1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:06,040 All right, good morning, family. Good morning. 2 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,240 I'm encouraged to be here today and I'm so happy to be here with 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,280 you guys. I'm. 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,480 I know this. The brother's not sitting here. 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,520 Oh, OK. I was like, I, I, I the last 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,840 time I gave him a hard time and he's like, so yeah. 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:20,240 I was like, oh, OK. I messed up. 8 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,080 I did it again so quickly. A couple things. 9 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:29,360 So as a former deputy sheriff, I've heard plenty of times 10 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,640 people say I didn't do anything wrong every time I sat in the 11 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,120 courtroom. So you might not want to go in 12 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:36,480 there just saying you didn't do anything wrong. 13 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:39,600 Also, I'm I'm so encouraged to see my brother here today. 14 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,960 He wasn't here last time and he shared a testimony with me about 15 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:45,200 his son. I'm so happy. 16 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,840 I was just telling my wife quickly about it that that he 17 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,040 got his job back and then he's actually in a better position. 18 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,240 So God is good. Amen. 19 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:57,480 So today, first, I just want to mention that with everything 20 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,680 going on, just remember, remember there is a king. 21 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,400 There is a king. And the truth is he is the king 22 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,560 of all nations, including this one. 23 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,720 And I just want us to be reminded of that, that our king 24 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,760 is greater than any king that's ever existed, and he reigns on 25 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,240 his throne forever. So while they scream out there, 26 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,160 they don't want any kings, I have a king and I'll be loyal to 27 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,080 him to the day I die. Praise God. 28 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,040 All right, so today I want to talk about one of the most 29 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,120 important battles you and I will ever face. 30 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:31,360 The battle for control of our hearts. 31 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:33,960 Every person in here, oh, that's a believer. 32 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,280 Every believer must choose who or what will be their master. 33 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,640 The Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 5 puts this choice in 34 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,240 stark terms. You will either walk by the 35 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,920 flesh or walk by the spirit. You can't do both. 36 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,400 One leads to bondage and the other to freedom. 37 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,200 One leads to spiritual decay and the other to life and 38 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:57,320 fruitfulness. In Christ. 39 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,960 Paul says in Romans chapter 8 verse 5 through 6, those who 40 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,320 live according to the flesh have their mind set on what the flesh 41 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,880 desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have 42 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,360 their mind set on what the Spirit desires. 43 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,520 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed 44 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:20,600 by the Spirit is life and peace. So the title of the message is 45 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,480 flesh or spirit, choose your master. 46 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,320 So let's pray. Dear Lord, we come before your 47 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:28,200 presence, Lord, and we just thank you, Lord, for this 48 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,800 opportunity that you have allowed us for fellowship here 49 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:32,720 today. Lord, we ask that you open our 50 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,720 minds and our hearts to be receptive of the word that you 51 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,160 have given us. And I say us because the word is 52 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,560 for me as well. Lord, I ask you that you use me 53 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,480 as a tool and as a vessel to give the words that you want for 54 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,080 this congregation here today, for this fellowship of 55 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,640 believers, Lord. And I ask that you just give me 56 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,480 exactly what you want for them and as well for me, Lord. 57 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,400 And that it just Pierce our minds and, and just lay a 58 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,840 foundation and be rooted in our hearts, not just for today, but 59 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,520 going forward in our lives, in our spiritual walk and 60 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,600 forevermore. Lord, we ask you all these 61 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,880 things in Jesus name we pray. Amen. 62 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,760 So let's read together in Galatians chapter 5, verse 16. 63 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,360 I'm sorry, Galatians chapter 5, verse 16 through 26. 64 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,280 And we'll do the old school. When you all have it, please say 65 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,360 Amen. Amen. 5, five. 66 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,760 Yeah. Chapter 5, verse 16 through 26. 67 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,120 And what's the other one? If you don't have it, say 68 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,920 Hallelujah. That's how it went, right? 69 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,360 It's been a while. Amen, Amen. 70 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,520 But I say walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the 71 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,680 desire of the flesh for the for the flesh. 72 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,480 That's a desire against the Spirit and the Spirit against 73 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,760 the flesh. For these are in opposition to 74 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,520 one another, so that you may not do the things that you please, 75 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,440 but if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the 76 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,080 law. Now the deeds of the flesh are 77 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:05,240 evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, 78 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:11,160 sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, 79 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:18,079 disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing 80 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,600 and things like these of which I forewarn you just I have 81 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,240 forewarned you, I have forewarned you that those who 82 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,000 practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 83 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:33,880 But the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace, patience, 84 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:38,040 kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 85 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,240 self-control. Against such things there is no 86 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,880 law. Now those who belong to Christ 87 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:48,400 Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 88 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,920 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 89 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:56,400 Yes, let us not become boastful, challenging one another and 90 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,280 being one another. Amen. 91 00:04:58,280 --> 00:05:01,320 Amen. So once again, the title of the 92 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,640 messages, flesh or spirit, choose your masters, your 93 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,080 master. This is the word of God that we 94 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:06,600 correct. Correct. 95 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,960 So we got three points today, the first of which is the battle 96 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,360 continues. But before that, I just want to 97 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,760 give a little context because context matters, especially when 98 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,240 we're talking about Galatians. We have to understand what was 99 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,880 going on at the time. So the Galatian church was being 100 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,600 established in Galatia and there were people that were there that 101 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,880 were Gentiles that were converting to Christianity. 102 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:34,360 And they were agitators who were coming in from outside and 103 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:38,520 saying that they weren't really following God because they 104 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:43,600 weren't going with the old ways of the Jews and that they had to 105 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,080 be go back to the law in order to be made right with God. 106 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:49,280 And one of the main things they were talking about was 107 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:51,800 circumcision. And they were saying that the 108 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,200 Christians weren't truly following God because they 109 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,800 weren't circumcised. So that's why sometimes in the 110 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,360 Scripture you hear about the party of circumcision, right? 111 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:00,440 That's what they're talking about. 112 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,840 And so there was an emphasis amongst these agitators who were 113 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:07,800 coming in and teaching something contrary to what the apostles 114 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,720 were teaching. So they were teaching a 115 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,520 different gospel. So very early on we see that 116 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,560 within the the establishment of churches, there were people who 117 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,280 were coming in and saying, you're not doing it right and 118 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:22,760 adding on. And to this day, we still see 119 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,240 that, right? We still see people trying to 120 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,240 add on to what God has given us. So these agitators were coming 121 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,000 in and saying to the people, no, you're not actually right with 122 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,080 God because you're not following the law and you're not 123 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,920 circumcised. And the truth was there were 124 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,560 Gentiles there who were thinking to themselves, am I right with 125 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,640 God? Do I really need to get 126 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:45,960 circumcised? Do I need to do this thing? 127 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,680 And so it was calling, causing a dissension within the church. 128 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:54,120 So Paul writes this letter to reassure them that all they need 129 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:58,360 is Christ Jesus, right? That the law is just a picture 130 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,040 of our sin, right? It's there for us to look at and 131 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,520 to see that we are a fallen people, right? 132 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,200 And that we sin. And it paints a picture for us 133 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,400 and it tells us this is what we've done wrong and This is why 134 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,640 we are wrong. But it doesn't save us. 135 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,920 The law can't save us. And Jesus came to fulfill the 136 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,360 law and we are saved through Jesus Christ alone. 137 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,360 But what was happening was they were pointing people back to the 138 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,000 law and saying, if you're not in right standing with the law, 139 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,360 you're not right with God. But they could never be in right 140 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,320 standing with with with the law. They can't. 141 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:32,880 You always fall short of the law. 142 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,160 And so that what was was going on. 143 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:37,600 So our first point here is the battle continues. 144 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,960 So we'll begin with the question, why is this passage so 145 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,520 necessary for us today? Why did Paul write this to a 146 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,200 group of believers who already knew Jesus? 147 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,400 Because even though we are saved, the battle between the 148 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,440 flesh and the Spirit continues for us today. 149 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,600 Oftentimes we make a mistake and we read the scriptures and we 150 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,680 say, well, that was for them back then. 151 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,720 That doesn't really relate to us, but we can still take 152 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,480 something there and apply it to us today. 153 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:10,040 Paul says in verse 17, the flesh desires what is contrary to the 154 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,760 Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. 155 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,120 That means there's a war going on inside. 156 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,440 Every believer to this day, he's not writing that and saying 157 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,040 Galatia is just for you, you. No, this is for us as well. 158 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,200 There's a constant battle within us, our flesh warring against 159 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,120 our spirit. The flesh wants control. 160 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:34,280 It wants to call the shots, it wants to indulge, to please 161 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,960 itself, to be its own God. But here's the good news. 162 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,280 Romans chapter 8, verse 13 tells us. 163 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:44,800 And by the Spirit you put to death, the misdeeds of the body, 164 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:49,440 you will live. The same Spirit who raised Jesus 165 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:54,040 from the dead now lives in you, and he gives you power to 166 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,680 overcome sin. You know, that's just such a 167 00:08:56,680 --> 00:09:00,360 profound thought to me. It just blows my mind to think 168 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,680 that the same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead resides 169 00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:06,800 within us. So praise God, right? 170 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,200 Praise God that he finds us, that he meets us there. 171 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,240 He gives us something, a comforter for us in our time of 172 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,360 need. And I often think about, you 173 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,280 know, I've heard this, this years ago, a sermon and somebody 174 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,160 was preaching on Psalms and they were saying, Can you imagine 175 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,080 Jesus standing up in the temple and reciting these same psalms 176 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:31,960 that we are reciting today? God's word spoken by God, and 177 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:33,520 now it's given to us so that we can speak. 178 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,080 Praise God. That's just a profound thought 179 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,600 that He left us something that we can hold onto. 180 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:42,520 The word of God itself, living and breathing, active in our own 181 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:45,600 lives every single day. And we just have that there for 182 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,000 us. And we just have to be reminded 183 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,520 that the Spirit resides within us, those of us that are 184 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,400 believers, because it's difficult. 185 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,400 We live and we sin and we fall short of the glory of God and 186 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:58,000 we're guilty of those sins. That is true, but we are 187 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:02,680 redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and that's what Paul 188 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:06,760 means when he says walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify 189 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:11,080 the desires of the flesh. That's not just advice, that's a 190 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,640 promise. It's interesting when you think 191 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,280 about it because it actually, it's actually contrary to our 192 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,480 nature. It's gratifying the desires of 193 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:24,560 the flesh. It's our flesh, it's us. 194 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,080 You know, a lot of times people like to point to outside things 195 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,080 and for the reason why they do things, you know, seeing gets 196 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,240 blamed for so much. But the truth is, a lot of times 197 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,800 we don't need Satan in order to fall into our sins. 198 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:40,360 That is the truth, right? And it's our own flesh that we 199 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,960 gratify, but it's us, it's us, it's our desire. 200 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:49,240 So it's actually a natural desire of us to want to sin, 201 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:51,720 right? The sinful nature that Adam had. 202 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:57,000 So it's only divine intervention for us to accomplish something 203 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:01,560 that is contrary to our nature. It has to be God because if it 204 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:04,960 was up to us, we would give in to our fleshly nature. 205 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,800 But the Holy Spirit resides in US and He is making a change in 206 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:11,920 US daily. He is sanctifying us and 207 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,240 changing us daily into the image of God that we should be walking 208 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,480 like Jesus walked. Amen. 209 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,360 Praise God. But the truth is naturally we 210 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,560 want to give in to our flesh because that's how we were 211 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:25,960 designed. That's how we are. 212 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:30,760 We were just a sinful people. Praise God for the war within. 213 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:35,360 Serenity isn't is sin and death. The Spirit has landed to do 214 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,640 battle with the flesh. So take heart if your soul feels 215 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,760 like a battlefield at times. The sign of whether you are 216 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,120 indwelt by the spirit is not that you have no bad desires, 217 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:47,040 but that you are at war with them. 218 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,640 That's by John Piper. In other words, that this the 219 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:54,520 the actual proof that you are a sanctified believer is that 220 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,440 you're actually warring with the flesh. 221 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,920 Often times we can feel guilty just because we think of 222 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:02,760 something, just because we've just desired something. 223 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:04,920 And the truth is that that is our flesh. 224 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,520 But the proof that we are saved is that we are actually warring 225 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,800 with that desire and praise. Have that constant war within 226 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,440 us. So take heart in knowing that 227 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:18,600 one, your battle with the flesh is a natural outcome of being 228 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,040 indwelt by the Holy Spirit. That's a victory. 229 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:25,000 The fact that you are warring with your flesh and your spirit 230 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,960 is a victory because the Spirit is residing with you. 2 You're 231 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,200 not alone in the battle. Each and every Christian who was 232 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:37,080 and is that ever existed has had these same struggles. 233 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,480 And we should lean in on that, right? 234 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,040 We should lean in on our brothers and sisters. 235 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,800 There's no example of the New Testament in Christianity where 236 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,440 it's individualism. There's no example of that. 237 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,000 When he's writing, he's writing to churches. 238 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,640 What we see is brothers. When Jesus is talking, he's 239 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,000 saying brothers, brothers and sisters. 240 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,120 And there's a reason why we should be confessing our sins, 241 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,680 leaning in on our brothers and sisters, because that is what 242 00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:05,120 God has called us to do. Jesus didn't do his mission 243 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:07,160 alone. He took people with him. 244 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,760 He leaned in. Those people leaned in on each 245 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:11,560 other. And also they were different 246 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:14,640 kinds of people, right? You had a zealot, you had a 247 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,360 fisherman, you had a tax collector all there together. 248 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:21,120 Did they think the same? No. 249 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:23,600 Did they have the same issues? Obviously not. 250 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:25,840 The fisherman is not going to have the same interest as the 251 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:28,600 tax collector, right? They're not. 252 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,000 But what they did was they leaned in on each other, they 253 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,760 found common ground and they found brother brotherhood and 254 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:38,080 fellowship with one another. So take heart in knowing that 255 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,000 you are not alone and that this is a good thing. 256 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,680 You cannot win this battle by self effort. 257 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,960 You win it by surrender, by walking in the Spirit daily. 258 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,000 The Galatians were struggling with the same issues that we 259 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:57,280 have, not necessarily in the same way, but the sin issue was 260 00:13:57,280 --> 00:13:58,840 the same thing that they were struggling with. 261 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,240 Some were turning back to legalism, believing they could 262 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:05,840 earn God's favor by following rules. 263 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,920 Others were turning to license, believing grace meant freedom to 264 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,720 sin. And we see that today, right? 265 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,560 It's nothing's changed. We still have people within the 266 00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:19,160 church who are doing both right. You know, there, there, there's 267 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:22,520 an extreme on each end. There's an extreme tendency for 268 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:26,800 legalism and there's an extreme tendency for freedom. 269 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,240 And we see that constantly. Paul warns them. 270 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,320 Both are dangerous, both are forms of bondage. 271 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,480 In Galatians chapter 5, verse 1, he says it is for freedom that 272 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:43,160 Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let 273 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:46,840 yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 274 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,640 Legalism is the is the flesh dressed in religion? 275 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,960 License is the flesh dressed in rebellion. 276 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,560 Neither produces life of the spirit. 277 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,720 In other words, it's not just a religion, it's a relationship. 278 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:06,160 It's not quite correct, and neither is the opposite view of 279 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,480 legalism. We shouldn't use our freedom in 280 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,680 Christ to violate God's law, but we shouldn't use our freedom in 281 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:19,000 Christ to overburden ourselves or better yet, our brothers and 282 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,280 sisters with man made rules. So let's take that in for a 283 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,600 second. When we're talking about freedom 284 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:28,800 and legalism, right? You don't want to have too much 285 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,000 of either. There are people who say I'm 286 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,720 saved and they do whatever they want and they use it as a 287 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,200 license to sin and they go out and do whatever they want and 288 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,120 they're like, I'm good. I'll just show up on Sunday and 289 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:41,680 I'm good. Like I'll just ask for 290 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,440 forgiveness and I'm good. At the same time, there's a 291 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:48,560 tendency for over legalism where we appeal to rules and 292 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,040 regulation. Oftentimes man made rules and we 293 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:53,680 say, no, that's not right. You're not really a Christian 294 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:55,520 because you didn't do this. You didn't say that, you didn't 295 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:57,760 do that, you didn't do this. They don't do this, they don't 296 00:15:57,760 --> 00:15:59,400 teach that, they don't do that, they don't do that. 297 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:01,960 And we have to be careful that we're not doing both of those 298 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:03,920 things. And there's also a tendency for 299 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,480 us to be harsh on ourselves and say, well, I fell, I didn't 300 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:12,120 follow that rule. I'm done now we have to be 301 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:15,760 understanding that is Jesus the Holy Spirit within us that that 302 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:20,480 frees us from those things we we we face those those same 303 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,920 tendencies and those tensions today all as all Christians 304 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,360 before us either trying to earn God's approval through 305 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,400 performance or drifting into sin under the excuse of grace. 306 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,840 But the Spirit calls us to a better way to live in true 307 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,480 freedom under His guidance and power. 308 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:39,760 You see totally different outlooks. 309 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,280 One of trying my hardest by doing the things and checking 310 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:47,360 the boxes to make God happy or Jesus loves me so I can do 311 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,160 whatever I want to extremes. And the truth is we should 312 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:52,600 reside somewhere in the middle of that. 313 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:54,840 We are free. We're free in Christ. 314 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:57,560 But that doesn't give us the freedom to sin. 315 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,160 The Christian life is war. The flesh is warring against the 316 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:04,280 Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. 317 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:08,119 They are opposed to each other. The battle will last as long as 318 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:12,599 we live, and Our Calling is to fight, not to make peace with 319 00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:15,440 our flesh. But we fight in the confidence 320 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,760 that Christ has already secured the victory, and that's John 321 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,319 Piper. The battle continues, continues 322 00:17:21,319 --> 00:17:25,880 between the flesh and the Spirit every single day, from the 323 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,280 moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. 324 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:34,480 So how do we battle that? In prayer, in fasting, in our 325 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:38,720 words, in the Word constantly daily learning, seeking, 326 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,160 studying, drawing right from gleaning from our brothers and 327 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,400 sisters, doing the things that God has called us to do to 328 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:50,800 strengthen ourselves. Point #2 sin or sanctification. 329 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:54,040 Everyone of us share something with the Galatians. 330 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:59,160 We all have a fleshly nature that still wants control and we 331 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,360 all have the Spirit. Those of us that are saved have 332 00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:05,640 the Spirit of God inside us calling us to surrender to and 333 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:08,920 obedience. Early on in verses 16 and 17 334 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:13,920 Paul begins to make a comparison Flesh or spirit or really the 335 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,920 deeper issue, sin or sanctification. 336 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:22,040 In Galatians chapter 6 verse 13, Paul says the agitators wanted 337 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,960 the Galatians circumcised so they could boast in their flesh 338 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:30,480 the sin of pride. Paul uses flesh in three ways. 339 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:35,040 To mean human nature in general. To mean the physical body, but 340 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,120 most often especially contrasted with the spirit. 341 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:42,160 To mean the sinful human nature that belongs to the fallen 342 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,360 world, mind, body and soul included. 343 00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:48,080 So when he's talking about flesh, he's talking about you. 344 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,760 You, it's simple, you. And when he's talking about the 345 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:56,600 flesh and the and the spirit, he's talking about sin. 346 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,400 Are you going to give in to sin or are you going to give in to 347 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,240 your sanctification process? What are you going to give in 348 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,680 to? And So what we see is there was 349 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,880 a call for the agitators for people to go back to the law and 350 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,800 go back to what the things that they knew they couldn't 351 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:13,920 accomplish on their own perfectly. 352 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:15,960 Why? Because of pride. 353 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:18,840 Let's not be given over to our pride. 354 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,040 And it's, it's difficult for us, especially I can speak for the 355 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:25,080 men in the church, right, that we tend to give in to the pride 356 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,160 because we so often think that we know the answer. 357 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:31,360 We can pull ourselves up, right, and put on our pants. 358 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:33,040 We can go out, we can move tractors. 359 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:34,800 We can do all these things and push them. 360 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,720 So of course we can figure this stuff out on our own. 361 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:39,800 But when it comes to the spiritual side of things, we 362 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:41,720 cannot figure this stuff out on our own. 363 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,600 I, I give thanks and I praise God for the, for the wife that I 364 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:49,320 have and, and, and how in tune she is with the Lord And I, and 365 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,400 I often times I have to say she would, you know, when I'm 366 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,800 praying about certain things, I say, she was right. 367 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,400 You know, I was wrong because I'm thinking about it from I, 368 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:59,880 I'm a problem solver. Like, I'm like, OK, how can we 369 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:01,080 do this? Well, let's do this, let's do 370 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:02,680 that, let's do that. Let's say this, let's say this. 371 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,600 And you know, I find myself sometimes not listening to the 372 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:08,160 advice that she gives me right away. 373 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:12,640 And then later on I'm like. Man, so I, I recently I was 374 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,320 talking to the girls and I was like, trust me when I tell you 375 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,360 nobody's going to give you as good advice as your mother 376 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,200 because nobody on the earth has your best interest in her mind, 377 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,440 in her thought, in her heart, as constant as your mother. 378 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,800 Trust me. And I, I tell them all the time. 379 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,520 I said my mother, before she even met Miriam, she was like, 380 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,120 that's your wife. And I'm so thankful I listened 381 00:20:35,120 --> 00:20:39,320 to her because I learned early on that my mother was not, was 382 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,640 not going to give me a piece of advice that was going to be bad 383 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:43,960 to me. Like, she's not. 384 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,720 That's what mothers do, right? They give you advice to try to 385 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,680 help you. And I tell yes for the younger 386 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:52,000 guys, please listen to your mother's. 387 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,720 Trust me, you won't go wrong. Your mom is over there making 388 00:20:55,720 --> 00:21:00,520 signs, too. But yeah, and I'm so thankful 389 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,840 that I, I, you know, that she is who she is and that, you know, 390 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,880 and prayerfully I'm, I'm telling the girls like, please listen to 391 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:08,960 your mom. Like dad sometimes gets 392 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:10,560 overwhelmed by stuff and other things. 393 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,760 He got a lot going on and he might give you a piece of 394 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:14,440 advice. And I obviously I care for their 395 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,000 well-being, but I might be wrong. 396 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,720 So listen to your mom. She's always going to have your 397 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:22,400 best interests at heart. So if the Galatians turn from 398 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:27,040 Christ to rely on the law, they return to the flesh, falling 399 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,480 again under the law's curse and showing that they are not part 400 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:34,160 of the new creation or freed from this present evil age. 401 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:37,920 But there is hope. Though the flesh and the Spirit 402 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:41,440 are in conflict, the Spirit's presence and conviction within 403 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:45,040 believers shows that they are no longer slaves to the flesh. 404 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,400 We are no longer slaves to our flesh. 405 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,440 So even though your flesh will lie to you and tell you that 406 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,280 you're a bad person, you're this, you're that, you're always 407 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:56,880 going to be this way. You're always going to have 408 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,120 these these desires. You're always going to fall 409 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:01,440 short. You're always going to give in 410 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:03,080 to this. You're always don't listen to 411 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,760 that because the Holy Spirit can change you. 412 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:07,600 And guess what? Sometimes it doesn't always 413 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:09,760 happen overnight. That's reality. 414 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,080 Some people it does. You know, my, my uncle was a, a 415 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:16,880 drug addict. He heavy into back in the in the 416 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:20,720 70s and, and into heroin and, and all kinds of different 417 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,480 drugs. The Lord met him and he never 418 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,640 picked up a single drug, alcohol a day after that became a 419 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:29,280 pastor, LED a church to the day that he died. 420 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:31,320 That's not the case for everyone. 421 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,240 And I wouldn't have that expectation on everyone. 422 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:35,480 I wouldn't put that on everyone because that may not be the 423 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,280 reality for everyone. So everybody's sanctification 424 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,800 process is different, they go through things differently, and 425 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,720 life is different for everyone. So I wouldn't want to put that 426 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:48,040 on just everyone. This inner struggle is actually 427 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,720 proof that we belong to Christ and the Holy Spirit is living 428 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,640 and working in US. Paul lays out two lists in this 429 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,800 passage, the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. 430 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,840 Once again, sin or sanctification. 431 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,000 Listen again to verse 19 through 21. 432 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,560 The acts of the flesh are obvious, sexual morality, 433 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:15,480 impurity, idolatry, hatred, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish 434 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:19,040 ambition, dissensions, factions and envy. 435 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,840 Then verse 20 through to 23. But the fruit of the spirit is 436 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:29,560 Lovejoy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 437 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:32,640 faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 438 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,120 And what I found to be interesting to me, I, I got this 439 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,440 Bible from someone, whenever somebody says, Hey, we got extra 440 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:41,440 Bibles, I just take them because I give Bibles out to people when 441 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,400 I meet them or new, new, newer Christians, I give them Bibles. 442 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,160 So I, I got this Bible when I, I, when I was reading through 443 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:49,920 the, because it's NASPI like that translation. 444 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:52,560 And so I, while I was studying from it, I noticed that they 445 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:57,000 highlighted the fruit of the spirit and people can recite the 446 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:58,400 fruit of the spirit to you, right? 447 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,400 They know it off the top of their heads, but it's almost as 448 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,120 if they're skipping over the part of the bad stuff, the 449 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:10,440 sexual morality, the strife, the hatred, jealousy, as if we don't 450 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,120 fall into those things. So we skip over that because 451 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:16,560 that's not for us. You know, we're good Christians. 452 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:18,920 We don't do those things. And so we put that on other 453 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:21,280 people. That's for grace. 454 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,360 That's not for me, right? That's for Dylan. 455 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:27,480 That's not for me. That's for Miriam, not for me. 456 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:29,960 I don't do those things. But how often are we actually 457 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:31,800 analyzing whether we fall into that? 458 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,520 Paul, and it's interesting because he, he, he lists the 459 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,320 gross sins that the legalist would condemn. 460 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:42,040 Actually, almost anyone who believes in most any God would 461 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,680 condemn these things, right? Sexual morality, sorcery, 462 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:47,840 etcetera, right? He would condemn you. 463 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,320 Almost anyone, even the most nominal Christian, would condemn 464 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:53,800 that stuff. But he follows them with the 465 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:58,480 very sins of which the agitators were guilty of, right? 466 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,160 So he starts off with the bad stuff. 467 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,240 And so of course they would be like, that's not me, you know. 468 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:07,720 But then he follows up with the with the stuff that they were 469 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:14,400 guilty of, enmity, strife, jealousy, forcing the legalists 470 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:18,440 to look at themselves and their own spirituality, right? 471 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,200 Frequently persecution comes from other professing Christians 472 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,520 by slandering a brother. Nobody's guilty of that here, 473 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,800 right? Maybe calling them old fashioned 474 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:34,520 or saying they are foolish, weak minded or conceited. 475 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,680 Perhaps we have like the detractors in Galatia, falling 476 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,040 into preaching A bloodless gospel and instead giving into 477 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,760 preaching works. Nobody does that here. 478 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,120 Nobody says no, that person's not really a Christian because 479 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:49,520 they don't wear. I know here they don't, but they 480 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:50,880 don't wear a tie when they preach. 481 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,800 And but I've heard that before, right? 482 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:55,720 And look at him, he's wearing shorts and he's preaching. 483 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:57,880 You know, nobody's guilty of that here, right? 484 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:00,280 Everybody's quiet good. Praise God. 485 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,960 On the other hand, the more we give it to the Holy Spirit, the 486 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,640 more we begin to show fruit in our lives. 487 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:12,000 So we see these these constant things. 488 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,160 So we but once again, we have to look at ourselves in the mirror, 489 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:18,760 in the mirror spiritually and say, am I guilty of those 490 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,960 things? So am I guilty of jealousy? 491 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,960 Be honest, be honest. Are you guilty of jealousy? 492 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,280 Am I guilty of idolatry? And idolatry can look at in 493 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,400 different forms. It just doesn't have to be a 494 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,360 statue. But maybe you do have a statue 495 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:35,320 that you worship. I don't know. 496 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:39,840 Jealousy, Fits of rage. Do I have fits of rage? 497 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,280 Well, everybody started laughing for that one. 498 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,720 I heard a lot of women giggling. I'm just saying. 499 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:50,400 But you know, that's, she just looked at me. 500 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,920 I feel a fit of rage coming on just to rage. 501 00:26:56,080 --> 00:27:00,320 Don't give it to it. But we all, we all have to 502 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:02,000 analyze our spiritual walk, right? 503 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,760 And we all have to look at ourselves in a spiritual mirror. 504 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,920 And it's easy to, to, to look at ourselves and say, well, I'm 505 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,000 giving the fruit, right? You know, I give. 506 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,440 So I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm nice, you know, I have the fruit. 507 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,320 But are are we giving it to the sinful nature as well? 508 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,680 So whatever it may be, these lists are like a mirror, not 509 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,640 just for the Galatians. They show us who's really in 510 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:30,400 charge of our lives as well. When the flesh rules, sin 511 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:33,680 multiplies. Romans Chapter 7, verse 18 and 512 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:37,880 19 says, for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot 513 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,600 carry it out. That's this frustration of a 514 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:43,840 believer trying to please God in their own strength. 515 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,920 And Paul goes on to say thank God for the Holy Spirit and 516 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:51,400 thank God for his grace, right? Because he can't do it. 517 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,080 So he recognizes when he wants to do good, he falls short. 518 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,320 And we all have that same problem. 519 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:01,040 And I know that there are people who are out there in the world 520 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:05,160 to say that they fast 40 hours a week and that they read this 521 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,920 many scriptures and they have these many, you know, diplomas 522 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:11,240 on the wall. And they've slain so many 523 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,440 spirits and cast out so many demons and blah, blah, blah, 524 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:16,240 blah. That's all great and fantastic. 525 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,040 Praise God for all of that. But the truth is they still 526 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,080 struggle. And the truth is they still are 527 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:25,080 at war with their flesh. And if they're saying otherwise, 528 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,680 they're lying. So I don't care which 529 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:31,600 televangelist says it or which whoever is saying whatever, if 530 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:33,440 they're saying that they're not struggling with sin, they are 531 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:38,440 lying. 1st to John 216 acts for everything in the world. 532 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:42,000 The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of 533 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,800 life comes not from the Father, but from the world. 534 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,560 That's the heart of the problem. When we live for ourselves, we 535 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:54,320 lose sight of the Father, right? That's right. 536 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:57,760 Don't give in to your desires, because the more you give in to 537 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,760 that sinful nature, the more you're drawn to it. 538 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,480 The more you're drawn to it and you keep going to it. 539 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,240 But when the Spirit rules, something beautiful happens. 540 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:13,800 His presence produces fruit. Notice it's fruit. 541 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:19,360 Singular, not fruits. It's one unified fruit made-up 542 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:23,400 of many qualities that reflect the character of Jesus. 543 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:25,960 Why is that important? Because it's not. 544 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,680 Well, I have this one and not that one. 545 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,320 I have this one and not that one, because anybody can do 546 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:34,280 that. Because the truth is all 547 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:36,680 creation is made in the image of God. 548 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:41,120 So even non believers can do things that we would consider as 549 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,360 good. But when we are Christians, we 550 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:48,920 should exemplify the entire fruit of the spirit, all of it. 551 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,880 So when you're but if you're struggling with that and there 552 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:53,840 are parts of that you're struggling with, you need to 553 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,640 pray to God and say, I need help with this. 554 00:29:57,400 --> 00:29:59,920 I need the spirit. I need to lean in on the spirit 555 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:04,200 and say Holy Spirit, I am struggling because I find myself 556 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,800 in this and I have a hard time with this fruit. 557 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:10,880 Help me to exemplify that. And then you'll see growth in 558 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:15,280 that. But you can't say that ain't me. 559 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,560 You know, I'm not that kind of guy that that's for that's for 560 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:20,680 them. You know, I'm I'm not, that's 561 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,800 not me. That's for somebody else in the 562 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:27,200 church. Jesus said in John chapter 15 563 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,880 verse five, I am the vine, You are the branches. 564 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,600 If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. 565 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,760 Apart from Me you can do nothing. 566 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:40,360 Apart from me you can do nothing. 567 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,600 So just adding on to what I just said, people in the world can do 568 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:47,200 great stuff, but in the spiritual realm it's nothing 569 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,840 because it means nothing. That's what walking by the 570 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:56,360 Spirit looks like, staying connected to Christ so His life 571 00:30:56,360 --> 00:31:00,160 flows through you. Believers are not dependent on 572 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,080 circumstances. Their joy comes not from what 573 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:05,160 they have, but from what they are. 574 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:09,800 Not from where they are, but from whose they are, and not 575 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,160 from what they enjoy, but from what was suffered for them by 576 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:16,280 their Lord. It is a singular joy then, 577 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:20,600 because it often buds and blossoms and ripens in winter 578 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:24,480 time when the fig tree does not blossom and there is no herd in 579 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:27,080 the stall. Charles Spurgeon In other words, 580 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,360 when you really see the fruit from a person, it's when they're 581 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,440 going through adversity, when they're going through a 582 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,120 struggle. And you see that I often think 583 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:38,000 about Miriam had a boss some years ago. 584 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,000 And this lady, to me at least, she was always very bubbly, very 585 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:45,840 nice, very she worked in a, a Christian daycare. 586 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:50,680 And the lady was always very bubbly, very nice, very warm. 587 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,840 And Miriam came home one day and she said, she has cancer. 588 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,920 And I thought, oh, wow. So I was like, man, that's 589 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,360 terrible. And I start, you know, obviously 590 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:04,240 I'm going to pray for her. And, you know, we start praying 591 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:06,840 and interceding for her. And the next time I see her, I'm 592 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,320 like, oh, man, I'm so sorry that you know, that you're going 593 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:10,960 through this. And she looks at me and she 594 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:14,320 goes, oh, it's fine, no worries. God is good and I was just in my 595 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:17,920 mind, I was like, either she is delusional or she has some 596 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:21,960 strong faith, right? And I remember she cut her hair. 597 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:24,600 She did all the things that, you know, cancer people go through 598 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,200 and never once did I see her like really miss work or miss 599 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:32,680 her smile or treat anyone differently or have any type of 600 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,200 I never saw any type of things. I'm sure when she was home, 601 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:38,520 maybe, but when she was out, the fruit of the Spirit continued to 602 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:41,120 pour through her. And that was just something that 603 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:45,240 to me just lasted with me because she never wavered in her 604 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:49,120 faith. She never wavered in her in 605 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:50,360 anything that she was going through. 606 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,960 And yes, she came through it and she beat the cancer and God 607 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:55,680 healed her. Praise God, praise God because 608 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:59,120 He did a work in her life. But the reverse is true too. 609 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:02,480 Like, I don't think that if she had been on in her deathbed that 610 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,240 anything would have wavered for her because I saw that level of 611 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:08,520 faith in her. And I forget what preacher it 612 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:12,240 is, but he says, you know, it's a great testimony when we live 613 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,880 good for the Lord. It's an even better testimony 614 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:18,040 when we die good for the Lord. And so that's something to 615 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:21,360 always keep in mind 'cause IA few years ago had a cancer 616 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,480 scare. Praise God, it wasn't nothing 617 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,120 happened. But I don't know that I had that 618 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:30,840 same level of assuredness. Maybe outwardly I did, I don't 619 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:33,160 know. But I definitely struggled with 620 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:37,600 anxiety and all the tests I had to go through and you know, 621 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,680 praise God, nothing came of it. But there's, there's something 622 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:42,840 profound. If you've never experienced it, 623 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:46,680 if a doctor ever comes into a room with you with another 624 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:49,600 doctor or another somebody else, just know that something's 625 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,320 probably not right. Because if it's if it's, it's 626 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:56,440 OK, they'll just be like, Hey, you're good, go home, right? 627 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:58,800 But if they bring somebody else in the room, that's probably 628 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,800 means something's wrong. And so when the lady came in the 629 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:04,240 room with another lady and sat down, I was like, ah, this is 630 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:06,480 probably not good. And I'll never forget she gave 631 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:08,239 me a card and it said cancer on it. 632 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:10,520 And I took a picture and I sent it to Miriam. 633 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,639 And I was just like, they were like, ah, you might have a rare 634 00:34:12,639 --> 00:34:17,440 form of cancer. And there's something very life 635 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:19,560 changing about when that happens to you. 636 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,080 And that's not the first, you know, situation where I've 637 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,040 experienced where somebody they're like, Hey, you might 638 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,000 die. That's happened to me before. 639 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:31,400 But each time it's like it brings you closer to God and it 640 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,920 tests your faith. And that's not the truth for 641 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:35,239 everyone. Not everybody's going to 642 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:37,920 experience that, although most of us in this room at some 643 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:40,040 point, probably all of us will experience death. 644 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:44,400 So there is something to be said for dying as a good Christian. 645 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:48,679 So just knowing that the fruit is there and especially when 646 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:51,360 we're going through something tough, when we're going through 647 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,679 a hard time, that is when the fruit should really show from us 648 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:59,160 because it says to the world, I have something that you want, I 649 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,800 have something that you need because they don't have that 650 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,760 type of joy in their lives. And we should exemplify that 651 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:09,840 every day. So do we truly believe the 652 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:11,800 Spirit can change us from the inside out? 653 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,760 Philippians chapter 2 verse 13 says, it is God who works in you 654 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:21,560 to will and act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 655 00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:25,840 That means transformation is God's work in you, not your work 656 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:29,320 for Him. The agitators in Galatia clearly 657 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:31,200 did not believe Jesus could change them. 658 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,080 That's why they turned back to the Law and began to form their 659 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:38,440 own version of the gospel. We cannot be justified by 660 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:42,160 anything other than the gospel. The Law condemns us. 661 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:46,720 If we purposely put ourselves in that court, we undoubtedly are 662 00:35:46,720 --> 00:35:50,080 going to be found guilty for our crimes against God. 663 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:54,160 So our tendency is to want to do things on our own accord and 664 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:57,960 figure stuff out and make God good by following a rule and 665 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:01,040 checking the check box. But what happens is by doing 666 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:04,080 that and running to that, we make ourselves guilty under 667 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:07,280 those same laws because we have to fulfill them perfectly and we 668 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:10,240 can never do that. And so we are guilty in God's 669 00:36:10,240 --> 00:36:14,920 eyes of that crime. So what do you believe about 670 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:19,280 yourself as a Christian? Verse 24 reminds us those who 671 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:23,040 belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with his 672 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:27,040 passions and desires. Romans chapter 6 verse 6 says 673 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:31,680 our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by 674 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:35,760 sin might be done away with. You are not who you used to be. 675 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:39,440 The flesh may still shout, but it no longer reigns. 676 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:44,240 Who reigns in our life? Christ the King, praise God. 677 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:47,680 What do you believe about God's promises? 678 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:51,960 Life is hard, temptations are real, and battles come daily. 679 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:56,560 But God's Word promises in First Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13 680 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:58,800 that He will always provide a way. 681 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:03,160 The Spirit gives power to endure and strength to overcome. 682 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:07,960 God made both a covenant and a testament with Abraham. 683 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:11,080 Abraham believed in God's promises. 684 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,440 Abraham is dead. The prophets are dead, but the 685 00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:19,760 covenant that was made with Abraham and his seed, who is 686 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,040 that seed? That seed is Christ. 687 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,840 So that promise that God made to Abraham is still in force 688 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:29,240 because Christ reigns and lives forever. 689 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,800 He blesses all the nations to this day. 690 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:35,440 That was part of the covenant. That was part of the promise 691 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:37,600 that the seed would bless the nations. 692 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:40,040 And guess what? It's still happening. 693 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:45,600 If God's promises were true for Abraham, we can rest assured in 694 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:49,720 His promise for us as his children today, even if it's not 695 00:37:49,720 --> 00:37:52,400 in the time frame that we expected. 696 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,040 God is not a man that He should repent. 697 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:57,520 He's not a liar. He cannot lie. 698 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,920 So those promises that He gave to us, in which if we struggle 699 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:05,520 with our sins and we run to Him, He will forgive us and make us a 700 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:08,880 new creation, we can believe in those promises. 701 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,400 A gardener doesn't make fruit grow by effort. 702 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,480 He doesn't look at the fruit and say, hey, grow, right? 703 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:18,240 He cultivates an environment for growth. 704 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,800 He waters, he prunes, and he waits. 705 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:26,320 The fruit comes naturally when the tree stays healthy. 706 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,600 It's the same with us when we stay connected to the Spirit, 707 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:34,160 his fruit grows naturally, it pours out of us. 708 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:36,880 I don't know if you guys have experienced this, this in your 709 00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:39,120 life. Oftentimes I find myself being 710 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:42,560 able to preach the gospel to people and interact with people 711 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:46,160 not because of anything I necessarily did, just because of 712 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:49,320 who I am. I had this experience when I was 713 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,560 working one time and and we were going around the room and this 714 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:57,160 girls, they were talking about things that they don't like 715 00:38:57,160 --> 00:39:01,560 about other people in the group. So I wasn't really a part of it, 716 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:04,200 but one of the girls said, I don't like that I can't curse 717 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:07,200 around Alex. And I said, I never said you 718 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,280 can't curse. And she says I know, but I know 719 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:12,920 that you're a God fearing man. And I said, I never told you 720 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:15,280 that either. And she said, yeah, I know, but 721 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:18,960 I know how you are. And she said I could just I just 722 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:23,320 know by by talking to you and how you speak about, you know, 723 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:25,040 your wife and going to church and stuff like that. 724 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:28,440 I just know. And I was like, I again, I'm not 725 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:31,040 telling you can't do anything. It's not my job to tell you 726 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:32,680 we're equals here. You do whatever you want. 727 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,040 I said, no, I feel bad. And I was like, why do you feel 728 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:38,160 bad? Well, because I'm not really 729 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:40,280 going to church right now. Well, have you thought about 730 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:42,720 going to church? And she was like, well, yeah, 731 00:39:42,720 --> 00:39:44,640 I've been thinking about it. Well, what's stopping you? 732 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:46,560 Nothing. OK. 733 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:50,040 A few weeks later, she says, oh, I started going to church, Alex. 734 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:52,440 And I'm like, praise God. I didn't even have to really say 735 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,560 anything. And that's been my experience. 736 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:57,680 Often times in my life. I worked with a guy and he just 737 00:39:57,680 --> 00:39:59,920 came up to me one day and he was like, you're a Christian, right? 738 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:03,560 And, and this is when I lived in New York and I was working in 739 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:06,160 Times Square. And this man was a he was a 740 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:08,000 transsexual. And I worked with him. 741 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,080 I didn't really have a whole bunch of conversations with him. 742 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:12,640 And but he said to me that you're a Christian, right? 743 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:13,920 And I was like, yeah, how'd you know? 744 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:15,520 And he was like, I could just tell. 745 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,720 And so we started having conversations and eventually 746 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:21,920 that led me to know that he grew up in the church. 747 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:25,800 And he left the church as an adult and I was able to invite 748 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:29,560 him to church and he started attending a church and, and he 749 00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:32,560 at the time he changed his life. I haven't spoken to him in many, 750 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:36,480 many years. But by the grace of God, it 751 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:37,960 wasn't anything that I necessarily did. 752 00:40:37,960 --> 00:40:41,120 I was just walking and talking and being my normal self. 753 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:43,840 But they could see the spirit pouring out of out of you, 754 00:40:43,840 --> 00:40:46,040 right? But that's the fruit of the 755 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:47,200 spirit that's pouring out of you. 756 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,520 It's nothing you're doing. It's with a change that God has 757 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:54,560 made in you, and it's reflecting the light is showing to the 758 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:56,920 world. And if it's not, if you're not 759 00:40:56,920 --> 00:41:00,160 having those experiences, if you're not really engaging in 760 00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:02,560 those type of conversations, you have to ask yourself why. 761 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:04,800 And this is a moment of self reflection. 762 00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:07,160 This is a moment for you to go back and say, why am I not 763 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:10,000 having those experiences? Why are my interactions with 764 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,080 people so different than others around me? 765 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,160 Why am I hearing people in church saying they're able to 766 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:18,040 interact with these people and have these conversations, but 767 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:20,360 I'm not having those. It's not me. 768 00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:24,040 I'm not doing anything special. I'm just existing. 769 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:28,160 And these people are seeing that the spirit within me, it's 770 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:30,360 calling to them. And the same should be true for 771 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:31,880 each and every one of us here today. 772 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:38,040 Point #3 Christ centered. We hear this phrase a lot, 773 00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:40,840 especially in Christian circles. It's one of those phrases that 774 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:43,000 we call Christianese, right? Christ centered. 775 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:47,760 But what does this really mean? We we got a glimpse of what it 776 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:49,880 what is meant here in today's passage. 777 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:54,080 First, what it isn't is a call to do it on your own accord. 778 00:41:54,720 --> 00:41:57,960 This isn't a pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get out there 779 00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:00,960 call. It also is in a self help 780 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:03,320 passage. It's a Christ centered one. 781 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:08,720 The Spirit works in us to point to who to Jesus. 782 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:13,720 The fruit of the Spirit is the characteristics of Christ being 783 00:42:13,720 --> 00:42:19,760 formed in his people, right? The fruit is because we are, we 784 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:23,800 are planted in what we are rooted in who we are rooted in 785 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:27,040 Jesus, right? And obviously if you're rooted 786 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:30,600 in Jesus, the fruit that comes from that tree will be like 787 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:33,040 Jesus, right? It's the same kind of thing if 788 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:36,200 we are rooted in Christ. Second of Corinthians chapter 3 789 00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:41,120 verse 18 says we all who with unveiled faces contemplate the 790 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:47,040 Lord's glory are being transformed into his image with 791 00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:50,600 ever increasing glory. Not my image, not the image I 792 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:53,920 want for myself, not what I think I should have my image, 793 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:57,240 but his image. The Spirit doesn't just save 794 00:42:57,240 --> 00:43:00,080 you, He shapes you to look like Jesus. 795 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:03,400 He shapes you to look like Jesus. 796 00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:07,680 Maybe you've been discouraged because you've stumbled or 797 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:11,120 you've failed. Remember this Romans chapter 18 798 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:15,120 verse 26 says the Spirit helps us in our weakness. 799 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:18,200 The Spirit doesn't condemn you when you fail. 800 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:21,480 He lifts you up and teaches you to walk again. 801 00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:24,520 So those of you who are struggling because you've been 802 00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:29,960 given into your flesh lately or recently, just know that's not 803 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,600 an excuse for you to continue to give into your flesh. 804 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:37,000 You can give yourself into the Spirit, turn yourself over to 805 00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:39,920 Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness and pick up your 806 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:44,480 cross and and walk. Philippians chapter one verse 6 807 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:49,880 says he who began a good work in you will carry it on to 808 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:53,600 completion until the day of Jesus Christ. 809 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:57,000 He who began a good work in you, not me. 810 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:02,840 It's nothing I did but Jesus, God finish, God will finish what 811 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:07,760 he started. Remember, especially the men in 812 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:10,520 the church. Remember you're not the hero. 813 00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:13,760 Christ is. That's right, especially in a 814 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:17,160 day and age like today, especially for us, for the 815 00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:20,400 younger men, I implore you, I implore you, you're going to 816 00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:25,800 hear a lot about we need Christian this and and this and 817 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:28,400 you need to fight and you need to do this and you need to do 818 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:29,840 that. And a lot of that stuff is 819 00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:32,400 actually good, but it's not of your own accord. 820 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:33,920 You're not doing it for yourself. 821 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:37,600 You're not doing it to to to justify yourself and say, look, 822 00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:39,560 I'm the best kind of Christian. There is. 823 00:44:39,720 --> 00:44:43,840 No, you should be fighting for Jesus and always remembering 824 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:46,160 that everything that you do is for Christ. 825 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:49,360 And if you start to take your eyes off of Christ and start to 826 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:53,200 put your eyes on yourself, you're falling into idolatry and 827 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:55,520 you're falling into what? The flesh? 828 00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:57,480 Because wasn't that one of them idolatry? 829 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,480 You'd be, you're making yourself God. 830 00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:04,560 And we have to be cognizant that we have the ability to do that, 831 00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:08,320 especially in the in Western society, in American culture, 832 00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:12,320 that teaches you that you are the hero, that you are the hero 833 00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:14,800 of your story. Especially like me growing up, 834 00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:18,000 you know, when I was watching cartoons back in the the golden 835 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:21,120 age, you know, back in the back in the day, you know, it would 836 00:45:21,120 --> 00:45:24,000 teach you, you know, you can do everything you can be this, you 837 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:25,960 can be that anything you want to be, you can be. 838 00:45:26,040 --> 00:45:28,680 That's not true. I want to be 6 foot 4. 839 00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:32,640 That's not going to happen. I want to have hair. 840 00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:34,680 I mean, I guess I could have if I wanted to. 841 00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:37,640 Somebody was telling me the other day about taking the bag 842 00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:38,840 and putting it. I was like, man, that's too 843 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:42,040 much. I'm not too old for that. 844 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:46,000 But that's not true. I can't be anything I want to 845 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:47,560 be. That's not a true statement. 846 00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:52,720 So we have to be aware of that and, and know that the world is 847 00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:55,640 calling the man. If you, if you're not 848 00:45:55,640 --> 00:45:59,080 recognizing the spiritual battle that's going on in the world, 849 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:02,480 especially in this country right now, you need to pray and ask 850 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:05,600 for God for guidance. Because especially, especially 851 00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:09,880 the younger men, and by younger men, I mean anywhere from 18 to 852 00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:14,080 35, you guys are being pulled in a direction that's saying you 853 00:46:14,520 --> 00:46:19,000 are the hero. We need you and no, we need more 854 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:22,440 Christ. We don't need people in office 855 00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:25,160 that are going to command people be Christians because that 856 00:46:25,160 --> 00:46:28,080 doesn't work. We don't need people in in 857 00:46:28,080 --> 00:46:31,520 different realms of society who are going to force Christianity 858 00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:33,280 on people. That has never worked. 859 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:37,000 It's never worked. And that's what they're calling 860 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,320 for on one side. And on the other side we're 861 00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:42,080 hearing do whatever you want. You don't even have to be a man. 862 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:46,960 You can be whatever you want. So I implore you, those of this 863 00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:51,400 younger generation, stay connected, stay plugged in, get 864 00:46:51,400 --> 00:46:55,640 yourself an older guy that you that's firm in the faith and tie 865 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:58,880 yourself like Timothy tied himself to Paul and and just 866 00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:01,120 fall under somebody who's going to give you some guidance. 867 00:47:01,480 --> 00:47:04,680 And luckily for you guys, you guys have a great pastor who's 868 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:08,440 who's who's a prayer warrior. And I know what kind of man he 869 00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:12,240 is and I know that he's not led by any any just wind of 870 00:47:12,240 --> 00:47:14,440 doctrine. I know how he is and praise God 871 00:47:14,440 --> 00:47:16,720 for that stick. Get to that because the world 872 00:47:16,720 --> 00:47:20,040 right now is trying to steal our young men and we have to be 873 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,920 aware of that. They understand. 874 00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:25,760 They understand that, that if they can get the young, the 875 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:28,560 younger generation, especially the younger men, they can either 876 00:47:28,560 --> 00:47:31,480 side, they know they can lead whichever way they want. 877 00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:38,440 So we have to be aware of that. You can't produce the fruit of 878 00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:41,960 the Spirit by willpower. Only Christ through His Spirit 879 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:44,960 can do that in you. Jesus said in Romans chapter, 880 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:49,520 I'm sorry John chapter 15 verse 4, remain in me and I also 881 00:47:49,520 --> 00:47:52,640 remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by 882 00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:55,720 itself. It must remain in the vine. 883 00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:58,520 Outside of the vine there's no fruit. 884 00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:01,480 It's pretty simple. You remain in Christ, you will 885 00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:05,040 produce the fruit of the Spirit. Your job is not to perform. 886 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:08,320 Your job is not to perform, it's to remain. 887 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:14,840 The Spirit will do the growing. A branch doesn't strain or grunt 888 00:48:14,840 --> 00:48:17,920 to produce fruit. It simply abides, right? 889 00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:22,080 The branch doesn't have to do anything except stay on the tree 890 00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:25,200 and it will produce fruit. It's the same with us. 891 00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:28,360 When we abide in Christ, His life flows through us. 892 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:31,600 That's how redemption looks like in our daily lives. 893 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:37,760 So let me close with the question, who is your master, 894 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:42,360 the flesh or the spirit? For the people of Christ, the 895 00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:46,280 cross broke the grip of the law and also the grip of the flesh. 896 00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:51,480 By faith, they recognize the reality of their union with 897 00:48:51,480 --> 00:48:54,200 Christ in his death. And let us, let us never forget 898 00:48:54,200 --> 00:48:56,440 that we are united with Christ through his death. 899 00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:01,080 So too, they have been raised to new life in the spirit of 900 00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:04,680 Christ, and therefore we should be walking in the Spirit. 901 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:08,720 And if you're not, I implore you, I implore you, those of you 902 00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:15,400 who are saved, go home today at some point this week and analyze 903 00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:20,960 your walk in the with Christ and really use this as a time of 904 00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:25,880 reflection and genuinely question yourself where you're 905 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:29,680 at in your walk and those things that you're failing on. 906 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:34,080 Pray and ask Christ and ask the Holy Spirit to change those 907 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:37,560 things. And those of you that maybe 908 00:49:37,600 --> 00:49:41,200 perhaps aren't saved and within the church, I implore you to run 909 00:49:41,200 --> 00:49:45,040 to Christ now. Cling to him, fall before his 910 00:49:45,040 --> 00:49:48,520 presence because you can do no nothing of your own accord. 911 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:52,240 Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary so that we may be 912 00:49:52,240 --> 00:49:57,160 made righteous, so that we may be washed pure of our sins in 913 00:49:57,160 --> 00:50:00,680 the presence of God. Because if not, you still fall 914 00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:04,200 under the law, because the Bible tells us the law was written on 915 00:50:04,200 --> 00:50:07,640 our hearts, right? And so you will be found guilty 916 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:11,320 on the day of redemption unless you turn to Christ, because no 917 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:13,120 one will see the Father apart from Christ. 918 00:50:14,600 --> 00:50:18,840 Paul says in Romans chapter 6, verse 16, you are slaves of the 919 00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:22,840 one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to 920 00:50:22,840 --> 00:50:26,480 death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness. 921 00:50:26,920 --> 00:50:28,880 So whether you believe it or not, you're a slave to 922 00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:32,240 something. You can be a slave to Christ or 923 00:50:32,240 --> 00:50:34,040 you could be a slave to your flesh. 924 00:50:34,360 --> 00:50:37,360 Well, which which will ultimately lead to what death. 925 00:50:37,840 --> 00:50:40,920 And I don't mean just a death where you're going to be buried 926 00:50:40,920 --> 00:50:42,640 on the ground. It means a death where you're 927 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:46,200 separated from God eternally. And I don't want that for a 928 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:48,200 single person here. And I would be doing a 929 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:51,560 disservice to not only yourselves, but I would be doing 930 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:54,920 a disservice to Christ if I didn't remind everybody here of 931 00:50:54,920 --> 00:50:58,960 that. And it's my obligation as a, as 932 00:50:58,960 --> 00:51:02,160 a, a, a person preaching right, as someone who delivers the word 933 00:51:02,360 --> 00:51:05,880 to remind each and every person here that nothing comes apart 934 00:51:05,880 --> 00:51:09,800 from Christ. You can't serve both. 935 00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:13,520 One leads to destruction, the other leads to life. 936 00:51:14,240 --> 00:51:16,920 If your life today looks more like the works of the flesh, 937 00:51:17,800 --> 00:51:21,000 it's not a reason for guilt. It's not a reason to give up. 938 00:51:21,320 --> 00:51:23,000 It's not a reason to throw in the towel. 939 00:51:23,160 --> 00:51:25,680 It's not a reason to say you can't or you won't. 940 00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:29,840 It's a call to surrender. Surrender your life to God. 941 00:51:31,040 --> 00:51:33,520 Jesus is King. Amen. 942 00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:36,760 Right. You don't overcome the flesh by 943 00:51:36,760 --> 00:51:41,080 fighting harder. You overcome by yielding deeper 944 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:45,240 to the Spirit. You can fight all you want, you 945 00:51:45,240 --> 00:51:47,520 can remove all the things from your house that you want. 946 00:51:47,520 --> 00:51:50,000 You can put whatever, take everything out, but if your 947 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:53,480 heart is still drawn to those things, the only person, the 948 00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:55,600 only thing that can change that is God Himself. 949 00:51:58,560 --> 00:52:02,120 Amen. Let the Spirit lead. 950 00:52:02,720 --> 00:52:06,360 Let Christ be your strength. Let the fruit grow as you abide 951 00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:09,080 in him. And once again, reminder to 952 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:13,080 everybody here and anyone who's ever listening ever, anytime in 953 00:52:13,080 --> 00:52:15,520 the future, Christ is King, Amen. 954 00:52:16,560 --> 00:52:17,440 That's all. Bow our heads. 955 00:52:19,880 --> 00:52:22,240 Father God, we give you thanks, Lord, for this opportunity that 956 00:52:22,240 --> 00:52:24,280 you have brought us here today, Lord. 957 00:52:24,440 --> 00:52:27,520 And just reminding us, Lord, that we are in need of you, 958 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:29,320 Lord. We are in need of the Spirit, 959 00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:32,600 Lord, and we are in need of Christ Jesus and you, Father. 960 00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:36,280 We thank you, Lord, for the sacrifice that Jesus made on the 961 00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:38,560 cross of Calvary for our sins, Lord. 962 00:52:38,600 --> 00:52:42,080 And I pray right now, Lord, that if there is any amongst us, 963 00:52:42,080 --> 00:52:45,520 Lord, that is still struggling with their desire to give into 964 00:52:45,520 --> 00:52:49,000 the flesh, Lord, I ask and I pray, Lord, that you just make 965 00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:52,080 away in their lives, Lord, if there is any among us who hasn't 966 00:52:52,080 --> 00:52:55,360 found you yet, Lord, I pray, Lord, that you just draw them. 967 00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:58,240 Draw them right now to you, Lord, and that you just open 968 00:52:58,240 --> 00:53:00,840 their eyes, Lord, their spiritual eyes to you, Lord, so 969 00:53:00,840 --> 00:53:03,560 that they can see that they need you in their lives and that they 970 00:53:03,560 --> 00:53:07,440 may recognize that no peace comes apart from you, Lord, and 971 00:53:07,440 --> 00:53:10,160 that you can bring them peace and joy and that Jesus needs to 972 00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:12,520 surrender themselves to you, Lord. 973 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:15,320 And those of us that are saved, Lord, that have just continued 974 00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:18,240 to struggle in our daily past, let us be reminded that it's not 975 00:53:18,240 --> 00:53:20,920 of our own accord. We are not the hero, Lord. 976 00:53:21,080 --> 00:53:24,000 We do not have the ability to make ourselves righteous in your 977 00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:27,640 eyes, Lord, but that you through your Spirit will lead us and 978 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:32,000 guide us and sanctify us and strengthen us and draw us closer 979 00:53:32,000 --> 00:53:35,120 to you, Lord, and make us more in the image of Christ every 980 00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:37,280 single. Hey, Lord, all we want to do is 981 00:53:37,280 --> 00:53:40,000 exemplify you and shine your light to the world, Lord. 982 00:53:40,520 --> 00:53:43,360 We ask that you just continue to strengthen us, Lord, and bless 983 00:53:43,360 --> 00:53:45,200 us, Lord, as we go forward, Lord. 984 00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:48,680 Lord, we take that task that we have put it before us today, 985 00:53:48,680 --> 00:53:51,480 Lord, Seriously, Lord. And we recognize that we will go 986 00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:54,960 home and we will go today wherever we're going and this 987 00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:57,520 week. And we will analyze and in 988 00:53:57,520 --> 00:54:01,080 prayer and analyze our spiritual walk, Lord, and recognize the 989 00:54:01,080 --> 00:54:05,480 things that we need help with and run to you and cling to you 990 00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:09,000 and pour those things out to you so that you can change us and 991 00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:12,560 sanctify us in your name and into your image that you want us 992 00:54:12,560 --> 00:54:14,560 to be. Lord, I pray over this 993 00:54:14,560 --> 00:54:17,040 congregation, Lord, that you just continue to bless them, 994 00:54:17,360 --> 00:54:21,480 strengthen them, and just lead them and guide them every day, 995 00:54:21,480 --> 00:54:24,920 Lord, as they go forward into this surrounding area, Lord, 996 00:54:24,920 --> 00:54:27,360 that they may be a beacon of light to those around them. 997 00:54:27,360 --> 00:54:30,960 I pray for Pastor John Michael and his family, Lord, that you 998 00:54:30,960 --> 00:54:34,280 guide him and protect him and continue to put your healing 999 00:54:34,280 --> 00:54:36,840 hands over him. Keep him healthy and strong as 1000 00:54:36,840 --> 00:54:39,800 well as his wife and his family, Lord, and that you just guide 1001 00:54:39,800 --> 00:54:41,920 them the way you want them to be guided. 1002 00:54:41,920 --> 00:54:45,960 Lord, look at all the good work that he's doing, just not for 1003 00:54:45,960 --> 00:54:49,280 himself, but in your name, Lord, all those men that he's helping. 1004 00:54:49,280 --> 00:54:52,800 Lord, I ask that you continue to bless his, his business Lord, 1005 00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:55,680 and, and this church as well Lord as he goes forward in 1006 00:54:55,680 --> 00:54:58,080 leadership. Lord, I just thank you for this 1007 00:54:58,080 --> 00:55:00,040 congregation. That's just been such a blessing 1008 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:03,480 in my life and in my family's life, Lord, and I pray for each 1009 00:55:03,480 --> 00:55:06,320 and every brother and sister here Lord, that they continue to 1010 00:55:06,320 --> 00:55:10,040 grow and just cling on to you. Lord, we ask that you just 1011 00:55:10,120 --> 00:55:13,200 protect us on our way home, Lord, and just guide us and help 1012 00:55:13,200 --> 00:55:15,840 us throughout this week Lord, and just give us an opportunity 1013 00:55:16,120 --> 00:55:17,880 to preach the gospel wherever we may go. 1014 00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:21,480 Lord, we ask you all this in Jesus name we pray, Amen and 1015 00:55:21,480 --> 00:55:21,760 Amen.