Turn back with me to Galatians
4. Galatians 4, we know that the
Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians to remind them
of the gospel that opened their eyes and set them free. He wrote this letter to remind
them of that. They were in bondage to everything. They were in bondage to rules
and regulations and ceremonies. And God's gospel came in and
it set them free. And that's exactly what the gospel
does. It sets people free. But the Apostle Paul left like
he had to do. He moved on and the message started
to get cloudy. And before they knew it, they
were right back into the bondage that they'd been delivered out
of. So because they were mixing all their works with the true
gospel, the apostle Paul wrote this letter and he reminded them
of this glorious news. Verse one, right here in chapter
four, he said, now I say that the heir, as long as he's a child,
differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all, but
is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the
Father. Even so, we, when we were children,
were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are
sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, father, wherefore thou art no more a servant."
Stop working. You're not a servant anymore.
Stop doing. Stop trying to earn acceptance. You're not a servant anymore.
Verse seven, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ. What amazing and relieving news. Stop working. You think about
the relief for a servant. Working, working, working to
come up to that servant and say, stop working. You're not a servant
anymore. You're now a son. You're now adopted in. He says
in verse eight, how be it then? When you knew not God, there
was a time that every single one of us knew not God. Whether
we were out in the gutter or whether we were sitting in the
pew, either way, we knew not God. It didn't matter. The few
pews are full of people that know not God. Verse eight says,
how be it then when you knew not God, you did service unto
them, which by nature are no gods. He said, we were all idol
worshipers. All of us idol worshipers. We
worshiped this idol right here. That's how we start. We worship
this idol right here. It's all about this one. We worshiped
and served the God of our imagination, the God we just made up in our
mind. We said, this is what I think God is like, and this is what
I'm gonna worship. Verse eight, he said, how be it then, when
you knew not God, you did service unto them, which by nature are
no gods. But now, after that you have
known God, He said, God has revealed himself to you. Now think about
this. We know God. We know God. We say that humbly. We say that respectfully. We say that with
fear, but God has revealed himself to us. We know God. There was a time when the pages
of this book were closed to us, completely closed. But God has
opened our eyes to his word. God, we understand his word,
don't we? He has revealed his truth. He
has revealed himself. And he's done it through this
word. Paul said in verse nine, But now after that, you have
known God. You have known God. But I love
this. He said, do you want to hear
something more amazing than that? Would you like to hear something
more amazing than that? He said, God knows you. After that, you
have known God or rather are known of God. We're known of God. He goes on
right here to say, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly
elements? And we know what he's saying
right there, don't we? Why are you going back to these weak
and beggarly elements where unto you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and
times and years. I'm afraid for you. I'm afraid
of you. I'm afraid for your spiritual
well-being, he's saying, lest I have bestowed upon you labor
in vain. He's getting on to them. He's
coming down on them. He's rebuking them. He's correcting
them. So what we're going to do maybe
next week, we'll see, we might have a hard, stern message. Next week, we might come down
real hard. Just look at verse 20, Galatians
4 verse 20 says, I desire to be present with you now and to
change my voice for I stand in doubt of you. He said, I wish
I was there in front of you right now. I'd point my finger, I'd
grip my teeth, and I'd raise my voice. So maybe next week that's what
we'll do. We'll just have a hard, stern, pulpit-thumping message. But we're not going to do that
tonight. We'll see how next week goes, but not tonight. I have
something that is just slaying in a good way. This is, if the
Spirit of God would move, if the Spirit of God would descend,
if the Lord in glory would leave his realm and in mercy and in
grace come down to this building." We just begged him to. We said,
Lord, would you come meet with us? Would you send your spirit
into this place? He said, ask and you'll receive.
If he heard us, if we asked in sincerity and if he would come
down into this place, this has just been killing me. Like when
the Queen of Sheba saw Solomon, when she finally saw Solomon,
No more spirit in her. Just no more spirit in her. This
is too wonderful to even think about. All right, this is just
too wonderful to think about. Verse 9 says, Galatians 4 verse
9 says, but now after that you have known God. We just elected a new president,
didn't we? I know him. I know who he is. I know what he looks like. I know exactly what he looks
like. I know who his family is. I know where he lives. I know what he does for a living.
I know a lot about him. But do you know what? He doesn't
know me. And I cannot just pick up the
phone and call him if I need something. I cannot just go knock
on his door if I need something. I can't do that. Now, right there
sits Dwight Moody. I know him. I know who he is. I know what he looks like. I know who his family is. I know
where he lives. And you know what's better than
that? He knows me. And I can call him on the phone. I can actually call him on the
phone. And if I need something, I can
go knock on his door. reality that other thing was
just something that's too far-fetched for me to imagine right now but
this is reality if I need something I can go I know where he lives
I can go knock right on his door pick up the phone he'll answer
my call do you know what that makes us friends That's what it makes us, friends. Now, I don't say this with arrogance. I say this with humble confidence. He and I are friends. I'm not trying to be proud. I
know everybody'd love to be Dwight's friend. But with humble confidence,
I can say I know him and he knows me. And we're friends. We're friends. Paul said, let
me remind you of something glorious. You're running around here trying
to obey this law, you're trying to obey that law. He said, you
know God. Or rather, God knows you. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that amazing? You can walk
right up to His throne of grace with boldness. That means confidence
that if you call, He'll take your call. If you'll knock, He'll
open the door to you. He'll be happy to see you. And the reason is because in
the blood of His Son, you know I met Tony before I met In His Son, in His Son, He has
called you His friend. His friend. Is there anything
sweeter than having a friend? Is there anything sweeter in
life than actually having somebody that you really believe in your
heart, that's my friend? That's my friend. You see him
walk up and you say, there's my friend. Look at that. Here
comes my friend. It puts a smile on your face.
You hug each other. Paul said, let me remind you
that that's what you have with God. Is that too wonderful to think
about? Turn with me over to James chapter two. James chapter 2, look with me at verse 23. And the scripture was fulfilled,
which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto
him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. He was called the friend of God. God called him his friend. That is amazing. You want to know what one of
the Lord's greatest accusations was while he walked on this earth?
One of his greatest accusations. They said, he's the friend of
publicans and sinners. That was one of the greatest
things that they accused him of being, the friend of publicans
and sinners. This morning we read it. The
Lord himself said that there are two great commandments. He
said the first one is, love the Lord thy God with all your heart,
all your soul, all your mind, all your strength. In the second
one, he said, love your neighbor as yourself. Love him. You think the Lord obeyed God's
commandments? Love him. Show him that you love him. What
do you think the countenance was? What do you think the countenance
was on our Lord's face? And what do you think the demeanor
was In his body, in his presence, every single time he went to
Lazarus, Martha, and Mary's house. What do you think it was? Every
time he came in, you know, they're expecting company. Or maybe they're
not expecting company. And here he comes. What do you
think their demeanor, what do you think their greeting was? Can you not see it? Here comes
God Almighty. Smile, hug. You know what you
do when you really love somebody? It is so good to see you. How
have you been? As if God didn't know. How have you been doing? With
each one of them. Lazarus, how you been? Still doing good? Paul said, need I remind you
that you know God and God knows you. That's just precious. I've always loved this. Go with
me to Exodus 33. Exodus 33. Now, while Moses was
up in Mount Sinai receiving the law of God, the people got tired
of waiting, so they made themselves a golden calf. They got tired
of waiting to hear from their God, so they all melted their
gold down and they made him a golden calf to worship. And God got
angry with them. He got very angry with them for
doing that. He said they were a stiff-necked people. And the
people got scared. They truly got scared for what
God was going to do. And they need mercy. That's what
they need right now is mercy. They've angered this God, this
holy God. And now they need mercy. Now,
Exodus 33, look at verse 5. For the Lord had said unto Moses,
say unto the children of Israel, you are a stiff necked people. I will come up into the midst
of thee in a moment and consume thee. Therefore now put off thy
ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee.' And
the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments
by the Mount Horeb. And Moses took the tabernacle
and pitched it without the camp afar off from the camp and called
it the tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone
which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation,
which was without the camp. And it came to pass when Moses
went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up and
stood every man at his tent door and looked after Moses until
he was gone into the tabernacle." They're all waiting to see what's
about to happen to them. Verse 9, And it came to pass,
as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended and
stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy
pillar stand at the tabernacle door. And all the people rose
up and worshipped every man in his tent door. And the Lord spake
unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend. Face
to face. as a man speaks to his friend.
And he turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua,
the son of Nun, a young man, departed out of the tabernacle."
And that's the moment right there that Moses said in verse 18,
show me your glory. And God said, I'm going to have
mercy. They were all waiting to see what's the outcome going
to be on the people. They've all sinned against God.
God came down. Moses went out. The people stood
up in the tent door and they were bowing, they were worshiping,
they were begging, they were pleading. Have you ever been
in that case? God help me. God help me. Please help me. Please be merciful to me. And
God came down and this cloudy pillar stood right there and
he came straight up face to face with Moses as a man talks to
his friend. And Moses said, show us your
glory. He said, I'm going to have mercy. I'm going to have
mercy on them. And I'm going to do it because
they're my friends. Paul said, you know God. But more importantly
than that, God knows you. He knows you. You've called God
your friend. But more glorious than that,
He has called you His. It makes total sense for me to
call God my friend. What I don't understand is how
could God call me His friend? Look with me at Isaiah 41. Isaiah 41 verse 8, but thou Israel
art my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham, my
friend. Thou whom I have taken from the
ends of the earth and called thee from the chief men thereof
and said unto thee, thou art my servant, I have chosen thee
and not cast thee away. Fear thou not, for I am with
thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee, yea,
I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand
of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed
against thee shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be
as nothing. and they that strive with thee
shall perish. Thou shalt seek them and shalt
not find them, even them that contend with thee. They that
war against thee shall be as nothing and as a thing of naught. For I, the Lord thy God, will
hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and
ye men of Israel, I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy
Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." Don't you worry. That's what
he's saying. Don't you worry. Don't you worry. I'm going to
sit right here and hold your hand. I'm your friend. That is amazing. It's just amazing. I'm your friend. I cannot imagine
greater news than finding out that God is my friend. I cannot
imagine greater news than finding out that God is my friend. You
know, people see something as being good and they call it a
little slice of heaven. This is the whole cake. This
is the whole cake. And I, you know, on this great
day, that day of judgment, oh man, can you imagine when you
find out the judge of the earth happens to be my friend? Fear not. Bring the records. Fear not, thou worm. I'm gonna
sit right here and hold your hand. It's gonna be fine. This is the whole cake and hearing
him say this is the icing on top. Look with me at John 15.
John 15 verse 11. These things have I spoken unto
you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might
be full. This is my commandment, that
you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath
no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do
whatsoever I command you. Henceforth, I call you not servants,
for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I have called
you friends. For all things that I have heard
of my Father, I have made known unto you. These deep mysteries
of salvation He said, I haven't told everybody. I have only confided
these things to my friends. I've only told my friends. I've
taken the things of my father and I've revealed them unto you.
I've revealed them to my friends. And that's what Paul is saying
in Galatians 4. You're no longer servants. You're
in the family of God now. You're in the family of God.
He has revealed himself to you. You know him. He knows you. So when it comes to this issue
of acceptance, And what he said is, don't go
back to these beggarly elements. Don't go back to this little
thing and that little thing. Don't turn to anything. Don't
turn to anyone. Go to your friend. Go to your
friend. When it comes to this issue of
salvation, you have a friend who laid down his life for you. You have a friend that sticks
closer than a brother. You have someone to turn to. So don't turn to anything else.
Turn to your friend, Christ our Redeemer. Call on him. He'll
answer. Knock. He'll open. And you'll
be safe. You'll be safe. All right, let's
stand together.