Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): You become a Christian, and all your problems just go away. Not hardly. Here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: Oh, is there going to be problems still? Ah, more problems. Anybody identified? Cuz we're in a war, man. We've chosen the safe side, but it's warfare. But man, it's sweet. The victories are awesome. Because the victories only confirm that which we believe in. And it strengthens us more and more, doesn't it? As we're going through trials and tribulations, we're getting stronger and stronger in the things of the Lord and in the hope of God working in us and through us.

Guest (Male): Your spirit leads me on. And I'm running after you. I'll leave behind the worthless lives. And I'm trading them for priceless truth.

Guest (Male): Greetings in Christ from all of us here at Sound Doctrine, and welcome to the program. Today, Pastor Jeff Johnson will show us what the Apostle Paul was referring to when he told the Galatians they have fallen from grace. And as we go along in this section of Galatians, we'll receive a very strong but needed warning not to pursue self-righteousness. Paul wrote this letter to a group of Jews who just couldn't accept that the gospel message was intended for Gentiles as well. God's grace is available to every person, and hallelujah for that. Here's Pastor Jeff.

Guest (Male): Father, won't you speak to me? Oh, Lord, you know I'm listening. You know exactly what I need. So, Father, won't you speak to me?

Jeff Johnson: Actually, we're going to finish Galatians for this morning. And we left off in verse 21. But to start off, I'd like to read Galatians 4 in verse 19. Galatians 4:19 as Paul is bringing us into this section. He says, my little children of whom I travail in birth because he looked at those in Galatia as his kids spiritually speaking. Cuz he gave them the gospel. And they first came to know Jesus through Paul's gospel of grace. He says, but of whom I travail in birth again. I mean, I travailed in your being born again. And look at what has happened, the fruit.

But now I'm travailing again because now the fruit's being taken away. Things are happening that aren't good. And I'm going to continue, he says, in this travailing in birth until Christ be formed in you. That was his desire. That's what he wanted to see. Christ being number one in their lives, being formed in them, them being transformed or conformed into his image by the power of the Holy Spirit. And so he was kind of like the father over looking them and you know, kids are a handful. But when they, you know, get older, they are a heart full.

And when the little ones step on your toes when they get older, they can step on your heart. That's what Paul was receiving. His heart was being broken about what they were into and what they were listening to, what they were going for. So, those earth pangs, passionate plea from Paul that they would become born again again, if you will. Cuz they were going the wrong way. So, he continues now to show that grace and law cannot live together in anyone. You can't have both of them. They can't exist in our lives together. Verse 21, Paul continues now with this allegory.

That's kind of a beautiful message that he's breaking it down to them. He's actually using this last portion as contrasting things. We're going to get a number of contrasts. He says, tell me, ye that desire to be under the law. And that I'm sure that blows his mind right there. Why would they want that? Well, because the flesh likes it. I obey the rules. I'm good. And because I do this, this and this, this is why I perceive what I am. And and you feed off of it, you know. They want to be under the law.

He says, do you not hear the law? I don't think, Paul's saying, I don't think you understand the law. Or you wouldn't want to be under the law. So, you need to put on your listening ears and listen to what the law is all about to you legalists that are under the law, who seek to use it to be right with God. That's what they're doing. Because they do this, remember the rich young ruler? What can I do to have eternal life? Jesus said, do this, do this, thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not.

Gave him some of the commandments, didn't he? And the guy says, hey, I've done them all. Looks like I'm in. Jesus, wait a minute. There's one more thing that you need to to listen to. You need to sell everything that you have and come and follow me. Cuz see, he was breaking the commandment of thou shalt not covet. Cuz he had a lot of toys. He had a lot of stuff. And when Jesus said, sell everything, he goes, I can't do that. And he walked away. The law, it rips us off every single time. I don't smoke.

I don't chew. I don't go with those who do. So, that's why I'm good. I'm a good guy because I don't do this, this, this and that. I've earned my righteousness by obeying. I obey the rules. Isaiah says, but your righteousness is as filthy rags. Means nothing to God. If it did mean anything to God, then Jesus died for nothing. He's our righteousness. When we stand before God, we stand in the righteousness in of Christ in the Lord. He's the one that saved us. It's all about him. All about what God has done for us.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever, that means any of you that would believe in him, you will not perish, but you will have eternal life. And that starts when you receive him in the now. If you need, this is how I looked at it. I needed some hope and joy. I need something, man. I tried so many things in the world, and finally I I heard that I mean, really heard it and said, you know what? I'm that's me. Right now, I get to have some peace now, joy now.

Oh, I need that. Everyone of us need that. We're living in a hellish world full of fears and darkness and boogeymen. They're everywhere. All this junk coming down. The world is falling apart before our very eyes. We need purpose. We need hope. And that's what the gospel gives us, purpose and hope, purpose for today, hope for tomorrow. What do you want me to do? What am I supposed to do? He gives it to you. He gets you busy. And you're you're you're on fire for him. You're no longer, you know, bummed out, full of fear, wondering, oh, it's what's what's going to happen?

I don't understand this. And you're like you're going out of your mind. No, you know exactly what's going to happen. And you're standing upon his promises, his truths that have been proven over and over again. He's batting 1,000% guys. This book is right on. Every page, everything in it. And if you're not following this book, what are you following? Well, I just do what I think is right. Uh-oh. There seems a way that's right to a man, but the end thereof is death. Not only physically, but spiritually, death. Why would you want to go your own way?

Well, because I'm the master of my ship, the captain of my or the captain of my ship, the master of my destiny. I I'm making my own way. Well, no, you're not. You're going down. That's just the fact. If you're not giving your heart to the Lord, you're going the other way with the other guy. There's only two that are ruling in this place. Jesus says he's the prince of the power of the air, of darkness. And yet the Lord is here by his spirit wooing us. There's a warfare going on that's happening in this building right now for the souls of men.

Whether you're going to live forever or die forever. That 's a choice you got to make. God freely gives us that choice. Thank God. And we're going to give you an opportunity to receive the Lord this morning cuz it means everything. It means eternity. But like I said, it means right now for your life. Oh, is there going to be problems still? Ah, more problems. Anybody identified? Cuz we're in a war, man. We've chosen the safe safe side, but it's warfare. But man, it's sweet. The victories are awesome. Because the victories only confirm that which we believe in.

And it strengthens us more and more, doesn't it? As we're going through trials and tribulations, we're getting stronger and stronger in the things of the Lord and in the hope of God working in us and through us. It's a great thing. So, it's all about Jesus and his sacrifice. Under the law, we find fig leaves to hide our sin. You know, we're always running. We're always guilty. I mean, that's just the way the law works. It's there to condemn us. Come on, let's face it. God sent the law, and Paul says it's good, man. Don't don't think it's not good.

It's good in that it brought me to Christ. It condemned me for what I was doing. And I realized I needed a savior. So, law's good, but not to live under it, not to live your life in it. No, once you receive Christ, the law's dead, man. It's over. Now you got a love relationship with the Lord. Under the grace of the Lord, we find his blood that takes away all our sin. Under law, we're broken. We're condemned. And the law punished. The law guided us, brought us to Christ. And then if you don't come to the Lord, it punishes you.

The law is just that way. That's what it's meant to do. I remember when Moses was ready to go up on that mountain, Mount Sinai, man, that place was lit up. There was there was earthquakes, there was darkness, there was bolts of lightning. I mean, that's the presence of God on top of Sinai, and he was going to give him the law. And man, those people were partying. You remember they they didn't see the the the fear of it all. They didn't see the terror of it all. Moses received the law and brought it down.

And what did he find the people doing? Having a huge orgy and just messing around, worshiping golden calf. I mean, that day so many died, so many died. The law strict. The laws you know, terrible. And they didn't get it. So, Paul's saying, you that want to be under the law, do you not hear the law? Don't you don't understand what you're under or what you are asking for. Put your ears on, guys. Verse 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bond maid, that bond maid, that slave woman, Hagar, and the other a free woman, Sarah.

But he who was of the bond woman, Ishmael, was born after the flesh. But he of the free woman was by the promise, and that's Isaac. So, you got to get you know, Paul's wanting to go back into the Old Testament to contrast these two women and their two little boys that they birthed. And that there is a contrast. There's a an allegory in this. There's a message for us. There's there's something that we need to contemplate as the Galatians needed to hear this. The Galatians probably knew this story cuz they also got into the Old Testament and really studied it.

But maybe some of them didn't get it. If you want to, on those of you writing your notes down, look up these scriptures later on this afternoon, Genesis chapter 16, 17 and 21 cuz you're going to get the whole story verse by verse. Very interesting, very powerful story. So, what does God's word teach us? Now, remember at the age of 75 in Genesis, it speaks of this. God called Abraham to Canaan. He was pretty old then to be called and to go miles away to the to this promised land where God promised that his seed was going to be more than the stars of the heavens.

That's a pretty heavy promise, isn't it? That was given in Genesis 12. But he got up and he just left. He didn't even know where he was gone. He distrusted God. An incredible story. They both, Sarah and Abraham, wanted children, but Sarah was barren. And at 85 years of age, Sarah got a little impatient waiting on the Lord. She's 85. She's looking at her body, looking at his, going, my gosh. How can this happen? How can this be? Come on, Abraham, listen to me. We got to do something about this. We got to help God out.

I don't think God knows what he said and how he promised something that he can't do this time, okay? So, we can do it. We have the power. We can do this by what other people have done during that culture. And that's you can have your husband go to the slave girl in the house and lay with her and have a baby by her. And so what a plan. Sarah, you're awesome. What are you talking about? Do you know that this slave girl, Hagar, was a pagan? Do you know that Ishmael is the father of the Arabs in Islam?

Crazy, huh? What have you done, Sarah? Up until this day, we see it's a nightmare. And it's on the news, first news. That's what the prophecy said that Jerusalem will become a burden in the sight of all nations. It's on the news daily. The Middle East, the Middle East. Look what's happening in the Middle East. I'm so I am so excited. We're in the end times. We get to see it all unfold. Things that are happening today never happened before. We are that last generation. So, that should stir us to want to go his way and not the way of the law.

Look what the law has done, driving Sarah now into Hagar, trying to fulfill the promise. And she goes in and it's a mess. It 's a big in the Hebrew balagan. Balagan means it's a horrible mess. At 99, God promises Abraham, that son that he said, hey, you're going to have a son. Uh, God, I already have one. Uh-uh. Wrong one. I don't know what Sarah did there, but that was bad news. No, I'm going to fulfill my promise, and you're going to have a son by Sarah. It's going to be your seed, her seed.

So, we're going to ask the question this morning, whose mom is yours? You know, who are you birthed from? At 100 years of age, Isaac is born. Put this down in your notes. Romans 4:18 Romans 4:18 In fact, turn there with me cuz this portion of scripture is so powerful. May God teach us right here big time. Romans chapter 4 verse 18 talking about Abraham. Paul just bringing it to light. Who, it says, against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead. He didn't look at Sarah and say, you're old. And she said, hey, look you go look in the mirror. We're going to have a kid. Yeah, right. When he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. I mean, you know, wow. And what blows my mind is they're attracted to each other. Maybe they were good looking, you know, elder saints. But they actually fooled around and had that desire. And look what happens. Isaac is in now in her womb.

It's not dead. God made it alive. That's miraculous, isn't it? That's unbelievable. How can that happen? Well, how did you happen? I'm talking spiritually. That's a miracle. All right. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief cuz unbelief's always the thief. Well, I don't believe that. I know God said it, but I don't believe it. Well, what are you doing? If God said it, that settles it. I believe it. That settles it. It's a it's a done deal. If God said it, we need to understand our God doesn't lie. And when he gives you a promise, it will be fulfilled.

But we doubt. We have unbelief. But he was strong in faith. Faith comes by hearing and what? That of the word of God. Going back, looking at the Old Testament, the New Testament, looking at what God promised and what happened and how he does miraculous things. And being fully persuaded that what he had promised, that what God told him, he was able also to perform. All things are possible through God. Don't forget that. All things are possible. Where's our faith? Is it in is it in what you see or is it in what God says?

That makes a big difference, doesn't it? Because when you're standing on what God has said and you got it underlined in your Bible and you're standing on it, it's going to happen. Believe it. So, what a miraculous thing. Now, but Hagar uh had a son, and it was 14 years earlier. So, you got a 14-year-old and a baby. The baby gets about 3 years old. And all of a sudden, you know, Sarah looks at Hagar and says, I I don't like you. I don't want you here. You bother me. This is horrible. And God said Abraham, listen to your wife.

And so Sarah comes to Abraham and says, get rid of these two now. And so they boom, they're kicked out. Unbelievable. 14 years. Daddy, daddy, you know? Oh, son. And he loved him. But God said, let him go. It's over. And we'll talk about that right at the end this morning. So, we got a situation here. It's an powerful message, an allegory. Abraham has two sons, not just one, two sons, two spiritual realities, if you will. The contrast is one after the flesh and the other after the promise or the spirit of God. So, they are both children of Abraham, two sons, one with a bond woman, slave, the other with a free woman, Sarah.

See, the Christian life is marked by freedom. We sang that song. You set me free, Lord, for freedom. And that blood, his blood frees us, sets us free. Why? It's God's righteousness that has overflowed us in our lives. Remember the whole thing with Exodus? Remember the blood of the lamb put on the door post? The angel of death passed over. I mean, that's the beauty of it. God loves us. We didn't we're not going to receive death. We're going to receive life in the now and later on. That's what being free is all about. You know, I was I was a hippie.

I wanted to be free from everything in this world. I hated this place. I I packed a little pack on my back, and I was gone. I just said, man, I'm on the road. And there was something about that movement of the hippies that they just wanted to have nothing of the Egypt, modern day Egypt. And the parents, they went through the whole thing of the uh uh the depression, and they wanted their kids to have everything. So, they just poured out on their kids everything. Had a bike, had a pool room. I mean, you know, my parents just spoiled me rotten.

And I just went I said, I hate it all, and I left. Trying to seek something better. Didn't find it. I found death and dying, drugs and just all kinds of disease and unbelievable stuff. So, that's how sometimes God gets a hold of us. He lets us get out to the end of ourselves, and then we wake up. So, if you're going through it and you're out there and you're trapped, know this, he will loose you today. He will free you from that bondage, that slavery that you're in. It might be pornography, drugs, alcohol. You know, there's tons of things we can get under under this bondage with.

It's just sin. He sets you free from sin. And you don't have to sin anymore. You get a choice. Oh, now that doesn't mean we don't sin cuz we do. But we're not living in it. We're not practicing it daily. There's some of you that are messing around with pot, and you think, hey, it's cool. I can just smoke pot and be a Christian. It's it's a it's a it's a it's a plant that's healthy. You know, healthy. What are you nuts? That's it leads into wanting something heavier and more and come on. The Lord wants to set you free from that stupid reasoning that's got you trapped because you're not going to go on with the Lord because you got sin right there in your life.

We get rid of that. We give it to him. We move on.

Guest (Male): A great challenge there from Pastor Jeff Johnson. Don't let the sin in your life bog you down. Give it to the Lord. This is Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. You just heard a study in Galatians chapter 4. You've been listening to a study in the book of Galatians here on Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. We pray you've been blessed by what you've heard today. Galatians is filled with challenging insights for Christian living. And if you'd like to hear this study again, simply go to sounddoctrinradio.org sounddoctrinradio.org or listen through the Sound Doctrine podcast app.

You can also hear Sound Doctrine on oneplace.com and wherever you enjoy podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We'd appreciate your support of this radio ministry. It helps us do what we do each day. And you can donate to this radio outreach at sounddoctrinradio.org sounddoctrinradio.org We hope you'll join us for our next study in Galatians here on Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff. Presented each day by Calvary Chapel Downey. Have a blessed day in the Lord.