1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,320 Did you grow up in a house where you were told to not rock the 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:10,600 rock? The what? 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:15,920 The the cradle? Don't rock the boat. 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,960 You know, I, I think sometimes we're, we're told to just sort 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:28,640 of be calm, be cool, chill out. Don't stick your hand in the, 6 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,000 the oven, the fire, the cookie, the hornet's nest. 7 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:45,400 Like we're, we're told to just take it easy sometimes. 8 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,520 But all of us who are followers of Jesus will find that there 9 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,480 are moments in our life where we must rock the boat. 10 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:04,440 We must disturb the status quo. We must speak up, speak out, act 11 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:10,960 out so that we can be in line with the gospel and with Jesus. 12 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,840 In a sense, we're going against the grain of our culture or 13 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,880 against the grain of particular crowd. 14 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:26,000 Even at times we find we're going against the grain of all 15 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,480 church or an institutional expression of church. 16 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:40,080 This summer we made our way through the book of Acts and Sam 17 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:44,840 preached on one of my favorite churches in the book of Acts, 18 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:50,760 the Church of Antioch. This was in Acts Chapter 11, and 19 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,840 Antioch seemed like a perfect church. 20 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:00,880 Things were going great. In fact, through Acts, we see no 21 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:09,039 evidence of conflict in Antioch. It's like reading the book of 22 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,680 Ephesians. You see no evidence of conflict 23 00:02:12,920 --> 00:02:19,520 in the book of Ephesians. But if you read Acts, Paul sort 24 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:25,480 of foresees conflict in Ephesus. And then you read Timothy and 25 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,960 you discover, Oh my goodness, that church blew up. 26 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:34,040 Well, Antioch almost blew up as a church. 27 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:39,120 And it seems strange when we read the book of Galatians that 28 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:45,720 we actually are getting Paul's account of a crisis in Antioch. 29 00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:50,520 In fact, it should be comforting to us in some ways that if you 30 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,560 hang out with church long enough, you'll find there's a 31 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,960 crisis, you'll find there are conflicts, you will find there 32 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,280 are disappointments, you will find there are hurts. 33 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,440 Because we're all trying to work it out. 34 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:09,720 What does it mean to follow Jesus? 35 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,480 What does it mean to have the power of the Spirit and the 36 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:19,400 truth of His word in our lives? It creates conflict. 37 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,760 So there was a crisis in Antioch. 38 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,160 Paul speaks of it in those letter to Galatians because it 39 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,720 seems that some have arrived in the area of Galatia with their 40 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:41,560 own version of the conflict. And in their version of the 41 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,400 conflict, Paul loses and he's like, hey, that's not the truth 42 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,960 of the gospel. I'm going to tell you the truth 43 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,360 of the gospel. And I'm going to remind you, let 44 00:03:52,360 --> 00:04:00,760 you know what actually happened in Antioch, that Paul had to go 45 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:05,480 against the grain. Paul had to rock the boat when 46 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:10,960 even the greatest leaders of the church were present. 47 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,240 He calls them pillars of the church. 48 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,120 Whatever they are, he says they're just men. 49 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,680 They're just people trying to work out their life with Jesus. 50 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:28,600 And I saw that they were not acting in line with the gospel 51 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:34,080 and had to speak up. Let's see how it goes. 52 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:41,920 When Cephas, that's Peter Cephas. 53 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,760 It's interesting that Paul uses that name. 54 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:51,280 But when Peter Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his 55 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:56,400 face because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from 56 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:57,920 James. He used to eat with the 57 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:03,280 Gentiles, but when they arrived he began to draw back and 58 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:07,880 separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid 59 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,320 of those who belong to the circumcision group. 60 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,520 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their 61 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,960 hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 62 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:24,400 So here's the conflict. This is what it looked like. 63 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:30,840 He's recalling a moment where a group of followers of Jesus who 64 00:05:30,840 --> 00:05:35,400 were Jewish arrived in Antioch where they had seen both Jew and 65 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:43,760 Gentile background people get to know Jesus and enjoy table 66 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:49,000 fellowship. But when Peter and this group 67 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:56,160 arrived, Peter withdrew. He rejected the fellowship with 68 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:03,800 Gentile Christians. How does rejection feel? 69 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,720 It's like a broken heart. I saw that Juno rejection 70 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,600 actually feels like if it's just words even, or if it's just 71 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,520 social withdrawal. Social scientists tell us that 72 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:21,160 in the measures of our Physiology, it actually does 73 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:30,040 feel like a punch in the gut. And so the gentile believers had 74 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:35,800 had a punch in the gut. Peter had withdrawn from 75 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,840 fellowship with them. The leader of the Church of 76 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:47,000 Jerusalem with James and others had withdrawn from sharing the 77 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:52,160 table with them. They had given up their freedom 78 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:58,320 of association in Christ to associate across the barriers of 79 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:03,880 Jewishness and gentileness of the Torah and those who didn't 80 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:11,360 have the Torah. There was a ripple effect from 81 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,880 the this move. Every move has unintended 82 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:18,680 consequences. Or maybe they intended them. 83 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:23,640 It says that other Jews joined Peter in this rejection. 84 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,440 And even Barnabas. If you all were really with me, 85 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:40,400 you'd go, oh, even Barnabas, Not Barney, not Barney, Even 86 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:44,840 Barnabas rejected them and joined in. 87 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,920 What was at stake was not just table fellowship. 88 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,280 What was at stake was an understanding of the gospel of 89 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:59,000 Jesus, What actually makes people acceptable to God. 90 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:03,280 You ever been stuck at an airport? 91 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:11,240 Unacceptable. They had become stuck outside 92 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:16,120 the table because people were not acting in line with the 93 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:21,640 gospel. So Paul moves forward then, and 94 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,320 he begins to argue for their freedom of association. 95 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,480 He argues for their freedom in Christ. 96 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:35,840 Let's see how he argues it. So this is what he shared with 97 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,840 Peter. And when I saw that they were 98 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,320 not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to 99 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:48,080 Cephas in front of them all. You are a Jew, yet you live like 100 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:53,000 a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it then that you force 101 00:08:53,000 --> 00:09:02,240 Gentiles to follow Jewish customs, we who are Jews by 102 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,440 birth and not sinful Gentiles? He, he sort of gives him a 103 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,920 little bit of a, a line there, You know, like those pagans, 104 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:13,000 those sinners, those people who didn't have the law. 105 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,600 He uses that word. Sinful Gentiles know that a 106 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:22,120 person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith 107 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:26,120 in Christ Jesus. So we too have put our faith in 108 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:30,920 Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and 109 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:35,720 not by the works of the law. That probably should be capital 110 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:41,640 L law, the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, because by 111 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,360 the works of the law no one will be justified. 112 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,880 And by that word justified, he means made acceptable to God. 113 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:56,680 But if in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews 114 00:09:56,680 --> 00:10:01,320 find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn't that mean that 115 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,200 Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not. 116 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,880 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a law 117 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,960 breaker. So here's a summary of his 118 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,640 argument. It's got four parts. 119 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,360 Here's the first three really quick. 120 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:24,560 Paul argues first that Peter's table manners are incongruent 121 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:27,400 with his life. He's like, I know you, Peter, 122 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,800 before you got here, you, because of your life with Jesus, 123 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,240 would follow everyone. Remember, Peter had had that 124 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:38,880 second conversion experience in the book of Acts where he saw 125 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:43,160 from heaven God dropped down a sheet with all kinds of animals 126 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,360 and said, let's have a feast, kill it and eat. 127 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,880 And every time Peter was like, no, no, no. 128 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,400 And then finally God says to him, you know Peter, it took 129 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,440 three times to get stuff usually. 130 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:04,280 Finally God says to Peter, don't call unclean that which I have 131 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,640 made clean. And Paul came out of that vision 132 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,120 and experience saying, oh, I get it. 133 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:15,200 God actually shows no favoritism between Jew and Gentile, but now 134 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:20,440 all are made clean by Christ. And it became a real living 135 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:26,280 experience when Cornelius knocked at the door and came in. 136 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:32,040 Or actually Peter went to Cornelius's house afterwards and 137 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,680 saw the Spirit of God work in their lives. 138 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,480 And he's like, I get it. God shows no favoritism between 139 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,440 Jew and Gentile, but now all are justified by Christ. 140 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,600 Look, he's given the Spirit. What can keep them from being 141 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,800 baptized? In other words, immersed into 142 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:53,520 our fellowship with God and with us? 143 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,160 So Paul points back and says, hey, Peter, I know you. 144 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,200 I I know you've had this experience. 145 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,040 I know you have different table manners. 146 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,120 What's going on? It's incongruent. 147 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:09,920 Then he points to Jesus's saving work. 148 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:14,960 He says, look, we know it. We had the law, but the law did 149 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,800 not make us acceptable to God. Our attempts at keeping the law 150 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,720 did not make us acceptable God. Our moralism didn't make us 151 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,840 acceptable to God. But Christ Jesus has made us 152 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:32,240 acceptable to God because now, through Christ, the perfect Lamb 153 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:40,040 of God, we have been forgiven, cleansed, made righteous, he 154 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,920 says. We know that you know that this 155 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:45,720 is the truth and reality of the gospel. 156 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,840 God provided forgiveness of sin to the Jews. 157 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:56,080 He's provided forgiveness of sin to the Gentiles and it's 158 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,600 fundamentally changed our identity. 159 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:06,320 Now he introduces the dilemma of following Jesus that perhaps 160 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:11,840 they were sharing as a He raises their rhetorical question. 161 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:18,680 Look, if following Jesus makes us hang out with sinners, then 162 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:26,320 is something wrong with Jesus? Couldn't we correct this problem 163 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,520 by making the sinners become Jewish? 164 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:36,760 They should be circumcised. They should follow our diet. 165 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,120 And Paul says no, that's not it at all. 166 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:46,280 Don't you know that Jesus was a friend of sinners? 167 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,560 Jesus was accused because of his company and those he associated 168 00:13:53,560 --> 00:13:57,240 with. And so he's saying, look, if 169 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,160 following Jesus, the friend of sinners, brings us into the 170 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:04,080 fellowship with sinners, does that mean Jesus promotes sin? 171 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:09,480 And he says absolutely not. He uses the strongest of phrases 172 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,560 there to say no, no, no, not at all. 173 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:19,240 And then he says, do I need to rebuild the law that separates 174 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,560 Jew and Gentile? No, of course not. 175 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,200 We don't need to do that. So what do we need to do? 176 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,360 Paul keeps going in his argument. 177 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,560 It's incredible. Paul actually presents a new 178 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,560 vision for discipleship, and I believe this vision of 179 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:46,920 discipleship wasn't just for the Jewish followers of Jesus who 180 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:52,000 had the law, but this was a vision of discipleship for those 181 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,560 who were Gentiles who knew nothing about the law either. 182 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:58,280 They didn't know all the rules of God. 183 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:03,440 They didn't have the 10 commandments. 184 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:13,960 Now they got it as they perhaps read the Scripture, but Paul's 185 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:20,560 vision of being a follower of Jesus was actually incredibly 186 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:26,480 profound and startling. In fact, the Galatian church, 187 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:31,800 when they read this, would have been gripped with maybe fear. 188 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,720 Maybe we've become so familiar with it that we don't recognize 189 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:43,160 it. And so read it with me. 190 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:45,160 Here we go. This is his vision of 191 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,960 discipleship. Here's one more thing. 192 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,480 Well, what about the grumpy guy here? 193 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:59,640 Now I, I want to, I want to remind you that every vision of 194 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,360 discipleship doesn't always make us immediately happy. 195 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:10,520 You see the grumpy guy there, it doesn't always make us happy. 196 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:15,560 You know when Jesus spoke to the rich young ruler, he said to 197 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:20,200 him, come follow me but first go sell all that you have and then 198 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,000 come follow me and you will be perfect. 199 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,000 The rich young ruler had brought up the law and how he had kept 200 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:35,360 the commands and and Jesus just looked past that and said, we'll 201 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:39,080 sell all you have. And there he found the idol that 202 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,600 was in this man's hands and heart. 203 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:47,200 And he says he went away sad. I hope he didn't become a grumpy 204 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:54,080 old man. I hope he actually found that 205 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:59,480 true movement of discipleship that Jesus talks about many 206 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,360 times. And now Paul is going to talk 207 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,560 about it's a kind of discipleship that goes against 208 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:11,400 the grain because it speaks of death. 209 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:21,280 OK, now we're ready for through the law, I died to the law so 210 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:26,119 that I might live for God. I have been crucified with 211 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:30,880 Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 212 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,440 The life I now live in the body. I live by faith in the Son of 213 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:40,000 God who loved me and gave himself for me. 214 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:45,400 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could 215 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,280 be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing. 216 00:17:52,120 --> 00:17:54,080 So here's Paul's vision of discipleship. 217 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,400 To be able to say I have been crucified with Christ. 218 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:05,280 Say it with me, I have been crucified with Christ. 219 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:09,040 This is his confession. And it would have been shocking 220 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:13,600 to them that the people in Galatia were actually had a lot 221 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:21,360 of retired Roman soldiers and Roman citizens, and they knew 222 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:26,080 the activity of the state of Rome in its fiercest expression 223 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,800 of capital punishment was the cross. 224 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:37,240 What, I'm going to so identify with Jesus that I too would be 225 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:41,200 crucified? What are you after, Paul? 226 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:48,800 This sounds crazy. I am crucified with Christ and I 227 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:53,280 no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 228 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,320 He's talking about a fundamental exchange in our lives. 229 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:05,640 Jesus put it this way. If you want to be my disciple, 230 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:12,600 you must deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow me. 231 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:21,400 That there is a death to self. Not the death of yourself, but 232 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,400 there is a death to self. That's required in following 233 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:30,360 Jesus and in being spiritually formed as His. 234 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:35,960 There are so many times and so many original stories of how 235 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:40,640 followers of Jesus have been invited to Jesus and he finds 236 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:45,400 the idol in their hands and heart and says that must die, 237 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:51,320 that must go. There have been occasions in 238 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:55,240 each of our lives where we were moving forward in life and 239 00:19:55,240 --> 00:20:00,000 life's reality itself seemed like death to accept. 240 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:09,320 Because how am I going to live with that shame, disappointment, 241 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:16,720 problem, experience? And to move forward in it feels 242 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:22,160 like death. And so Paul says, look, if we 243 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:27,280 are actually to move into the life of Christ, we must somehow 244 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:36,440 become adept at this experience of dying to self with Christ so 245 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:39,320 that he might live in us. We'll come back. 246 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,240 There's more to it. The second thing that he 247 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,400 envisioned is that I live by faith in the Son of God. 248 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:50,560 Would you say it with me? I live by faith in the Son of 249 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:54,600 God. This is the second part of the 250 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,360 experience. It's not just that we die now, 251 00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:01,320 but we live because Christ is living in US. 252 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:08,480 And what he engages us in is an active exercise of faith in 253 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,120 someone. And he uses a very real and 254 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:15,040 present term, not just the Messiah, but Son of God. 255 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,440 He wants us to know about Jesus in the flesh. 256 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:24,320 And so he says, this life I now live in the body. 257 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:27,440 This life I now live in the body. 258 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:37,480 Check and see if you have one. You've all got a body and this 259 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:43,320 is the only place you have to live your life in Christ. 260 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:48,520 This is the place. Would you say that with me? 261 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,040 This is the place. Welcome to Peru, one of our 262 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,880 favorite restaurants. I don't know if it was because 263 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,360 of the food or just because of the guy out front would all the 264 00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:00,480 time greet us every time we came down the sidewalk in Machu 265 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,680 Picchu. This is the place. 266 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,800 This is the place right here. So this is the place that you 267 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:11,040 have to live your spiritual life of faith in Christ. 268 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,800 You're not going to transfer your soul to someone else or to 269 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:24,920 your computer someday, but your soul was meant to be alive 270 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:30,520 before God and in this body now, and all the difficulties and 271 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,240 suffering and experiences and troubles and joys that come, 272 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:40,160 this is the place you are meant to live by faith in Christ. 273 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:49,640 So he says I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and 274 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:57,800 gave himself for me. That fundamental experience of 275 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:03,360 knowing I am loved. The person in this body is 276 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:10,400 loved, the person in this body is known by God, The person in 277 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:15,920 this body is still becoming, and every decision made by faith 278 00:23:17,120 --> 00:23:19,280 means I'm becoming more like Jesus. 279 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,200 Our vision here at Origin is that we would joyfully invest in 280 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,160 relationships to spark a life journey with Jesus. 281 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:30,720 What is a life journey with Jesus? 282 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:35,120 A life journey with Jesus is 1 in which you get to know Jesus. 283 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:40,440 It's one in which you become like Jesus, and it's one in 284 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:42,600 which you join Jesus in his mission. 285 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:52,120 Now that gets me really excited. But I know that we can never be 286 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:57,360 that kind of people together unless we will learn the ways of 287 00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:01,960 dying to self, being crucified with Christ, unless we will 288 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:08,440 learn the ways of living by faith in Christ Jesus, making 289 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,960 decisions based on our relationship with Jesus. 290 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:17,800 And then third, that we would hold on to the grace of God for 291 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,640 righteousness. So say it with me. 292 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:23,920 I hold on to the grace of God for righteousness. 293 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:28,040 Paul says I don't let it go. I don't nullify it. 294 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,360 I don't make it empty or turn it vain or into nothing. 295 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:35,880 Instead, I'm always holding on to the grace of God for 296 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:40,080 righteousness, for whatever makes me acceptable to God. 297 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:47,000 This is Christ justifying us. And so whatever righteousness 298 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,280 develops in my life because I'm following Jesus, I don't point 299 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,360 to that and say so good, so good. 300 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:57,560 Did you see that? So good, LG I'm looking good. 301 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:03,160 Not at all. Instead I say, oh, so I 302 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:08,120 consecrate even that move of being able to recognize, oh God, 303 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:12,320 look, there's some good today. Wow, God, I'm so happy about 304 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:13,760 that. That was a win in my life. 305 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:17,560 And then I say, Oh God, thank you so much for your grace in my 306 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:23,080 life that that that's come about because that's the fruit of your 307 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:26,080 spirit in my life, which Paul's going to get to later in 308 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,920 Galatians. That's more Lovejoy, peace, 309 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:35,280 patience, kindness, goodness. Thank you for finishing that out 310 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:38,760 there. That's more of the fruit of the 311 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:40,960 spirit. That's more of the righteousness 312 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,720 of God. And when accused by others and 313 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:49,640 accused by Satan, the accuser of the brethren, I point to, oh, 314 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,280 look, it's all Jesus. It's not up to me. 315 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,920 So there it is, his vision of discipleship crucified with 316 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:05,480 Christ, living by faith in Christ and holding on to the 317 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:10,480 grace of God. God, this is how we become 318 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:16,920 disciples of Jesus. That's how it starts for some of 319 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:18,400 you. You've been on the cusp of 320 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,640 wanting to trust Jesus, of getting to know Jesus, of having 321 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,920 a relationship with Jesus, and some of you've checked that box 322 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:29,640 off every week on the connection card. 323 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,120 We see you, we're praying for you. 324 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:37,320 But we know that part of that step isn't just to be a fan of 325 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,680 Jesus. Part of that step is to say 326 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:44,080 there's something that's going to die in my life and now I'm 327 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,800 going to follow Jesus 'cause I'm going to lay it down. 328 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,040 I'm going to lay it down and trust this with Jesus. 329 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:01,080 My friend Bryce had been a follower of Jesus and he loved 330 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:03,800 football. He loved football. 331 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:08,400 He's a short guy, but his vision was of playing football forever. 332 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:14,720 And as he began to follow Jesus, he realized, I think Jesus is 333 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:21,360 asking me to give up football. And it pained him to give it up. 334 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,960 He began to pursue his life and mission with Jesus. 335 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:39,160 He accepted a position to go to France to serve as a missionary 336 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,040 with a team in France. When he got to France, they 337 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:46,480 said, we are actually so happy you're here because we want you 338 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,200 to coach American football in France. 339 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,360 He was so excited God gave it back to him. 340 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,040 He didn't know it. You never know what God's going 341 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:58,800 to give back to you when you lay it down. 342 00:28:04,310 --> 00:28:08,070 But for every one of us, this move and discipleship means that 343 00:28:08,070 --> 00:28:12,950 we have to die to something. Paul says I face death every 344 00:28:12,950 --> 00:28:16,110 day. He's like in reality he did. 345 00:28:16,110 --> 00:28:19,830 But I think he was also suggesting that he, he dies 346 00:28:19,830 --> 00:28:25,070 daily to himself and he lives by faith in Christ Jesus who loves 347 00:28:25,070 --> 00:28:27,920 him. He knows he's loved. 348 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,840 And then he keeps holding on to the grace of Christ, the grace 349 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:37,400 of God. And here's the strange thing is, 350 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:41,400 you and I are actually called to live against the grain. 351 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:48,480 Do you see the cross there in the Timbers and he's leaning on 352 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,640 the back of it? Have you ever seen a bear get up 353 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,880 to a a tree and scratch their back? 354 00:28:55,920 --> 00:29:00,120 I saw my wife do that once in in the hallway. 355 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,320 She was like, I've got an itch in my back and she's leaned up 356 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:08,000 against the the post there in the hallway and scratched her 357 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,960 back. But here's the thing. 358 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:17,640 You've got to lean on Jesus. You've got to lean on the cross 359 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:20,600 of Christ. You've got to lean against the 360 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:26,160 grain of the cross in order to be the kind of person who can go 361 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:30,160 against the grain. So that you can live in line 362 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:33,920 with the gospel, so that others can live in line with the truth 363 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:37,440 of the gospel, So that your church can live in line with the 364 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,960 truth of the gospel, so that your neighbor can live in line 365 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,760 with the truth of the gospel. You've got to be the kind of 366 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,600 person who puts their hand in the hornet's nest. 367 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:51,960 You've got to be the kind of person who sort of rocks the 368 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:56,000 boat and says, hey, have you ever thought about Jesus? 369 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,600 You've got to be the kind of person who invites others to the 370 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:06,520 table of your home. I want you to think of the most 371 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:14,240 holy person you know, the most holy, lovable Christian you 372 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:20,400 know. One of my heroes in the faith 373 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:25,640 has been Dallas Willard. And years ago I read an article 374 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:31,920 where Dallas Willard says I hated my neighbors and I was 375 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:37,440 like, not Dallas, no, not him, he says. 376 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:39,960 I realized I did not love the people next door. 377 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,480 They were dangerous, they were unpleasant. 378 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:51,320 They were ex bikers who made their life by selling drugs and 379 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:52,960 he said they made our lives miserable. 380 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:58,120 And he said it began to wear on my patients. 381 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:02,360 And as I brooded over them one day, indulging my irritation, 382 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:05,680 the Lord helped me see that I really had no love for them at 383 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,840 all, and that after all the suffering of these years, I 384 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,280 would secretly be happy if they died. 385 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:21,320 I had to admit, I had never earnestly sought to be possessed 386 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:24,880 by God's kind of love to become more like Jesus. 387 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:33,480 And now it was time to seek it. He had to let something die. 388 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:43,080 Not his neighbor, but something in his own heart had to die. 389 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:50,280 Peter, James, and John, when confronted by Paul, had to let 390 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:54,640 something die so the truth of the Gospel could happen and so 391 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,760 that you and I could be seated here today. 392 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:04,960 They did it. They entered into the cruciform 393 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:12,640 life and they gave up their social preferences in order that 394 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:17,680 you and I might have a spiritual place in heaven and in their 395 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:22,200 hearts. That's good, isn't it? 396 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:29,840 So let's live that way. Heavenly Father, as we come to 397 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:33,800 you today, we thank you for the life and love of Jesus who love 398 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:38,200 us so much. We thank you for the faith of 399 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:43,960 Jesus, that in you that He could take up that cross, He could lay 400 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:49,600 down on that cross, and he could say that no one took his life 401 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:54,000 from him, but that he had authority to lay it down and to 402 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,960 take it up. But we want to have that kind of 403 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:03,080 authority in our lives, the kind of authority that you give, that 404 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:09,640 we might lay our lives down for our friends at work, our friends 405 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:16,560 in our neighborhood, and even our enemies, that they might 406 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:28,540 know you. But Lord Jesus, we know that if 407 00:33:28,540 --> 00:33:33,700 we refuse that kind of death, that if we close our heart to 408 00:33:33,700 --> 00:33:42,180 the compassion of God, that our life will reek of death, of 409 00:33:42,180 --> 00:33:49,800 stinking, rotten relationships. And So what else is there except 410 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:55,560 for us to truly enter into life with you and surrender our lives 411 00:33:55,560 --> 00:35:19,720 to You? The Spirit of God is inviting us 412 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:28,720 to the costly table of Jesus. He serves us there, His body in 413 00:35:28,720 --> 00:35:36,280 the bread, his blood in the cup. It's Jesus's freedom of 414 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:48,480 association to transform sinners into Saints, and it's glorious. 415 00:35:55,560 --> 00:36:00,040 So if you would take a step now even in your heart, if you say 416 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:05,080 I'm not a follower of Jesus yet, but would you now surrender your 417 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:08,840 life to Him? He would meet you even in this 418 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:13,440 moment. For those who've been holding 419 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:19,160 out from a decision that felt like death, would you lay it 420 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:28,530 down before the Lord right now? Would you bask in a move of 421 00:36:28,530 --> 00:36:31,610 faith that says you are loved, you are known? 422 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:46,800 Would you hold on to grace even when it feels like no one's 423 00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:49,440 holding on to you? Would you hold on to grace? 424 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:52,240 Because the truth is, God is holding on to you. 425 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,080 Nothing can snatch you from His hands. 426 00:37:05,770 --> 00:37:07,210 Let's stand together as we wish.