WEBVTT 00:00:01.730 --> 00:00:06.129 Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we're thankful 00:00:06.129 --> 00:00:09.570 for your help thus far. We're coming now to ask 00:00:09.570 --> 00:00:13.050 you once again to give us aid as we attempt to 00:00:13.050 --> 00:00:19.489 study your word. That we would have need of that 00:00:19.489 --> 00:00:22.850 aid is obvious. Without it, we can do nothing. 00:00:23.750 --> 00:00:27.170 We pray that you would own the word, your word. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:30.739 that you would accomplish all of your purposes 00:00:30.739 --> 00:00:34.579 through it, that you would guide and direct me 00:00:34.579 --> 00:00:39.299 as I proclaim it, that you would enable us all 00:00:39.299 --> 00:00:43.460 to hear it, to receive it, and to apply it to 00:00:43.460 --> 00:00:48.000 ourselves as we leave today. We would plead for 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:52.630 change. We would plead that you... indeed would 00:00:52.630 --> 00:00:55.429 sanctify us more and more, that you would conform 00:00:55.429 --> 00:00:59.789 us to Jesus Christ more and more, that our love 00:00:59.789 --> 00:01:03.350 for you would glow as it never has before, perhaps. 00:01:05.109 --> 00:01:09.969 But in any case, Father, we are praying for you 00:01:09.969 --> 00:01:13.269 to accomplish your perfect will in the lives 00:01:13.269 --> 00:01:16.109 of your people. And we ask in Christ's name. 00:01:16.250 --> 00:01:21.170 Amen. We'll turn with me, if you would, then 00:01:21.170 --> 00:01:27.469 again this morning to Galatians, the fifth chapter. 00:01:30.329 --> 00:01:36.849 Last week, you'll remember that we looked at 00:01:36.849 --> 00:01:40.390 the first half of this chapter and we saw all 00:01:40.390 --> 00:01:43.569 of the great benefits that are ours in Christ 00:01:43.569 --> 00:01:49.819 Jesus. We are set free. We're to stand in the 00:01:49.819 --> 00:01:55.359 liberty that Christ has purchased for us. And 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:58.219 we're not to go back to anything else or we're 00:01:58.219 --> 00:02:00.359 not to go forward or anywhere. We're not to go 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:04.359 anywhere else except for Christ and all that 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:08.099 he is, all that he's done, and all that he is 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:15.900 working and doing in us day by day. In other 00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:20.080 words, we have been restored with the ability 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:27.199 to make a choice, a good choice. We're no longer 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:32.080 in bondage. We can choose what we're going to 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:38.659 do. Hopefully you know that. Hopefully you remember 00:02:38.659 --> 00:02:44.189 from sermons past when it was taught. But the 00:02:44.189 --> 00:02:47.129 liberty that is ours in Christ Jesus is a liberty 00:02:47.129 --> 00:02:51.729 to put away sin and to serve God. To make a choice. 00:02:51.770 --> 00:02:56.530 Day by day we make choices. We're not robots. 00:02:56.789 --> 00:03:01.129 We're not zombies. We're not just going through 00:03:01.129 --> 00:03:05.090 life without any recognition of what's before 00:03:05.090 --> 00:03:09.150 us, what's in us. What does God want? Yeah, we 00:03:09.150 --> 00:03:14.180 want to know. What does God want us to do? So 00:03:14.180 --> 00:03:22.599 we make choices. So today then, we're going to 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:28.939 read about the necessity of choice and how we 00:03:28.939 --> 00:03:31.840 indeed can and should make the right choices. 00:03:32.419 --> 00:03:35.520 We should make the choices that please God. We 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:37.979 should make the choices that enable us to serve 00:03:37.979 --> 00:03:42.069 God. We should make the choices that... show 00:03:42.069 --> 00:03:46.349 forth our love to God. We should make the choices 00:03:46.349 --> 00:03:49.090 that are beneficial to our brothers and sisters 00:03:49.090 --> 00:03:54.090 in Christ. We should make the choices that say, 00:03:54.229 --> 00:03:58.389 these church meetings are a priority in my life. 00:04:00.009 --> 00:04:02.490 They're not just something that I happen to stroll 00:04:02.490 --> 00:04:06.490 into. They're something that I look forward to. 00:04:07.370 --> 00:04:11.120 Something that I need. Something that I can contribute. 00:04:11.860 --> 00:04:14.060 Something that I can give to my brothers and 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:19.160 sisters. There are no spectators in the church, 00:04:19.339 --> 00:04:23.879 remember? I know that's just totally counterculture 00:04:23.879 --> 00:04:27.519 in our day. In the Christian church, there's 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:30.980 nothing but spectators. You got a handful of 00:04:30.980 --> 00:04:34.100 people that come up here, and the rest of the 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:36.959 congregation just sits there and adores them. 00:04:38.540 --> 00:04:42.360 And that's not right. That's not how it is in 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:44.199 the Bible. That's not how it should be in our 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:49.220 lives. We all have something to contribute. God 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:53.319 uses every one of us. He expects us to be useful. 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:59.160 He expects us to love Him. He expects us to love 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:04.500 our neighbor, our brothers and sisters. So here 00:05:04.500 --> 00:05:10.069 we read. Galatians 5. We're going to just do 00:05:10.069 --> 00:05:15.449 a bit of a review. 13. For brethren, you have 00:05:15.449 --> 00:05:18.689 been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty 00:05:18.689 --> 00:05:21.670 for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve 00:05:21.670 --> 00:05:25.329 one another. There's the Bible for what I've 00:05:25.329 --> 00:05:29.230 already told you. For all the law is fulfilled 00:05:29.230 --> 00:05:33.230 in one word, even in this. Thou shalt love thy 00:05:33.230 --> 00:05:37.540 neighbor as thyself. Remember last week? We all 00:05:37.540 --> 00:05:40.819 affirm that we know right well how to love ourselves. 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:45.600 Nobody has a problem loving themselves. We're 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:49.519 to have that same love for our neighbor. But 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:52.180 if ye bite and devour one another, take heed 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:56.339 that ye be not consumed one of another. You see 00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:59.160 the choice there? Did you get it? Did you hear 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:02.720 it? You can love and serve one another, or you 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:05.959 can bite and devour one another. Because we're 00:06:05.959 --> 00:06:08.939 Christians, we're not exempt from sin. We're 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:13.920 not exempt from our flesh. It's a choice that 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:17.839 we make to subdue our flesh and to live for the 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:24.279 good of one another. So then in 16, this I say 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:27.019 then, walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill 00:06:27.019 --> 00:06:31.209 the lust of the flesh. Okay, that's a key verse. 00:06:31.230 --> 00:06:33.170 It's a key verse in all of our understanding, 00:06:33.410 --> 00:06:36.970 all of the New Testament. The New Testament never 00:06:36.970 --> 00:06:39.730 proclaims a helpless, hopeless Christian life. 00:06:40.689 --> 00:06:45.189 Just the opposite. It claims a victorious Christian 00:06:45.189 --> 00:06:50.329 life. Walk in the Spirit. You won't fulfill the 00:06:50.329 --> 00:06:54.810 lust of the flesh. That's a fact. Do we recognize 00:06:54.810 --> 00:06:57.769 it as a fact? Do we claim it for ourselves? Do 00:06:57.769 --> 00:07:01.829 we pray it back to God enough? Do we pray for 00:07:01.829 --> 00:07:06.350 the Spirit's power to indwell and to enable us 00:07:06.350 --> 00:07:10.069 to live the abundant life that Christ has given 00:07:10.069 --> 00:07:18.870 us? Hopefully we do. And then in verse 17, this 00:07:18.870 --> 00:07:21.589 is new territory. For the flesh lusteth against 00:07:21.589 --> 00:07:23.990 the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. 00:07:24.610 --> 00:07:27.850 And these are contrary, the one to the other, 00:07:27.910 --> 00:07:31.170 so that we cannot do the things that we would. 00:07:31.910 --> 00:07:36.009 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under 00:07:36.009 --> 00:07:46.170 the law. Get that? Did you hear that? There's 00:07:46.170 --> 00:07:51.709 a warfare within us. Our flesh is easily led 00:07:51.709 --> 00:07:55.769 astray. We love ourselves so much that there's 00:07:55.769 --> 00:07:57.750 nothing we'd rather do than please ourselves. 00:08:00.449 --> 00:08:04.449 Paul says he buffets his body and brings it under 00:08:04.449 --> 00:08:07.750 subjection. That was Paul that had to do that. 00:08:10.129 --> 00:08:13.360 Are we just floating along? Are we just letting 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:15.980 ourselves go in any old direction, anywhere we 00:08:15.980 --> 00:08:20.439 want to, without giving it even a thought? Well, 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:22.500 that's not going to work. That's not led by the 00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:24.740 Spirit. The Spirit doesn't lead us in that way. 00:08:28.180 --> 00:08:32.240 So there's this battle. But there's a good thing. 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:36.840 If you recognize a battle, that's a good thing. 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:41.940 That's what you want. You want to know and be 00:08:41.940 --> 00:08:46.139 aware that you are in a battle. And this is a 00:08:46.139 --> 00:08:50.580 quote from John Owen. They that find or know 00:08:50.580 --> 00:08:54.419 the power of sin within themselves have evidence 00:08:54.419 --> 00:08:57.980 that they are alive to discern it. They that 00:08:57.980 --> 00:09:05.659 find not its power are under its dominion. Do 00:09:05.659 --> 00:09:12.210 you understand that? Did it sink in? The conflict 00:09:12.210 --> 00:09:16.210 is inevitable, folks. That's the Christian life. 00:09:17.230 --> 00:09:21.429 We're not in glory. We're not perfect. We're 00:09:21.429 --> 00:09:25.090 still subject to fits and starts. We're still 00:09:25.090 --> 00:09:29.330 subject to giving in to our bodily desires, our 00:09:29.330 --> 00:09:32.769 bodily lust, Paul calls it, the lust of the flesh. 00:09:33.429 --> 00:09:37.649 We're struggling against that. And if we are, 00:09:37.789 --> 00:09:41.409 we can... take from that evidence that we have 00:09:41.409 --> 00:09:44.669 the Spirit, that we have been born again, because 00:09:44.669 --> 00:09:48.970 the world knows nothing of this. The world doesn't 00:09:48.970 --> 00:09:51.929 have any struggle. The world has just gone over 00:09:51.929 --> 00:09:55.850 into sin. And the fact it's in so much bondage 00:09:55.850 --> 00:09:58.529 to sin, that's all that it can do. It has no 00:09:58.529 --> 00:10:02.110 choice. It hasn't been set free. Its sin hasn't 00:10:02.110 --> 00:10:06.629 been paid for. It has no liberty in Christ. We 00:10:06.629 --> 00:10:12.980 do. We as Christians feel the tension, feel the 00:10:12.980 --> 00:10:17.340 struggle, hate the sin that remains, buffet our 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:20.059 bodies, bring it into subjection. Do we always? 00:10:20.100 --> 00:10:24.080 No, we don't. That's just a sad reality. But 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:27.440 that's what we should be doing. If you don't 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:30.460 feel the struggle, you need to be a little concerned 00:10:30.460 --> 00:10:34.059 about your salvation. That's what John Owen is 00:10:34.059 --> 00:10:36.200 saying. That's what the scripture says. That's 00:10:36.200 --> 00:10:45.159 what I'm saying. There's a struggle. But if you 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:47.580 are led by the Spirit, you are not under the 00:10:47.580 --> 00:10:50.500 law. You're no longer under that law of bondage, 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:54.840 under that law of condemnation, under that helplessness 00:10:54.840 --> 00:11:01.039 that was theirs before Christ came. The law had 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:05.100 no power. It only could condemn. It only could 00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:08.159 help you see your sin. It only could help you... 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:12.000 Look and long for the coming Savior. And that's 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.899 what it did. And people were saved by looking 00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:17.759 for the coming Savior. Not by keeping the law. 00:11:18.740 --> 00:11:23.080 That's impossible. But we're not there. We're 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:25.879 in the age of the Spirit. We're in the age of 00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:31.519 the Holy Spirit. We have power. We can overcome. 00:11:32.779 --> 00:11:36.019 We can be more than conquerors through Christ 00:11:36.019 --> 00:11:40.460 who loved us. And he goes on, I'm not going to 00:11:40.460 --> 00:11:43.139 read this whole list of the works of the flesh. 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:47.879 Everybody's familiar with it enough. But in verse 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:51.100 22 it says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:56.000 joy, peace, long -suffering, gentleness, goodness, 00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:59.940 faith, meekness, temperance. Against such things 00:11:59.940 --> 00:12:06.700 there is no law. The fruit of the Spirit. Edgar 00:12:06.700 --> 00:12:11.259 Andrews, I got another quote this morning. Edgar 00:12:11.259 --> 00:12:15.759 Andrews tells us that these are attitudes that 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:23.159 control and dictate actions that flow from this 00:12:23.159 --> 00:12:27.980 genuine inner principle, not from adherence to 00:12:27.980 --> 00:12:32.559 an external law. This is the age of the spirit. 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:37.799 Just like an apple tree bears apples. The Christian 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:41.419 who is in the Spirit bears the fruit of the Spirit. 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:46.879 Again, it's not optional. He's not saying that 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:49.340 if you're good enough, you're going to bear some 00:12:49.340 --> 00:12:52.080 fruit. He doesn't say anything like that. It 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:58.500 says the Spirit works this fruit in you. It is 00:12:58.500 --> 00:13:01.419 the fruit of the Spirit. If you have the Spirit, 00:13:01.980 --> 00:13:05.419 These characteristics are going to begin to manifest 00:13:05.419 --> 00:13:10.740 themselves more and more in you. Glory to God. 00:13:10.779 --> 00:13:15.799 Would that would that you all were manifesting 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:20.340 these things to the nth degree. What a life it 00:13:20.340 --> 00:13:25.519 would be to have the fruit of the Spirit pouring 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:31.590 out of us. What glory to God that would be. What 00:13:31.590 --> 00:13:35.769 a benefit to our neighbors that would be. How 00:13:35.769 --> 00:13:38.789 our brothers and sisters would benefit and love 00:13:38.789 --> 00:13:43.970 us the more. It would be a glorious thing. We 00:13:43.970 --> 00:13:46.649 should all be indeed praying that this would 00:13:46.649 --> 00:13:51.129 be the case. That this work of the Spirit would 00:13:51.129 --> 00:13:58.049 be unhindered by us, but given full reign to 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:03.179 be worked out. In our lives. The fruit of the 00:14:03.179 --> 00:14:10.019 spirit. And it says that in verse 24. And they 00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:13.039 that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:16.799 the affections and lusts. If we live in the spirit, 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:22.580 let us also walk in the spirit. You see the choice? 00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:30.220 You see that there's a choice to be made. It's 00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:34.320 not automatic. There's nothing automatic about 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:38.879 this. It's do you want it? Are you going to pursue 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:43.679 it? Do you love God more than you love yourself? 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:47.720 Do you love your neighbor more than you love 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:53.000 yourself? Do you desire to walk after him? Do 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:55.879 you desire to please him above everything else 00:14:55.879 --> 00:15:01.440 in your life? That's the choice. What's most 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:16.220 important to you? Now, I just want to remind 00:15:16.220 --> 00:15:25.019 us of this. We had the misfortune of a family 00:15:25.019 --> 00:15:29.919 that left. Left the church. And we had a meeting 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:35.039 about it. And many things were said at that meeting. 00:15:37.259 --> 00:15:40.799 And we all agreed that we need to put this to 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:45.960 good use. We need to put it to the church's advantage. 00:15:46.139 --> 00:15:48.039 In other words, put it to our own advantage. 00:15:48.340 --> 00:15:51.120 We have to, in other words, learn something from 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:53.919 the events that God has orchestrated in our midst. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:59.919 And God did orchestrate it. It happened because 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:07.440 God wanted it to happen. So what are we going 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:12.120 to do? What's going to be our reaction? Do we 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:15.659 have a reaction? Well, we said we were going 00:16:15.659 --> 00:16:20.000 to at the meeting. And I noticed that there was 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:24.659 some different actions. And hopefully they continue. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:32.600 In all ways, we want to do, the actions that 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:36.080 we take, we want them to be biblical. We don't 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:40.899 want to have a reaction. We want to have a positive 00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:45.700 action that we're pursuing as a result of this 00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:50.899 incident. An action that does conform to the 00:16:50.899 --> 00:17:00.259 Bible. I ask again. If you're walking in the 00:17:00.259 --> 00:17:05.460 Spirit, you will serve God. You will serve His 00:17:05.460 --> 00:17:09.319 people. You will put others before yourself. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.920 You will have a desire to please God in everything 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:18.240 that you do, think, do, and say. As Galatians 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:21.799 tells us here. You will not fulfill the lust 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:26.750 of the flesh. So, how important is it? are our 00:17:26.750 --> 00:17:29.009 brothers and sisters. How important are they 00:17:29.009 --> 00:17:34.930 to us? Do we want everyone to be as important 00:17:34.930 --> 00:17:39.009 as I think that I am? That's how we should think. 00:17:39.109 --> 00:17:41.609 We want to build each other up, in other words. 00:17:42.109 --> 00:17:45.910 We want to be those who go after one another. 00:17:47.589 --> 00:17:55.470 If you're a woman, you want all women to be Loved 00:17:55.470 --> 00:17:58.529 and included in all of the various opportunities 00:17:58.529 --> 00:18:03.450 and ministries that are here for the women. If 00:18:03.450 --> 00:18:06.069 you're a woman, you should want to be at the 00:18:06.069 --> 00:18:10.869 Monday night prayer meeting. How are relationships 00:18:10.869 --> 00:18:13.549 formed? Well, they're only formed when people 00:18:13.549 --> 00:18:16.730 get together. And they live together, they work 00:18:16.730 --> 00:18:19.410 together, they pray together, whatever it is. 00:18:19.450 --> 00:18:22.009 You can't have a relationship without being there. 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:25.680 You can't form a relationship from a distance. 00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:33.539 So you want a relationship? You have to be at 00:18:33.539 --> 00:18:38.319 the meetings. The women's ministry. How involved 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:40.660 are we in the women's ministry? Well, I'm not 00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:44.440 involved in it at all, obviously. How about you 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:50.319 guys? Is it important to you? Is there any priority 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:55.970 to come? Let me remind you of this. We spent 00:18:55.970 --> 00:18:58.750 a ton of money on this book. I'm just going to 00:18:58.750 --> 00:19:01.329 lay it out there. That was not a cheap book that 00:19:01.329 --> 00:19:06.369 the church bought. And it has a nice workbook. 00:19:07.009 --> 00:19:10.630 And we were just thrilled that you guys, you 00:19:10.630 --> 00:19:14.069 women, were going to study that book. We were 00:19:14.069 --> 00:19:18.430 glad to provide it. It's a goldmine about God 00:19:18.430 --> 00:19:23.029 and relationships with God. And you all said 00:19:23.029 --> 00:19:26.109 you wanted to do it. You all wanted the book. 00:19:27.890 --> 00:19:31.430 Well, I don't take attendance or anything, but 00:19:31.430 --> 00:19:34.750 I'm sure and I know that everybody is not there 00:19:34.750 --> 00:19:39.230 all the time. I know some of you are hardly ever 00:19:39.230 --> 00:19:42.990 there. But you said you were going to be there. 00:19:43.109 --> 00:19:46.990 Church bought you a book. The women spend the 00:19:46.990 --> 00:19:51.329 whole month getting ready to lead it. And really 00:19:51.329 --> 00:19:53.490 everybody does because everybody's got to answer 00:19:53.490 --> 00:19:58.289 the questions. And then some of you don't show 00:19:58.289 --> 00:20:05.329 up. It's discouraging. It's not helpful. It hurts 00:20:05.329 --> 00:20:10.329 feelings. I know when I prepare for the men's 00:20:10.329 --> 00:20:14.609 meeting, I prepare. I don't prepare any less 00:20:14.609 --> 00:20:16.730 than if I was going to speak to a thousand people. 00:20:17.130 --> 00:20:22.009 It makes no difference. You prepare. You want 00:20:22.009 --> 00:20:25.009 to give the word of God as best that you can. 00:20:25.609 --> 00:20:29.049 You want to get the most out of it. And you want 00:20:29.049 --> 00:20:32.049 to give the most to those who hear. And then 00:20:32.049 --> 00:20:35.789 the meeting comes, and we've got four people 00:20:35.789 --> 00:20:40.109 that showed up that had an interest in having 00:20:40.109 --> 00:20:43.670 a relationship with the men and of hearing the 00:20:43.670 --> 00:20:47.509 word. You know, sometimes it's more than that. 00:20:47.809 --> 00:20:54.829 You know, it varies. Sometimes it's six. But, 00:20:54.869 --> 00:20:58.349 you know, that's discouraging. I'm sorry. I'm 00:20:58.349 --> 00:21:04.609 telling you the truth. I want the word of God 00:21:04.609 --> 00:21:11.490 to be implanted into everybody here. I want that 00:21:11.490 --> 00:21:16.509 change. I want that word in there grinding and 00:21:16.509 --> 00:21:20.269 bringing about the God's purposes. In all of 00:21:20.269 --> 00:21:28.349 our lives. What do you want? Do you want to serve 00:21:28.349 --> 00:21:34.170 God and his people? Or is it all about you? If 00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:37.069 it fits in your schedule, fine. I'll be there. 00:21:37.430 --> 00:21:40.410 If I happen to have something else, I probably 00:21:40.410 --> 00:21:47.309 won't be there. I mean, you're making the choices. 00:21:48.779 --> 00:21:52.539 You're a Christian. You have the Spirit. You're 00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:55.500 supposed to be walking in the Spirit. You're 00:21:55.500 --> 00:22:03.359 making the choice. That's the freedom we have 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:08.380 in Christ. That's the glory of it all. If you 00:22:08.380 --> 00:22:11.039 think of any of these things as anything other 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:14.900 than glories, you're thinking about them wrong. 00:22:16.490 --> 00:22:19.269 It's a wonderful thing to gather with believers 00:22:19.269 --> 00:22:26.349 and study the word. It's a fun time. Is it not? 00:22:27.549 --> 00:22:31.890 Well, evidently it's not fun enough for everybody 00:22:31.890 --> 00:22:35.109 here. But that's how we should think about it. 00:22:35.150 --> 00:22:38.650 It's not a job. It's not an obligation. It's 00:22:38.650 --> 00:22:42.029 not a duty. This is the greatest thing of our 00:22:42.029 --> 00:22:45.500 day. When we get to get together with all the 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:47.799 Christians and we get to study the word, have 00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:51.099 discussions, we get to lay our burdens on one 00:22:51.099 --> 00:22:53.440 another, pray for one another. I mean, what could 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:55.819 be better than that? How can you not appreciate 00:22:55.819 --> 00:23:09.680 that reality? Are we having each other over to 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:13.380 our houses? Are we interacting with each other? 00:23:15.180 --> 00:23:18.440 Did you go home and talk to your husband or your 00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:22.400 wife and come up with a schedule that this month 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:25.200 I'm having this family over, that this next month 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:27.660 I'm having another family over? Did anybody do 00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:33.279 that? You don't have to answer. But that would 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:39.720 have been a good thing to do. When a visitor 00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:45.140 walks in, Have you guys welcomed the visitors 00:23:45.140 --> 00:23:50.460 that we've had? Have you really? Have you made 00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:54.099 them feel welcome? I mean, I'm asking. That's 00:23:54.099 --> 00:23:56.200 a legitimate question. I'm not trying to accuse 00:23:56.200 --> 00:24:00.680 you. I don't know if you have or not. You do. 00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:04.240 When we have a visitor, every one of us should 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:06.460 go over to that visitor and talk to them. Every 00:24:06.460 --> 00:24:08.940 one of us. It's not, oh, they'll take care of 00:24:08.940 --> 00:24:11.890 that or he'll take care of that. Every one of 00:24:11.890 --> 00:24:14.890 us should greet that person. Try to learn about 00:24:14.890 --> 00:24:18.630 him. Is he a Christian or is she a Christian? 00:24:19.170 --> 00:24:26.730 Does she need any prayer? These things are important. 00:24:26.890 --> 00:24:31.009 This is the Christian life. This is what pleases 00:24:31.009 --> 00:24:34.549 God. This is how we walk in the Spirit. I haven't 00:24:34.549 --> 00:24:36.750 even touched upon our personal devotions and 00:24:36.750 --> 00:24:39.539 all that other stuff. I feel like you've been 00:24:39.539 --> 00:24:43.740 beat over the head with that constantly. That's 00:24:43.740 --> 00:24:45.099 all I'm going to say about that. I'm not even 00:24:45.099 --> 00:24:49.539 going to bring it up again. I mean, that's kindergarten. 00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:57.220 Faithful in devotions. I mean, I could go on 00:24:57.220 --> 00:25:01.019 and on. Do you find it a joy to share the gospel? 00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:06.099 Just think of the God of the universe. brought 00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:09.359 a person across your path that you could share 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:13.400 the gospel with. Maybe he's prepared this person 00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:15.720 with the gift of the Spirit and regeneration, 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:18.960 and he's brought them to you directly for you 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:23.640 to sow the seed, to you to give the gospel, and 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:26.779 for him to respond in faith. I mean, that's exciting. 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:33.700 To me, it is. See people saved. See people saved 00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:37.000 as a result of me sharing the gospel? I was the 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:39.140 second cause or however you want to describe 00:25:39.140 --> 00:25:43.680 it. That's glorious. That's the Christian life. 00:25:45.299 --> 00:25:49.539 That's how you walk in the Spirit. Do we get 00:25:49.539 --> 00:25:52.640 up and expect something to happen today? Or is 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:55.680 this just another humdrum day that we're going 00:25:55.680 --> 00:25:58.480 to go through the same routine? We don't expect 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:00.960 anything good. We don't expect anything bad. 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:03.299 It's just going to be a normal, everyday thing, 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:05.819 and I'm going to go out, do whatever it is I 00:26:05.819 --> 00:26:07.720 do. I'm going to come home, do whatever it is 00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:17.759 I do, and I'm going to go to bed. Boring! Let's 00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:26.430 have a little higher view of God than that. So 00:26:26.430 --> 00:26:28.970 Paul gives us an example. He doesn't leave us 00:26:28.970 --> 00:26:33.230 without example. If you go into chapter 6. Brethren, 00:26:33.309 --> 00:26:36.730 if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are 00:26:36.730 --> 00:26:39.589 spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of 00:26:39.589 --> 00:26:42.829 meekness, considering yourself, lest thou also 00:26:42.829 --> 00:26:46.170 be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and 00:26:46.170 --> 00:26:50.789 so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think 00:26:50.789 --> 00:26:53.529 himself to be something when he is nothing, he's 00:26:53.529 --> 00:26:57.259 deceived himself. But let every man prove his 00:26:57.259 --> 00:27:00.660 own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in 00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:04.440 himself alone and not in another. For every man 00:27:04.440 --> 00:27:07.940 shall bear his own burden. Did you get that? 00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:12.319 Did you see what appears to be a contradiction 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:17.799 there? Bear one another's burden was the beginning. 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:22.839 Let every man bear his own burden was the ending. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:33.539 We're not slaves. We don't take on the whole 00:27:33.539 --> 00:27:40.799 load. We're helpers. Every man is responsible 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:44.619 for himself. That's the Christian truth. That's 00:27:44.619 --> 00:27:47.920 what I just read to you. Everybody is to bear 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:52.759 their burden. Whatever it is. And he doesn't 00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:55.839 specify. That's because it doesn't matter what 00:27:55.839 --> 00:28:00.440 it is. He's to be bearing that burden. In other 00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:02.859 words, he's to be fighting a fight. He's to have 00:28:02.859 --> 00:28:05.599 the victory over this burden. Eventually, he's 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:08.099 going to put this burden aside, whatever it is. 00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:17.779 But he's not to bear it alone. We're to bear 00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:22.579 it with him. We're to help him, in other words. 00:28:24.109 --> 00:28:28.309 We're to encourage him. While he's bearing that 00:28:28.309 --> 00:28:30.789 burden, we're to make it as light on him as we 00:28:30.789 --> 00:28:34.789 can. We're to do what we can. He shouldn't expect 00:28:34.789 --> 00:28:37.829 us to carry the whole thing. But he does have 00:28:37.829 --> 00:28:41.829 an expectation of us to be helpers, encouragers, 00:28:42.049 --> 00:28:46.369 comforters. We should be willing to do those 00:28:46.369 --> 00:28:49.369 things. That's what we said. The Bible tells 00:28:49.369 --> 00:28:56.579 you. Bear that man's burden with him. Help him 00:28:56.579 --> 00:29:02.019 along. Whatever he needs. Whatever it costs. 00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:09.680 I'm going to read a couple other verses and then 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:17.980 we're going to quit. Hopefully you've been hearing. 00:29:21.769 --> 00:29:30.829 That this is a burden to me. I want God to be 00:29:30.829 --> 00:29:37.990 glorified over and above at this church. I don't 00:29:37.990 --> 00:29:43.750 want anything. I don't want mediocrity. Mediocrity 00:29:43.750 --> 00:29:50.579 is no good. I want to see God. glorified to the 00:29:50.579 --> 00:29:54.779 nth degree by all of us here i want everybody 00:29:54.779 --> 00:29:57.960 to know that they can come to anybody else and 00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:03.559 get some love in other words get some help whatever 00:30:03.559 --> 00:30:08.680 they need i want that freedom open up yourselves 00:30:08.680 --> 00:30:13.619 you can't be helped if you don't share your needs 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:19.500 You can't become approachable if you never pray. 00:30:20.440 --> 00:30:23.359 Why would anybody think you care about them if 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:28.460 you don't even pray? You don't come to the women's 00:30:28.460 --> 00:30:30.880 prayer meeting. You don't pray on Sunday mornings. 00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:36.359 It's like it's a foreign thing. Prayer. It's 00:30:36.359 --> 00:30:39.039 not part of my life, you're saying. So why should 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:47.329 anybody come and open themselves up to you? It's 00:30:47.329 --> 00:30:49.750 not right, is it? Hopefully you can see that. 00:30:52.690 --> 00:31:03.269 Well, what did I do? I don't know. There it is. 00:31:05.789 --> 00:31:14.970 Okay, John 13, verse 14. Actually, we'll start. 00:31:15.390 --> 00:31:19.930 So after he had washed their feet and had taken 00:31:19.930 --> 00:31:23.150 his garments and was set down again, he said 00:31:23.150 --> 00:31:26.789 unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? You 00:31:26.789 --> 00:31:29.609 call me Master and Lord, and ye say, Well, for 00:31:29.609 --> 00:31:33.710 so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have 00:31:33.710 --> 00:31:37.329 washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's 00:31:37.329 --> 00:31:41.109 feet. For I have given you an example that you 00:31:41.109 --> 00:31:46.059 should do as I have done to you. Do we even think 00:31:46.059 --> 00:31:49.599 about this verse? In evangelical Christianity, 00:31:50.140 --> 00:31:55.720 I mean, that's just like, doesn't exist. But 00:31:55.720 --> 00:31:59.160 it's an excellent example, because Christ said 00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:02.440 it was an excellent example. Isn't he supposed 00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:06.539 to be washing people's feet? Of course not. That's 00:32:06.539 --> 00:32:08.799 how they helped one another back in the day. 00:32:10.339 --> 00:32:13.490 We're to be one another's servants. The lowest 00:32:13.490 --> 00:32:18.289 servant washed the feet. That's what Christ is 00:32:18.289 --> 00:32:24.009 saying. Nothing is too low for us to do. Because 00:32:24.009 --> 00:32:28.450 nothing was too low for Christ to do. You want 00:32:28.450 --> 00:32:33.349 to be Christ -like. Remember your humility and 00:32:33.349 --> 00:32:40.690 your need to serve others. Then we see 1334. 00:32:43.950 --> 00:32:47.130 A new commandment I give unto you, that you love 00:32:47.130 --> 00:32:50.930 one another as I have loved you, that ye also 00:32:50.930 --> 00:32:55.089 love one another. By this shall all men know 00:32:55.089 --> 00:33:00.490 that you are my disciples, if ye have love one 00:33:00.490 --> 00:33:07.170 to another. Okay, it's pretty clear. This is 00:33:07.170 --> 00:33:10.130 a commandment from Christ that we love one another. 00:33:12.009 --> 00:33:15.029 And this is how the world is going to know that 00:33:15.029 --> 00:33:18.789 we're Christians. By our love one for another. 00:33:18.950 --> 00:33:21.549 Not for all of the doctrine that we can spout. 00:33:22.910 --> 00:33:25.930 But for the love that we have one for another. 00:33:28.589 --> 00:33:31.569 I was at a wedding one time. I may have told 00:33:31.569 --> 00:33:33.829 this story a long time ago. I don't know. I can't 00:33:33.829 --> 00:33:36.349 keep them all straight. But I was at a wedding. 00:33:36.430 --> 00:33:40.849 A Christian wedding. And there were lost people 00:33:40.849 --> 00:33:46.180 there. And they, I've never experienced it any 00:33:46.180 --> 00:33:50.579 other time, but they were amazed at the love 00:33:50.579 --> 00:33:54.019 that they saw at that wedding amongst all the 00:33:54.019 --> 00:33:56.480 congregation of the people, not just the bride 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:59.880 and the groom. They thought that this was something 00:33:59.880 --> 00:34:03.200 that they had never seen before, this much love 00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:08.480 being expressed amongst the people. Of course 00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:11.139 they were told. Yeah that's because we're Christians. 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:14.880 Because the love of God is in us. We love Christ. 00:34:15.139 --> 00:34:23.260 Therefore we love one another. It's true. And 00:34:23.260 --> 00:34:37.159 then we've got. 1322. Let's see. 21. When Jesus. 00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:41.539 Had thus said. He was troubled in spirit. And 00:34:41.539 --> 00:34:44.400 testified and said. Verily verily I say unto 00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:50.239 you. That one of you shall betray me. Then. The 00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:55.260 disciples looked. One on another. Doubting of 00:34:55.260 --> 00:35:00.940 whom. He spoke. Now that's got to be our attitude. 00:35:00.980 --> 00:35:06.840 Toward one another. They could not believe. That 00:35:06.840 --> 00:35:10.440 one of their closest associates was going to 00:35:10.440 --> 00:35:15.920 betray Christ. They couldn't believe it. They 00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:18.900 had that much love for one another. Didn't always 00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:22.460 show it, but they did. They had that much concern 00:35:22.460 --> 00:35:26.420 for one another. That they would not believe 00:35:26.420 --> 00:35:30.039 that it could possibly be true that one of them 00:35:30.039 --> 00:35:36.110 would be the betrayer. Again, I'm just, it's 00:35:36.110 --> 00:35:39.630 a model. Hopefully we feel that way about each 00:35:39.630 --> 00:35:44.690 other. Hopefully there's that love and that companionship, 00:35:44.690 --> 00:35:48.650 that relationship that exists amongst ourselves. 00:35:50.630 --> 00:35:55.610 No, he couldn't have done that sin. I'll never 00:35:55.610 --> 00:36:03.219 believe it. But that's how it is. And of course 00:36:03.219 --> 00:36:06.840 we're going to have to receive one another when 00:36:06.840 --> 00:36:11.019 we do sin because we know we sin. But that can't 00:36:11.019 --> 00:36:13.559 be our attitude. That can't be our general attitude 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:18.519 toward one another. It has to be a shock to us 00:36:18.519 --> 00:36:22.079 when we learn of something sinful being done 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:25.820 by any of us. And it has to be a willingness 00:36:25.820 --> 00:36:35.380 right away to go, forgive, help. One more here. 00:36:35.619 --> 00:36:42.739 I think I got one more. Chapter 15. John? Yes. 00:36:45.659 --> 00:36:51.340 15, beginning at verse 12, I think it is. Yeah. 00:36:51.440 --> 00:36:54.059 This is my commandment, that ye love one another 00:36:54.059 --> 00:36:57.760 as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man 00:36:57.760 --> 00:37:00.599 than this, that a man lay down his life for his 00:37:00.599 --> 00:37:04.559 friends. Ye are my friends if ye do. whatsoever 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:11.000 I command you to do. Read another one. Henceforth 00:37:11.000 --> 00:37:14.980 I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth 00:37:14.980 --> 00:37:18.579 not what his Lord doeth. But I have called you 00:37:18.579 --> 00:37:22.320 friends. For all things that I have heard of 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:27.659 my Father, I have made known unto you. So again, 00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:32.030 it's just a beautiful picture. Of a relationship 00:37:32.030 --> 00:37:35.610 with Jesus Christ. Relationship with one another. 00:37:36.710 --> 00:37:40.550 Another. I mean. It's his second time in two 00:37:40.550 --> 00:37:43.230 chapters. That he's emphasized this command. 00:37:44.269 --> 00:37:47.070 He calls it. Command that you love one another. 00:37:47.869 --> 00:37:50.550 And it's not the same. As the Old Testament command. 00:37:50.929 --> 00:37:53.070 Because you can find that in the Old Testament. 00:37:53.429 --> 00:37:58.639 Love one another. That's as far as it goes. The 00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:01.500 new commandment is that we love one another as 00:38:01.500 --> 00:38:05.300 Christ has loved us. Which puts it in a whole 00:38:05.300 --> 00:38:11.139 new level. Christ sacrificed everything for us. 00:38:12.460 --> 00:38:18.239 Gave himself completely for us. Why? He loved 00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:22.699 us. And there's no other answer. Don't let any 00:38:22.699 --> 00:38:25.579 fancy pants theologian ever tell you there's 00:38:25.579 --> 00:38:29.639 another answer. There is no other answer for 00:38:29.639 --> 00:38:33.840 the explanation of why God planned the gospel 00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:37.820 and Christ carried it out and the Spirit applied 00:38:37.820 --> 00:38:47.079 it other than he loved us. That's why. It's just 00:38:47.079 --> 00:38:50.480 like Jake said, I think it was Jake, that million 00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:59.780 dollar ransom. It's a wonderful story. It's a 00:38:59.780 --> 00:39:05.000 wonderful life. It really is a wonderful life. 00:39:05.599 --> 00:39:12.219 To love and serve Christ. To be loved with Christ. 00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:18.539 To be able to choose the good. To reject the 00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:24.780 evil. Embrace it. Get involved with it. Do it. 00:39:25.199 --> 00:39:30.380 Walk in the Spirit. And you will not fulfill 00:39:30.380 --> 00:39:32.940 the lust of the flesh. Amen.