#207 Galatians Series# 6, It’s All About Relationship
Galatians Series #6 — Galatians Ch. 4 — It’s All About Relationship!
RECAP — The law says: “Do this.” The gospel says: “Accept this.”
Galatians 4:19-20
“My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.”
Galatians 4:1-20
4 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of[b] God through Christ.
Fears for the Church
8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, (my condition tempted you to reject me NLT) but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 What[c] then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.” (Did you really receive the Gospel!)
“Child” :— (nēpios) Infant, little child
“Sons” :— (huios) Mature sons
“Elements” :— (stoicheion) The first things, ABC’s The Law
“ABBA” :— Daddy … only said of God by those born of the Spirit.
Vs 7 “God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’”
John 14:9
“Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
JESUS revealed the Father!!!
Jesus is exactly GOD … Wow … Completely mess up an Old Covenant believer!!!
Mark 10:14, 16
“But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God … And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.”
Jesus was a kid magnet … Father is a kid magnet … Kids don’t run to scary Creepy People!!!
Luke 11:1-2, 13
“‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’ So He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, … how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Radical shift … Not talk to God or Judge or Creator … Talk to ABBA!!! Daddy!!!
Daddy Knows What You Need!!!
Matthew 6:31-33
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Old Covenant — God — Holy — Fear Him — Keep Your Distance
New Covenant — Father — Love — Trust Him — Boldly Approach
You know you have a slave mindset if you are afraid of God.
It is hard to trust your personal well being to someone who is angry with you all the time.
You are a Son not a servant.
Old Covenant — You Serve God
New Covenant — God Serves You
If you allow me to serve you … you will be enabled to serve one another.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 13:8
“Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!;Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’”
You must humble your self to the place where you understand it is all JESUS!!!
He is the Author and Finisher of your faith. NO OTHER OPTIONS!!!
Galatians 4:21-30
“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the[d] two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:
“Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted (TO PURSUE IN A HOSTILE MANNER) him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.”
Where is that in Scripture? Genesis 21 “Weaning”
Genesis 21:1-12
And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”
8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.
You can’t be raised by mixture … you will never mature under mixture.
Sarah will be the only influence … Promise … GRACE!!!
Genesis 21:22-34
22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”
24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had seized. 26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”
30 And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba,[a] because the two of them swore an oath there.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.”
Tamarisk tree
Tree flourishes in harsh places. Tree spreads out – Generations Tree that has much seed. Tree that takes over.
When Abraham made the choice to remove the attempt to achieve righteousness through the flesh he stepped into a new place of GRACE!
The result is: Boldness Freedom Taking Inheritance
Romans 5:17
“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
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