Understanding Grace Pt 5

All right. Good morning. I want to welcome you guys this morning and welcome everybody watching online. If you guys want to stand with us, we'll pray and we'll get started.

Father God, I thank you for the day. God, I just thank you for who you are, for how much you love us, God, for what you've done for us. Lord God, I just thank you for your son, Jesus. Thank you, God, for the new life that we have in him. God, and just because that we have new life, Lord, God, we have reason to sing. We have hope. We have hope for new life, God, in you. God, we love you, God. We praise you and we thank you in

Jesus' name. Amen.

You guys can go ahead and have a seat if you like, and we'll continue on.

We want to lift a joyful noise to you this morning, Father God. Amen.

And the fear inside tries to take me over. I remember there was not a day you ever let me down. Ever fail. You won't. You won't start now.

You won't start now. You won't start now.

That is who you are. Yes, Father God, that is who you are. You are a promise keeper. You are a way maker, Father God.

Love endures through generations.

Now to do the same thing for.

I've got my own time.

I pray that today we would come to the realization of how much we truly need you, Lord God.

You've never changed. You were the same then, and you're the same now. God, you never changed. You're the same yesterday, today, and forever, Lord.

Sing that chorus to me one more time.

Oh, God, my God.

Father God, I just pray that if there are any here today, Lord, that don't know you, that have never come to the point, God, where they realize just who you are and who they are in relation, God. I pray that today would be that day. I pray that their eyes would be opened to your truth. Now, there's a lot of things out there. Claiming to be truth and so on and so forth, Lord, but it's not, Lord.

You're the only truth, God. Your word is the only truth. Father God, I pray that as Pastor Ryan comes this morning, I pray that that your Holy Spirit would flow through him mightily, God. Speak through him. Give him the words to speak directly to our hearts, God. We love you, Father God, and we praise you and we thank you in Jesus name. Amen. Let's have some fellowship.

Good morning.

If you could begin the process of locating a seat, grab your bulletin. We'll get ready to go over some announcements.

Welcome to Calvary Chapel. We're glad that you're here this morning. Over on the left-hand side of your bulletin are the different studies, different small groups to get involved in during the week. So as always, I encourage you to peruse through that. Make sure that you're plugged in somewhere. Over in the middle section. If you have your bulletin, just a reminder that today after second service, we'll be having our potluck and kickball game.

If you don't want to play kickball, please still join us for some fellowship and some food. So come on and join us after second service. And then in your bulletins is a little insert about the National Day of Prayer. Thursday, May 4th is National Day of Prayer. Administrarial Alliance here in Arc City is putting on an event at Wilson Park under the Rotunda.

We'll be gathering as a community. To pray together. So that's at 12 p.m. At Wilson Park. And then, fellas, I will try to remember to email out again that link. If any of you have not had a chance to get signed up for the men's conference, May 19th through the 21st. So take note of that. And then if you would, make sure that your mobile device is silenced. For our responsive reading this morning, we are going to be in Psalm 30.

Psalm 30. We're looking at the New American Standard. So we all sound the same for this part. And you can go back to reading whichever Bible you brought. If you need a copy of the New American Standard, there should be one in a row around you. And as you are turning to Psalm 30, if you would please stand in the honor of the reading of God's Word.

I will read the odd verses. If you will follow along with Pastor Allen and the even verses. Psalm 30. A song at the dedication of the house. The Psalm of David. I will extol you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol.

You have kept me alive that I would not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the Lord, you his godly ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Now as for me. I said in my prosperity, I will never be moved. O Lord, by your favor, you have made my mountain to stand strong.

You hid your face, and I was dismayed. To you, O Lord, I called, and to the Lord I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it declare your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me. O Lord, be my helper. You have turned for me. My. Mourning into dancing. You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.

That my soul may sing praise to you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever. Father, we do praise you because you have lifted us up. Father, for those of us that know you, we can very much bear witness to the words of this psalm. Lord, that you've turned our mourning into dancing. You brought us up out of a pit. And Lord, you have set our feet upon a rock.

And so, Lord, I pray that as we spend time in your word this morning, that you would speak to us by the power of your Holy Spirit. Move in our hearts as you see fit. Lord, we invite you here to do the work in us that needs to be done this morning. Lord, where we need to be convicted, I pray that we would be convicted. Lord, where we need to be comforted, I pray that we would be comforted.

And Lord, where we need to know which direction to go, Lord, would you teach us by the power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. And if you would open up in your Bibles to the book of Galatians, chapter 4. Galatians, chapter 4. Today is the last in our series of Understanding Grace. Today is Understanding Grace, part 5. And really, it has a subheading of A Tale of Two Sons.

Paul has been finding every which way that he can to explain why the law cannot save us, why our rules can't save us, why our effort can't save us. And not only can it not save us, it can't keep us saved. The law is what brings bondage. The law is what reveals our need. The law is like a thermometer revealing our issues. Grace is the only thing that can truly bring the healing touch.

That we need. And so as he's doing so, he gives us one last illustration. One last teaching on grace and law here at the end of chapter 4. It starts off like this. Tell me you who want to be under the law. Do you listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons. One by the bond woman and one by the free woman. One by the son of the... But the son by the bond woman was born according to the flesh.

And the son by the free woman through promise. This is allegorically speaking for these women are two covenants. One proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves. She is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem. For she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free. She is our mother.

For it's written rejoice barren woman who does not bear. Break forth and shout you who are not in labor. For more numerous are the children of the desolate than the one who has a husband. And you brethren like Isaac are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the spirit. To the spirit.

So it is now also. But what does the scripture say? Cast out the bond woman and her son. For the son of the bond woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman. So then brethren we are not children of a bond woman. But of the free woman. Now as Paul begins this process of telling us this last illustration. This last story to illustrate law and grace.

He asks a question. He starts off by saying tell me you who want to be under the law. Do you not listen to the law? He begins to tell them what the law says. He says tell me you who want to be under the law. You who desire to be under the law. Both the weast and the amplified translates it this way. Tell me those of you who are bent on the idea of being under the law.

What he means by that is you who desire to find favor with God based on your law. What law keeping based on your efforts. As we pointed out several times there's a couple of reasons why we find ourselves drawn to the law. But I want to add a third to this. And David Guzik mentioned it in his commentary. And I thought it was a good one that I should perhaps bring up.

We've talked about the fact that there's two reasons. Mainly why people find themselves drawn to the law. Number one it appeals to my desire for a superior knowledge. It also appeals to my prideful self-reliance. but david guzik pointed out a third one i thought you know i think this is very true of humanity it appeals for our desire for security because if we have a list that we check off then we can

look back at the list and we have a tangible result to say this is how i know i'm right it has nothing to do with my faith it has everything to do with my ability look i've checked boxes one through ten and i know i'm good enough and while we have that desire for security i want to point something out to you the law does not create security it only creates insecurity because the more that you really look at what the law says which is what paul's going to point out the more it creates insecurity inside of us which is why paul says tell me you who are bent on being right with god on the basis of your works don't you hear what the law says you , bob hoekstra so masterfully points out exactly what the law says he reminds us he says if you

look throughout the law there is one phrase that continues to be repeated i'm going to tell you the one out of leviticus chapter 19 verse 2 it says this be holy as i am holy now if it just said be holy we could use our own standard at that point in time right we can say well compared to everybody else in the world i'm pretty holy but he had to throw the caveat of the second part in there as i am holy that means that our standard for righteousness is now god which is why he gave us the law because the law reveals the righteousness of god and it reveals the sinfulness of me he says be holy as i am holy and lest we as new testament believers lest we as new century believers think that that doesn't apply to us bob hoekstra points out if you

don't think that applies to you then remember what jesus interpreted as in matthew chapter 5 because in matthew chapter 5 verse 8 jesus said be perfect as your heavenly father was perfect and all i can say is well shoot right because i can't do that you see that which i thought would bring me security the law actually brings me insecurity because i can't be perfect because i can't be holy because the law was never meant to make you holy it was only meant to be a thermometer to reveal your sickness and without exception across the board the law of moses demands perfection the law of god demands perfection but you know what else is true there are people who may not live according to the law of moses they may not live according to

the law of god but they live according to the law of god and they live according to the law of the their own list of rules and regulations but do you know what else is true about that list of rules and regulations it also demands perfection and across the board what we cannot give is perfection because it says it best in the book of romans chapter 3 verse 23 for all have sinned all have missed the mark and fallen short of the glory of god of the holiness of god and the glory of god and the glory of god and the glory of god and the glory of god of the perfection of god and it leaves all of us going if that's what you demand then i can't give it and paul looks at those who want to live under the law and says you who are

bent on living under the law don't you understand what the law says and i would say to you that are here this morning because i know that in any group of people that i talk to somebody's living according to law you're living either according to the law of moses or you're living according to a law you've set for yourself and i want you to know something don't you know what you're living what the law says don't you understand that what it's demanding of you is perfection don't you understand the list of rules that you've made for yourself as a mother demand perfection don't you know that the list of rules that you've made for yourself as a father demand perfection the rules

you've made for yourselves as husbands and wives they demand perfection the list of rules you've made for yourself to be the perfect christian it demands perfection and what you're going to find every day is that you fall short of perfection. Well, Paul goes on to tell a story. He said, for it's written that Abraham had two sons. Now, as Abraham is speaking to, or as Paul is writing to the Galatian people, he's just going to take for granted the fact that they know the story of Abraham.

I've learned something. My wife taught me this a long time ago, because my wife started walking with the Lord around the time that I met her, and I was leading a college study. And I would say, you all know the story of, and one time after, not long after we started dating, she said, hey, you know how you always say everybody knows the story of? Everybody doesn't know the story of.

So you need to tell us the story. Paul takes for granted that they all know the story. I'm not going to take for granted that you know the story. I've learned my lesson. Abraham had two sons. Now, for note-taking sake, in the margin of your Bible, you might just write Genesis 12 through 24. Because that's going to tell the whole story of Abraham. It tells the story of Abraham from the time when he was called

until really when I call the last test that Abraham faced with having to offer his son Isaac on the altar. So at some point in time this week, go back and read that story of Abraham. I think it'll really build your faith and hopefully bring you a little bit of encouragement. But I want to hit the highlights for you. Abraham was called by God. He was living in a land far away from the promised land,

what we now know as the promised land. And God appeared to him. God appeared and said, I want you to leave everything behind. I want you to go to a land that I'm going to show you. Listen, if there's any story of grace, it's the story of Abraham. Because Abraham was living in a land of idolatry. And we have no reason to believe that Abraham was not also living in idolatry.

And at that point in time, by God's grace, God called him. It wasn't because of who Abraham was. As a matter of fact, everything about Abraham's life is going to reveal that he had a great deal of weakness. It was everything. According to God's promise. God called him and he said, I want you to go to a land that I'm going to show you. And I'm going to make of you a great nation there.

As a matter of fact, I'm going to make of you a great nation. And anyone who blesses you is going to be blessed. Anyone who curses you is going to be cursed. And everyone will be blessed because of you. But in Genesis chapter 12, we're also given a little commentary. But Sarah, his wife, was barren. If you will, God just made a promise to Abraham that physically speaking was impossible to keep.

Kind of sounds like when God would tell us that he would make us righteous, right? But it's a promise that, as far as I'm concerned, is impossible to keep. So Abraham obeys a little bit partially in the beginning. As a matter of fact, I would call chapters 12, 13, and 14 the ups and downs of Abraham's life. He had some ups and downs in faith. Some of them were high highs.

Some of them were lows. Some of them were low lows. But through all of it, he remained in relationship with God. And every time he messed up, he did the exact thing he was supposed to. He came back to the altar. When he came back to the altar, he admitted he was wrong, and God restored him. Well, in Genesis chapter 15, God increases the promise. And God tells him,

Your descendants will be more numerous than all the stars in the sky. That's when that really famous line that we talked about earlier in Galatians comes about. It says, And Abraham believed God. And God accounted it to him for righteousness. So he really strengthens the promise at that point in time. And you would think, hey, Abraham's on the right track, right?

Nothing's going to hold him back now. He's going to really believe God. Well, in the very next chapter, Sarah, his wife, who undoubtedly he had told the promise to, said, Abraham, we have a problem. I can't have kids. We can't have kids. I have a plan. I have a plan for how we can help God out. God's being kind of slow in fulfilling. This promise. And quite frankly, I don't think he can actually fulfill this promise through me.

I have a plan. Listen, I just want you to know that when God promises to do something, the worst thing you can say is I have a plan. If there's anything I've learned, it's that my plan is going to suck, right? It is not going to go very well. That plan is not going to work. And that's what happens. She says, we have Hagar, our maidservant, our bond servant.

She can be a surrogate mother for me. So you go into Hagar, which by the way was a custom that was incredibly common at that point in time. You go into Hagar. She'll have a child. It's referred to as a child on my knees. She will have a child and that child will be mine. And Abraham goes, all right. I mean, it seems like a good idea. Let's do that. So they have this child and the child's name is Ishmael.

Ishmael is the child of the flesh because it's the child of man's efforts. Well, of course, there's a major issue that takes place. And Hagar starts looking down on Sarah and Hagar runs away. And God says, no, no, stick around. I still have a plan for Ishmael. It's going to be different than the plan for Isaac, but I still have a plan for Ishmael. You go back.

And so Hagar goes back. Ishmael is born. And around the time that Ishmael is 13 years old, God shows up to Abraham again. And he tells Abraham something interesting. He says, walk before me and be blameless. He says, you are going to have a son. And Abraham says, oh, that Ishmael may live before you. And God says, no, you will have a son about this time next year.

And you will name him Isaac because he will bring laughter to your life. And then he shows up and he tells the same thing to Sarah. And Sarah goes, and he says, why did you laugh? She goes, I didn't laugh. He said, yes, you did. Is anything too hard for God? And then the very next chapter. Isaac is born that child of promise of no effort of Abraham, of no effort of Sarah, because up to that point in time,

Sarah was barren. So how on earth did Isaac come about? Because God kept his promise. It was completely a work of God. Well, wasn't too long after Isaac was weaned that they threw a party. Hey, my son's growing up. And at this party, little 15, 16, year old Ishmael starts kind of looking a little nefariously at, at, uh, at Isaac. He starts to mock him. He starts to Paul's going to say, persecute him.

And so Sarah says, this can't happen anymore. There's not room for the both of them here. There can only be one son. There can only be one child of promise. And Abraham goes on. God says, no, no, she's right. Cast out the bond woman and her son. So that Isaac will be the one child of promise. Okay. So that's the story. So when Paul says for, as it is written, Abraham had two sons,

these two sons are Isaac, the child of promise, Ishmael, the child of the flesh. And so he's going to give us, um, he's going to give us four different contrasts or comparisons between these two kids. Notice what he says, uh, for it is written that Abraham had two sons. One by the bond woman, one by the free woman, the son by the bond woman was born. According to the flesh, the son by the free woman was, uh, was through the

promise. This is allegorically speaking for these women are two covenants. One proceeding from Mount Sinai, bearing children who are to be slaves. She's Hagar. This Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present day Jerusalem for she's in slavery with their children, but the Jerusalem above is free. For she is our mother for contrast. Number one, he says, Abraham had two sons.

One was by the bond woman. Of course, the one by the bond woman was Ishmael. And you can see the picture he's beginning to paint right now, right? Ishmael was the child of slavery. Ishmael was the child that was bound. The other was the child of the free woman, which is Isaac, because Isaac represents all of the freedom of the new covenant. Isaac represents all of the freedom of the,

of the promise because it was no effort of Abraham and Sarah to have Isaac. It was simply the work of the promise. The second one that he gives is this. He says, but the son by the bond woman was born according to the flesh Ishmael and the flesh. The word flesh could also be translated by natural means. In other words, by the way that all kids are born, I've included one little

statement here that goes along with it. I've included one little statement here that goes along with it. I've included one little statement here that goes along with it. Not only is it of natural means, but it was of man's effort. How many of you can sometimes look at areas in your life and you go, that was my effort. I'm the one that did that. Now, if you say I'm the one that did that and feel pretty good about it, you

don't get it yet. But if you look at it and say, I'm the one that did that and you feel pretty bad about it, then you're starting to understand. Because again, as my old teacher, Bob Hoekstra used to always say, that which you strive to attain, you must also strive to maintain because that's what Ishmael was. He was that child of man's effort. And listen, I can work really hard.

I can work really vigorously. I can do all of those things and say, I'm pretty good today because I kept my list of regulations. But what happens tomorrow when you can't keep it? That child of man's effort. That child of the flesh. That righteousness that comes by man's effort is now the greatest insecurity that you have in your life. He says, one is the child of the flesh.

That's Ishmael. And one is the child of the promise. The one born by the free woman was through the promise. Isaac, the promise. It represents the work of God. It represents that which is impossible with man. Now. Now, I hope with as much chagrin as you look at the Ishmaels in your life, you have as much joy over the Isaacs in your life. How many of you have areas of the flesh that you have overcome,

but you know you weren't the one that did it? It's because God brought deliverance in your life. How many of you realize that when you came to Jesus Christ, you were so broken that all you could do was fall upon him and say, you got to do something. And he did. And he changed you. And you look and you say, there's no way I could have done that. There's no way I could have made that happen.

There's no way I could have earned that or worked that up or made that possible. That was completely a work of God. That was completely a work of the promise of God because it was impossible with me. It's interesting to read through the Bible and find out how many of the men and women that God used the most powerfully were born from a promise. You know what's fascinating?

Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac's going to go on to marry a girl named Rebekah. She's going to have a child. But you know who else is barren? Rebekah. And we don't read nearly as long about the process, but you know it took 20 years for Isaac and Rebekah to be able to have Jacob and Esau. Samuel the prophet, right? Samuel the prophet used mightily of God. Who was his mom, Hannah?

What was Hannah's problem? She was barren. Jesus. Jesus was born of Mary. You know what Mary's problem was? She was a virgin. See, God's always doing impossible things because it's according to his promise. Zechariah put it best when he said, not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. And brothers and sisters, God doesn't want you sitting there striving in your flesh.

He wants you. He wants you to live according to the promise. He then goes on to say, there's also two covenants. He says this, verse 24, is allegorically speaking of these two women. They are two covenants. Well, what are these two covenants? Well, there's the old covenant and there's the new covenant. Let me give you the CliffsNotes version of the old covenant and the new covenant, okay?

The old covenant says this, be perfect. That's the CliffsNotes version of the old covenant. You be perfect. Now, if you can't be perfect, there's sacrifices. And you have to hope that God accepts your sacrifice because you have to hope that the sacrifice was really spotless. But the old covenant says, be perfect. The CliffsNotes version of the new covenant is, be free.

Be free. Why? Because Jesus was already perfect for you. Because what the law could not do, and that it was weak through sinful flesh, Jesus did for us. By coming in the likeness of sinful flesh, he became perfect. He became perfect for sin for us. Right? That's what he did for us. The new covenant says, Jesus has already done it. Rest in what he's done. Live according to what he's done.

Live in response to what he's done. The old covenant says, live and God will bless. The new covenant says, God has blessed, now live. He says, that's who these two women are. They're two covenants. God's kept his promise. But these women also speak of two mountains. Notice what he says. One, verse 24, Now what does this mean? Well, he says, these two women speak of two different mountains.

Hagar speaks to us of Mount Sinai, the mountain in Arabia, because every mountain, everything of her proceeds from Mount Sinai. Well, what happened in Mount Sinai? Well, at Mount Sinai, the law was given. That's exactly what took place. Matter of fact, another thing that I failed to point out in my opening point was this. You know what the law also does for us?

The law creates separation. Because do you remember the scene from Mount Sinai? Powerful, amazing scene. Amazing scene that took place on top of Mount Sinai. On the day that God gave his law, it says that a cloud descended and there was thunders and there was lightning. Do you remember what else there was? And there was fire. And God's voice boomed from the clouds, right?

I don't think I realized this until the past couple of times I've studied through Exodus, that when God gave the law the first time to the children of Israel, when he spoke the 10 commandments to them, he spoke them to where they could all hear. Can you imagine the voice of God speaking to us out of heaven, right? It's like the Wizard of Oz, only it's not just a little guy with a microphone. It's actually that kind of a voice coming out of heaven, booming out of heaven like thunder.

And it lays out the 10 commandments. And then there's lightnings and thunders. And all this kind of stuff. And do you remember what happened at Mount Sinai after God gave the law to the children of Israel? Hey, Mo, could you go next time? We don't want to go up there. We don't want to go near that. Tell you what, why don't you go talk to God and you come back and tell us what he said.

We'll talk then, right? There was separation that took place. And so God said, fine, I can do that. But here's what you need to do. You need to set up a barrier all around the mountain. You need to set up a fence all around the mountain. If anything goes on the other side, the other side of that barrier, if anything, if any person or animal touches the foot of the mountain, they'll die.

And we're not just talking fainting goats here. We're talking like, boom, you're gone, right? Why? Because the law creates that separation. He said, these two women are like two mountains. One speaks of Mount Sinai where the law was given that created bondage. As a matter of fact, do you remember what happened when Moses came down the first time with those two tablets of stone?

what were the children of israel doing they were dancing around a golden calf do you remember what happened when god gave the law to moses and he came down and they were dancing around that golden calf it says 3 000 people were killed that day again this is the commentary that peter gives in the book of acts about the law but the day that the law was given 3 000 people were killed do you know what happened the day that the holy spirit came 3 000 people were saved he said it speaks of the bondage of the law the bondage of mount sinai but then paul brings it down to modern day he says but you know what modern day speaking in paul's day it also speaks jerusalem because i want you to notice what he says about jerusalem he says now this hagar is

mount sinai in arabia and corresponds to present jerusalem for she is in slavery with her children you know it's kind of fascinating to think about jerusalem at the point in time when paul's writing this is jerusalem was in slavery only jerusalem was in slavery Jerusalem was in slavery to two different things. Do you remember what two things Jerusalem was in slavery to? Number one, Jerusalem was in slavery to Rome. If you will, Jerusalem was in slavery to the world because Rome had enslaved Jerusalem.

But do you know what else Jerusalem was enslaved to? The law. The law that said to worship God, you have to come to the temple. God's bound to this location and you have to come to the temple because that's the way the law spoke. God said, you have to come to the temple in the way that I have prescribed. That's why what Jesus said to the woman at the well was so important because she says,

listen, you all say that we should worship in Jerusalem. We say we should worship on this mountain. What do you say? He says, lady, I tell you the time is coming when it won't matter where you worship because you will worship God in spirit and in truth. And that's what he meant. You see, the legalist mind binds God to a location. But the truth of the spirit is that

God's not bound to a location. He says, these two women are two mountains. One speaks of slavery. One speaks of bondage. One speaks of Mount Sinai and present day Jerusalem. But then he goes to verse 26, but the Jerusalem above is free. She is our mother. You see, the Jerusalem down here was only a shadow of the things. The temple down here was only a shadow of the things to come.

If you want to understand what I mean, pick up on some of our revelation studies because as you see heaven unveiled, you realize that the temple here is just a shadow of what it's like in heaven. The Jerusalem above heaven, it's the substance of the shadow. It's the reality. And the Jerusalem above, it's free. And then he gives this statement out of the book of Isaiah.

If I remember correctly, it says, if I remember correctly, it's Isaiah 54 verse one. It says, Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear. Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor. For more numerous are the children of the desolate than the one who has a husband. What does he mean by that? Well, in Isaiah, it's a prophecy speaking of the millennial kingdom,

the kingdom that is to come. But as it's applied to this situation, when he says, rejoice, oh, barren, he's talking to all of us. All of us who are unable to live. We're unable in and of ourselves to earn salvation. All of us who just like Sarah just can't do it on our own. We have no ability. We have no strength. We don't have what it takes. We have to rely on a promise.

We have to rely on a God who is bigger than my inability. We have to rely on a God who is greater than my weakness. A God who is greater than the deadness that overwhelms me. He says, break forth. And sing, break forth and shout you who are not in labor for more numerous are the children of the desolate than the one who has a husband. And then he brings it down to the point.

He brings it down to the crescendo here. He says, and you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. As he brings really kind of a final point to them that he'll then build upon us. He tells them to cast out their legalism. He says, you brethren, you children are children of the promise. You're not children of the flesh. You're not children of the bond woman.

You're not according to the old covenant. You're not according to Mount Sinai. You're not in bondage. You are children of the promise. Why? Because you're just like Isaac. What does that mean? It means that you are not born according to your own efforts. You are born again. According to the promise of God. According to the spirit of God. I would have to say that two of the most miraculous things

I've ever seen in my life are the birth of my daughters. There's just nothing quite like it. It's just the most amazing thing. And I'm still in awe of the fact that one day I can look at a young lady, like we're a church that produces a lot of babies, right? It seems to be what we do. I'm in awe of the fact that one day you can look at a young lady and she's got this bump sticking out of her

and you're like, crazy to think that there's a baby in there. And the very next day you can go and she's holding the baby. You're like, wow, that's just the craziest thing in the world that you can grow a human, right? I remember when Aaron was pregnant with Violet, they had this t-shirt and I really should have gotten it for us. And I'm so crafty, I make people, right?

And so it's just, it's the most miraculous thing you've ever seen because you realize that's a work of God because that's what he's doing there. It's the most miraculous thing in the world. And then when that little baby is born and they start to cry and you just go, wow, that's just truly the most miraculous thing I've ever seen take place in my life. But you know, there's something more miraculous that I've seen take place.

And that's when somebody becomes born again because it's even more impossible than being born the first time. And I don't know about you, but sometimes I look at the world right now and I see people that are so lost and I go, Lord, there's no hope. There's no chance. Because they are so lost. And then they come to know Jesus. And they too, like Isaac, are children of the promise.

And even though according to man, it was 100% impossible. According to God, it's totally possible. We just happened upon the anniversary of something this month. Not the anniversary of a good thing, the anniversary of a sad thing, but there's an interesting story that goes along with it. In 1999, my senior year of high school was the first, what I would call

really publicly known school shooting. It was Columbine High School. Now, Columbine High School, there was a young lady that went to school there. Her name was Cassie Bernal. Cassie Bernal was not walking with the Lord for much of her life. As a matter of fact, she was very lost and into a lot of very dark things. And there's a story that goes around that there was a youth pastor

that said of her, she's without hope until Jesus got a hold of her heart. When Jesus got a hold of her heart, she began to stand for the truth of who God is. She gave her life that day. There's a little debate on how the story actually went. If they really asked her, do you believe in God? And she said yes, and then they shot her. Or if it was something random.

But the fact of the matter is that young lady, who everybody in the world said is hopeless, is now standing with her Savior. Because no matter how dead you are, you're not beyond the promise of God. And brothers and sisters, I want to tell you right now, every now and then, you should rejoice and you should shout about the fact that you have been born again. Because you are that barren one.

You are the one who had no hope. And Jesus came into your life and he made you brand new. The most miraculous thing in the world has happened to you. Well, he goes on now to tell them, live like you're free. You are free. Notice what he says, but as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.

But what does the Scripture say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son for the... The son of the bondwoman shall not be in error with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but we are children of the free woman. The first thing he points out is that the law opposes the promise. He says, but as at that time he who was born according to the flesh

persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. He goes back to that time when Isaac, the child of promise, the child of Abraham, that no one thought was possible. At that time, that child was being weaned and there was a party that was being thrown for him. And there was Ishmael mocking him, persecuting him, if you will. He says, in the same way that that took place,

the same thing takes place today. That's actually the direct context of what was going on in Galatia. Those who were the legalistic Jews, those who were the Jews that believed that you had to also keep the law in order to be right with God, were persecuting those who believed in grace. And they were telling them how wrong they were. They were persecuting the children of the promise.

As a matter of fact, do you know that Paul's persecutors almost exclusively throughout his life were the legalistic Jews? It was not the people of the world. Oftentimes, the greatest enemies that we face are enemies within the church. They're the people of the world. Who don't like the freedom that you live by. Who don't like that you can live according to freedom.

There are those who will look at the fact that you don't get worked up about whether or not you're wearing your Sunday best on a Sunday morning and they'll say, well, you're not really doing it right if you're not wearing a suit to church on a Sunday morning. They will look at the fact that you do things a little bit differently than they do and they'll say, but you don't follow our rules. They'll look at the fact that you use a different translation of the Bible besides the King James Version of the Bible and they'll say, but that's not really an authorized version. They'll look at the fact that you like music that's different than just some hymns and some organs and they'll say, but you're praising God with the wrong music.

They'll look at the fact that some of you ladies are wearing makeup and they'll say, but you're dressing the wrong way. They'll look at the fact that you fellas are going to wear shorts and they'll say, but you should be wearing pants. I worked at a camp one time and usually all the campers that came in were pretty much the same, but we had one group that came in. The Free Will Baptists.

I never knew the irony of the phrase Free Will Baptist until I learned a little bit more about theology and I was like, oh, that's why they call themselves the Free Will Baptists. Can you imagine the day they left the Baptist? We don't believe in that. We believe in free will. We'll start our own church. We'll call it Free Will Baptist. Anyway, but they had really, really strict rules.

There really wasn't very much free will in the Free Will Baptist Church. There were really strict rules. Men and women could not swim in the same swimming pool. As a matter of fact, they put a tarp up all along the chain link fence so the boys and girls could not see each other in the swimming pool. Me and my buddy nearly got kicked out of the camp because I have this much rebellion in me.

I don't mean to. I just do. Me and my buddy, Justin Brewster, who I've told some stories about before, we worked out at the camp. Well, Amy, who's now Amy Richardson, she was Amy Brooke at the time, one of my really good friends. She had just gotten back from being gone for like two weeks at summer camp. She was lifeguarding that day. I said, dude, let's go talk.

Amy, he goes, Ryan, I'm like, they won't care. And so we go down there and I mean, the leader of the camp, who we affectionately refer to as deputy dog, I think he nearly bolted out of there with dust on his heels running down to tell them, if you don't get those two boys away from the swimming pool right now, I'm kicking them out. And my boss came to me and he goes, yeah, you guys can't be here right now. This is really bad.

You're gonna get yourselves in a lot of trouble. And I was like, I've learned to be more, more respectful since then. But the legalism, but you know, guys could not wear shorts. It was the funniest thing in the world. When guys would walk from their dorm to the pool, you know what they had to do? They had to wrap a towel around their legs. And I was like, dude,

if a girl's getting turned on by some guy's nasty white hairy legs, we have bigger problems than the shorts. But that's what legalism does, right? Legalism majors in the minors. And it persecutes those who have any kind of freedom. Is that you this morning? Do you have your list that you're gonna be able to find out that the other people don't keep it? You find yourself judging them?

You find yourself saying, but you're not doing it right. You don't do it the way I do it. Therefore you're doing it wrong. Are you someone who feels judged by other people? Because people are constantly telling you, but you don't do it right. You do it wrong. Brothers and sisters, those in bondage will always persecute Those living in freedom. So what do we do?

Cast out the bond woman and her son. What does the scripture say? Cast out the bond woman and her son. Law and grace can't dwell together. They're mutually exclusive things. If you're living in sin, you're living under the law, and its goal is to point you to grace. If you're living in grace, you no longer need the law because you've been set free. And it's time to cast it out.

It's time to cast off the law. Let me put it to you in a way that maybe will make a little bit more sense. It's time to throw your list away. There's a handwriting of requirement, Peter tells us. The handwriting of requirement was nailed to the cross with Jesus. Listen, it's time for you to do the same for yourself. It's time for you to throw your list away.

It's time for you to nail your list to the cross. Because when we have that list, it causes me to live in shame, and it causes me to judge you. And it's time for me to nail that list to the cross and start living in freedom. What does he say? So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of a free woman. Again, I'm going to end today the way that I've ended a lot of the other messages

the past few weeks. You're not a slave anymore. You're not a slave anymore, and it's time to stop living like a slave. It's time to stop thinking. It's time to stop living like a slave. It's time to stop thinking like you're in bondage and start thinking like you're free. It's time to stop living like you're in bondage, and it's time to start living like you're free.

Because, brothers and sisters, you have been set free. And I think we have to remind ourselves of that a lot. I've shared with you before, when I was going through some really hard times and really doubting who I was in Christ, I was reminded of the importance of telling myself every day that I'm a child of God, and I've been set free. I didn't necessarily turn into a mantra, but it's something I reminded myself of a lot.

Well, when I was going through this, I hadn't been out of high school very long, so I still got magazines from companies that sold wrestling gear, because I was a wrestler when I was in high school. And there was this great quote that was on there. And the quote inside this magazine, and I cut the paper out, and I put it inside of an old Bible that I have since lost, which absolutely destroys me, but it is what it is. And the quote says this.

It says, I wrestle. I don't wrestle against my opponent. I wrestle against my fears. I wrestle against my doubts. I wrestle against the voice inside of my head that tells me every day to quit. But I'm a wrestler, and that's what I do. Well, I took that quote, and I crossed off the part where it says, I am a wrestler, and God really prompted me to write, but I am born again.

And that's what I do. Brothers and sisters, you need to tell yourself every day, I'm born again. I'm a child of God. I've been set free. Lord, I want to live in freedom today. And he'll give you everything that you need to do that. Amen. Let's all stand.

And if you would bow with me. Lord, we come to you. We thank you for the time that we've had in your word this morning. And Lord, I want to lift up everybody that's here this morning. And Lord, I want to lift up the ones who find themselves again, still bound, still in bondage, still in pain, still in bondage to rules, still in bondage to fear. Lord, some may be even still in bondage

to the weak and beggarly things of the world, the things of the flesh. And Lord, I want to ask that you would set them free. Lord, I want to ask that you would begin now by the power of your Holy Spirit, bearing witness of the fact that they belong to you. And that you would begin by the power of your Holy Spirit, crying out in their hearts, Abba, Father. Lord,

so that they can know and understand that they have been made new in you. And so, Lord, continue that good work in them. Continue that good work in each one of our hearts. And Lord, may we live in the freedom to which you've called us. In Jesus' name. Amen. Be blessed. Every song we could ever sing Of all the praise we could ever bring If we could ever breathe

We'd live for you Jesus, the only one Who could ever save We could ever breathe We'd live for you As we leave here today, I pray that your Holy Spirit go with us, Father God. Help us just to build our life around you, God. Around nothing else, but around you, Father. We love you and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. You guys have a wonderful week and God bless you.