Galatians 3:23-29 (NLT)
23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.
24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.
I have mentioned a few times already about our ‘Christian Calendar.’
• Just like our annual calendar – celebrate as well.
• We call these liturgical seasons, and they help us to celebrate and meditate on different aspects of our Christian faith.
We start with Advent – a time of preparation, looking back to Christ’s birth and looking forward to his second coming.
• It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day – so it can fall any time between 27 November and 3 December.
• Then we have Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Ash Wednesday, Psalm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter – all coming in the spring.
• This is followed by Ascension Day and Pentecost (again these come in April, May or June).
• So, from December until June our Christian Calendars are a bit busy.
I). Then comes summer:
A). Advent, Christmas, Easter, Pentecost – and all those things which come with them are now over.
• Our Christian calendar becomes quiet for a while.
B). Do you know what this portion of time is called on the Christian Calendar? (wait for response) – Ordinary Time!
• That sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
C). Ordinary time – “But preacher, the last months have been so great!”
• December - Christmas – Whoooo! The excitement.
• January – Jesus is baptized – giving us the outward sign that goes along with salvation – a life-changing event.
• February – a little ordinary – a time of rest & preparation for Easter.
• March – The Transfiguration and Ash Wednesday (as Lent begins)
• April – Good Friday and Easter Sunday (praise the Lord – Christ is risen!)
• May – Jesus ascends back to the Father.
• Early June – Pentecost Sunday – welcome Holy Spirit!
D). If you pay attention to the cloths on the communion table behind me, you will see that every so often the color of the cloth changes.
• It has probably changed about 8 times since late November!
• Today it is green – and do you know when it gets changed again? Not until November 23rd!
• Because we are in ordinary time.
II). But this morning I want you to know that Ordinary time does not have to be so ordinary!
A). I love the fact that the color green was chosen for Ordinary time.
• For me – green is the color of growth.
• Since last November – all of these wonderful things have happened for us as Christ-followers.
• Now it’s time for us to remember and mediate on the story of God’s revelation of divine love among us in Christ Jesus.
• Ordinary Time calls us to listen - to discern – and maybe even wrestle with how to live into the story of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection – and with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives as individuals and as a church family.
B). B). Ordinary time invites us to look at – and grow into – Christ in our lives – and our relationship with God the Father and with one another.
• To look at the ‘big picture.’
III). That is why this scripture from Galatians 3 (that I read a few minutes ago) is so important.
A). Look at vv.25-26 again, “25 And now that the way faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. 26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
• This is a ‘big picture’ kind of thing.
• “Now that faith has come” declares there has a massive change - a new reality.
• Something big has happened; something transforming and world-altering:
B). The Law, that was there to ‘guard us’ – attempting to keep us in ‘right relationship’ with God, has now been overcome by faith in Christ Jesus.
• That which was unattainable by the Law is now here through faith!
• This is God’s grand design – bringing us into His kingdom.
• Folks, this is a mountaintop experience – this should take our breath away.
• What was almost unattainable is now freely given!
C). The function of the law, says Paul, was to keep us in line.
• It was a diagnostic tool; it showed us our failings.
• The law was not about making us better; it was about disciplining us. It didn’t change hearts.
• But now that faith has come, we don’t need it anymore, because hearts have changed.
• We live by faith – as Christians that is how we choose to live; that is what defines us; that is who we are.
D). At least, that is who we can be. It’s who we want to be, isn’t it?
• And to be honest that’s the problem. We are so aware of our shortcomings and prejudices that we know how very hard this is.
• We try to love our neighbors - we try to see the face of Jesus in those around us – we really do try to love everybody! But let’s be honest – we don’t get it right all the time!
• And there are times I want to scream, “I can’t love as Jesus loved – I am not Jesus!” (ever feel that way?)
IV). So, what do we do? Where do we go from there?
A). Well, can you believe that the answer is right here in front of us? (This is so typical of God – so ordinary that we miss it).
• It’s a tiny thing, a small preposition - yet it might just be the difference between despair and hope.
• Three letters in Greek – eis - in English, we use two letters – the word is in - and it makes all the difference in the world.
B). Look back at v.27, “And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.”
• Wait preacher -Baptism? A little water on our heads, and we are all different? If that’s true, then why is it still such a struggle?
• Because of the preposition. Read v.27 with me “And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.”
• In – the Holy Spirit is telling us there is a direction, a process. Baptism is not simply an outward sign; it is an inward grace. Inward grace is a process of transformation.
C). Look at the end of the verse: “…like putting on new clothes.”
• Folks, we’re getting dressed - We aren’t dressed yet because we don’t yet look like Christ, but we are getting dressed.
• Or maybe: we are “being dressed – someone is helping us because the garments are too difficult for us to do it on our own. We need other hands to button the buttons and tie the ties.
D). And those other hands belong to Jesus.
• By being baptized into Christ, we are letting Christ take over; we are letting Christ’s will replace our wills.
• We are letting Christ dress us so that we might live into what it means to be in His kingdom – His family.
• And He is giving us time, now that faith has come, to do just that – so maybe Ordinary Time isn’t that ordinary after all.
