First family, both here in the room watching online as well as those that might be listening a little bit later on our podcast wherever you're choosing to worship from this morning. We are so glad that you chose to do so with us. Last week, I was traveling back home from a conference and, and when I got back home, when I landed in the Phoenix airport, I was struck by the difference between two very contrasting greetings. The first was that when I was exiting the gate, there was a man who was standing very disinterested, but he was very dressed up. He was in a suit, had the top hat and everything and he had a sign that just had a person's last name on it and, and he wa he wasn't paying attention. He was just holding up the sign with one hand and the other hand, he was on his phone like this. Occasionally, he would kind of look up. No one, no. Ok. And he just, and he was, he was scrolling on his phone and two thoughts hit me in that moment. One, everyone's on their phone all the time even when they're supposed to be doing their job. And two, he clearly doesn't know who Mr Tosic really is. And so there was a brief moment where I thought I could be Mr To, I mean, a ride home in a limo might be kind of nice. And so I took a step towards him, but then my better judgment came across me and I went, I ended up walking past and so here was in that setting, a man who was supposed to greet somebody to take them somewhere, but they weren't interested. They didn't know what the person looked like. They were just filling a role and, and following a rule and, and really fulfilling a responsibility. But there's no heartfelt ness behind this. Now contrast that to when I did get my luggage and, and I drove home and when I opened the door to my house, I was greeted to the sound of my daughter just shouting daddy and sprinting. And before I even dropped my luggage, just jumped into my arms and just gave me a big old hug. You would have thought I would have been gone for, for months. But I just got a couple of days, but she was like daddy, you're home. And it was the proximity of these two events that got me thinking, I wonder if people approach God in these different ways because in many religions, the approach to God is similar to that gentleman who is just the driver for somebody else disinterested. They're out of obligation, they're out of maybe a transaction while I'm getting paid for this. Not quite sure what the person looks like, who they're waiting for. Just feel like they're filling a role, filling a responsibility, holding up a sign, waiting for that person to come. How many people approach God in that same way? I've been told to be here. I have to dress a certain way. I have to act a certain way. I'm holding up a sign. I don't know who God is. I don't know what God looks like, but I guess when he comes, he'll tell me and I'll just do what he tells me to do. Versus are you on a close enough basis with God to call him dad? You see, our heavenly Father is not a reflection of our earthly father. He's the perfection of our earthly father. And that there's a longing in all of us to know and to be known. And that as Christians, as believers in Jesus Christ says those that believe in Jesus John 112 are given the right to become Children of God. And so that's what we're going to talk about today. A message that is entitled to know and be known that at its core, I think there is a human desire and need for both these things to know and to be known that whatever stage of life you're in, anytime you've entered a new situation a large crowd, a party, a school business, you walk in and there is a sense of comfort that comes that when somebody else calls out your name. Oh, I'm so glad you're here. Right. And, and to know and be known is what separates Christians and Christianity from other religions. That is not so much about a responsibility or a list of rules to follow. It is about a relationship and the God and Savior to know and more importantly, to be known. We're walking through the book of Galatians right now where Paul, the apostle, Paul was writing to this group of primarily Jewish believers who they're in a couple of different churches in and around the area of Galatia. And they got saved, they believe in Jesus. But now these religious folks, these, they're called Judaize, come in and try to add rules to everything. So it's Jesus plus tradition, Jesus plus rules and they try to add to the Gospel, but they've replaced the relationship with a list of rules. And last week where we finished where we landed was that because of Jesus? Because of the gospel, we are no longer slaves, but we're actually called sons and daughters of God that we are Children of God. And we saw that as Children of God, we know God to be three things. We know that he is passionate for us, that he is present with us and then also pre eminent in us and pre eminent means supreme or authority or only. And so today, what we're gonna jump into, we're gonna build off of that passage. And here's the idea we want to discuss for the next 20 to 30 minutes or so. Sin wants to control you. God wants to know you. This is a world of difference. Sin wants to control you and God wants to know you all. Sin at its core is choosing self over God. That's why they can say that pride is really the root of evil because what you're saying is God's way is not for me. I'm going to choose my desire, my craving and whether it's thoughts, it's attitude, it's actions, it's wrong things that you do. It's purposely avoiding the right things that you should do. What whatever sin you wanna fill in that blank with at its core, sin wants control. Now, this can be seen easily through various addictions that people have, whether it's drugs or alcohol or things of the like, well, I, I don't have an issue and then they turn back and now the most common drug for us all is right in our pocket, right? No one scrolls their phone and after a period of time gets up and goes, you know, I feel better about myself. You know, I know this person posted their perfect family, their perfect vacation, their perfect quiet time hashtag blessed, right? Like, but we don't get to see what's not in the frame, you know what I mean? Their houses looks beautiful and I just want them to zoom out and see that massive pile of laundry or dishes. Right. You know what I'm talking about? Or the vacation is beautiful and it's a picture. Not a video because otherwise you'd hear the Children fighting in the background. That Christmas family photo. It's incredible. But you don't see the 100 outtake of Children. Ah, I like. And so we, we, and, and pick your sin scroll of choice. Sports, entertainment news. How many people complain about politics and news and then they cite their side. You know what I mean? Oh, I hate the news. Ok. What did they say today? Right? We get so worked up for stuff. The problem with sin is that it tries to control you and that you, you find yourself controlled by cravings. I need this just a little bit more, just a little bit more. And what's interesting too is that rebellion and religion both end in a place of control. Rebellion says I'm gonna let my craving control me. Religion says I'm gonna let the rules control me. But in the end you end up further away because if it's a drug, if it's a, if it's a drink, it is a, a show. It's, it's a thought. It's greed, it's bitterness. What? Anger, whatever it is. No one wakes up the next day. Man. I feel so much better. No, it's a cycle. Right. I feel pain. So I'm gonna numb the pain. I'm gonna choose this thing to numb the pain. And now I feel further away than I did before. Well, now I feel further away. So I better numb it some more and we end up down this path because religion says, oh, I've messed up. My dad's gonna be so mad. Christianity says I've messed up. I need to tell dad and we're gonna see this divide between control and being known and the difference between the two as we study Galatians chapter four together. So go ahead and open up your Bibles. If you don't own a Bible, we have a number of them out there. Free to take one, please. If you have a neighbor or a family member who doesn't have a Bible, please take one. But let's go ahead and read together in Galatians chapter four verse six. And because you are sons, God has set the spirit of his son into our hearts. Crying abba father. It's the most personal language you can use says, so you are no longer a slave but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God formally, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not Gods verse nine. But now that you have come to know God or rather be known by God, that phrase or rather in the original language means more importantly. So he's saying you're no longer slaves to this list of rules, this checklist, these things, these items. But now you actually know God, OK. And you are known by God. That's a big difference. Pausing there for just a moment to know God and to be known by God, you can know a lot of facts about somebody. But do you know them on a personal level? There has been a, a countrywide pandemic known as uh Taylor Swift, anxiety to get tickets to the show and those that laughed harder probably were in that wait, but there's also two levels of laughter. There's a laughter like I got my tickets and then there's the laughter I missed out. Well, if you're like best friends with Taylor Swift or your best friends or you know the family, like you're not facing this anxiety like, oh, are the refresh, are the tickets available? No tickets? Yes. No, yes, no, no. Why? Like you're trying to buy into something that someone already has in terms of relationship. Some people approach God that same way we think, ok, if I could only get into this concert, if I could only do this thing, maybe just maybe at one point, God will know me and then God will accept me. He's like, no, it's not about that. You actually know Him, but more importantly, he knows you. He calls you by name. He knows all your baggage, your past, present and future. He knows all of your issues. And when he looks down, he sees his child, he says, no, you know, God, more importantly or rather than to be known by God. How can you turn back again to the weak and worthless, elementary principles of the world whose slaves you want to be? Once more? He's writing to Jewish people. It's almost like he's picturing or referencing when the people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt and Moses comes and sets the people free, but they have not yet entered the promised land. There came a moment in time in the wilderness when the people are like, oh, I wish we were slaves again. At least. Then we had some food and Moses like, really, it's basically what Paul is saying here. Really guys? Are you kidding me? I'm not sure. What are you kidding me? As in Greek. But like that's basically what he's saying later in the letter. He's like, I'm writing this in my own hand. Look at what large letters I'm using. What are you doing? He said you want to turn back verse 10. He says, you observe days and months and seasons and years. What he's saying is you're, you're observing all these festivals, all these traditions, all these different things. Did you miss it? I'm not trying to control you. I'm telling you that God wants to know you. That's a big difference. Verse 11, it says I'm afraid I may have labored over you in vain. What he's saying here is that the ways of the world are weak and worthless, you're playing with monopoly money here, right? You, you might win at monopoly, but at the end of the day, all the pieces go back in the box and here's what I know to be true is that your sinful craving, whatever your craving is of choice will not satisfy your soul. If you get a diagnosis of cancer or you experience betrayal in a relationship or you lose your job or you go bankrupt or whatever situation or circumstance or difficulty, difficulty enters into your life, whether it's your own doing or someone else's to you or it's a circumstance of the world, whatever it is when you turn to a sinful craving, like, do you think a drink is gonna make it better? You think a drug is gonna make it better? You think a little more scrolling is gonna find your identity and your purpose? No, at best it will temporarily numb it but just ignore, ignoring a problem, doesn't solve it. And so he says, I want to give you a better way to know God and be known by Him. It changes everything and he gives two examples. First example is actually his own personal relationship. Paul's relationship with the Galatians. He says this in verse 12. He says brothers, I entreat you become as I am for I also have become as you are like, look, we're connected here. He says you did me no wrong verse 13 for you know it because of a bodily ailment that I preach the gospel to you at first. And I wanna pause here for a second because for years in ministry and seminary, all these things, I, I would skip over, I would miss the importance of this first because overall it's about freedom and being a child of God and, and, and that makes a better song, right? I'm no longer a slave, but I'm a child of God. That makes a better song lyric. Then I came to you because of a bodily sickness. Like we don't tend to sing that one. But this is crazy important. You know why Paul wasn't supposed to be there? The only reason he was in Galatia in the first place was because of his sickness that prevented him from moving on. And so because he was there might as well minister ministers to these people start some churches now is writing a letter back to them that we have 2000 years later. It wasn't supposed to be this way. I'm not sure who this is for, but here's what I know to be true that sometimes the detour actually leads to your destiny. If you've ever been in a situation or a circumstance in which you find yourself saying two things. One, why, why God and two? It's not supposed to be like this. It's not supposed to be like this again. It can come from your own choosing, it can come from someone else's actions. It can come from a circumstance that you have no control over. But anyone's life can be dramatically changed in a moment from a phone call, job gone cancer, found broken relation, like whatever it is, there's not a person in this room whose life cannot change forever in an instant. But in this moment we see Paul, he's not saying that the sickness is good. In fact, in second Corinthians chapter 12, potentially connected here, he refers to something as a thorn in his side that he's battling something that he can't get over. So he's not saying that the illness or the loss or the betrayal is good. But what he is saying is that God brings good into the mess. We love to quote Romans eight for God works all things for good, but we hate to hear it, you know, no, don't say that to a person struggling, ok? If they're hurting, don't go up to the person. Well, God's got a purpose for everything because they're gonna respond back and I got a purpose for my fist and prayer. He's not saying that sickness is good. But what he's saying is that God can bring good out of any sickness. That's what Jesus did, didn't he? It's in the Brokenness and bitterness of the world that he enters that he doesn't call the Brokenness good. He makes it good. He didn't say that the stable and the manger was holy. He made it holy. And if God can come in a manger that we celebrate. Now, as Christmas, if God can bring glory on a, on an instrument of execution, known as the cross, if God could come into every Brokenness, then I promise you He is present with you in the situation and that as a child of God, you can know Him and be known by Him and it changes everything. Sometimes the detour leads to the destiny. But he continues on. He says, look at when I was with you and though my condition was a trial to you. Verse 14, you did not scorn or despise me but received me as an angel of God as Christ Jesus. So what then has become of your blessedness? Love that question, yo, where did the blessing go? Where's the joy? What happens? What happened to you? You ever been really close friends with someone or maybe dated someone or something or whatever? Like you don't see that person or that coworker for years and they come back and they look a whole lot different like, oh, hey, you haven't changed completely. Paul's like no, what, what happened to you when I left? You were good. Now I'm writing back and like it's completely different. He says, for I testify to you that if possible, you would have gouged out your own eyes and given them to me, you went above and beyond serving me when I was sick. But verse 16. But then have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? You know that saying? And dating when the in the break up when it says it's not you, it's me. Paul said, oh no, it's you. It's 100% you. I want someone to be honest when the breakup happens, right? Like it's you like, hey, sorry, this isn't working out. I'm great. But no. So I I just offended this side of the room. Maybe this side of the room. No, you guys are great over here, this side. That's what he's saying here. He's like what happened? You bent over backwards for me and now I tell you the truth and you, we're enemies verse 17, they make much of you, but for no good purpose, they want to shut you out that you might make much of them. Here's a whole another sermon for a whole another time. What we're saying here is look flattery at some point. We're flat, we'll flatten you, flattery, will flatten you, the likes the shares, the comments, the affirmations. You go, girl, right? That's great. Until it's not verse 18. It's always good to be made much of, right? You like it feels good for a good purpose. And not only when I'm present with you, this is my little Children for whom I again in anguish of childbirth until crisis where we like the only way I can compare it to is like someone giving childbirth, that's how much pain you're causing. He says, I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone for, I'm perplexed by you. Like I don't get it. I do not get it. Another example, we won't have time to read through this one. The first one was Paul and the Galatians. The second one is Sarah and Hagar. I invite you to read that. But basically, he's referring to an Old Testament story. Earlier in our series, we talked about Abraham. Abraham was given this promise that through him, he would bless the world be a father of many nations. Ultimately, the seed would be Jesus. But while he was waiting on the promise, they tried to achieve the promise by human effort. So he sleeps with Hagar. They have a child, Ishmael and there's some bitterness and Brokenness now in into the mix. And now he eventually has they have the child of promise, the child of freedom, Isaac. And now you have this fighting between Isaac and Ishmael. And historically speaking actually is the origin of what would ultimately become the division between Jews and Muslims. So both religions now, Islam really wasn't formed until around 600 ad so way years later. But the lineage actually goes all the way back to Isaac and Ishmael and said that you there will be fighting. So we're still seeing this played out today, right? So there's fighting, but on one side, there was at its origin, he's saying as a way of illustration for people who knew the Old Testament. He's saying, Hagar was an example of trying to achieve through human effort doesn't work. Isaac is an answer to a prayer and an answer to the promise in Christians. You are not a slave, you are a child of a promise. That's verse 28 and that you are a child of freedom. And next week we're gonna talk about the theme verse as we jump into Galatians five that it is for freedom's sake. Christ died to set you free. And so he's saying, look, sin wants to control you, but God wants to know you. And even more importantly, he wants to be you are you are known by Him. And now we can't necessarily control Him knowing us like He knows you already like God is good. He's good to go. And so where we're going to land the plane today is not focusing just on being known by God, but on what we can do to better know Him as a child of God. So I want to share with you seven ways on which we can know God. The first way. These are just practical and personal disciplines in which we can put into our own lives. The first one here is scripture. Are you reading or listening to the word of God every day? The best way to know Him is to read what is true. It's easy for us to scroll, fill our minds with meaningless sports trivia, or celebrity, facts or political, stressful situations, whatever it is, right? Are you filling your mind with the word of God that will last forever. Number two is prayer. Do you have regular times where you talk to and listen to God? Because when you connect with God, it changes everything the third way to grow and how and how you know God is community that we are not meant to go through life alone, that we are called to be with one another that you have something for other people and other people have something for you that you can learn more about God as we learn more about each other because we're made in His image that God and in perfection, it's still God, the Father Jesus son and the Holy Spirit. In other words, God himself has community and has modeled that for us and prayed to his disciples that they would be united as one. We have scripture. We have prayer, we have community. Next is music, right? Some of you leaned in like wow, the Holy Spirit is speaking to me. No, Andrew just started playing keyboard behind me. But there's an actual reason why this draws us in because music draws us in. Unlike other things, there is power that comes when people are gathered together to study the word of God to pray together and then to sing, praises to his name. Fifth is nature. When you get out in nature, you're reminded of a proper perspective, right? If you're on a mountain top, if you've seen a sun rise or more likely for me a sunset, because those are early pray again, combine these things, go for a walk with a friend to pray for one another in nature. Like when you combine these things, you can see powerful things happen. The next one here it's serving sometimes when you're struggling, when you're in a vacuum and all you're seeing is your problem. What do you focus on? It's your problem. But if you get outside of yourself and you start meeting the needs of people around you, it changes your attitude. That's what Paul did when he was sick to the point of almost death. He didn't just sit there and stare at his sickness. He started serving and blessing the people in Galatia that now led to a letter we're reading 2000 years later and the last one, this one's not fun. That's why I put it last. One of the most practical ways you can learn about God is through suffering. Early church suffered. Jesus Christ himself suffered. We don't wanna sign up for it. We don't choose it. But I promise you that God can use that because when you suffer, when you struggle, you are reminded of the brevity of life. You're reminded how fragile, the human soul is and we become dependent on whom God is. And I'm telling you that is a much healthier position. When I was traveling back, I was traveling back from a missions conference where we were interacting with church planners from around the world. And they were sharing stories of very real present time persecution. And what amazed me was not just the Brokenness of the people over the persecution, but the joy they had and the joy that they had a connection to that. When you look at these seven things, are, are you choosing to connect with God in these ways? Are you filling your mind with drink? Are you filling your mind with scrolling? Are you filling your mind with busyness? Even good things placed in the gods spot becomes an idol. Your kids can become an idol, your spouse can become an idol. Your job, your money can become an idol because those things are never meant to fill the gods spot in your heart and in your soul to the joy of this week. Uh The plumbing backed up and water started coming up through the sink and toilet and bathtub and come to find out that the main drain out of our house got clogged. And so we called someone out and um that's cheap. Um It's not cheap. Um Grateful they were able to fix it. But when they got in dug way under and, and found it, what happened was the tree root of our tree in the front yard, crushed the pipe and stopped the flow. What's, is there something crushing your connection with God right now? Is there something in the way? Is there something blocking you're like? Do you just feel overwhelmed and, and stressed and alone and isolated and just like God, where are you? I'm not supposed to be here. It's not supposed to be this way in connection and, and, and I, I wanna tell you that it's difficult, it's real and it is not good, but in the middle of all your mess, in the middle of everything, in the middle of waiting. I want you to know that God is here, that God is real and he's not trying to control you, but he wants to know you and you are known by him one last thought here and then we're gonna sing together. Uh You know, we're praying for our country, praying for our nation. We just had elections and whatever side of the aisle you're on. I think we can all praise Jesus that the political ads are done, right? We get our street corners back. Well, what's interesting if you notice there's actually quite a few signs still up, right? The race is over, but there are still signs up. Here's the thing I want you to remember today, Christian. If you believe in Jesus, the race is over. God's won. It's decided it was decided 2000 years ago on the cross. And so Satan can't touch you, but he can fill your street corner with signs. Say no, this is your life. No, this is your life, this is your life and you might feel overwhelmed because everywhere you turn, you see these ads, you see these things in your mind like, oh my goodness, I wanna encourage you. The battle is won, the victory, the war is over. Jesus has defeated, death has conquered Satan. And because he rose again, he made forgiveness possible. He made love possible. And now for those that believe in Him, he calls you a child of God. Amen. This is the difference. This is what it means to know and to be known, this is what we take into our situations. So that on tomorrow, into that meeting into that health treatment, into the bank, into this, in the betrayal, wherever you're walking into tomorrow, you are not walking in as someone who is a victim. You are walking in as someone who is victorious over someone who is a son or a daughter of God and has the Holy Spirit in you and that you can know Him. If you choose it. Will you choose Him today dear heavenly Father. We just thank you for who you are. God. We need you in our lives. We pray for you right now that God, I don't wanna be controlled by this craving. I don't wanna be controlled by pride. Or by anger, by bitterness. I don't wanna be controlled by lust. I don't wanna be controlled by selfish living. I wanna be controlled by your spirit. I wanna be controlled and be filled by who you are and what you've done. And we don't just hold up a sign hoping that you'll show up, but we can run to you and call you a, a father because of Jesus Christ. You know us and God, we desire to know you put my trust in you God. I believe in you as Lord and Savior and thank you for saving me your. So then we pray. If you're walking through something right now, I invite you to let us know if you prayed with me just now, let me know if you're committing your life to Him. If you want an interest in baptism, you wanna find community. You wanna look for a way to serve wherever you are on your journey. Let us know, turn this in, talk to me. I'll be out there up front but understand this sin does not have to control you. We have the freedom in Christ.