Rescued from Idolatry (Galatians 4:8-11)

Here’s my sermon from this past Sunday from our Galatians series. The manuscript is below. You can catch the audio and video here. I regret to say that I failed to keep this promise this week, and this message was PG-13. Please forgive me!

Here’s a question - one about COVID - that I want to start with today, that will lead us into our text. What we’ve gone through - over the past couple of years. Quarantining at home. Wearing our masks. Watching people die. Seeing people suffer. Experiencing so much of it ourselves. Why would we ever want to go back? 

We’ve experienced life as we knew it once again. We’ve felt more and more freedom throughout this summer. Why would we ever want to turn around? And experience that again? It all seems so upside down to me. Why millions in America would just do nothing. And sit and watch it all happen again. It blows my mind.

And that I think is what Paul’s feeling here. People are turning around. And it seems so upside-down to him. He’s writing to a family of believers in a place called Galatia. Paul had seen God work powerfully in their midst. They’d turned from a life of idolatry. They’d turned to the one true God. But now false teachers have wormed their way in. And they’re leading those believers astray. They’re losing their minds. And it’s about to make Paul lose his. 

They’ve tasted life in Jesus. They’ve had their shackles removed. And now they’re getting fitted for them again. And heading straight back down the pathway of death. They’re turning around. And Paul’s screaming - shouting through this letter - NO! STOP! You’ve got everything upside-down! That’s what’s going on here in Galatians 4:8-11.

First, Paul reminds them of where they’ve come from. Second, he asks them why they’d ever want to go back. Third, he tells them what’s at stake. So he points to their past. He questions their present. He warns them of their future. Let’s dive into those three angles. And I’ll close with why we also so much need to hear this word today.

The Galatians’ Background and Journey

Paul starts by talking about their past. He reminds them of their background and journey in verse 8. “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.” They first didn’t know the one true God. Remember that these Christians in Galatia were Gentiles. They were non-Jews. They were pagans before Christ. They didn’t know the God of the Bible.

Now Paul isn’t talking about intellectual knowledge. Although they probably had lacked that, too. He’s talking about experiential knowledge. They didn’t have a relationship with Him. Back then, they didn’t love Him. They didn’t trust Him. There was an emptiness there. They had this void. That is, until they heard the gospel and embraced it.

They second were enslaved to false gods. They were caught in this life of trying to make the gods happy. Offering sacrifices in temple worship. Abusing their bodies through immoral living. They worshipped those idols.

They were caught in it - they were enslaved - in a couple of senses. They served those gods. Trying to pacify and please them. They were caught in this loop of trying to do enough to stay in their good graces. They served them - through their actions. That’s what slavery is. Paul’s reminding them of that life. A life God rescued them from.  

That’s the other angle on their chains. At a deeper level, in their hearts, they were trapped. And they needed rescue - spiritually. They’re in bondage. They had no categories of another, better way. They were dependent upon someone else to release them. And God did that! That’s where they once were.

Now on the surface, we may have difficulty relating to this. Statues? Sacrifices? But those symbols, those rituals represented things that enslave us just as much today. We may not have a god of sex and fertility. Or a deity of commerce and agriculture. That we’re sacrificing animals to. But we still serve sex. We bow down to money. Maybe we worship sex through an extra three hours at the gym. Or bow down to money by an extra three hours at work. That’s our sacrifice. But we still worship. 

When it works, we’re in heaven. When it doesn’t, it feels like hell. And we need rescue. That was us - if we’re in Christ. We didn’t know this love. We were there slaving away. 

Paul says “by nature” they “are not gods.” The idols aren’t real. They don’t exist. They’re “weak,” Paul explains further in verse 9. They don’t hear. They don’t save. They’re “worthless.” No glory there at all. They’ll only disappoint. Not just the statues. What they represent. They’re not the Creator of all things. They’re things that He has created.  

But Paul even goes deeper. Beneath those desires are the “elementary principles of the world,” something he mentions also in verse 3. Demonic powers. They had the Galatians in chains. And they still bind people today. Deceiving people into taking good things. And making them god things. And leading us to destroy those things. Harming us. Dishonoring God.  

That was those Galatians, Paul says. But that was also us. Now that may sting our ears a little. But that was you and me. We didn’t know this love. And we were enslaved.

Paul’s Question/Rebuke

Now Paul reminds them of this, because he’s trying to get to another point - one we see in verse 9 - that addresses their present. Paul gives a question and a rebuke. He again writes, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather 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?” Paul screams at them - through that papyrus or whatever it was - HOW CAN YOU TURN AROUND? How can you go back? How did you get everything turned so upside-down? 

And catch what He says - now that you’re known, that you’ve been freed. Now to really grasp what’s going on here, we need to understand some Old Testament background. Really two of the biggest moments in that first part of our Bibles. First, way back. Humanity has plunged into sin - yet again. We’ve just banded together to try to build this big tower in our honor. And the Lord smashes it like a stack of Jenga blocks. But He doesn’t wash His hands and walk away. He reaches out His hand to us again.

He speaks to this man Abram in the desert. A pagan who doesn’t know the one true God. And the Lord makes promises to Him. He makes a covenant. He’s going to give him a great land. He’s going to turn him into a great people. And He’s going to use it all to bless the earth. God chooses a people - starting with that man Abraham. Out of Him comes that nation, that of Israel. The father of that nation doesn’t somehow find a path to know God. The path comes and finds Him. Abraham is graciously known by our God. God chooses a people to be in covenant relationship with Him.

Second, that people grows in number and finds themselves in another land, Egypt. They’re so big, they intimidate the Pharaoh there. He ends up enslaving them. For 400 years, they’re in bondage to that king and his false gods. And the Lord delivers them. How does he do it? Through plagues, yes - that assault and humble each of those idols. But fully, finally, through blood. The Israelites paint blood on the door. The Egyptian firstborn sons are killed. Those behind the red doors are spared. 

And Moses the prophet leads them out. And through water. God parts the Red Sea. And they walk through on dry land. God takes those covenant people and He rescues them. In Abraham and that calling, we see our election. Through Moses and that deliverance, we see our redemption. 

Both of those stories point ahead to those who believe. And show up here in Galatians. God has chosen a people, a family. A people who need to be freed. By blood. People who only know God because He’s known us first. People who are free because of the work of Jesus Christ.  

Paul is preaching - to them, to us. Why would you go back? Now that God intimately knows you - and you, Him. That’s what that word “know” means. It’s the term used for sexual intimacy in the Old Testament. Why would you turn from that love?

And why would you go back to the chains? It brings to mind the Israelites, looking longingly back at Egypt. En route to the Promised Land. Grumbling at Moses. Wishing again for those days. Days they knew weren’t great. But they at least knew what to expect. 

God says to us: you’re seriously going to turn around? From this family? From my love? And put on the shackles again? And follow that master? That’s Paul’s rebuke - for the Galatians and for us. Because the pull is so strong. And those “elementary principles” pursue us like those Egyptian soldiers. 

Now over the past couple of years, I’ve seen many believers succumb to their schemes. And one of Christ’s parables has continually come to mind. Remember the two soils. Mark 4 is a good place to refresh yourself. Jesus says the word, the gospel, is like seed. Some gets tossed on the path. And the enemy immediately gobbles it up. Some gets planted in good soil, and it grows and bears much fruit. But it’s the other two soils that I want you to think about. Do you remember those? 

There’s rocky ground. The seed doesn’t go deep. It grows up too fast. And it dies.  In those rocks. Jesus says this is like the trials and persecutions that hit our lives. And tempt us to turn away. There’s also the thorny ground. Those weeds grow up and choke out those plants. And they, too die. Christ says those are like the cares of this world - the love of money - that tries to pull us away. 

Those are the two soils - the stony, the thorny - the twin temptations - that we have to worry about. And what are still drawing people away still today. When you see people turn around. Maybe they think following Jesus is too hard. Or they’re embarrassed by His followers. Or they can’t fight off the lust for money or the quest for power. Remember the two soils. As we’re tempted to sacrifice to the god of money and possessions. Or the god of health and comfort. Remember Paul’s words.  

How could we go back? To wandering in the desert - without father or family? Or to serving false gods? Trapped in that life? Now that we are in Christ? Let’s hear that today, church. Because, if we don’t, bad things will happen. 

Paul’s Concern/Warning

And that’s what Paul the apostles gives them next. A concern. A warning. About their future. In verses 10 and 11. Hear those verses once again: “You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.” Now you may not have heard this, and you may not know who he is, but I heard a few days ago that M. Knight Shyamalan has a new film out. Now I do think that if you hear what God says in the New Testament and then look back throughout the Old, you will see elect people everywhere. Like we just saw with Abraham. But that’s not the illustration I’m going to make here. 

Shyamalan’s films always have a twist. Where everything gets turned upside down. Where the floor drops out from under you at the end. The Sixth Sense is maybe the best, but it’s just one example. The twist. And after studying this passage it came to me. There’s a massive one here. One that would have raised the heart rate of the false teachers who were plaguing this Galatian church. It would have put them in a cold sweat. 

What’s that? Verse 10 again. “You observe days and months and seasons and years!” Now what’s Paul talking about? Days? Months? Seasons? Years? The Jewish calendar! The sabbath. The feasts. All that stuff. So try to picture this. Again, you have these teachers - that we label the Judaizers. They’re telling these non-Jews, if you want to be legit Christians, you have be good Jews first. You have to keep the food laws. You have to be circumcised. And you have to follow that calendar. 

They’re there, hearing this letter read. Following Paul’s words. “Gentiles, once you didn’t know God. You were enslaved to false gods.” They’re nodding in agreement. “But now you’re His. You’re free.” They’re amen-ing, for sure. “Why would you go back? And live under satan again?” They’re following right along. And then they hear those words. “You observe days and months and seasons and years!” Their minds would be completely blown. They’d want to toss the scroll in the fireplace. Talk about a twist.

Here’s why. Paul is saying - and warning us - that going back to that old-time religion of doing good deeds and trying to get God’s stamp of approval, to returning to this vain attempt to prove yourself to Him, yourself, and others - it’s definitely just as bad. It’s pretty much the same. 

As sacrificing to statues of stone. And bowing before those images. Because the true God doesn’t work that way. And He never has. It may even be worse. It’s clothed in pious language. And it deceives like nothing else.  

I mentioned the “elementary principles.” But what is the elementary principle? Yeah, I’m talking about Satan. But more, what was Satan’s temptation - to Adam and Eve. You don’t need God. You can do what you want. You can be god. You can save yourself. And that’s how we ended up slaving outside the garden. And building a scaffolding to the sky. 

Earlier I talked about the two soils. Remember the two sons? Luke 15. You know the prodigal son - the parable Jesus gives. The younger son asks for an advance on his inheritance. He leaves his father and blows it all in wild, immoral living. But he comes to His senses and returns. He begs his dad’s mercy, and he’s met with an embrace. But there’s the older son. Arms folded. Looking down his nose. He’s judging his brother. He’s drawing his dad’s attention to his scorecard. While everyone else is partying.

Why’s Jesus talking like this? He’s going M. Knight on the Pharisees. They’re like, “Yeah! Don’t be pagans and sleep with prostitutes and squander your inheritance. Preach Jesus.” And the story ends with: “Don’t be the older brother - like those Pharisees. That’s even more wicked!” And that’s Paul’s doing here, too. 

Tim Keller has said for years: picture Christ dying between two thieves. On one side is irreligion or relativism. That’s the younger brother. That’s the life of the pagan. On the other side is religion or legalism. That’s the older brother. That’s keeping up with the rules. 

They both are opposed to the gospel. They both keep us from the knowledge of God. They both are lives of slavery. They both leave us empty. But the older brother may do more harm. It so easily sucks us back in. And it tragically confuses the world.

Back in the day, we rented out this space. And one of the first days we came in, Pastor Rob was wearing a hat. And he was approached by an older member of that church. And that guy proceeded to tear into Rob for having the nerve to come into the “house of God” with a hat. What if Rob would have said something like this? “Hey, see that guy over there? You know what he did last night? He got drunk off his butt. And he slept with a girl. And he can’t remember her name. Your issue with my hat. It’s just as wicked as that. Maybe even more. Because he’s doubled over in tears. And you’re sticking out your chest.” 

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I were on vacation. We were in Clearwater, Florida. And if you didn’t know, it’s the home of a famous, really notorious religion - Scientology. Tom Cruise has a penthouse blocks away. So he can get there quick, anytime he wants. Scientology is literally a religion made up by a sci-fi author. You truly work your way up in that faith by making payments. 

Now I have no doubt that, there in the Bible belt, there are Christian churches within a stone’s throw away. And there’s a decent chance they’ve got some legalism. Do this. Don’t do that. Vote like this. Dress like that. God will like you. He won’t be mad. And if that’s the case, everyone would be better off if they just wrote their checks with Tom Cruise. Because it at least wouldn’t be in the name of Jesus. But it’s truly all the same thing. They both worship false gods. They just accept different payment methods.

Paul calls them on this. The former irreligious - right in front of the religious. And screams, “Don’t turn around.” And he follows it up with his fear, with a warning. Hear verse 11 again: “I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.” The apostle is saying, “I’ve seen the end of the movie. And I don’t want to see it again.” The way you’re acting, you’re gonna have wasted my time. I’ve poured out my everything for you. And it’s all gonna amount to nothing. My ministry will have been in vain. Because your life will have been in vain.  

Here’s what we have to hear: we can’t go back to that life. Or it’ll lead to death. Now don’t misunderstand me. The Lord doesn’t lose those He has chosen. As Paul puts it in Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.” But that doesn’t mean that we can just decide to sleep around or bounce people wearing hats. That’s because those who are truly His may have ups and downs but they hear and they heed warnings like this. And they don’t fully, finally go back to Egypt and serve Pharaoh again. They don’t completely walk away from Him they’ve known. 

So think about your past, believer in Jesus. Where you’ve come from. And where you are now. And don’t turn around. Otherwise, sadness and despair will start now and last forever. But stay on this road - though it sure isn’t easy - and joy will be ours with Jesus forever.

Conversion and Deconversion

We’ve been freed by Jesus. We’ve been known by God. Why would we ever go back? But so many today are. I want to talk about deconversion a bit as we wrap up today. But before deconversion, we have to think about conversion itself. 

Conversion is a word that makes us cringe a bit today. We want to be ourselves, right? Real. Authentic. The thought of us converting into anything offends us. But that’s all the while we spend millions of hours and dollars on self-help. 

Conversion is a theological term that means turning away from idolatry. Walking away from slavery. From false religion. Particularly the delusion that we can make ourselves, prove ourselves, even save ourselves. It’s throwing off that weight and leaving it behind. And turning to the one true God. And His Son who died for that sin and earned our way to God. It’s being ushered into freedom. It’s being welcomed into a family. It’s turning from something. And turning to something. 

Picture a child. She’s tossed around in the foster care system. She’s in and out of abusive homes. Now she’s adopted. She has a family. Things are different. That’s for sure. She’s freed from that terrible situation. She’s now fully known and loved. Things have changed. But for the better. And she’ll never go back. 

Conversion isn’t as much about not being you. It’s about the best version of you. Living the way you were intended to live. Turning from what destroys to what transforms. I know there are many of you here who haven’t fully made that turn. Or you’re sitting there on the fence. Take the plunge. Trust in Jesus. And don’t look back. 

But we’re hearing today about many who are turning back. Deconversion is a buzz word today. Christian leaders, social media celebrities, throwing up their hands and walking away. And let me tell you. There’s a big part of it that I can understand. People are looking at supposed “Christians.” They’re observing their deeds. They’re overhearing their words. And they’re saying, “If this is Christianity, I don’t want any part of that.” And it’s leading them to question everything they’ve ever believed. 

Now this doesn’t surprise Jesus in the least. It displays genuine freedom and faith were never really there. So don’t let it rock you. And don’t buy a couple of lies.  

Don’t buy first this idea that those people are moving back into some intellectual, morally neutral, humble-holy hipster state. No. They’re moving back to idolatry. And of the worst kind. Where they set a standard of what’s true and good. And they strive to meet it themselves. Moving away from our Father and back into slavery. That’s what Paul is begging the Galatians - and us - to never run back to.

And don’t buy second this idea that people rejecting fake Christianity are justified in leaving the real thing. Imagine the Galatian church here. They leave their pagan life of sin. Now these weird religious people are trying to take away their pork. And circumcize all the dudes. I’d be tempted to walk away. Wouldn’t you? What does Paul do? He calls the believers back to the family, to their freedom. In this day where so-called Christians are acting like fools, that doesn’t give us an excuse. It’s gives us a charge. To go out and tell and show the real thing. 

Back to our favorite conversation of today. These deconversions remind me of the pandemic. And the upside-down responses. (And I know there are legit concerns and reasons that some have). You can throw your masks in the garbage. You can mock the vaccine all you want. You can flout your freedom. You can make fun of those you call weak. But you’re very likely going to die. Alone. Hooked to a ventilator. And maybe take others with you. That’s what happens when we turn from the one, true God. And post it smugly on Instagram.

But what’s the remedy - the antidote - to all of this? I have to go back to that word “known.” Look at verse 9 again. You’re that child again. And you live 24 hours a day in the presence of your mom. She sees you at your best. She endures you at your worst. She knows all your talents. And all your flaws. She knows everything about you - all your weaknesses and sins - and she loves you. Truly. Not in spite of those flaws - but in the midst of them - even more because of them. She loves you deeply. 

Despite that, you decide you’re going to impress her. You do some laundry. You clean up the house. You cook her dinner. You give her lots of compliments. You do, do, do. And you try not to do anything dumb or bad. And one day you wake up and realize it’s all a colossal waste of time. Because she loves you already. And it doesn’t make her love you any more. She adopted you. She’s not abandoning you. 

Friend, that’s what the fact that God knows us - really loves us - does. It allows us to rest. It brings us joy. It sets us free. We can be ourselves. And yeah, then, of course, we want to please Him. Why don’t we revel in that together? And tell others about it? We’re in the family - and we stay there - and it’s not because of us. 

We recently got to spend some time at the beach. And it was glorious. Clearwater is really great. You’ve maybe heard the illustration. Don’t wanna get pulled away by the currents of this sinful world - and end up miles and miles away down the beach? Fix your eyes on Jesus, just like that lifeguard station. Keep your eyes there. And you won’t get swept away. Not a bad picture. It’ll preach, for sure. 

But I want to take it a different direction. Here’s what I love. The backfloat. Yeah, it’s a moderately-obese middle-aged man thing. But I love it. I can stay there for a long time. I had this fairly hilarious moment where I was trying to teach another moderately-obese middle-aged man how to do it while on the trip. Thankfully I didn’t have to cradle his hairy back. 

But what if we thought about our strategy more like the back float? There we are, floating in God’s mercy, carried along by His freedom? Reveling in His kindness? Gazing up into His love? Let me tell you. If we do that, there’s no use looking over at our chair. We couldn’t care less about our flip-flops. Someone can steal our phone. We’re staying in the water. And we’re never going back. Only Jesus makes turning around feel completely upside-down. 

Family and Freed

Jesus is just that amazing. Life in Him is that good. My mind goes to John chapter 6. Jesus spreads the bread in front of the 5,000 there, and everyone eats in awe. But then He starts teaching that He’s the bread and that they should eat His flesh and drink His blood. And people get confused. And they start grumbling. And folks start walking away. 

And Christ turns to His disciples and asks, “What about you? You gone, too?” And Peter says to Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Karis, if we’ve been known by God - if we’ve been freed by His Son, we have life. And to the full. And there’s no where else we could go. Let’s pray.