00:43:18,255 --> 00:43:21,012 introducing an entirely new thought at this point, 1030 00:43:21,012 --> 00:43:22,796 one which he has said nothing whatever 1031 00:43:22,796 --> 00:43:24,719 in the preceding, which he drops immediately, 1032 00:43:24,719 --> 00:43:26,461 and to which he never again alludes 1033 00:43:26,461 --> 00:43:28,050 in the remainder of the letter." 1034 00:43:28,050 --> 00:43:29,575 I think this word suffering here 1035 00:43:29,575 --> 00:43:30,660 simply means, 1036 00:43:30,660 --> 00:43:33,225 did you experience so many things in vain? 1037 00:43:33,225 --> 00:43:35,570 And it's really in the light of the rest of the context. 1038 00:43:35,570 --> 00:43:37,188 Did you have these miracles? 1039 00:43:37,188 --> 00:43:41,042 Did you experience the Spirit? 1040 00:43:41,042 --> 00:43:43,246 But the idea here is 1041 00:43:43,246 --> 00:43:47,645 if you now go off into a way of the flesh, 1042 00:43:47,645 --> 00:43:55,105 all that initial experience was useless. 1043 00:43:55,105 --> 00:43:56,852 Now, I want to close this evening 1044 00:43:56,852 --> 00:43:58,376 by making two observations. 1045 00:43:58,376 --> 00:43:59,481 And when I say close, 1046 00:43:59,481 --> 00:44:06,813 I don't mean like right away. 1047 00:44:06,813 --> 00:44:08,648 I want to close this evening 1048 00:44:08,648 --> 00:44:12,289 by just making two observations. 1049 00:44:12,289 --> 00:44:15,016 Stepping back and noticing something 1050 00:44:15,016 --> 00:44:18,421 about what we've just studied. 1051 00:44:18,421 --> 00:44:20,065 I want you to notice - 1052 00:44:20,065 --> 00:44:22,830 and really many commentators have noticed it - 1053 00:44:22,830 --> 00:44:24,239 I want you to notice that 1054 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:26,596 the whole argument that Paul has just 1055 00:44:26,596 --> 00:44:32,578 put forward was based on experience. 1056 00:44:32,578 --> 00:44:34,525 Paul has not been trying to get 1057 00:44:34,525 --> 00:44:36,550 the Galatians to get their experience 1058 00:44:36,550 --> 00:44:39,554 back in line with good doctrine. 1059 00:44:39,554 --> 00:44:41,038 He has been laboring to get 1060 00:44:41,038 --> 00:44:42,532 their doctrine back on track 1061 00:44:42,532 --> 00:44:46,287 through the reminder of their experience. 1062 00:44:46,287 --> 00:44:49,650 Now we need to think about that very carefully. 1063 00:44:49,650 --> 00:44:51,400 We live in a day and age when 1064 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:53,347 Christians are on one of two poles 1065 00:44:53,347 --> 00:44:54,786 when it comes to experience. 1066 00:44:54,786 --> 00:44:56,132 Some are addicted to it. 1067 00:44:56,132 --> 00:44:59,552 Others are allergic to it. 1068 00:44:59,552 --> 00:45:01,262 Some always need a new experience. 1069 00:45:01,262 --> 00:45:03,688 They went to a service. There was holy laughter this week. 1070 00:45:03,688 --> 00:45:05,528 Now they teeth turning into gold the next week. 1071 00:45:05,528 --> 00:45:07,894 It's just like drug addicts. I was one of them. 1072 00:45:07,894 --> 00:45:09,155 I know what it was like. 1073 00:45:09,155 --> 00:45:10,979 You get high on something one week. 1074 00:45:10,979 --> 00:45:14,892 You need more the next week. 1075 00:45:14,892 --> 00:45:16,854 There was some good preaching one night. 1076 00:45:16,854 --> 00:45:20,115 You need some more awesome preaching 1077 00:45:20,115 --> 00:45:23,527 the next night. 1078 00:45:23,527 --> 00:45:28,273 There can be this addiction to experience. 1079 00:45:28,273 --> 00:45:29,687 At the same time, 1080 00:45:29,687 --> 00:45:32,182 there can be others who are 1081 00:45:32,182 --> 00:45:34,692 allergic to experience. 1082 00:45:34,692 --> 00:45:37,449 They tell us that if you focus on feelings 1083 00:45:37,449 --> 00:45:38,975 your experience will lose 1084 00:45:38,975 --> 00:45:40,340 your grip on the truth. 1085 00:45:40,340 --> 00:45:41,994 If you focus on your feelings, 1086 00:45:41,994 --> 00:45:44,071 you will be following, not the Holy Spirit, 1087 00:45:44,071 --> 00:45:46,727 but maybe just what you ate for lunch. 1088 00:45:46,727 --> 00:45:49,083 You don't want to focus on feelings, they say, 1089 00:45:49,083 --> 00:45:50,123 and on experience 1090 00:45:50,123 --> 00:45:51,921 because the Bible is enough for you. 1091 00:45:51,921 --> 00:45:55,507 Don't focus on your experience. 1092 00:45:55,507 --> 00:45:59,167 Now there is a grain of truth there. 1093 00:45:59,167 --> 00:46:02,470 You cannot lead your Christian life 1094 00:46:02,470 --> 00:46:06,139 by day-to-day experience. 1095 00:46:06,139 --> 00:46:12,206 But that doesn't mean there's no experience, beloved. 1096 00:46:12,206 --> 00:46:14,815 If we are biblical, 1097 00:46:14,815 --> 00:46:16,879 we really can't say that either one 1098 00:46:16,879 --> 00:46:18,208 of these poles is right. 1099 00:46:18,208 --> 00:46:19,463 In fact, we have to say, 1100 00:46:19,463 --> 00:46:23,003 both of these poles are wrong. 1101 00:46:23,003 --> 00:46:25,703 Even if some people abuse experience 1102 00:46:25,703 --> 00:46:27,024 and abandon the Bible 1103 00:46:27,024 --> 00:46:28,357 to follow experience, 1104 00:46:28,357 --> 00:46:29,926 we can't play it down 1105 00:46:29,926 --> 00:46:31,692 and we can't make less of it, 1106 00:46:31,692 --> 00:46:33,619 because it was obviously central 1107 00:46:33,619 --> 00:46:40,735 to the lives of these early Christians. 1108 00:46:40,735 --> 00:46:45,425 Paul everywhere assumes in Galatians 3:1-5 1109 00:46:45,425 --> 00:46:47,274 that no one would say, 1110 00:46:47,274 --> 00:46:52,165 I'm not even sure if I have the Holy Spirit. 1111 00:46:52,165 --> 00:46:53,779 Do you know what I'm saying here? 1112 00:46:53,779 --> 00:46:54,983 See, these questions, 1113 00:46:54,983 --> 00:46:57,148 they assume an experiential Christianity. 1114 00:46:57,148 --> 00:46:59,387 When you say to someone, "When did you receive the Spirit?" 1115 00:46:59,387 --> 00:47:02,391 "How did you receive the Spirit?" And you expect answers back. 1116 00:47:02,391 --> 00:47:04,871 You are assuming that the people 1117 00:47:04,871 --> 00:47:07,185 you're talking to have experienced 1118 00:47:07,185 --> 00:47:08,855 something of the Holy Spirit. 1119 00:47:08,855 --> 00:47:11,640 Are there different measures? 1120 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:13,019 Are there different degrees? 1121 00:47:13,019 --> 00:47:15,405 Certainly. 1122 00:47:15,405 --> 00:47:23,517 But no experience of the Holy Spirit is not an option. 1123 00:47:23,517 --> 00:47:28,421 And we need to think clearly about this. 1124 00:47:28,421 --> 00:47:31,529 Because Paul is leading the people 1125 00:47:31,529 --> 00:47:33,928 back to good doctrine with a reminder 1126 00:47:33,928 --> 00:47:37,428 of their experiences. 1127 00:47:37,428 --> 00:47:40,367 In fact, far from being a danger to doctrine, 1128 00:47:40,367 --> 00:47:43,678 I want to say from Galatians 3:1-5 1129 00:47:43,678 --> 00:47:45,708 that experiential Christianity - 1130 00:47:45,708 --> 00:47:47,562 listen to me, brothers and sisters - 1131 00:47:47,562 --> 00:47:52,016 guards and protects doctrinal Christianity. 1132 00:47:52,016 --> 00:47:56,103 Anybody here care about doctrine? 1133 00:47:56,103 --> 00:47:58,515 Yeah, the rest of you just don't want to raise your hands. 1134 00:47:58,515 --> 00:48:00,493 You're at the Fellowship Conference. 1135 00:48:00,493 --> 00:48:06,216 You care about doctrine. 1136 00:48:06,216 --> 00:48:08,419 Anyone here care about doctrine? 1137 00:48:08,419 --> 00:48:14,014 Yeah, that's right. 1138 00:48:14,014 --> 00:48:17,548 One of the safeguards 1139 00:48:17,548 --> 00:48:21,711 to keeping you doctrinally on track 1140 00:48:21,711 --> 00:48:23,781 is an experiential relationship 1141 00:48:23,781 --> 00:48:25,263 with the Lord Jesus Christ 1142 00:48:25,263 --> 00:48:27,542 by the Holy Spirit. 1143 00:48:27,542 --> 00:48:29,350 And it's by experience that is 1144 00:48:29,350 --> 00:48:33,443 rooted and grounded in the Gospel. 1145 00:48:33,443 --> 00:48:34,702 You ought to be saying, 1146 00:48:34,702 --> 00:48:36,727 whoa, what happened here? 1147 00:48:36,727 --> 00:48:38,681 Why am I so powerless? 1148 00:48:38,681 --> 00:48:41,131 Why am I so angry? 1149 00:48:41,131 --> 00:48:42,354 Why am I all of a sudden 1150 00:48:42,354 --> 00:48:44,855 falling into so much sexual immorality? 1151 00:48:44,855 --> 00:48:46,411 Even though I'm doing all kinds 1152 00:48:46,411 --> 00:48:47,413 of religious things, 1153 00:48:47,413 --> 00:48:49,529 what's going on? 1154 00:48:49,529 --> 00:48:52,463 I got off the Gospel. 1155 00:48:52,463 --> 00:48:54,989 Yeah, that's what happened. 1156 00:48:54,989 --> 00:48:57,921 I was walking in a much different place 1157 00:48:57,921 --> 00:49:00,040 when I was just thinking of Jesus Christ 1158 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:03,368 plackarded before me as crucified. 1159 00:49:03,368 --> 00:49:06,853 That was a much different time. 1160 00:49:06,853 --> 00:49:09,430 Experiential Christianity 1161 00:49:09,430 --> 00:49:13,161 guards and preserves 1162 00:49:13,161 --> 00:49:14,803 doctrinal Christianity. 1163 00:49:14,803 --> 00:49:18,748 It is not its enemy. 1164 00:49:18,748 --> 00:49:20,808 This means we should preach 1165 00:49:20,808 --> 00:49:24,053 an experiential Christianity. 1166 00:49:24,053 --> 00:49:25,851 We should not just hope it blows in 1167 00:49:25,851 --> 00:49:27,558 every now and then. 1168 00:49:27,558 --> 00:49:29,451 But we should preach 1169 00:49:29,451 --> 00:49:30,930 an experiential Christianity. 1170 00:49:30,930 --> 00:49:33,651 One of the amazing things - I don't know how God does this - 1171 00:49:33,653 --> 00:49:34,950 but God in many ways, 1172 00:49:34,950 --> 00:49:37,144 limits His work according to 1173 00:49:37,144 --> 00:49:38,556 the quality of teaching 1174 00:49:38,556 --> 00:49:41,491 His people are receiving. 1175 00:49:41,491 --> 00:49:42,852 Anybody here grow a lot more 1176 00:49:42,852 --> 00:49:45,507 after they receive good teaching? 1177 00:49:45,507 --> 00:49:47,181 You didn't just get born again 1178 00:49:47,181 --> 00:49:48,819 when you received good teaching, 1179 00:49:48,819 --> 00:49:50,999 but the presence of increased measures 1180 00:49:50,999 --> 00:49:53,027 of truth in the believer's life 1181 00:49:53,027 --> 00:49:57,361 cultivates a maturity. 1182 00:49:57,361 --> 00:49:59,286 And so if you don't preach on the reality 1183 00:49:59,286 --> 00:50:00,368 of the Holy Spirit, 1184 00:50:00,368 --> 00:50:03,030 it is very unlikely that people will know 1185 00:50:03,030 --> 00:50:07,855 the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 1186 00:50:07,855 --> 00:50:10,355 That's why the apostles preached: 1187 00:50:10,355 --> 00:50:11,845 repent and be baptized 1188 00:50:11,845 --> 00:50:14,340 every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus 1189 00:50:14,340 --> 00:50:15,933 for the forgivenss of your sins 1190 00:50:15,933 --> 00:50:20,060 and I've got no idea what's going to happen next. 1191 00:50:20,060 --> 00:50:23,092 No, that's not what they preached. 1192 00:50:23,092 --> 00:50:24,301 Repent and be baptized 1193 00:50:24,301 --> 00:50:26,688 every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 1194 00:50:26,688 --> 00:50:28,314 for the forgiveness of your sins 1195 00:50:28,314 --> 00:50:33,083 and you will receive the Holy Spirit. 1196 00:50:33,083 --> 00:50:35,695 When they were threatened in Acts 3 1197 00:50:35,695 --> 00:50:38,270 with persecution - and you can pray this 1198 00:50:38,270 --> 00:50:42,272 for the church that our brother mentioned. 1199 00:50:42,272 --> 00:50:45,500 When they were persecuted in Acts 3, 1200 00:50:45,500 --> 00:50:48,116 they prayed, "Lord, look upon the threats 1201 00:50:48,116 --> 00:50:49,127 of our enemies, 1202 00:50:49,127 --> 00:50:50,443 and grant to your servants 1203 00:50:50,443 --> 00:50:52,231 to continue to speak Your Word 1204 00:50:52,231 --> 00:50:53,362 with all boldness 1205 00:50:53,362 --> 00:50:54,894 while You stretch out Your hand 1206 00:50:54,894 --> 00:50:57,867 to heal and signs and wonders are performed 1207 00:50:57,867 --> 00:51:05,202 through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. 1208 00:51:05,202 --> 00:51:09,982 Beloved, we need to be a people 1209 00:51:09,982 --> 00:51:13,428 who preach and pray for 1210 00:51:13,428 --> 00:51:18,761 the Holy Spirit through the Gospel. 1211 00:51:18,761 --> 00:51:24,550 Ok? Here's my most common experience of preaching. 1212 00:51:24,550 --> 00:51:26,648 My most common experience of preaching 1213 00:51:26,648 --> 00:51:29,220 is: Ryan you are 36 or 24 hours away 1214 00:51:29,220 --> 00:51:30,344 from preaching. 1215 00:51:30,344 --> 00:51:32,070 How do you feel? Terrible. 1216 00:51:32,070 --> 00:51:33,183 That's how I feel. 1217 00:51:33,183 --> 00:51:34,135 I call my wife: 1218 00:51:34,135 --> 00:51:35,601 Honey, it never stops. 1219 00:51:35,601 --> 00:51:37,257 Every time I'm supposed to preach, 1220 00:51:37,257 --> 00:51:39,067 I just feel like I've got nothing. 1221 00:51:39,067 --> 00:51:41,262 No power. No nothing. 1222 00:51:41,262 --> 00:51:43,463 What am I going to do? 1223 00:51:43,463 --> 00:51:45,920 Jesus Christ is clearly plackarded 1224 00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:48,487 in front of me as crucified. 1225 00:51:48,487 --> 00:51:50,689 And I'm thinking, if I'm going to preach well, 1226 00:51:50,689 --> 00:51:51,862 there had better be 1227 00:51:51,862 --> 00:51:56,389 some perfect devotional moments before that time. 1228 00:51:56,389 --> 00:51:59,853 Right? 1229 00:51:59,853 --> 00:52:03,283 But invariably, my best devotional moments 1230 00:52:03,283 --> 00:52:05,747 are substandard. 1231 00:52:05,747 --> 00:52:07,274 Oh, there are some great times, 1232 00:52:07,274 --> 00:52:11,647 but you know, it's nothing to write home about sometimes. 1233 00:52:11,647 --> 00:52:13,770 And so what do you do? 1234 00:52:13,770 --> 00:52:15,251 Get up in the pulpit and say, 1235 00:52:15,251 --> 00:52:17,892 well, you know, it just wasn't perfect today. 1236 00:52:17,892 --> 00:52:24,805 So, I've got nothing for you. 1237 00:52:24,805 --> 00:52:25,957 Or do you say, 1238 00:52:25,957 --> 00:52:29,701 here I am one more time, Lord. 1239 00:52:29,701 --> 00:52:32,885 All I've got's the Gospel. 1240 00:52:32,885 --> 00:52:38,302 Would You put Your Spirit on me again? 1241 00:52:38,302 --> 00:52:41,770 And that doesn't just apply to preachers. 1242 00:52:41,770 --> 00:52:46,006 You're going into that job you hate. 1243 00:52:46,006 --> 00:52:47,588 Lord, I woke up this morning. 1244 00:52:47,588 --> 00:52:48,866 I tried to read Your Word. 1245 00:52:48,866 --> 00:52:51,161 It was a pretty good morning. It wasn't perfect. 1246 00:52:51,161 --> 00:52:52,599 But you know what, 1247 00:52:52,599 --> 00:52:54,451 I'm not going off perfection. 1248 00:52:54,451 --> 00:52:56,561 I'm heading into work now, 1249 00:52:56,561 --> 00:52:58,989 and if I'm going to be nice to these people - 1250 00:52:58,989 --> 00:53:01,330 not just nice, but exceedingly kind, 1251 00:53:01,330 --> 00:53:04,352 forgiving, loving, Christlike, bold, 1252 00:53:04,352 --> 00:53:07,317 witnessing... 1253 00:53:07,317 --> 00:53:09,070 all I've got is Jesus Christ 1254 00:53:09,070 --> 00:53:10,919 publicly displayed in front of me 1255 00:53:10,919 --> 00:53:14,820 as crucified. 1256 00:53:14,820 --> 00:53:17,098 The Spirit answers to the blood. 1257 00:53:17,098 --> 00:53:19,601 The Spirit answers to the blood 1258 00:53:19,601 --> 00:53:23,265 and tells me I'm born of God. 1259 00:53:23,265 --> 00:53:26,750 You want more of the Spirit? Go to the Gospel. 1260 00:53:26,750 --> 00:53:31,524 Again and again. 1261 00:53:31,524 --> 00:53:35,393 Last point. 1262 00:53:35,393 --> 00:53:38,848 The experiential Christianity 1263 00:53:38,848 --> 00:53:42,320 or the experience of the Spirit 1264 00:53:42,320 --> 00:53:46,782 that Mack described on the Lord Jesus Christ - 1265 00:53:46,782 --> 00:53:50,261 and who doesn't want more of that? 1266 00:53:50,261 --> 00:53:59,550 - really was meant to be yours. 1267 00:53:59,550 --> 00:54:02,933 If anyone believes in My name, 1268 00:54:02,933 --> 00:54:05,553 He will do the works that I do. 1269 00:54:05,553 --> 00:54:07,654 Now just stop the verse there. 1270 00:54:07,654 --> 00:54:08,989 Don't finish it. 1271 00:54:08,989 --> 00:54:15,325 That by itself is unbelievable. 1272 00:54:15,325 --> 00:54:19,870 The words He spoke. 1273 00:54:19,870 --> 00:54:22,078 Words that pierced to the heart 1274 00:54:22,078 --> 00:54:26,559 of the most difficult, naughty situations. 1275 00:54:26,559 --> 00:54:29,423 The foot washing He did. 1276 00:54:29,423 --> 00:54:31,036 Serving. 1277 00:54:31,036 --> 00:54:33,406 If ever there was a time when it would be ok - 1278 00:54:33,406 --> 00:54:34,352 it wouldn't be ok - 1279 00:54:34,352 --> 00:54:35,693 but it would be understandable 1280 00:54:35,693 --> 00:54:37,393 for a man to go into a corner and sulk. 1281 00:54:37,393 --> 00:54:40,891 He's about to experience the wrath of God. 1282 00:54:40,891 --> 00:54:45,341 Our Lord is washing feet. 1283 00:54:45,341 --> 00:54:48,502 The miracles He did. 1284 00:54:48,502 --> 00:54:52,873 If anyone believes in My name, 1285 00:54:52,873 --> 00:54:58,704 he will do the works that I did. 1286 00:54:58,704 --> 00:55:00,502 And then unfathomably, 1287 00:55:00,502 --> 00:55:03,699 Jesus adds, 1288 00:55:03,699 --> 00:55:06,936 greater works than these will he do. 1289 00:55:06,936 --> 00:55:08,637 Why? There's a reason why. 1290 00:55:08,637 --> 00:55:10,489 Because I am going to the Father. 1291 00:55:10,489 --> 00:55:12,066 What difference does it make that 1292 00:55:12,066 --> 00:55:13,166 You go to the Father? 1293 00:55:13,166 --> 00:55:15,009 He pours out the Spirit on His people 1294 00:55:15,009 --> 00:55:19,193 when He goes to the Father. 1295 00:55:19,193 --> 00:55:23,675 The reality that Mack talked about 1296 00:55:23,675 --> 00:55:25,933 in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ 1297 00:55:25,933 --> 00:55:31,355 is meant in measure to be ours. 1298 00:55:31,355 --> 00:55:35,574 And it comes initially and continually 1299 00:55:35,574 --> 00:55:39,335 through the message Kevin preached. 1300 00:55:39,335 --> 00:55:41,411 But through the Gospel 1301 00:55:41,411 --> 00:55:48,232 of simple trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1302 00:55:48,232 --> 00:55:49,825 Putting your faith in the One 1303 00:55:49,825 --> 00:55:51,309 Who had the Spirit 1304 00:55:51,309 --> 00:55:52,448 without measure 1305 00:55:52,448 --> 00:55:54,911 is what imparts to you 1306 00:55:54,911 --> 00:55:59,241 the Spirit that He had. 1307 00:55:59,241 --> 00:56:00,676 And so beloved, 1308 00:56:00,676 --> 00:56:03,037 I would encourage you 1309 00:56:03,037 --> 00:56:05,800 before you read your Bible next time; 1310 00:56:05,800 --> 00:56:08,027 before you try to be nice to your brothers 1311 00:56:08,027 --> 00:56:09,557 and your sisters; 1312 00:56:09,557 --> 00:56:11,409 before you try to preach; 1313 00:56:11,409 --> 00:56:15,125 before you try to be exemplary at work, 1314 00:56:15,125 --> 00:56:18,046 ask the Lord God to remind you 1315 00:56:18,046 --> 00:56:19,826 of what was publicly portrayed 1316 00:56:19,826 --> 00:56:22,868 in front of you in Christ crucified 1317 00:56:22,868 --> 00:56:25,570 and to give you the Holy Spirit. 1318 00:56:25,570 --> 00:56:30,220 It is the only way to pursue perfection. 1319 00:56:30,220 --> 00:56:32,446 It is the only way to pursue 1320 00:56:32,446 --> 00:56:35,948 more Christlikeness in your life. 1321 00:56:35,948 --> 00:56:44,174 Let's pray. 1322 00:56:44,174 --> 00:56:48,371 Father, we come before You, 1323 00:56:48,371 --> 00:56:52,711 and we want to pray through the night, 1324 00:56:52,711 --> 00:56:58,134 fast, seek You, witness with boldness, 1325 00:56:58,134 --> 00:57:03,713 see angels all around us when we're scared. 1326 00:57:03,713 --> 00:57:05,163 But these things do not come 1327 00:57:05,163 --> 00:57:07,353 to a different kind of man 1328 00:57:07,353 --> 00:57:10,613 or a different kind of woman. 1329 00:57:10,613 --> 00:57:12,322 They come to those who continually 1330 00:57:12,322 --> 00:57:13,790 place themselves under 1331 00:57:13,790 --> 00:57:15,518 the foot of the Lord Jesus Christ 1332 00:57:15,518 --> 00:57:18,196 and trust His Gospel. 1333 00:57:18,196 --> 00:57:22,141 So, Lord, make us strong in the Spirit 1334 00:57:22,141 --> 00:57:23,675 by continually weakening us 1335 00:57:23,675 --> 00:57:27,116 and placing us under the cross. 1336 00:57:27,116 --> 00:57:29,252 We pray this in Jesus' name, 1337 00:57:29,252 --> 00:57:31,289 Amen.