1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,440 Again, it's good to see those who have made it back this 2 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:07,400 afternoon. Certainly a little smaller in 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,480 number than we hope for, but that's Okay. 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:16,239 We'll do the best we can to glorify God in our in our 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,440 meeting this afternoon. We're going to continue in 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,880 Galatians picking up in verse 11 and we'll finish up the chapter 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,520 tonight and finish up the book of Galatians and this has been a 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,370 really encouraging. Study for me and going through 9 00:00:31,370 --> 00:00:33,770 the book of Galatians and just getting a deeper knowledge of 10 00:00:33,770 --> 00:00:38,370 what God is trying to teach us and and what was dealt with back 11 00:00:38,370 --> 00:00:42,770 in the 1st century with some of the Judaizers and and how that 12 00:00:42,770 --> 00:00:45,410 was dealt with. So I'm thankful that I was able 13 00:00:45,690 --> 00:00:49,730 to to study some of these things a little more. 14 00:00:51,450 --> 00:00:57,770 Picking up in in verse 11 of Galatians chapter 6 it says this 15 00:00:57,770 --> 00:01:01,370 is Paul writing. See what large letters I use as 16 00:01:01,450 --> 00:01:03,570 as I written to you with my own hand. 17 00:01:04,810 --> 00:01:08,290 Paul most likely dictated most of his letters that he wrote to 18 00:01:08,290 --> 00:01:12,530 the churches and and some of the other letters that we spoke read 19 00:01:12,530 --> 00:01:15,450 in the Bible. He spoke and somebody else was 20 00:01:15,450 --> 00:01:18,490 writing them down and sometimes though he would get to the end 21 00:01:18,490 --> 00:01:22,770 and just like anybody who is maybe dictating a letter or or 22 00:01:22,770 --> 00:01:25,930 at least you would pick up at the end and and maybe sign at 23 00:01:25,930 --> 00:01:29,230 the very least their name. Maybe even write a couple of 24 00:01:29,230 --> 00:01:33,230 notes and sign it. Most scholars seem to think and 25 00:01:33,230 --> 00:01:34,990 debate kind of what's going on here. 26 00:01:35,870 --> 00:01:38,990 Or, you know, most of them think that Paul actually takes the pin 27 00:01:38,990 --> 00:01:43,270 out of the out of the scribes hand himself and writes this on 28 00:01:43,270 --> 00:01:47,430 his own. He says, basically Paul saying 29 00:01:47,670 --> 00:01:50,470 I'm going to write this last point, I want to make sure that 30 00:01:50,470 --> 00:01:54,230 I'm writing this myself to you Galatians. 31 00:01:54,970 --> 00:01:57,370 So he wants them to really understand and hear that. 32 00:01:57,370 --> 00:02:01,010 And he continues. In verse 12 he says as many as 33 00:02:01,010 --> 00:02:03,490 desire to take a good showing in the flesh. 34 00:02:03,810 --> 00:02:07,410 These would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may 35 00:02:07,410 --> 00:02:11,690 not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ, for not even 36 00:02:11,690 --> 00:02:14,210 those who are circumcised keep the law. 37 00:02:14,690 --> 00:02:17,930 But they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast 38 00:02:18,210 --> 00:02:21,570 in your flesh. And here it is in verse 14 that 39 00:02:21,570 --> 00:02:23,210 we're going to spend a lot of time on. 40 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:26,900 If you don't have this highlighted or marked in your 41 00:02:26,900 --> 00:02:30,100 Bible, this is a really, really important verse, he says. 42 00:02:30,100 --> 00:02:35,580 God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord 43 00:02:35,580 --> 00:02:40,380 Jesus Christ, boasting in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, 44 00:02:40,980 --> 00:02:43,660 who has been crucified to me and I to the world. 45 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:47,820 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision 46 00:02:47,820 --> 00:02:50,580 avails anything but a new creation. 47 00:02:51,170 --> 00:02:55,330 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be 48 00:02:55,330 --> 00:02:58,610 upon them, and upon the Israel of God, God of Israel. 49 00:02:58,610 --> 00:03:02,490 For now on, let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the 50 00:03:02,490 --> 00:03:06,610 marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord 51 00:03:06,610 --> 00:03:08,890 Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 52 00:03:09,450 --> 00:03:15,210 Amen. Galatians 3 showed us the 53 00:03:15,210 --> 00:03:20,210 supremacy of Christ of all, the Old Testament of Abraham, Moses. 54 00:03:20,610 --> 00:03:24,250 Everything pointing to Christ himself, Everything flowing from 55 00:03:24,250 --> 00:03:27,610 Christ in Christ alone He is the object of our faith. 56 00:03:28,250 --> 00:03:32,610 Justification by grace through faith in Christ alone means this 57 00:03:32,610 --> 00:03:35,810 is. This is why we boast in the 58 00:03:35,810 --> 00:03:39,010 cross alone. And it's truly remarkable, 59 00:03:39,570 --> 00:03:43,570 especially in verse 14. It's really kind of a bold 60 00:03:43,570 --> 00:03:48,330 statement that Paul gives here, especially being a Jew and 61 00:03:48,330 --> 00:03:50,090 especially being in the 1st century. 62 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,640 He doesn't say that, that that the cross is one of the things 63 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,880 that he boasts in. There's a lot of things that you 64 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,360 know that that we could be proud in. 65 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,480 I want to boast in this, I want to boast in that. 66 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:07,760 And that word boast in in even in the original language of the 67 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:13,800 New Testament doesn't really have a comparable English 68 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,600 definition or translation that we know of To think. 69 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:19,760 Does it mean boasting or bragging? 70 00:04:21,050 --> 00:04:24,490 It really means if we put it all to 1:00, we we boast in with 71 00:04:24,490 --> 00:04:30,050 glory in we rejoice in we we're consumed by, we're obsessed 72 00:04:30,050 --> 00:04:34,050 with. Our life is is consumed by that, 73 00:04:35,090 --> 00:04:39,170 by that one thing, all of that in one word, boast in the cross. 74 00:04:39,170 --> 00:04:42,210 And he says it's not just one thing I boast in. 75 00:04:42,210 --> 00:04:45,610 He says it's the only thing that I boast in. 76 00:04:46,450 --> 00:04:48,770 He doesn't want to boast in anything else. 77 00:04:50,540 --> 00:04:53,580 There's no ground for boasting in anything but the cross. 78 00:04:54,980 --> 00:04:59,380 Now that doesn't seem maybe very bold for us today to say 79 00:04:59,380 --> 00:05:03,020 something like that, but we're 2000 years removed from what the 80 00:05:03,020 --> 00:05:06,220 cross actually did, from what it was. 81 00:05:08,060 --> 00:05:13,140 We have the the culture that we live in today tends to glamorize 82 00:05:13,140 --> 00:05:16,560 the clock, the cross. You know, we were sometimes, you 83 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:18,800 know, we see, like we've mentioned the past, you know, we 84 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,960 put the cross on a necklace. Sometimes we see it on the wall 85 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,840 in somebody's home. You know, that's not something 86 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:30,400 that was done in the 1st century because it was such a image of 87 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,120 death. It was such a gruesome way, a 88 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,120 horrible means of execution, torture. 89 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,240 It was meant to humiliate and to degrade. 90 00:05:41,530 --> 00:05:44,130 You know, they wouldn't take a a man and strip him, make him and 91 00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:47,650 put him on a tree and put stakes in his hands and his feet and 92 00:05:47,650 --> 00:05:51,210 hold him up for everybody to walk by and and spit on him and 93 00:05:51,210 --> 00:05:54,890 curse and mock him. And even the worst Roman 94 00:05:54,890 --> 00:05:57,290 criminal wouldn't get treated that way. 95 00:05:58,010 --> 00:06:01,610 There's laws today against things like that happening. 96 00:06:02,130 --> 00:06:05,210 And if you go back a couple chapters to Galatians too, I 97 00:06:05,210 --> 00:06:10,970 want us to see. How we see the word crucified 98 00:06:10,970 --> 00:06:14,850 and cross building up to Galatians chapter 6. 99 00:06:14,850 --> 00:06:17,290 If you want to underline them in your Bible or highlight them or 100 00:06:17,290 --> 00:06:20,250 however you want to do it. But if we start in Galatians 2 101 00:06:20,250 --> 00:06:25,690 verse 20, it says there I have been crucified with Christ. 102 00:06:27,610 --> 00:06:30,850 It says I've been crucified. He's given us this language and 103 00:06:30,850 --> 00:06:34,530 it and it just kind of comes off the page when we realize what 104 00:06:35,410 --> 00:06:39,530 what horror and what. What was all associated with 105 00:06:40,730 --> 00:06:43,610 with a word like that? With crucified with Christ and 106 00:06:43,970 --> 00:06:46,090 force. Galatians 3 verse one says You 107 00:06:46,090 --> 00:06:50,250 foolish Galatians who has bewitched you before your very 108 00:06:50,250 --> 00:06:52,450 eyes. Jesus Christ was clearly 109 00:06:52,650 --> 00:06:56,690 portrayed as crucified. This was an embarrassment. 110 00:06:56,690 --> 00:06:59,650 It wasn't good to be crucified. We're not proud of somebody 111 00:06:59,650 --> 00:07:03,010 being crucified. Then we get the verse 13 It says 112 00:07:03,850 --> 00:07:07,450 Christ redeemed us from. The curse of the law by becoming 113 00:07:07,490 --> 00:07:12,730 a curse for us, for it is written curses, everyone who 114 00:07:12,730 --> 00:07:15,730 hangs on a tree. Not the same word crucified, but 115 00:07:15,890 --> 00:07:19,290 hanging on a tree is what it's referring to there And then we 116 00:07:19,290 --> 00:07:21,690 come to Galatians 5 and 11, Paul writes. 117 00:07:21,690 --> 00:07:24,330 And I, brethren, if I have still preached circumcision, 118 00:07:24,370 --> 00:07:27,770 circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? 119 00:07:28,330 --> 00:07:31,810 Then the offense of the cross has ceased. 120 00:07:35,670 --> 00:07:38,830 Paul knows that the cross is offensive and then we get the 121 00:07:38,830 --> 00:07:44,550 1st 24 it says, and those who are Christ's have crucified the 122 00:07:44,550 --> 00:07:47,310 flesh with its passions and desires. 123 00:07:47,550 --> 00:07:50,750 And then we come of course to verse 12 in chapter 6. 124 00:07:51,270 --> 00:07:54,230 second-half of the verse says only that they may not suffer 125 00:07:54,230 --> 00:07:57,550 persecution for the cross of Christ. 126 00:07:58,950 --> 00:08:02,230 And then in verse 14 what we've talked about, but God forbid 127 00:08:02,750 --> 00:08:09,070 that I should boast in. Except in the cross of our Lord 128 00:08:09,070 --> 00:08:14,110 Jesus Christ. The book of Galatians is filled 129 00:08:14,110 --> 00:08:19,710 and saturated with with grace that we can read about, and it's 130 00:08:19,750 --> 00:08:23,510 centered around the cross. And this is is really big. 131 00:08:23,510 --> 00:08:26,190 And when and we're going to look at reasons in Galatians 6 why we 132 00:08:26,190 --> 00:08:29,030 actually want to boast in the cross, There's reasons why. 133 00:08:30,670 --> 00:08:33,150 It's more important that whatever job advancement we can 134 00:08:33,150 --> 00:08:36,030 get, or what salary we can make, or what house we could live in, 135 00:08:36,030 --> 00:08:41,950 or or What Car you can drive the cross boasting in the cross is 136 00:08:42,150 --> 00:08:45,270 so much better than all of those things. 137 00:08:45,750 --> 00:08:48,310 So I want to look at a few reasons why we boast in the 138 00:08:48,310 --> 00:08:51,030 cross. I've come up with four. 139 00:08:51,110 --> 00:08:56,430 There's probably more, I'm sure the reason number one we We 140 00:08:56,430 --> 00:08:59,390 boast in the cross because the cross confronts us. 141 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:05,000 With the reality of our sin. We've seen this all the way in 142 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,600 Galatians up to this point. Remember, the Judaizers were 143 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,240 saying you need to be circumcised in order to be 144 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,120 saved, not just being baptized for the remission of sins. 145 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,080 But now you got to Now we want to still keep circumcision 146 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,520 involved. You need to follow these Jewish 147 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,520 rules and rich rules and regulations. 148 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,680 And the Judaizers weren't saying that Jesus didn't die on the 149 00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:28,440 cross. They weren't denying that at 150 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,840 all. They said Jesus did die on the 151 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,680 cross, but what they were doing is they were saying, OK, Jesus 152 00:09:33,680 --> 00:09:36,880 died on the cross, He did his work here and now we're going to 153 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,800 keep doing our work over here. So we're going to finish what 154 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,240 Jesus started and that's not what scripture teaches us. 155 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,320 We understand that. So we want to think about the 156 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:49,000 realities that Paul has built up to this point In in in Galatians 157 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,960 6, the first reality we are slaves to sin. 158 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,960 At the end of Galatians 3. Talks about prisoners of sin, 159 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,560 Galatians 4. Eight different times in 160 00:10:00,560 --> 00:10:03,040 Galatians 4 talks about slavery, slaves. 161 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:08,120 It's mentioned over and over and over again in chapter 5 of 162 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,920 Galatians and the first chapter. It says we are no longer slaves 163 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:16,040 to sin. We're slaves under a new we're 164 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,440 we're slaves to sin under the new law. 165 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,480 And then when we go to Romans 6-7 and eight, we can see we 166 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:24,360 were slaves to sin all over the place. 167 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:26,840 It's mentioned multiple times there. 168 00:10:27,910 --> 00:10:31,910 We were slaves to sin. Second reality that Paul has 169 00:10:32,390 --> 00:10:37,910 built up to this point is we are dead in sin in Galatians 3 170 00:10:38,030 --> 00:10:41,790 versus 10 through 13 it says we're cursed before God, 171 00:10:41,790 --> 00:10:45,270 condemned before God because of our sin and our inability to 172 00:10:45,270 --> 00:10:51,070 obey the old law and if even if you look over into Ephesians 173 00:10:51,070 --> 00:10:54,790 chapter 2. The the the first verse starts 174 00:10:54,790 --> 00:10:57,510 off Paul talking about what we were before we came to Christ, 175 00:10:57,510 --> 00:11:01,390 he says. And you were dead in trespasses 176 00:11:01,390 --> 00:11:03,470 and sins. Dead to our sins. 177 00:11:05,910 --> 00:11:08,110 Next we are unable to save ourselves. 178 00:11:10,950 --> 00:11:13,630 Paul's been saying it over and over and over again up to this 179 00:11:13,630 --> 00:11:20,540 point in Galatians, Paul says. You know, you could do all these 180 00:11:20,540 --> 00:11:23,020 things you could do. You can have your circumcision. 181 00:11:23,020 --> 00:11:25,020 You can do whatever other rituals you guys have been doing 182 00:11:25,020 --> 00:11:29,620 for years. But all that work still doesn't 183 00:11:29,620 --> 00:11:34,180 do what Christ has done for you. You still can't make the final 184 00:11:34,380 --> 00:11:37,620 judgment on yourself. Jesus Christ is the one who has 185 00:11:37,620 --> 00:11:42,180 done that. What slave can pay the price to 186 00:11:42,180 --> 00:11:44,460 sell himself free? What dead man can bring himself 187 00:11:44,460 --> 00:11:46,580 to life? What person who is dead can 188 00:11:46,580 --> 00:11:50,390 choose life? And that's that's why it's so 189 00:11:50,390 --> 00:11:51,870 offensive about the cross sometimes. 190 00:11:51,870 --> 00:11:57,190 Because the the cross confronts us with the reality that we 191 00:11:57,190 --> 00:12:01,790 can't do anything without it. We need the cross of Christ. 192 00:12:01,870 --> 00:12:03,950 And that's the whole picture. You know, we can talk about 193 00:12:03,950 --> 00:12:06,470 grace, you go into that, but we don't have time. 194 00:12:07,870 --> 00:12:12,790 God is telling us, go to the cross and look at my son. 195 00:12:13,390 --> 00:12:16,630 Look at the divine wrath, the divine weight of sin poured out 196 00:12:16,630 --> 00:12:22,040 on my son. For your sin and and when we see 197 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:25,880 that we don't walk away from the cross saying thank you, we're 198 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:28,400 going to go ahead and keep living our lives now. 199 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:30,920 No. When we understand the weight of 200 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:36,640 what the cross has done for humanity, then we go about 201 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:38,760 living our lives in a completely different way. 202 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,080 The what the words of the hymn rider said nothing in my hand. 203 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:46,320 I bring simply to thy cross I clean. 204 00:12:48,710 --> 00:12:52,790 What we need is supernatural regeneration. 205 00:12:52,790 --> 00:12:56,110 The cross confronts us with the reality of our sin and offends 206 00:12:56,110 --> 00:13:00,350 our pride at the core and says we need to do we need God to do 207 00:13:00,350 --> 00:13:02,550 something for us that we cannot do ourselves. 208 00:13:03,150 --> 00:13:06,590 We need to give our life to Him and he does it by the cross. 209 00:13:06,590 --> 00:13:10,790 And what I mean by when I say the cross, I'm talking about 210 00:13:10,790 --> 00:13:14,670 what Jesus accomplished at the cross with his death. 211 00:13:15,940 --> 00:13:18,100 So we boast. We say yes, that's where my 212 00:13:18,100 --> 00:13:19,980 glory is. That's where my joy is. 213 00:13:20,620 --> 00:13:23,860 Because that leads to the second reason why we boast in the 214 00:13:23,860 --> 00:13:26,340 cross, Not just because it confronts us with the reality of 215 00:13:26,340 --> 00:13:30,300 our sin, but because the cross comforts us with the provision 216 00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:34,780 of our Savior. When you get down into verse 12 217 00:13:34,780 --> 00:13:38,660 of chapter 6, those who want to make a good impression 218 00:13:38,660 --> 00:13:42,550 outwardly. We're trying to compel you to be 219 00:13:42,550 --> 00:13:43,950 circumcised. They want to make a good 220 00:13:43,950 --> 00:13:46,830 impression outwardly, They want to look good on the outside is 221 00:13:46,830 --> 00:13:49,910 what it comes down to. The Judaizers we're focusing on 222 00:13:50,190 --> 00:13:53,750 Okay, what can we do outwardly to please God and and man and 223 00:13:53,750 --> 00:13:57,870 the and the cross undercuts the efforts of those Judaizers 224 00:13:57,910 --> 00:14:00,830 really, really quick. So we know we're done with the 225 00:14:00,830 --> 00:14:03,550 outward impressions before God and before men, Paul says. 226 00:14:03,550 --> 00:14:09,150 We no longer live for the applause of man, he says here in 227 00:14:09,150 --> 00:14:12,710 verse 12. As many as desired to make a 228 00:14:12,710 --> 00:14:16,230 good showing in the flesh. These would compel you to be 229 00:14:16,230 --> 00:14:18,350 circumcised. And then we get down to verse 230 00:14:18,350 --> 00:14:21,270 13. And he says, For not even those 231 00:14:21,270 --> 00:14:25,190 who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire that you 232 00:14:25,190 --> 00:14:28,990 have that use, but they desire to have you circumcised. 233 00:14:31,070 --> 00:14:35,550 The motive behind the Judaizers was is that that they could 234 00:14:35,550 --> 00:14:38,590 boast in the flesh. That was their motivation. 235 00:14:38,590 --> 00:14:41,550 They wanted to boast in the flesh they they want to boast 236 00:14:41,550 --> 00:14:43,870 in, in glory. And how many guys have been 237 00:14:43,870 --> 00:14:46,950 circumcised, How many have been certain, how many have done what 238 00:14:47,110 --> 00:14:50,110 has been prescribed, what you know they wanted? 239 00:14:50,590 --> 00:14:51,910 It's all a number count for them. 240 00:14:51,910 --> 00:14:54,270 They wanted, they wanted to get as many people circumcised and 241 00:14:54,270 --> 00:14:57,350 say look at what we've done. That's what it came down to. 242 00:14:57,670 --> 00:15:01,390 We no longer live for the applause of man because we now 243 00:15:01,390 --> 00:15:06,190 live with the pleasure of God. Paul is saying that we are free 244 00:15:06,190 --> 00:15:08,230 to rest in him. We don't need the applause of 245 00:15:08,230 --> 00:15:15,030 men, even religious organizations or or anything 246 00:15:15,030 --> 00:15:17,390 like that. We do not look for the applause 247 00:15:17,670 --> 00:15:19,990 of man. We have the pleasure of God in 248 00:15:19,990 --> 00:15:25,190 us through Christ. The third reason we boast in the 249 00:15:25,190 --> 00:15:29,070 cross is because the cross reminds us that our safety is 250 00:15:29,070 --> 00:15:34,560 not found in this world. We saw this in a little bit in 251 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:40,000 Galatians chapter 5, verse 11. And if we look at the 252 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,160 second-half of verse 12, here in verse in chapter six he says 253 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,560 about the Judaizers, He says the only reason they do this is to 254 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,560 avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 255 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,560 And we need to understand that if you were a Jewish person in 256 00:15:55,560 --> 00:16:00,800 the 1st century and you embrace the cross like Paul is teaching 257 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,080 us, here is saying here. That basically crosses 258 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:09,840 everything. And you say circumcision. 259 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,800 We don't need that anymore. If you're a Jew and you're and 260 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,600 you're clinging to the cross now and you're getting rid of the 261 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,520 old ritualistic parts of the law, then all of a sudden you 262 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,240 find yourself basically turning your back on the Jewish leaders, 263 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:25,800 the Jewish teachers and all the teachings. 264 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:28,800 And I think you would find yourself ostracized. 265 00:16:30,210 --> 00:16:32,530 And that's what Paul is, has experienced himself. 266 00:16:32,530 --> 00:16:35,650 You find yourself kicked out of the synagogue, kicked out of 267 00:16:35,650 --> 00:16:38,210 your household. Probably you find yourself at a 268 00:16:38,210 --> 00:16:44,570 social as a social outcast, maybe facing financial ruling or 269 00:16:44,570 --> 00:16:47,250 maybe worse. And when we think about the 270 00:16:47,250 --> 00:16:50,250 persecution of Christianity in the early centuries of the 271 00:16:50,250 --> 00:16:52,810 church, we often think about Roman persecution. 272 00:16:53,850 --> 00:16:57,090 But the reality that the New Testament teaches us is that 273 00:16:57,090 --> 00:17:00,510 persecution of the church. Didn't begin by the Romans. 274 00:17:01,470 --> 00:17:03,990 It actually began by the Jewish people. 275 00:17:04,790 --> 00:17:06,990 Jewish people started persecuting Christians. 276 00:17:06,990 --> 00:17:13,910 First we get to act seven. We can read about Steven, first 277 00:17:13,910 --> 00:17:16,869 Christian martyr that we can read about stoned by Jewish 278 00:17:16,869 --> 00:17:19,430 ruling council. And then of course Paul. 279 00:17:19,430 --> 00:17:22,829 In Acts 8 he was a Jewish man leading Jewish people from house 280 00:17:22,829 --> 00:17:28,240 to house persecuting Christians. So there was a there's a cost. 281 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,920 There was a cost. If you embrace a cross like 282 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,480 this, then there's a cost. Paul saying, Paul saying these 283 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:38,720 guys are wimps, these Judaizers. They don't want the persecution 284 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,120 that comes along with holding onto the cross and boasting in 285 00:17:42,120 --> 00:17:45,800 the cross. There's a price that comes with 286 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:48,280 that. We get down to verse 17 and Paul 287 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:50,930 says. Kind of a play on images, he 288 00:17:50,930 --> 00:17:52,930 says. From now on that no one trouble 289 00:17:52,930 --> 00:17:56,690 me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 290 00:17:56,850 --> 00:17:59,690 And it's a great picture here. Paul's talking to a group of 291 00:17:59,690 --> 00:18:02,490 people who are saying, well, this is what you need to do to 292 00:18:02,490 --> 00:18:06,930 your body to be saved. That's what the Judaize you're 293 00:18:06,930 --> 00:18:10,610 saying, you got to do this to your body, to be saved in order 294 00:18:10,610 --> 00:18:14,490 to please God. And Paul says, no, no, no, I'm 295 00:18:14,490 --> 00:18:18,450 going to show you what it means to be a follower of Christ. 296 00:18:19,110 --> 00:18:22,630 I'll show you what happens when you follow God, he says. 297 00:18:22,790 --> 00:18:25,990 Let me show you the bruises on my arms and my leg from when I 298 00:18:25,990 --> 00:18:31,110 was stoned in Lystra, one of the cities that was in Galatia, he 299 00:18:31,110 --> 00:18:32,590 said. Let me show you the marks that 300 00:18:32,590 --> 00:18:35,870 show my identification, my identification with Christ. 301 00:18:36,150 --> 00:18:39,910 If we go to 2nd Corinthians 11, if you want to turn over, I'll 302 00:18:39,910 --> 00:18:43,470 have it up here on the screen too. 2nd Corinthians 11 will 303 00:18:43,470 --> 00:18:47,190 certain verse 23, Paul starts describing what he had been 304 00:18:47,190 --> 00:18:49,560 through. As a follower of Christ, he says 305 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:53,560 there as the ministers of Christ, are they ministers of 306 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,680 Christ? I speak as a fool. 307 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:00,680 I am more and labor's more abundant and stripes above 308 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:05,680 measure in prisons more frequently in deaths, often from 309 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:07,920 the Jews. Five times I received 40 310 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,120 stripes, minus one. Three times I was beaten with 311 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:15,640 rods, Once I was stoned, Three times I was shipwrecked a night 312 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:17,560 and a day. I have been in the deep. 313 00:19:17,910 --> 00:19:21,790 In journeys often in perils of waters and perils of robbers, in 314 00:19:21,790 --> 00:19:25,150 perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles. 315 00:19:25,150 --> 00:19:29,190 In perils in the city, in perils of the wilderness, in perils in 316 00:19:29,190 --> 00:19:34,870 the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and toil 317 00:19:34,990 --> 00:19:37,870 and sleeplessness, sleeplessness often. 318 00:19:38,460 --> 00:19:42,340 And hunger and thirst and fastings, often in cold and 319 00:19:42,340 --> 00:19:44,940 nakedness. Besides the other things, what 320 00:19:44,940 --> 00:19:48,660 comes upon me daily? My deep concern for all the 321 00:19:48,660 --> 00:19:53,460 churches who is weak and I am not weak, who is made to 322 00:19:53,460 --> 00:19:55,860 stumble. And I do not burn with 323 00:19:55,860 --> 00:20:00,540 indignation, Paul is saying. This is what I have gone 324 00:20:00,540 --> 00:20:03,220 through, becoming the follower of Christ. 325 00:20:03,620 --> 00:20:07,140 I've left my I've left the old law of. 326 00:20:07,770 --> 00:20:09,730 Of the Jewish law and the traditions. 327 00:20:09,890 --> 00:20:14,410 And now I'm clinging to the cross, Paul is saying here in in 328 00:20:14,410 --> 00:20:19,850 Galatians 6 is a truth for all of us who identify ourselves 329 00:20:19,850 --> 00:20:23,130 with Christ. He says we do not fear 330 00:20:23,330 --> 00:20:26,330 suffering, we do not fear suffering. 331 00:20:26,370 --> 00:20:30,770 These false brothers were teaching false doctrines in 332 00:20:30,770 --> 00:20:33,570 Galatians 6 and we can tell because the way that they were 333 00:20:33,970 --> 00:20:39,230 avoiding persecution. The way that they were running, 334 00:20:39,230 --> 00:20:41,630 scared of identification with the cross. 335 00:20:42,030 --> 00:20:44,630 Those who are identified with the cross don't fear suffering. 336 00:20:46,990 --> 00:20:50,710 In fact, when we're identified with a crucified Messiah, we 337 00:20:50,710 --> 00:20:52,750 expect suffering in some way or another. 338 00:20:53,310 --> 00:20:58,110 Paul talking about boasting in in crucifixion saying you can 339 00:20:58,110 --> 00:21:00,270 tell I'm identified with Christ because of what I've been 340 00:21:00,270 --> 00:21:02,790 through. It's like what he says in. 341 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,680 Philippians won when he says it has been granted to you on 342 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:10,880 behalf of Christ to suffer. It's been given as a gift to 343 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:12,720 you. In the language of the New 344 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,440 Testament, Philippians won. It's a gift to suffer. 345 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:20,680 If you want to paraphrase it, we're not identified with a 346 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:26,480 savior who lives in a five star resort or is dressed in really 347 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:30,320 fine clothing or had a home, anything like that. 348 00:21:30,890 --> 00:21:34,410 Were identified with the Savior who has been mocked and beaten 349 00:21:34,650 --> 00:21:38,530 and scourged and spit upon and nailed to a cross. 350 00:21:40,130 --> 00:21:42,490 If we think about it, what was God? 351 00:21:42,530 --> 00:21:46,450 You know God's strategy for showing His love most clearly to 352 00:21:46,450 --> 00:21:49,650 the world. His way of showing love was 353 00:21:49,650 --> 00:21:52,850 giving a suffering servant to us. 354 00:21:53,970 --> 00:21:57,450 In his divine wisdom, he ordained A suffering servant the 355 00:21:57,450 --> 00:22:02,880 self sacrifice of his only son. To be the means by which he 356 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,440 would say that I love you and I'm compassionate for you and 357 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,160 I'm gracious towards you. We can see this through history, 358 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,920 of course. After the cross we see the New 359 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,800 Testament letters that are written to Christians who are 360 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,800 suffering in that time. The book of Acts, Persecution 361 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:24,040 and suffering We see Christian history tells out tells us that 362 00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:29,000 10 out of the 11 disciples were martyred and. 363 00:22:29,420 --> 00:22:31,660 You know, God's strategy, I don't think has necessarily 364 00:22:31,660 --> 00:22:35,620 changed a whole lot. God's showing us his love most 365 00:22:35,620 --> 00:22:41,220 clearly through the world. By showing us that his followers 366 00:22:41,220 --> 00:22:44,860 suffered. They went through a lot. 367 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,340 We don't fear suffering. We do not. 368 00:22:47,740 --> 00:22:49,220 We don't. Not that we look for 369 00:22:49,220 --> 00:22:51,100 persecution, we don't look for suffering. 370 00:22:51,700 --> 00:22:53,700 But the reality is, you know, what do we expect? 371 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:56,580 Sometimes we need to be prepared for it. 372 00:22:58,020 --> 00:23:02,300 Talking about the cross and what it does for us, we don't want to 373 00:23:02,300 --> 00:23:07,980 minimize that the cross keeps us from wasting our lives in this 374 00:23:07,980 --> 00:23:10,860 world. When you get to verse 14, Paul 375 00:23:10,860 --> 00:23:13,860 says may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus 376 00:23:13,860 --> 00:23:18,020 Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I 377 00:23:18,020 --> 00:23:22,420 to the world. Paul is Paul's basically saying 378 00:23:22,420 --> 00:23:27,180 here I'm dead to the world and the world is dead to me. 379 00:23:28,170 --> 00:23:31,090 And when he came to Christ, his entire relationship with the 380 00:23:31,090 --> 00:23:33,330 world changed. He's saying this world has 381 00:23:33,330 --> 00:23:35,730 nothing for me anymore, nothing for us. 382 00:23:35,970 --> 00:23:38,370 If we're a Christian, all the things in this world mean 383 00:23:38,410 --> 00:23:42,530 absolutely nothing. We don't live for the joy that 384 00:23:42,530 --> 00:23:45,170 this world can provide us. It doesn't. 385 00:23:45,170 --> 00:23:47,210 We don't have any satisfaction there. 386 00:23:47,410 --> 00:23:51,250 There's no source of joy there. Philippians 3 when Paul says. 387 00:23:51,670 --> 00:23:54,070 You know, he comes up, he comes up with a list of things that he 388 00:23:54,070 --> 00:23:56,550 has in this world. And he says, you know, you put 389 00:23:56,550 --> 00:23:59,310 all those things together and they're trash. 390 00:23:59,670 --> 00:24:07,230 They're rubbish compared to one thing, compared to knowing 391 00:24:07,230 --> 00:24:09,350 Christ. Paul says take everything, even 392 00:24:09,350 --> 00:24:12,190 the best things of this world has to offer me. 393 00:24:12,470 --> 00:24:15,630 And as long as I have Christ, I have everything that I need. 394 00:24:16,510 --> 00:24:19,310 The world has nothing for us because Christ is everything to 395 00:24:19,310 --> 00:24:21,730 us. One scholar said the baptized 396 00:24:21,730 --> 00:24:25,890 Christian has ceased to belong to the world and is no longer 397 00:24:25,890 --> 00:24:29,490 its slave. He belongs to Christ alone, and 398 00:24:29,490 --> 00:24:33,530 his relationship with the world is mediated through clock 399 00:24:33,610 --> 00:24:39,890 through Christ. This changes the way that we 400 00:24:39,890 --> 00:24:42,610 live. We don't run now after the 401 00:24:42,610 --> 00:24:45,090 pursuits of this life, the pleasures of the world. 402 00:24:45,730 --> 00:24:48,250 We don't look for joy and satisfaction in the world. 403 00:24:48,250 --> 00:24:53,750 We're free from those things. Christ is everything to us now. 404 00:24:53,750 --> 00:24:57,950 Of course we when we say the world has nothing for us, that 405 00:24:57,950 --> 00:25:01,150 that doesn't necessarily mean that everything in this world is 406 00:25:01,150 --> 00:25:05,030 bad, you know, if that's the case, you know our families are 407 00:25:05,030 --> 00:25:09,830 bad, our children are bad, our friends are bad, you know, we 408 00:25:09,830 --> 00:25:13,830 know that's not true. That's not what it's saying. 409 00:25:13,830 --> 00:25:16,630 It's not saying that's world bad, Paul said. 410 00:25:16,630 --> 00:25:20,390 He's crucified of the to the world, but he's still in the 411 00:25:20,390 --> 00:25:22,270 world. So what does that mean? 412 00:25:22,270 --> 00:25:25,270 What does it mean? Boasting of the cross related to 413 00:25:25,270 --> 00:25:29,190 everything else in this world. And it leads us to the last 414 00:25:29,190 --> 00:25:30,630 reason why we boasting the cross. 415 00:25:30,950 --> 00:25:33,990 Because it this is where it gets really, really good, I thought, 416 00:25:34,270 --> 00:25:40,390 because the cross supplies us with every good thing that we 417 00:25:40,390 --> 00:25:43,360 have. The cross supplies us with every 418 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:48,480 good thing about that we have. You know, what about our spouses 419 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:53,240 or our children? Are we allowed to be proud of 420 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:57,520 that and to boast in that? Are we allowed to find joy in 421 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:01,840 them? And what I want to try to do is 422 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,280 show the correlation between the cross and maybe even just a 423 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,360 simple parent's pride. You know what? 424 00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:08,880 The cross we realize that it that. 425 00:26:09,410 --> 00:26:12,450 If the cross was not there, we have nothing but condemnation 426 00:26:12,450 --> 00:26:14,770 from God. If the cross is not there, a 427 00:26:14,770 --> 00:26:18,490 Sinner standing before a holy God receives nothing but, of 428 00:26:18,490 --> 00:26:20,490 course, judgment and condemnation. 429 00:26:21,050 --> 00:26:25,890 And now we begin to realize that it's only because of the cross 430 00:26:26,570 --> 00:26:31,450 that we have the opportunity to enjoy our children or our 431 00:26:31,450 --> 00:26:34,450 family. That's the only source. 432 00:26:34,450 --> 00:26:36,650 If the cross wasn't there, we couldn't enjoy that. 433 00:26:36,650 --> 00:26:42,100 We we wouldn't want to. You know, teach those around us 434 00:26:42,140 --> 00:26:47,340 or raise our children up to show that love, good things, and and 435 00:26:47,340 --> 00:26:49,820 sometimes even the bad things that God uses the turn to good. 436 00:26:49,820 --> 00:26:52,660 And every single one of those things is possible because of 437 00:26:52,660 --> 00:26:57,500 the cross. We look at verse 15, realize 438 00:26:57,500 --> 00:27:01,300 that this is a Jewish man stating for in Christ Jesus 439 00:27:01,300 --> 00:27:05,140 neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything 440 00:27:05,380 --> 00:27:09,370 but a new creation. God has not given us better 441 00:27:09,370 --> 00:27:12,490 lives because of the cross. He's not said Here's the cross 442 00:27:12,690 --> 00:27:16,410 Now go on to maybe go buy some books from the Christian 443 00:27:16,410 --> 00:27:19,170 bookstore and start reading those and learn how to be a 444 00:27:19,170 --> 00:27:21,650 better you. That's not what he's saying. 445 00:27:21,650 --> 00:27:23,770 He's not. It's not to improve our lives or 446 00:27:23,770 --> 00:27:27,770 give us better lives. It's given us a new life, 447 00:27:28,530 --> 00:27:34,810 completely changed and different from what we used to be because 448 00:27:34,850 --> 00:27:37,900 of the cross. We've been recreated by a spirit 449 00:27:37,900 --> 00:27:41,300 and are being recreated and continue being recreated as we 450 00:27:41,300 --> 00:27:46,500 study the word we're ruled by the gospel, verse 16 says. 451 00:27:46,780 --> 00:27:51,060 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be 452 00:27:51,060 --> 00:27:56,940 upon them and upon the, I believe it's supposed to say God 453 00:27:56,940 --> 00:28:01,900 of Israel. It actually says Israel of God, 454 00:28:03,540 --> 00:28:06,390 finally. Paul closes the exact same way 455 00:28:06,390 --> 00:28:11,190 he began in Galatians 13 Grace and peace to you from God our 456 00:28:11,190 --> 00:28:14,950 Father and Lord Jesus Christ. And then we come to verse 18. 457 00:28:15,910 --> 00:28:19,470 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, with 458 00:28:19,470 --> 00:28:20,590 your spirit. Amen. 459 00:28:21,750 --> 00:28:26,270 We are all recipients of that same grace that Paul is talking 460 00:28:26,270 --> 00:28:30,310 about in Galatians today. It's the same grace that we can 461 00:28:30,310 --> 00:28:33,110 receive. The cross will always be our 462 00:28:33,110 --> 00:28:36,290 reservoir. From which that grace comes 463 00:28:36,290 --> 00:28:38,930 from, from what Christ did for us on the cross. 464 00:28:39,170 --> 00:28:44,170 So that's why we boast in the cross, because of what it is 465 00:28:44,170 --> 00:28:46,090 done for us, what Jesus did for us. 466 00:28:46,090 --> 00:28:47,730 That's the one thing we live for. 467 00:28:47,970 --> 00:28:49,690 That's the one thing we count on. 468 00:28:50,130 --> 00:28:52,730 That's why we are obsessed with the cross. 469 00:28:54,810 --> 00:28:57,810 We thank you for listening to our podcast put on by The Church 470 00:28:57,810 --> 00:29:02,250 of Christ at 2215 Plans Rd. in Bakersfield. 471 00:29:03,110 --> 00:29:06,430 If you would like any additional information or you would like to 472 00:29:06,430 --> 00:29:09,430 receive a free Bible correspondence course by mail, 473 00:29:10,150 --> 00:29:15,470 please e-mail us at info@churchofchristbakersfield.com. 474 00:29:16,230 --> 00:29:21,430 Our service times are Sundays at 10:30 AM and 5:00 PM and 475 00:29:21,430 --> 00:29:25,870 Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. Please make plans to join us. 476 00:29:26,390 --> 00:29:28,510 We would love for you to be our honored guest.