Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): Coming up on Sound Doctrine.

Jeff Johnson: Paul pretty much is saying, don't shoot the messenger, guys. I'm just giving you God's word. Take it. And if the shoe fits, wear it. If you get hit with it, praise God. Respond to that hit. Don't just sit there and go, wow, that struck a chord. Boing, you know. That hit me right where I'm at. Well, then do something about it. Don't just shine it on.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson, presented each day by Calvary Chapel Downey. Today will again be in chapter four of Galatians. The subject once again is law and grace, the flesh and the spirit. As Pastor Jeff has mentioned often, if we try to live by the law, we'll be in bondage. We're set free when we trust in Christ, and then his grace is applied to our lives, and we're set free. Additionally, a lot of people have a mistaken definition of the phrase Christian liberty. Is it freedom to do whatever we want? Here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: And they get you thinking like, wow, I'm in the right group. These guys are awesome. See, you got your eyes on their big talk instead of on his spirit talk. You you lost it because you got your eyes on man now. And they've got you. These will exclude you, Paul says. Notice verse 17, exclude. Lock you out. Why? They're going to try to take you from Jesus. They're going to try to take you from me because I'm giving you what Jesus gave to me. I'm passing it on to you. Again, they're envious. And then they'll demand that you serve them.

Be faithful to them. Has nothing to do with the Lord, has everything to do about them. Very deceitful. Legalism is religious bondage. That's a good definition of it. These just give a few requirements of the law. They throw in the law like a little bit of salt and pepper here and there. And they and they don't use the the real heavy stuff. They just use the the least repulsive things of the law just to bring you in. And they lure them into a little bit of fasting here, a little bit of fasting there. And you got to you got to do this, and you got to do that.

Certain days they we're going to fast, and then they urge them to eventually get into maybe even the circumcision thing, you know. And that's what they were aiming for. You got to do it. It's extra, I know, but this is what you need to do. When Paul said, no, no, we're free from all that. Oh, you must worship on Saturday. That's the holy day. No, we're free from all that. Remember we talked about it last week. Thank God we're not into all that. Verse 18, he continues and he says, but it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and that's for sure.

And not only when I am present with you though. Yes, be zealous in good things. But zeal without knowledge is very very dangerous. Remember the legalists are zealous. They're sincere. They're very passionate in what they believe. But the zeal in the service of a lie is danger. Remember Paul was zealous at one time, very zealous. Didn't have knowledge though. He what was he zealous for? Kill Christians. Uh-oh. That's wrong. You see how these zealots get? It's for God. Remove the head cuz God told us to do that. What has happened? They're listening to another God, aren't they?

To do these gross things that they're doing. So you can be sincerely deceived and wrong and even have God in it and quote scripture even. And there's a lot of cults that do that. That's what Paul is warning about. Later, Paul was totally he totally not only regretted it, he couldn't believe that he was doing it. Can you imagine waking up from that nightmare? Guys, he's saying be zealous when I am absent from you, and I know you are or when I'm there, when I'm present, you're zealous, but be be zealous when I'm not there.

Zealous for good things. Going after the word, the truth. And they were being led astray. You know how you know you're in the shop and and you're kicking back with the guys and you're talking and you're goofing off, and then somebody says, the boss is coming. Right? Oh, when I'm there, you're yes, sir, you know. When I'm there, you're just God bless you, you know. And then when I leave, what it what happens when I leave? Well, that's what the Lord is saying to us. What happens when you leave here? What goes on? Are you an example of the believer in your word, in your deed, and in your faith, and in your love, and your in everything?

That's what we're supposed to be doing. Sometimes it's only with a certain group of people and in a certain situation. But then when you get out of that situation, you're different. That's what Paul's saying. Wake up, you guys. Now, the pastor's job is to get others to love and follow the Lord and not to promote yourself or to provoke promote self. Just to get others stirred up and to love the Lord and follow the Lord. Notice verse 19. He says, my little children of whom I travail in birth you give me birth pangs. You hurt me again until Christ be formed in you.

Paul saying, I love you as a father. You're my children. Over in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 14, let me read it to you. Jot it down. 1 Corinthians 4 verse 14, I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. You know, like a father warns his son. Okay, I'm going to give you the keys. Remember you're 16 and you remember what time I want you back here, you know. And and be careful of this and be careful of that. He's warning them. For though you have 10,000 instructors in Christ, and there's guys you listen to on the radio, you get there's guys you listen to on the TV and and you have many many instructors in Christ.

They're all over the place. And some are good and some are not good. Yet you have not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beg you, be ye followers of me. And why did he say that? Cuz he's following Jesus. I will lead you in the right way. That's a pretty heavy thing. You watch my life. You check out who I am and what I do. Follow. You're my kids. You came to to the Lord through the the ministry that I was doing and he was their spiritual father to the area of Galatia there.

And he felt that he had to bring them back from being subverted. Subverted means taken off the straight and narrow. I mean, they were being bended, they were being coaxed, they were being these guys that were the Judaizers were good. They'd use the Old Testament. They were very good speakers. They got their ears and and they were able to maneuver in and steal away the good news from their hearts. So he says, I I I just have I have to bring you back from what's they're trying to do to you. Over in 1 Thessalonians, put it down.

1 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 19, listen to what he says here. 2 19. He says, for what is our hope, our joy, or crown of rejoicing are not even you in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? You are what it's all about. That no one has ripped you off, that you're going to be in the rapture, that you're going to go home to be with the Lord, that you're on that path going home, that you have been born again, and that you're walking in the truth, and you're ready to go when Jesus comes.

That's our glory. That's our that's our that's what it's all about, is that you get there and you don't get swayed and get ripped off. Get back to your first works, remember? Get back to your first love. Over in Proverbs there's an interesting proverb in Proverbs 27 verse 6. 27 6. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. See, that's what they were receiving, those kisses. Well, I love you. I'll take care of you. I'll lead you in the right way and and kisses, you know, and yet they they're seeking to rip you off.

They're deceitful. But faithful are the wounds of a friend. When you hear the truth and it and it goes into your heart and it cuts you and you go, yeah, I'm listening to this stuff I shouldn't be listening to, and I'm I'm actually starting to lean that way. What am I doing? You wake up. Get back to your first love. Get your eyes on Jesus. Over in 2 Corinthians in chapter 3 verse 17, 2 Corinthians 3 17. Now, the Lord is that spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there's liberty. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord.

God is taking us and changing us. Paul is saying that my work is not complete until they could stay in the place of trusting in him, waiting for him, and then eventually going home to be with him. Because remember in verse 19 there, check it out, he says, until Christ be formed in you. To be formed in you. Romans 8 verse 29, for whom he did foreknow he also did did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. He conforms us to be like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

He's doing the work in us. We need to seek him and no one else. So be conformed. So Paul says, I'm going to continue to have birth pangs until Christ be and here's another another word for that conformed, molded in you. He wants them to be molded in Christ. So a spiritual father's job, a pastor's job is to form Christ in his flock. That's my part. That's the pastor part. And your part is to build on that foundation Christ and him alone. There is no other foundation wherein a man must be built upon and born again.

Over in now, here's a bunch of scriptures. I'm just going to pour them at you. So get ready. Get the pen out. 2 Corinthians. These are all speaking of this work of God. 2 Corinthians 5 17. Love it. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things become new. A new creation, new in Christ. And then Philippians chapter 1 in verse 21. Philippians 1 21. For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. And then in Romans 8 1. Romans 8 1. He says, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

Oh, the enemy will try to condemn you, but he can't because he is our righteousness. I'm not I when the devil says, hey, you just blew it here, and you did this, and you did that, just agree with him cuz he's right. He will tell you the truth sometimes, believe it or not. Why did he tell me that? To condemn you. But don't be. You're not under condemnation. He forgives you. He died for you and for that sin. Confess it, and he is just and faithful to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. That's that's the good news.

Galatians 2 20. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave his life for me. It's all about him and what he did for me. And then finally there Colossians chapter 1 verse 27. He says, to whom God would make known what is the riches of his glory of his mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. That's what the Galatians had. That's what the Gentiles had.

Their hope was Christ in us. That's all we need. We don't need to learn the Hebrew and get into the the law, you know, and that all that thing. You know, that that's not where where it's at. It's is Christ in you. He's our hope of glory. Paul is also like a spiritual mother here who birthed these Galatians, wanting to see the reality of the born again experience in them, wanting to see true conversion, wanting to see them. Are you have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? Baptized in the Holy Spirit. Baptism means immersed.

Have you received Christ? Yes, then you've been immersed into the family of God. Have you been water baptized? Yes. Or I'm going to be Saturday, then you're going to be immersed in the water. Girls, your hair's going to be a little messed up. Your makeup's going to be bye-bye. But you don't care. You're following the Lord. You're making a statement and you're firming some things in your life and in your heart for the Lord. It's a great thing. And you will only know it when you follow him cuz he says, go and teach all men.

And teaching them to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So that's the immersion of water. But then he says, have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? Acts 19, we didn't hear about this. They had the brethren come and lay hands on them, and they received that upon experience of the Holy Spirit. They were immersed in his power, in God's power in their lives. Without that power, the church would have never made it. They would have never got off the ground. But if you notice Acts 1 and 2 our history, they got it.

They got it good. They received the power, and from there we have our history, the book of Acts. Unbelievable. Miracles and things happening, which that's what happens when people get immersed in the spirit. He wanted to see this regeneration in their lives, to see them grow in God's grace and experience his liberty that's in and through Christ and him alone. Over in 2 Corinthians 11 28. Beside those things that are without that which comes upon me daily, here's the greatest and heaviest burden of Paul. After he talked about all the stuff, he got he got four times he got whipped with the canes, five times no, five times with the canes.

He was beaten with rods. He was stoned, and he goes through all his journeyings, his shipwrecks, and everything. And then he says at the very end, this is the heaviest burden of all, not the physical beatings and all that he went through. But he said, the care of all the churches, my heart just I just looking over the flock, making sure that they're good, making sure that they're fed, making sure that they're they're doing well. And he would always go back and visit them and and and check it out and and reestablishing, you know, the truths that they needed to hear over and over again.

And finally verse 20 will end with this verse this morning. He says, I desire to be present with you now. Oh, I want to be with you so much. Instead of writing this letter to you. How you know, it's hard to get it through the letter. You know, you it's better to just talk, just to face the person and talk to them cuz you can you can you can do a lot more with doing that than just writing a letter cuz they can just go and throw the letter down, you know, and just not get it.

So he says, I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice. I I want you to hear the passion that I have for you. For I stand in doubt of you. I want to be there now. It's hard to coax you when I'm so far away. And anyhow, at this distance I don't know what to do with you. I mean, I am so afraid for you. I'm hearing this stuff. It's crazy. See Paul's love. You know, he was he's a mighty theologian. He He was a mighty man of God, and he he could really preach a thing.

They said he was a little dude, bald and and and I guess because of something that's going on in his face or something, he looked weird. And he wasn't good, you know, wasn't pleasant to look at. He wasn't a good-looking guy, okay? But man, could he lay down the truths of the Lord. And oh, the words he would choose to bring home to their hearts. And God will use his Holy Spirit to take them and pierce their hearts because it really came from the Lord to Paul. Paul became an instrument, a messenger for God and his word to go through.

So Paul pretty much is saying, don't shoot the messenger, guys. I'm just giving you God 's word. Take it. And if the shoe fits, wear it. If you get hit with it, praise God. Respond to that hit. Don't just sit there and go, wow, that that struck a what a string, a chord. That's what it is. That struck a chord. Boing, you know. That hit me right where I'm at. Well, then do something about it. Don't just shine it on. Don't just pack your stuff out and leave. Get prayer. Go into the prayer room. Have somebody pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit for you.

Just go Saturday and get water baptized if you have. You know, be moved by God's word and obey his word. When you obey his commandments, you're going to be blessed. If you turn away and don't do, you you're just a man that just hears. And and Jesus said that man, I I have to say, is a man that's built his house on the sand. Cuz when the tough stuff comes, you're not going to stand cuz you're not having to stand on. You don't have a foundation. You haven't built your house upon the rock, upon the word, upon the promises, the statutes of God.

Those things that they strong in the midst of huge storms.

Guest (Male): This is Sound Doctrine. Pastor Jeff Johnson is our Bible teacher, and today he brought us a message from Galatians chapter 4. Jeff will be back in a moment with more. It's our sincere hope that you've been blessed by the word spoken today by Pastor Jeff as we continue verse by verse in the book of Galatians. This great New Testament epistle contains some of the most challenging lessons we can learn about being a believer in Jesus Christ in the 21st century. If you'd like to hear this study again, there are several options. First, go online to sounddoctrineradio.org.

We have a massive archive of Jeff's messages right there waiting for you at sounddoctrineradio.org. That's also the place to go to download our free app. Take Sound Doctrine with you wherever you go through the Sound Doctrine podcast app. Download it today from sounddoctrineradio.org. We're also on oneplace.com, and you can find us on most of the podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If you appreciate the teaching you're hearing on Sound Doctrine, you can show your support through a financial gift. Simply head over to sounddoctrineradio.org and click give in the top right-hand corner. And thank you in advance.

Again, we're at sounddoctrineradio.org. Now, to bring today s program to a close, here's Pastor Jeff with the look at Ephesians chapter 6.

Jeff Johnson: I love that scripture in Ephesians 6 verse 18. We'll end with this verse 6 18. And when this morning when I said the the all the alls in the Psalm we read this morning, check these alls out now. This is Ephesians 6 18, praying all ways with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication, you know, making it known to the Lord for all saints, praying always about all things, about all, especially those things that are hitting you now, your family, your friends, your children, your marriage. Be in prayer.

My gosh. God wants to hear you cry out. Why? Because you have not because you don't ask. He wants us to ask. What that does, what prayer does, it moves the hand of God towards your situation physically, emotionally, and spiritually to bind the strong man but the enemy is trying to do and loose his spirit to do the work that needs to be done. Cuz it's not by your power and not by your might, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Guest (Male): Join us for another study in Galatians next time we meet for Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff. This program is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Downey.