God's Timing, Our Moment

Transcript

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[0:01] Well, our sermon text is Galatians chapter 4. I'm going to read actually verses 1 through 7 this morning. So we'll be looking at all of 1 through 7, not just verses 4 through 7 like it says in the bulletin. A little bit of introduction though before we go to our reading. I want to say that it's a new year, of course. We know that it's a new year. But actually for us, it has been a new year since November 29th when Advent began. You may remember that we talked about that. So that was actually our 2021. That was the day when things really started to look forward for us, looking up for us. Of course, you know, it's very close in time. But I want you to remember a little bit about what we were doing in Advent and what we were talking about. And there was this idea of being ready and of waiting for something to happen and living a life of repentance and watchfulness and even listening. So there's a sense that something was coming and that we needed to prepare for it in some way. Now then, of course, on Christmas, we say that this thing has come. And so all of our Advent candles are lit and they're beautiful. And I've actually ordered next year's Advent candles already. I did that and I'm excited that that box will come in about three weeks.

[1:19] And I'll put it in my office and I'll keep it there and we'll have brand new candles for next year. But. I'm going to read a little bit of this. We we also in Advent, we were preparing. And if you remember the readings, they were sort of not all about Christmas. They were about other times and other places from the beginning and the end. And so I want to remind us that we were anticipating the coming of Jesus at the beginning of time and Jesus coming at the end of time and Jesus coming in the middle of time at Christmas. And today it really is about what's next, which is him coming in the fullness of time. At the end of time. At the right time. And I want to, we're going to dwell a little bit on that idea of the fullness of time or the right time for Jesus to come. Jesus himself talks about himself in this way. If you look at Mark chapter one, which we're not going to read the whole thing, but Mark chapter one verses 14 and 15, it says this. Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God and saying that time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near. Now repent and believe in the good news. So even Jesus understood himself as being the fulfillment of many things of prophecy, but also the fulfillment of a time that had to happen, a time that had to take place.

[2:39] So we're going to go to our readings and the background of it is that Paul is using an illustration in this short passage from a legal tradition about when a child, a minor child who is set to inherit an estate finally becomes an adult. And as an adult then has right. And responsibilities in relation to that estate. And this idea of inheritance would have definitely connected with people across all sorts of cultures way back then in the ancient Near East. And I think we resonate with it too. But he talks about this point in time when a change takes place. And I want you to listen for that. That point in time when the change takes place. And I think we're in one of those places at the cusp of 2020 and 2021. So that's what we're going to talk about later. But for now, let's go. Let's go to our reading. I'm going to read from Galatians 4 verses 1 through 7.

[3:32] Paul writes this. My point is this. Heirs, that is those who will inherit something. Heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property. But they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the Father. So it is with us. While we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.

[4:15] And because you are children, God has sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So. You are no longer a slave, but a child. And if you are a child, then also an heir through God. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your word. We ask that you would add your blessing to it. In Jesus name. Amen.

[4:45] So we're going to backtrack a little bit here and ask ourselves, what is Paul talking about? Right? What is he getting at? When he's talking about this child who becomes an adult? Well, if you look further back and we're not going to do this all the way, but in chapters two and three of Galatians, Paul is encouraging his readers that they no longer need to live by the law. And what he means by that is that they no longer are made right with God by merely keeping the law.

[5:18] And that was something that they were struggling with. They were saying to themselves, should we go and do all these festivals? Should we keep? Which of the laws should we keep? Should we eat these things or not eat these things? And that was a big problem in the early church. And Paul, as always, was bringing some clarity to that and saying the law is good. Yes. But the law is more your teacher now. You live now by grace and the law will not save you even if you keep it perfectly because you can't. So when Jesus came into the world, it was the beginning of a new way for God to reckon righteousness. For God to decide that we were right in a right relationship with him, living in justice and peace. And now it was not by keeping the law, but by having faith in the one who can keep the law for us in perfect obedience. And that would be Jesus. So it's Jesus and our faith in Jesus or the faithfulness of Jesus to God that really sets us in a right relationship with God. And this is a huge change. It's really big. It's very hard to get our heads around. And the reason for that is, I think you'll get this, is the default human way we think about getting what we want and need is that we work hard for it. That's the default.

[6:34] And if you're taking notes, make a note. The default human way of understanding things is that we have to work for what we get. And I think that's just natural. It's built into who we are, even in our fallen nature, in our fallen DNA. And so it works on every range of things. So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason. So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason. So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason. So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason. So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason So if you're having some great life experiences for some reason

[7:19] pervy, you know, and I might live another week. And if I put in the work, I'm going to get the results. That's how we are designed. That's how we're built. That's not actually how we're designed. That's how our fallen nature is, is that you have to work for what you get. And the people Paul was writing to, they thought they had to work. They thought they had to do the works that the law required in order to be in a right relationship with God. And Paul's saying that's not how it is anymore. Not with God, at least, not anymore. And so Paul's saying you can stop working, at least stop thinking that your work makes a difference, really, because you do need to still work. But you need to trust the Spirit to guide you. The Spirit will not only show you what work needs to be done, but the Spirit will give you the power to do the work that needs to be done. And God will do it through you. So the Spirit motivates us to the right work, at the right time, and that's part of that relationship that's being restored then, because if you read in our text, it says that's when we look at God, the Father, and we don't just call Him Father, but we call Him Abba, which is the Aramaic word. It's the way of saying Daddy. It's saying once the Spirit comes in, this deep relationship with the Father begins

[8:42] because we're not trying to earn His love anymore, because we're not trying to earn His love anymore, we're accepting that we've always had it and we already have it because of the work of the Son that was sent at the right time. So here's the important part for today, one of the important parts. Paul says this is such an important change in how we deal with God, from earning our salvation to simply believing that we have it, that he needs to use an illustration to show us how it works. And so imagine with me, as Paul is trying to help his readers do, imagine with me that there's a child that's born into a family with an estate, and maybe a sizable estate, and this child is loved and it's a wonderful child, and someday that child will inherit a part of the estate. And it's possible in ancient Near East cultures that you could have even inherited part of the estate even while your parents were alive, and that happens to some people who are really wealthy. They have a trust fund for these children, and when they reach a certain age, like 24 or 28, then that money becomes theirs and they can do what they want with it. So imagine this child is born into a family with an estate, but the day has not come yet when they have

[9:57] reached that age that was set by the father, right? So they have some right over some things, but not many. They have to wait. They can't say, oh I'm going to sell this portion of my estate and go invest it somewhere else, or I'm going to give it away, or I'm going to manage this portion of my estate. No, there's other people that are set up to help that child manage things until they become an adult. But when they reach a certain age, they're considered to have rights over the estate, and they can do whatever they want, whatever is allowable with it. They could sell it, they could give it away, they could improve it, they could do all sorts of things with it. And this is a change also, not in just what the child owns, but it's a change in the relationship with the parent. It's a change in the rights and in some ways is to enter into the fullness of what it means to be a child in that family and into the fullness of what it means to be an heir, somebody who will inherit something. So in another sense, passing this line in time, the child becomes an adult, but not only does the child change, but the relationship with the parents change and the relationship comes into its fullness, comes into that thing that it was ordained in the past for it to become.

[11:19] So I want us to kind of link that with a phrase that we're going to end with now, and it's in verse 4. Take a look at verse 4. From our reading. And it says this, but. Always pay attention when there's a but there. But when the fullness of time had come.

[11:40] God sent his son. I'm going to read that again because it's so important. But. When the fullness of time. Had come. God sent his. Son. And we've seen this before. That God does the right things at the right time. And God sent his son into the world to change how we relate to God.

[12:15] Sorry about that. God does things. I'm going to start over here. God does things at the right time in the fullness of time. And when the time. Is fulfilled. So those are all similar ideas. Doing something at the right time. Doing something in the fullness of time. Doing something when the time is fulfilled. And these phrases are kind of interspersed throughout the Bible and in different translations. But the same concept is underneath them all. And it's this really beautiful view of God. And I want you to think about that just for a second. That there's this sense that God has a connection to the flow of time in the world. God's not sitting back. Sort of just on a rocking chair watching the earth go by. And saying well it's going to end someday. And I'll be ready when that happens. No he's sort of engaged and connected with everything that's happening. The ebb and flow of all things in this world. Even sustaining and holding all things up. And he's watching the world. And at the right time. The time when he knew was right.

[13:22] Then he reaches in to the world. He touches. The world. He enters the world. In the flesh as a child at Christmas time. Right? At the fullness of time. God sent his son. He's talking about Christmas. But he's talking about so much more. He's talking about this moment. When a change occurs in our relationship with the Father.

[13:48] So there was a season when the law was his word of love. And order for his people. The law was important. Moses brought it. It was super important. It gave life. We have to remember the law is good. And it's a teacher. It teaches us that we're sinners. But at just the right time. The time that was set. The time that made the most sense. The time when it was full. Then the Father sent the Son. And the Son put us into a new relationship with the Father. And it wasn't about keeping the law. It was about faith in the one who's faithful to keep the law. And that makes all the difference. And the one who then gives us access to the Spirit. And gave us hope that we are right with God. Despite the law. And the law that we break. And the sins that we commit. And so there's so great comfort and peace in this. That all the laws I know I haven't kept. Which is this long list that would roll out here and out the door. And this other long list of sins that I've committed. And they're often the same thing. But not always. That would also roll out the door.

[14:47] Those are not of consequence in this relationship anymore. Now that the Son has come. They're important. I need to pay attention to them. I need to learn from them. But they don't tell me that I'm righteous or not righteous.

[15:03] Only the Son does. All this happened at the right time. At the right time for me. At the right time for you. In the fullness of time for me. At the fullness of time for you. When the time was fulfilled. And here's where it's all going today. Because we're right at the New Year. And this is not a regular New Year. This is like a New Year. That's better than all the other New Years that I can really think of. Like I really am ready to say goodbye to 2020.

[15:33] Although I said goodbye to it on November 29th. That's the mindset I was in. This change. I think we're in a moment like that right now. And I don't want to get too mystical about it. Because I think God is always connected to the world. And always entering into the world. And always upholding and sustaining the world. In all these really important ways. But I feel like we're in. A moment.

[15:58] Where maybe we are transitioning from children into adults. And that at just this right time. Maybe you know. This few weeks that we're in right now. Maybe beyond it. That there's something we really need to pay attention to. That the fullness of time is right in this moment that we're in right now.

[16:17] Like I said I'm glad 2020 is over. And I'm also amazed at how much it taught us. That's something for another day perhaps. But what I think is that it has revealed to us what was underneath. Underneath us. Underneath inside us. On all sorts of levels. Like for example it revealed a lot of craziness in us. Like somewhere somehow we thought we needed to run to the store. And buy every shred of toilet paper and hand sanitizer in the store. And leave none for anyone else. Like what did that reveal about us? It revealed some craziness on our part. Right? There are other crazinesses. And other. Other dysfunctions and toxicities in our culture. And our society. And our nation. That were absolutely revealed. And put on display. And it was heartbreaking to see. And it was especially heartbreaking if we didn't think that those were really there. Underneath all the time. And it was really disillusioning. But it also revealed how much people can care about each other. It revealed some of the beauty of how it looks when people sacrifice for each other.

[17:25] I think 2020 was a bit like a fire. Kind of like a dumpster fire. But also kind of like a refiner's fire. It burns away the dross. And what is left is the true item. It's either real gold. It's something really noble. Or it reveals that there was nothing much noble there to begin with. And I think that's probably more likely. And in a strange way I'm thankful for all that has been uncovered. All the dross that has been burned away. I don't have the time or the energy for putting on airs. And I'd rather know. I'd rather know the reality of a thing. And the reality of a thing after 2020 is that we have to roll up our sleeves. And not for our salvation. But for ourselves. And for our culture. And for our church. We have to roll up our sleeves and do a lot of work.

[18:11] That's what's being revealed in this moment. And that's perhaps the time that we're being called into. Here is the reality of the thing. Is that God has some plan for us. In 2021. For us as a country. For us as a culture. For us as a church. This little church. But also the big C church. All the Christians in the world. And in this country. And even for us as individual people. God has something that he wants to happen in your life. Or continue to be happening in your life. And I can tell you that his hand is in this new year. And that the spirit is going before us in this new year. I think so. But I think we have a chance. We have had to grow up a lot. And we may still have to grow up a little bit. But we have definitely like Paul talks about. We are no longer the minor children that don't have control. And don't have power. We have learned and we've grown. And we've seen what the world is. And now we're adults. So we have some knowledge. And we have some responsibility. And we have a little bit of autonomy and power as well.

[19:21] We made the move from being children to being adults. And we have the ability to be adults on so many levels. A lot of illusions were stripped away. Praise God for that. And we may not need to work more. But we might need to. We need to listen for the spirit. To tell us what work needs to happen. Does the church in America need to be reformed? I think it absolutely does. I think it's a terrible mess. And it's become clear to me.

[19:54] Brothers and sisters that I thought were brothers and sisters in Christ. As far as I can tell they are almost worshipping a different God. And thus we're in a different religion. I mean that has been unmasked. And that's in a way that's fine. But in another way it makes me realize what is it that I need to do. I need to speak all the more. For the truth that's found nowhere else but then in scripture. And this is how we believe as covenant people. That the scriptures define all these things for us. Right?

[20:26] But the spirit will guide us. And I think as I've said a few times. I keep saying it. We may need to listen more. We may need to watch more. We may need to notice more things. And we need to watch for God entering into our spaces. At just the right time. At God's right time. And as for myself I would ask. How do my relationships change? When does the relationship change? When does the relationship go to the next stage? With a family member? Or with a friend? Or a co-worker? Who needs to know who Jesus is? Or what is just the right time for Jesus to come into that relationship? So my prayer is that we would be attentive to the leading of the spirit. By which we say Abba Father. To the leading of the spirit. So that we take the next step. And that the relationship changes with other people. At just the right time. So we watch. And we wait. And we listen. And I think the time will present itself.

[21:28] So I want to give us a prayer for the new year. And this is it. Father I pray that we are ready for the right time. That we are ready for your time. That we are ready for the fullness of time. That we are ready for the time to be fulfilled in all of us. And for all of us.