Text: Galatians 4: 4-7
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. 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 a child then also an heir, through God.
Intro: How many of you like football? I like it too – up to a point. I’m not crazy about watching the professional players who make millions of dollars just to play. I like to watch high school ball or college games- where they are not in it for the money, but for the shear joy to win the game.
I loved going to my high school games. And my college games were even more fun. Appalachian State University – now the 1aa National Champs!
Back when I was in college, they won the Southern Conference a time or two but they had their down years too. But they kept on playing – doing what they had signed up to do. Playing football.
I learned the rules of football from my daddy. We’d watch games together and I’d ask a million questions. He would gently answer each one until I understood the game.
The scripture we have before us today from the letter to the Galatians, is Paul’s attempt to explain the game – not the game of football, but the game of life in Christ.
It seems that some of the Galatians were unsure what Jesus’ story meant for their lives. I think that after Christmas, we too are often unsure about that Christmas story and how it relates to us today, over 2000 years later. I think that many are very unsure about how the Christmas story can go with us into this new year ahead.
Let’s compare the game of life with football as we seek to understand Jesus’ story for our lives.
I. God sent his Son - The first half of the game.
A. In the fullness of time – when the time was right.
1. It’s kind of like when the coach tells the star running back to go for the touchdown.
2. God knew that humanity needed a savior – that we were so messed up that we could never save ourselves.
3. God had been relatively quiet until this – there were 500 years between the writings of the Old Testament and New Testament.
4. But now, things were just right for God to send God’s Son.
5. It was God’s time – the time that God wanted to reveal God’s Self to us.
B. Born of a woman.
1. First, Jesus is God’s Son – totally divine, leaving heaven to come to earth.
2. Next, Jesus is human – born of a woman.
3. How wonderful this is! God could have revealed himself in many ways – God could have sent angels, could have quaked in the mountains, could have been a cloud or fire or whatever God chose. But God chose to reveal God’s Self as one of us.
4. The Divine took on human flesh so that humanity could see him, touch him, and learn from him.
C. Born under the law, in order to redeem those under the law.
1. Humanity had gotten so caught up in following man’s laws that God’s laws had been perverted – changed with more ins and outs than one can imagine. (not much unlike many of our laws today).
2. Some tried to follow all the rules, but others just gave up – it was just too hard to do all that the religious leaders and the law required.
3. But God sent his Son, to be born into this world of laws, so that God could redeem all those under those same laws.
4. God sent Jesus to let us know that following the laws was not the same thing as following him.
5. We can never do enough or be good enough to receive Salvation.
6. Salvation is a gift, just like Jesus was a gift to humankind.
7. We can only be saved by accepting the free gift of God’s grace for our lives. This is how we are redeemed.
D. Why were we redeemed? So that we might receive adoption as children.
1. God wants for us to be in his family!
2. God wants for all of humankind to be on the same team.
3. If there is trouble within the team, then there will be trouble on the playing field.
4. We must realize that God came to earth in the form of a baby named Jesus in order that we could all have the opportunity to be on the same team.
5. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and as such, we belong to God’s team.
6. There is no room for division or fighting or trying to hog the ball.
7. We must all learn to play together, each position just as important as another, all working as one to proclaim the gospel story.
The first half of the game is over – God sent his Son. God knew who we needed in order to play the game.
But what happens is that we stay in the manger. We want Jesus to remain in that stable, a cute baby, reminding us that God came to earth. But we think Christmas is over, let’s put Baby Jesus back in the box with the rest of the Christmas story. We want to stay in the first half of the game!
We can’t! Jesus didn’t. He grew up. He lived life in obedience to the Father. And when it looked as if evil had won the game, God raised Jesus from the dead. God didn’t leave it at that.
II. God sent the Spirit – the second half of the game.
A. Because we are God’s children, part of his family, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts.
1. That way we can know God even better. We can have a relationship with the Father as Jesus did.
2. But we must accept the Spirit. We must acknowledge the Holy Spirit in our lives.
3. God gives us all we need to win the game of life, but we must accept the gift of his free grace.
4. We must accept the gift of the Spirit and let it guide us in each play of the game.
B. We are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
1. We are adopted into God’s family!
2. We are brothers and sisters with Jesus!
3. We are no longer slaves – held in bondage by sin, death, evil.
4. We are heirs to the kingdom! The same kingdom that Jesus left in order to come to earth as a baby.
5. The same kingdom that Jesus preached about when he was on earth.
6. The same kingdom that we can spend eternity in – if we accept the gifts God has given us for our lives.
But we can’t stay in the stable. The Christmas story is just the beginning. However, we must carry it with us all year! We can’t forget why Jesus came to earth. We can’t forget that we are his brothers & sisters. We can’t forget that we are in the second half of the game!
Today is New Year’s Day. A day when many will make resolutions. One resolution that I ask you each to make is to let Jesus out of those swaddling clothes and let him into your daily life. Accept the gift of the Holy Spirit and allow the Spirit to coach you in this game called life.
It’s fourth down, and inches to go for the touchdown. Will you kick, punt, or run the ball in? You have a choice about how to play the game. You have to do something – you can’t just put the Christmas story away until next year. Once you decide, you have the team behind you. They are there for you to lean on as life is played out. They are your family in Christ.
It is your choice to commit to some game plan. Will it be God’s game plan for your life?
What will you do? As a church, what are you going to do? It’s fourth down and inches to go. God sent his Son for you. God sent the Spirit into your hearts. You have been adopted into the family of God. You have all the gifts. How will you kick off this New Year?
