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74. Bible Study Series Part 6: Galatians 6 · 4-Freedom Podcast

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I do not mean to be mean, I do mean to be mad.
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Those that criticize this kind of preacher.
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They don't like Authority. If you ain't got the King James,
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you ain't got, hey, you don't have a King James, you don't
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have a Bible. It be surprised then don't go to
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sleep when I'm talking. Hey, hey, hey, don't, don't
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don't you lay your head but I'm I'm important.
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I'm somebody, I love you. You know, I love you.
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And I convince you, I love you. You better said, you better not
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your hideous or come up with her to stay awake.
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You listen to me? I still believe to be a cold day
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in Hell. Before I get back down with your
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woman, I'm a preacher. When you got dressed today, you
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dressed deity. This is the for Freedom podcast,
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a podcast that is part of the RFP Network that seeks to bring
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freedom in Christ from the spiritual abuse of legalism.
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Now, here are your hosts, John hollifield and James Secret And
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so fundamentalism is designed to unpack, the idea of authority
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from scripture. The problem with that is that
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that's not the defining principle in Scripture.
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It is a part of the defining principle in scripture is love.
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And I'm not saying that all will be drawn to that sort of
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teacher. I don't want to give people just
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a list of things they can start doing differently until they
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have a heart out of which there. Going to be doing those things
2:20
differently. But I think bitterness is
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different from her. I would say that hurt or even
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abuse does not have to result in bitterness, welcome back to the
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for Freedom podcast podcast to help you escape legalism and get
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great advice, great help on things in your life.
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And so, I want to welcome you back to this wonderful podcast
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and we are excited about finishing up.
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Today are galatian series, it has taken us job.
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I don't know how long, but it's taken us, many, many months to
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figure to get through this, with everything that we've had going
3:07
on in the podcast world and with our lives.
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But we are excited about finishing up today and we're
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excited about the future of what we've got going on.
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We've got several great interviews lined up.
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We're going to finish our crossover events that we had.
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We've got three new podcast in the network and so we're going
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to be adding them to our crossover lineup and then we've
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got a couple other great interviews that we've got coming
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down the pipeline that we are excited about.
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John last week's episode was such a great episode with
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Jonathan Smith with are you Social media.
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I think it's so relevant for us to be able to talk through that
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and to talk through someone who is in depth in the social media
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area. And so I'm excited that we were
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able to get that interview lined up, but John you've been busy
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and these last couple of days. And how's things going over in
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the Tennessee world? Yeah.
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Doing good. Church-going well and and and
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things God has been doing blessing us over here and there
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Just yeah, I'm trying to keep up with it, counseling, pastoring
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and studying and preaching. So doing all that stuff and then
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finding some time to jump on here with you.
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Looking forward to the things excited.
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I don't know when this is coming out, we're okay.
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So just be honest with you were recording these things like way
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early so this is coming up in the last week in August, okay?
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Last week in August September last week in September.
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So by the time this comes out, the Lord of the Rings rings of
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power show is going to be like in full swing but like when
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we're recording this, it comes out tonight.
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So I'm pretty pumped about that. Excited about it.
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First two episodes drop tonight, I'm gonna be honest with you.
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I'm one of those fans. It's a little skeptical.
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I'm like, you better have that music bear he at, right?
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It's got to have that feel. I don't know what they're gonna
5:06
do, but at the same time, I'm looking forward to it.
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It I personally believe like if you can include Fellowship of
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the Ring to The Return of the King is one whole movie.
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That's the greatest film ever made.
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Yeah, I'm I saw that advertised of the day and we haven't had a
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chance to discuss that but I'm excited.
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Hopefully, I'll be able to watch it.
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I think, my wife's actually out of town tonight.
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So I'm going to be by myself Bachelor and it up with the kids
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so I may turn it on. Watch it.
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So that'll be be great time. Have you seen the Lord of the
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Rings movies? Yeah.
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I was in The Hobbit. Yeah but I've seen all the
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Wolverine movie. Okay.
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So the hobbits, good The Hobbit. The problem with The Hobbit is
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it's not as big a story as the Lord of the Rings and it came
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afterwards so they tried to make The Hobbit bigger than what it
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actually the story actually is. And but if you if you look at
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the Hobbit on its own, it's actually decent mood.
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It's a decent film series. It's I really like the
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Desolation of Smaug the second one.
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But what did your wife think of The Lord of the Rings?
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I don't know if she's completely watched her own.
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She can't stand it. My wife couldn't either.
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She has I can't stand Golem, or Smeagol or whatever you want to
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call him. But she's like the storyline
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didn't like any of it. So, oh, man, it's great.
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Yeah, I was great watching. I'm white.
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I like the extended edition. So that's like four hours a
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movie. Yeah, John.
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He's just, he's in there to win it baby.
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Yeah. Hey, we're a couple of weeks
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away when this episode comes out of the for the sake of the
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Gospel. Me and John are going to be
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there. We are going to have some free
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books to give away. We're going to have some free
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material for you guys to take and help you out in your
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spiritual journey. I was able to get about 40
6:58
copies of praying through your Bible and by put out by Crossway
7:04
great book, read it going through it with our deacons
7:08
right now. And so hopefully you'll be able
7:10
to come and get a free copy of that and then John in January.
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Big news here, Lord willing. If everything works out, I'm
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going to possibly be in Israel. In January with RFP guys.
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I've got approval from our pastor, I've got approved from
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our Deacon, our chairman of our deacons.
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So I just have to get the collective deacons to approve
7:30
that. And if they do, then I'll be
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hitting the yes button to my deposit and paying for pretty
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much most of the trip there that first time.
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So super excited about this about going to Israel going to
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the holy lands and Been able to hang out with the guys and some
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great group of men that are going to be there.
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So really, really excited about seeing the Bible come to life
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and to be able to see the Mount of Olives, to be able to see
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Calvary to be able to see all the things that we read about in
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scripture and to be able to have mental pictures.
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That so pretty stoked about that myself.
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So John all laugh if it gets completely booked up by the time
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you get the approval and are able to go.
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I'm gonna be so mad but I should get Approval by next week or the
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week after, when were recording this the second week of
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September. So we'll see.
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John looks, he's pretty excited over there about me.
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Going to Israel to. Yeah.
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And now, it'll be fun. I've be interested in talking
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with you, whenever you get back, they'll be on baby and I'll
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definitely be sharing, social media pictures and showing all
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those things off. So, John, if what you got?
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Yeah. Sign up for that, for sake of
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the Gospel Conference. In November RFP dot-org.
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Go there, you can find the registration there, and we want
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to meet you there. Want to worship with you.
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It's going to be a fun, fun, exciting time.
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And, and I think we'll jump into our topic today.
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We are going to finish, finally, finish our Bible study topic on
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Galatians, the book of Galatians.
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So we've gone through the entire book.
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And so now we're in chapter 6, Galatians 6, if you have not
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followed, Through with this study and you're just picking up
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listening to us. Now, you can go through and find
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some of those episodes in our earlier, but the book of
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Galatians is one of the letters that Paul wrote there's there's
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a little bit of differences of opinion on when this letter was
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actually written, it could have been written three different
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instances somewhere around 50 to 80 somewhere around 60 AD and
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then somewhere around 49 ad, if it was written. 49 ad.
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Then it was most likely, Paul's first letter to the churches
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that we have recorded in scripture.
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I tend to believe and take of the opinion that it was Paul's
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first letter. It was Paul goes on, as
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missionary journey and he sets up these churches in the region
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of galatia. So, this was a letter written to
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multiple churches, in this region and get sick while, he's
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there pretty sick. And then he leaves.
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And after Recovers. And he heads back to Jerusalem
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and shortly after he leaves. He realizes that some people
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called, the judaizers have come in, and they have been teaching
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a false gospel, a gospel of law to the galatian Christians, they
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are in those churches. One of the things that they were
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teaching was that they in order to be right with God and and B
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have their salvation secure, they needed to get circumcised.
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And so Paul writes this letter and in chapter 1, he goes
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through a very quick reading, really a whole lot quicker than
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what he normally does. Because he wants to get right
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into the subject because he's pretty hot, he's pretty excited
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about this. And he says that if anybody,
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whether it's him or an angel preaches, another gospel than
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the gospel that was preached to them.
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When Paul was there, then let them be damned and accursed.
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Or an anathema or anathema, however you want to pronounce
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that. But it's basically like, you
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know, that is a condemnable condemnable, offense is
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preaching another gospel. One of the things that the
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judaizers did to is they they, they attacked Paul's
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apostleship. So Paul goes into the rest of
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chapter 1, and in the chapter to defending why he is an apostle
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and why he is carrying the message of God.
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And he tells him stories about Out the Jerusalem Council about
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a confrontation with Peter and chapter 2 on y, the adding to
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the gospel adding law to your salvation is a problem.
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He talks about how he confronted Peter when Peter was trying to
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do the same thing and chapter three and four.
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He gets into some doctrinal matters and in chapter 3 and 4
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he talks about you know the difference between the slave and
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the free the Bond woman and the Woman, the uses, the example
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between Abraham and Sarah and Hagar Isaac, and Ishmael, and
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just lays out some Theology and Doctrine.
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And those, those next two chapters chapter 5, he moves to
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practical. And that's sort of what we've
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covered. Last time we were in, this is
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covering chapter 5 is where we get walking in the spread, it is
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for Freedom, that Christ has set you free.
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So therefore, do not go back to a yoke of bondage.
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Don't go back to the Yoke of slavery, and then he talks about
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the Deeds of the flesh. As compared to the fruit of the
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spirit. And that brings us to where
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we're at Today. Chapter 6.
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Exactly. Great recap, John, and you can
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find those again on our podcast. So you can also find the video
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on YouTube. If you like that format, you
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want to see us discuss and talk them through things?
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You can go there and check it out.
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And so let's conclude this today, John with the reading of
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the scripture. And then we'll break it down for
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you today. John's going to The first nine
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verses and then I'll jump in and read 10 through 18.
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All right, Galatians 6:1 Brothers reading from the ESV
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this morning Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression,
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you who are spiritual, should restore him in a spirit of
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gentleness, keep watch on yourself.
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Lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens.
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And so fulfill the law of Christ for if anyone thinks he is
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Something when he is nothing, he deceives himself, but let each
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one test his own work and then his reason to boast will be in
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himself alone and not in his neighbor, for each will have to
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bear his own load. Let the one who is taught the
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word share, all good. Things with the one who teaches
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do not be deceived, God is Not mocked for whatever one sews
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that will. He also So reap for the one who
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sews to his own flesh Will from The Flesh reap corruption but
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the one who sews to the spirit will from the spirit reap
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eternal life, let us not grow. Weary of doing good for in due
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season, we will reap. If we do not give up so then we
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have opportunity. Let us do good to everyone and
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especially to those who are of the household of faith.
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See what large read her letter, I've written to you, with my own
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hand, it is those who want to make a good showing of The
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Flesh, who would force you to be circumcised.
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And only in order, they may not be persecuted for the cost of
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Christ for even those who are circumcised do not themselves,
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keep the law but they desire to have you circumcised.
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They may bought boast in your flesh, be far, but far, be it
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from me. Me to boast, except in the cross
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of the Lord Jesus Christ by which the world has been
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crucified to me and I to the world for neither circumcision
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counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but a new
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creature Asian and as for all who walk by this rule, peace and
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mercy be unto them and upon the Israel of God from now on let,
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no one calls me trouble for I bear in my body is the mark of
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Jesus. Has the grace of our Lord.
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Jesus Christ, be with you in spirit Brothers.
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Amen. Yeah, so we get to this on Last
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chapter great internet connection is a little bit so
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you might have to edit that. Alright.
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Okay, no problem. So John would get this.
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John we get this last chapter and Paul sort of brings the
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Practical. He brings everything back into
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this last chapter and he really brings it home.
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I think in the middle of this chapter on some sowing and
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reaping, which were very familiar with and so, we'll get
16:21
to that in a minute. But he gives what we consider
16:24
here. The final instruction to the
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church in galatia and he begins to pour out sort of his heart.
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His final feelings here to the church, as you said here.
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The this first letter. And so there's a lot of passion
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here a lot of a lot of thought that he put in and I love how he
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said, you know, with his own hand, a large letter that I'm
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writing to you. And so we see here that there's
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personality, there's there's actual sake done here for this
16:55
church, that he is, he's urging them and so we jump in John to
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the introduction of the church. The instructions to the church
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in verses, 1 through 10, we're going to break that.
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Down into a couple of ways. John start us off in verses 1
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through 5 sort of the responsibility here.
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Yeah so the last chapter sort of breaks into two sections.
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You have the final instructions to the church first 10 verses?
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The last several verses our final warning and as Paul
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normally does has in his letter of benediction.
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All right. So farewell, so in verses, 1
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through 5. We have a responsibility given
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to us for those struggling and Fallen verse 1.
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He says he goes From chapter 5, let me look back at chapter 5
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and the last passage he goes from, if we live by the spirit,
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let us also keep in step with the spirit.
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Let us not be conceited, provoking one, another envying
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one. Another Brothers.
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If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are
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spiritual, should restore him in a spirit of gentleness, keep
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watch on your selfless. You to be tempted sees flowing
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from the fruit of the spirit and walking in the spirit.
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And living by the spirit and then going straight into.
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All right. What about dealing with those
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that are caught in transgressions because it's
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going to happen, what if those people who have found themselves
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and and they're confronted with their sin, some some point to
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this as information that we have on church discipline and we have
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Matthew 18 for church discipline.
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We have First Corinthians 5 for church discipline and now we get
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to this a little bit and so this gives us sort of a framework for
18:33
church discipline and that is that church.
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Alan is supposed to be restorative.
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It's supposed to be something that we restore people back.
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That's the spirit that we approach church discipline.
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Ah, ha ha. We got another centered.
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Let's kick him out. Yeah, you know, not going after
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them trying to be the sin police, but no, this is a, this
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is an example of how we were supposed to lovingly care for
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people that are and open sin. When they are inside in the
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church and it says that we should restore them and a spirit
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of gentleness. All right, so if they repent, we
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are to look at restoring. Now, the word that is used here.
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The the Greek term is that of restoring, is that of a like,
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resetting, a broken bone, right? It's it's, you know, you've ever
19:31
broken a bone James and you go to the doctor and they have to
19:35
put it in a cast, right? I've never broke a bone, but I
19:38
was there with my brother broke. A bone, and a rim.
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Yeah, I've never liked football and you never broke a bone.
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Never, I've got healthy bones and my wife is never broken
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bone. Either Lord will, and hopefully,
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I never break one, but I was there with my brother on
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September 11th 2001, when the Twin Towers were attacked and he
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fell off of a clothesline pole and broke his arm.
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He broke both bones in his left arm and I was the only one there
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because all the brothers and sisters were in school.
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Dad were at work and I was there, when John, they had to
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reset that, and they put his fingers in a vice, and they
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dropped it in his bones, re-click back in together.
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And you're talking about hearing, someone scream in pain
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when that happened, I was there and it was, it was a traumatic
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experience. When I was seventh in seventh
20:26
grade, he was in fit, fifth grade.
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And so, yeah, that restoration is is a painful experience
20:32
sometimes, but it has and it takes time.
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Yeah. Yeah it does it takes time
20:39
because once you reset the broken bone, you know you put it
20:44
in a cast and you have to have sit there and keep that in the
20:48
cast for a period of time, right?
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You let it heal. And so that's the idea of
20:53
whenever restoring somebody is that it's going to take time
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it's going to let him heal these churches that say we're going to
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restore this brother and put him right back into the message,
21:03
putting back into the leadership and preaching and that kind of
21:05
stuff is hot. Wash.
21:07
Yeah. All right.
21:08
That's a whole country term means the slop the pigs eat.
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Okay. It's it's disgusting.
21:13
It's ridiculous. Okay.
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It is not biblical. Yeah.
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And I what I really like one of the commentaries I was reading I
21:21
can't remember who it was use this term and I really liked it.
21:24
I wrote it down, he said that there is a thought of
21:27
restoration restoring someone not exploiting someone too often
21:33
in our day. We've gotten to this point where
21:35
we get dirt on someone and we say, you know what, how can I
21:38
exploit this for my benefit? How can I expect this from my
21:41
gain and Paul is, he's literally saying this contrast lie.
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He said don't exploit, don't try to take someone who's fallen and
21:49
and who's been hurt in the ministry who's been hurting
21:52
their spiritual journey because it's going to happen.
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He goes on a little further into say and less this happens to
21:57
you, one day, this is you're going to fall into sin, you're
22:01
gonna do something that's wrong. Your, your package in the sinful
22:04
body, and you're going to Something wrong.
22:07
And so instead of exploiting it restored, because what would you
22:10
want done for you? In that situation, you would
22:12
want restoration, you would want healing.
22:14
You would want these. These things of healing elements
22:18
to be done, you wouldn't want someone that had gone back to
22:21
your analogy of breaking their bone for a doctor to come in and
22:24
say, you know what, we're just, I'm busy, I can't, I can't deal
22:27
with your broken bones. You're just gonna have to live
22:28
with it. Yeah, you would want him to come
22:31
in and do everything he could to heal that to restore that
22:34
instead of just leaving it broken.
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And too many times we leave people broken and hurting and we
22:39
don't restore, we exploit for our own benefit and so he really
22:44
urges them in this restoration and then he goes on a step
22:47
further because he says yes this is going to happen to you and so
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in verse 3, begin to Bear one another's.
22:54
Burdens and in doing, so I'm sorry.
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Verse 2 and in doing, so you're going to fulfill the law for if
23:00
anyone. So, we begin to think of this
23:02
bearing. One another's burdens and too
23:06
often. And the legalists says I'm not
23:08
going to Bear your burden. I'm going to add to your burden.
23:12
I'm going to continue to pile more and more and more stuff on
23:15
your shoulders. And so not only are you
23:17
struggling with this broken bone?
23:19
But now you're having to carry extra weight and what Paul is
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encouraging the Christians to do here is he saying hey don't
23:26
exploit restore and as you're restoring go in and help that
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burden out, maybe take a couple things off their plate.
23:34
Help their life, help them in this This journey of
23:37
Christianity to have a lighter load bear that burden, take
23:41
these weight off and that burden, literally is a wait,
23:45
it's one that's saying literally taking a sack of weight off of
23:48
them so that their journey is lighter.
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And so when we begin to ask ourselves, are we fulfilling the
23:54
law of Christ? Are we restoring our We buried
23:58
someone's burden or we just adding more and more and more
24:01
stuff on them. So eventually they're going to
24:03
collapse and and give up. Why do we think that we The this
24:07
culture of deconstruction that we've talked about, we're going
24:10
to talk about more in a couple episodes of people just leaving
24:13
Christianity, because all of a sudden, all we've done, is we've
24:17
began to add more and more stuff on them to where they just say,
24:20
you know what, forget it, I'm done with this.
24:22
I'm done with, with all these extra rules and all these extra
24:25
things that you keep putting on me at all of a sudden, they give
24:28
up on the Christian Journey because we didn't come alongside
24:32
of them and help them out through discipleship, through
24:35
bearing one another. Is burdens.
24:37
Yeah, and what I suspect is is some people say that this seems
24:43
like Paul's contradicting himself in verse 2 because it
24:45
says, bear one another's burdens.
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And then in verse 5 it says everyone must bear.
24:49
His own burden, said his Paul, not contradicting himself in
24:55
this text like right after each other.
24:56
And then the answer is, no, he's not contradicting himself.
25:00
Because in church in the church, we are supposed to help bear
25:04
burdens with others. Somebody comes to church with a
25:07
burden and they should be able to share it with you.
25:11
They should be able to cry on your shoulder.
25:13
They should be able to hug you and they should be able to find
25:17
some Solace and comfort with other believers within the
25:21
church. And in that way you are helping
25:24
them bear that burden because they're not doing it alone.
25:28
But in the sense, you know, there's there's a little bit of
25:31
weight on you because you have these other people's problems on
25:34
your shoulders, right? But at the same time, you can't
25:39
go live their life. That problems.
25:42
Not your problem. It's theirs.
25:45
So, they must in a truth, they must bear their own burden, but
25:50
as it is in a church, we are to come alongside and help each
25:54
other with the bearing of those burdens.
25:56
So, it's not a contradiction. It's a dual truth in reality.
26:01
And so we go from bearing burdens to humility in verses 3
26:06
and 4. For if anyone thinks he's
26:08
something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
26:13
But leech, Let each one test his own work and then reason to
26:17
boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.
26:23
Okay, so we see this here. He says that you know when you
26:27
think you're something and you're nothing you know you're
26:31
deceiving yourself. Wow.
26:33
That we have a lot of this in the church.
26:36
People that y'all they would never say it.
26:41
But how do we act? How do we carry ourselves?
26:43
How do we behave? How do we talk?
26:45
Like we are something when we are nothing.
26:51
Yeah. And this, this humility, it's
26:53
hard, it's a difficult thing. It's one of the things I
26:56
struggle with honestly and I myself being humble and, you
27:01
know, I want to be right. I want to be this.
27:03
This person that people can come to and they can trust and rely
27:06
on. And there is a lot of times
27:07
John, to be honest, I do boast to myself.
27:09
I do boast in. And who I am and what I can do
27:13
and too many times I begin to do that.
27:15
And then all of a sudden as this verse says, I begin to deceive
27:19
myself and I began to say, you know, in them of myself that I
27:23
am nothing and I'm all alone in this journey and and my wife is
27:27
really good about making me put knocking me down a little bit,
27:31
she'll come alongside and she'll say, hey you're getting a little
27:34
too big for your britches there and so so there is this having
27:38
this accountability and she's Only honest in that area
27:42
sometimes too honest and it hurts me but it brings me to the
27:46
point where I have to understand.
27:47
Okay, what-what am I just doing this for my honor and for my
27:51
glory or my doing this? Because I do love this person.
27:54
Am I doing this? Because Christ says that we
27:55
should love one another and so therefore I'm going to come
27:58
alongside them in the bear. Their burden, I'm going to
28:00
restore and I'm going to help them.
28:02
And then John, as you said in verse 5 will continue through
28:05
this. He says, for each will have to
28:08
bear his own load, and this simply is just as John alluded
28:11
to already I responsibility. What are we doing?
28:14
In our own responsibility to take care of our own stuff.
28:17
We have to deal with our own problems.
28:19
Yes we can have someone that's going to help us.
28:21
We can have someone that we can go to.
28:23
I go to John. I've got several other men that
28:25
I go to that. I begin to talk through
28:28
situations. I talk through things that are
28:30
going on my life, they give input But ultimately I have to
28:33
be the one that executes. What I'm going to do there and
28:37
so we bear each other's burdens but in the end We are
28:41
responsible for our own. I can't say John, I'm dealing
28:44
with Joe church member. I'm dealing with whatever was
28:47
going on in their life. Why don't you fly over here in
28:50
North Carolina and you come and go ahead and take care of that
28:52
problem for me. This would be a lack of
28:55
responsibility. And so in this journey, we have
28:58
to take responsibility for our own actions and for our own
29:02
burdens. In that sense, I do want to give
29:05
a quick explanation of verse 4 because I think that might
29:07
confuse some people because it says, but let each one test his
29:10
own work and Then his reason to boast will be in himself alone
29:12
and not in his neighbor is this verse teaching that it is okay
29:16
to boast. If we produce good work on
29:18
ourselves, I want to read something that MacArthur wrote
29:22
about explaining this verse. He says a Believers, first
29:24
responsibility is to examine himself to be sure his own
29:31
attitudes and life are right in the eyes of the Lord, before he
29:36
attempts to give spiritual help to others, then.
29:39
And only then, Will you have reason for reason for boasting
29:43
in a proper way? If anything, remains for
29:45
boasting after honest self examination, it will be that
29:49
which induces boasting in the Lord.
29:52
Yeah, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
29:56
It is Christ. Anything good.
29:57
That is done in me. It's Christ.
29:59
Yeah you know and that's who we boast in.
30:04
So this brings us to we have a responsibility to teachers and
30:09
verse 6. Let the one who is taught the
30:12
word share, all good. Things with the one who teaches
30:19
this is, this is basically, you know it, you see this theme in
30:23
the New Testament where we are to take care of teachers.
30:27
Now, there's a way that this can get way done wrong and we see
30:31
this in prosperity preachers, we see this not just in prosperity
30:34
preachers, but Evangelical preachers that live on
30:38
extravagant incomes and is never the intention.
30:42
It's never the intention. But Paul does say that and even
30:47
instruction. First Timothy and other places
30:50
that those who teach should be taken care of by the
30:53
congregation because they've got to spend more time in study and
30:59
end the word then others do okay.
31:02
Does it mean that others don't study because this one guy does
31:05
it. But because this person has to
31:08
do more time study, they need help with their material,
31:12
possessions, they need help with Tyrael needs.
31:15
Okay, so basically the church shares in those things, and it
31:21
the, the the teacher, the preacher should not be living by
31:26
higher extravagant incomes than the rest of the church by any
31:31
means. But I think there is a principle
31:34
taught in the New Testament that, you know, the church
31:38
should financially take care of its passengers.
31:42
Yeah, and I like how I think we're as we said that there is a
31:46
sense of sharing blessings here, you have been blessed, and so we
31:50
share that. And this is a principle for all
31:53
of us in our life of sharing what God has given to us with
31:56
those who are less fortunate with those who are in need and
32:00
just simply doing what we can in our community.
32:03
But then he goes on to this thought of the sowing and
32:07
reaping very familiar passage on here.
32:09
We've talked about it you I'm sure you've heard Before.
32:12
And so simply Paul States here in verse 7, do not be deceived.
32:18
God will not be mocked for whatsoever, a man sows that will
32:21
he reap? And then he goes to the thought
32:23
of. If you're going to sow to the
32:25
flesh, you're going to reap corruption.
32:27
You're going to reap things that are going to be of Flesh senses.
32:32
And then he says, if you sow to the spirit, then of the spirit,
32:36
will you reap eternal life and then he begins to say do not be.
32:42
Weary in well-doing, for, in due season, we will reap.
32:46
If we do not give up or faint or some of those familiar
32:50
statements. And so as we think through that,
32:52
as we think of this sowing and reaping, we must understand that
32:56
whatever we do put out there in the sense of farming, I'm in a
32:59
Farmland and a farm community in a rural area in North Carolina.
33:03
Where we, you can't turn down a road and not see a tobacco farm.
33:07
You can't turn down a road, not see a cornfield.
33:10
So we see this principle of so, in, Reaping in the world and I
33:14
say this often, especially when I'm teaching our young people,
33:17
no one in here as a farmer would go out and plant a corn seed and
33:22
the next day come out and have a full-grown stalk of corn and
33:25
ready to be produced and ready to be harvested.
33:28
But so many times, we in our spiritual journey, will want to
33:32
plant one day and receive a blessing, the next day.
33:37
And sometimes we get this confused.
33:39
Because why would God do this in our spiritual journey?
33:42
Any but yet he wouldn't do this in the physical world.
33:45
And so, there is a thought here of in due season, when we begin
33:50
to plant seeds and will begin to plant our fruit, will we begin
33:54
to plant things in our journey? When are we going to reap this?
33:58
And sometimes, it may be months or even years later where we do
34:02
something wrong and we plant to the Flesh and we reap that in
34:06
the flesh later and also in our spiritual journey.
34:09
And so he goes and he see preface is all this by saying
34:11
God, It's not going to be mocked, let God be the judge and
34:15
every man a liar. And so we begin to take this
34:17
thought and we begin to say God, you are ultimately the one
34:21
that's going to allow me to reap.
34:23
Whatever you have for me. And so we have this
34:25
responsibility of sowing, to the spirit, John thoughts.
34:31
Yeah, there's a lot of things on this passage right here, a
34:34
couple of things about the law of sowing and reaping.
34:37
Number one, you always reap. Directly from that which you
34:44
sow. See there's this idea going
34:47
around this been perpetrated within, you know, churches that
34:53
because you did some kind of sin then, whatever, like bad things
34:59
happen to you later on down the road is because you did this
35:03
type of sin whenever you were younger and that probably isn't
35:08
the case. You know, that is more akin to
35:11
Karma, and that's paganism. Karma says, do a good thing and
35:17
a good thing will happen to you later.
35:19
Do a bad thing and a bad thing will happen to you later.
35:22
That's Karma. It's paganism.
35:24
The law of sowing and reaping that is being taught here in
35:27
this passage is that directly from what you so that you will
35:32
reap, right? Okay, so for instance, it is
35:35
this, that if I develop a alcohol problem, an alcohol
35:40
addiction, okay? And I'm drinking like crazy.
35:45
But at last maybe 10 years of my life and I get clean and I get
35:49
sober, okay? If 10 years later after, I've
35:54
been clean and sober for ten years, my something happens and
35:59
I lose my job. And I say, oh, it's because I
36:04
drank for so many years and did Sin.
36:07
No, it's not. That's not connected.
36:11
That's a different thing. Now if I go to the doctor 10,
36:14
Years. After I'm clean and sober.
36:16
And he says you have liver disease Then I know that's a
36:21
direct consequence from abusing alcohol, right?
36:26
That is what sewing raping is it is it has a direct correlation
36:30
to what you have sowed. We have to be careful, not to
36:33
confuse the paganistic idea of karma with sowing and reaping it
36:37
connects. Now, here's another aspect of
36:39
the law of sowing and reaping, what you reap?
36:43
Will always be greater than what you sow.
36:47
Yeah. James just gave the
36:48
illustration. You sow a seed of corn and what
36:51
do you get out of it? Stalk of corn.
36:54
Oh yeah. Much bigger than a seed.
36:55
Right. Lot more from it.
36:57
And so that's the thing, when we, so whether we're showing in
37:00
the flesh or whether we're so in the spirit, we reap greater than
37:05
that. And you already mentioned the
37:07
principle that it happens over time.
37:10
It takes time to grow. All right.
37:13
So those three points right there on the law of sowing and
37:15
reaping is it helps us quite understand it.
37:17
Now, he says this, he says that for one who shows to his flesh
37:21
Will from The Flesh reap corruption.
37:23
This word corruption is Thora and the Greek.
37:26
It is sometimes used of decaying food which turns from that,
37:29
which is beneficial to that, which is harmful.
37:34
All right, it is something that could have worked been
37:37
beneficial that has now become harmful because of the way that
37:41
we sew it. And so I like how John on how
37:45
MacArthur puts it? He said that, when, when left
37:50
unchecked, when corruption is left, unchecked it makes a
37:53
person progressively worse in his character.
37:56
Hmm. When sin is not checked, you
37:58
continue to dwell in that sin and continue to go more and more
38:01
and deeper and deeper in it. That's why it's so important
38:04
that we have this again, he's building upon this salt.
38:08
This restoration, if there is no restoration, if a pastor falls
38:12
into sin, If a Christian falls in the Sin and then this is not
38:16
checked, and it is not taken care of and restored, he's going
38:21
to continue to go further and further and further in this sin
38:24
to where it eventually is going to be a total corruption.
38:27
And there will be nothing salvageable.
38:29
But when we begin to restore this, we begin to stop the
38:32
corruption. We stop the Decay as a MacArthur
38:37
says. Yeah, and this brings us to
38:41
another in verse 10, In responsibility to each other.
38:45
So then we have, as we have an opportunity, let us do good to
38:49
everyone and especially those who are of the household of
38:54
faith. See, we have a great
38:56
responsibility to each other in the church.
38:59
And how shameful it is that the church is not together with each
39:06
other. Like we should be remember what
39:09
Jesus did in John 13. When he washed the disciples
39:11
feet. He said this is how the world
39:14
will know. You are my disciples by the
39:18
love, you have for the world. The love you have for the
39:23
unsaved, know the love, you have for each other and if they see
39:32
anything they should see how the church cares for its own and
39:36
sadly. We don't see that very often.
39:40
What are the RFP guys out the episode?
39:43
They did a couple weeks ago on eating their own yeah, too often
39:48
again it goes back to this first point that we talked about
39:50
exploiting And instead of restoring and exploiting their
39:54
own and eating our own instead of restoring and again loving
40:00
and doing good to our own. I like how Luke wrote in Luke
40:05
chapter 10 verses 25 to 27, I believe where he is quoting,
40:11
Jesus. And Jesus makes this statement
40:13
who is your neighbor. And he begins to go through and
40:16
he says this is how they're going to know that we have love
40:19
again. John that we love one another
40:22
and love our neighbor as ourself.
40:23
And then he asked this question, who is our neighbor?
40:25
And he says anyone that's around you.
40:28
Anyone that you're able to do good to is our neighbor.
40:31
And we begin to think through this.
40:33
I love how he in this verse in verses 10 and 11 10.
40:38
He says as we have the opportunity to do good to
40:41
everyone, it's not just the church.
40:44
And yes the church is there. And then it goes on to say
40:46
especially those of the household of faith.
40:48
We should definitely take care of our own, but in the same
40:51
time, are we doing it for everyone?
40:54
Are we loving and showing love to everyone everyone that we
40:57
have come in contact with that's how they're going to know that.
41:00
We're a disciple. Yeah.
41:03
John let's go to the second point, the second part of it.
41:07
So we begin the instruction to the church.
41:09
This responsibility inward to the church and then he begins to
41:12
give this final warning, the final benediction.
41:15
Diction verses 11 through 18. He first gives us a warning in
41:18
verses 11 through 13. The warning about legalists, and
41:23
where's because out for great things for signs to identify a
41:28
legalist in these verses, and I think they're really good.
41:31
So, I'll mention those and give John some opportunities has
41:34
seized with a large letter. I've written to you with my own
41:35
hand. It is those who want to make a
41:38
good showing in the flesh, who would force you to be
41:42
circumcised and only in order that they may not, Persecuted
41:46
for the Cross of Christ, for those who are circumcised, do
41:49
not themselves, keep the law, but the desire to have you
41:52
circumcised, they may boast in your flesh.
41:56
He writes down for things, how can you identify a legalist?
41:59
The first is those who brag about themselves.
42:02
Those who begin to say it is. Those who want to make a good
42:06
show and they begin to brag about how they are what they've
42:09
done and be begin to brag about those things of themselves.
42:13
They begin to compromise things. He goes.
42:15
On to say, they would force you to be circumcised in order that
42:19
they may be persecuted for the cause of Christ, they begin to
42:23
be persuaders. Not only are they Kirk
42:25
compromisers, they are persuaders.
42:28
And then the last sign of a legalist is someone who is a
42:31
hypocrite, someone who would say a desire you to do one thing.
42:36
So they ultimately can boast in there flush.
42:38
And so, I think it's a great four points that we can look at
42:41
in our lives as we begin to examine people, as we begin
42:44
examining. Things in our life of saying,
42:47
how can we be warned about legalism?
42:50
And who is a legalist and begin to have a filtering process to
42:54
say, okay, is this person bragging compromising persuaded
42:57
me to do something that would isn't biblical and then
42:59
ultimately their hypocrisy themselves are living a double
43:03
life. So John what's your thoughts
43:04
there? Yeah, I want the verse 11.
43:09
He says, see with what large letters I'm writing to you as my
43:12
own hand. This is this is a verse that
43:14
could mean a couple of different things that maybe Paul was
43:19
writing with a certain type of Greek letters.
43:23
I tend to there's a couple explanation for this but I lean
43:25
toward the explanation that Paul normally wrote his letters with
43:29
what is called an amanuensis which is sort of like a
43:32
secretary Paul dictated his letters.
43:34
And this person wrote them down, And I believe that this letter
43:38
Galatians was actually written by Paul's hand and Paul is
43:43
understood to have to have had bad eyesight.
43:47
So therefore he was probably writing large letters, it is not
43:50
the idea that Paul wrote a large letter Galatians itself, is
43:55
probably not considered a large letter.
43:58
When you look at the book of Romans, that would definitely be
44:01
a large letter that probably Paul wrote, not Galatians but I
44:06
think that this is talking about, like Paul wrote this
44:10
himself with his own hand and because of that he was writing
44:13
letters larger so he could see them and what James sort of did
44:17
their on verses 12 and 14 13. You know what we are is because
44:22
comments on that, with the legalists, I think is awesome.
44:26
For even those who verse 13 circumcised do not themselves.
44:29
Keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they
44:33
may boast in your flesh. Oh my goodness.
44:36
How many times have we seen that?
44:38
Where the leaders lay down these laws for everybody but they
44:41
themselves don't don't keep it. You know, I think Brian was
44:45
talking about, you know, certain preacher to Tony Hudson.
44:48
That was sit there and preach about, you know, different types
44:52
of Christian music but then turn on country in the car and say
44:55
that's a good song. That's right.
44:57
You know that song Baby Mary and I've been watching this
45:01
biography this documentary on Netflix right now on the
45:04
Mormons, the fundamentalist Mormons Warren Jeffs.
45:08
And it's all these things. These rules that he had for
45:11
these people and then that find out when they catch him, like
45:15
he's dressing like a normal person and going along its Vegas
45:18
and living it up and is like, what in the world and that's
45:24
what they do, that's what they do.
45:27
You know, there's a total sham, you know, rule, what is it?
45:31
You say all the time? James rules for thee, but not
45:33
for me. That's right.
45:35
I take that from bent. Michael Knowles who says that
45:38
often and I'm sure he got it from someone else.
45:40
But how many times have we heard that in the last two years?
45:43
You know, a certain group of people, can, we couldn't leave
45:46
our house, but they're able to go and get manicures and
45:49
pedicures, and go into these fancy restaurants and they're
45:52
still going to eat their food. I'm not going to listen to those
45:55
Rules by The Peasants, come on now.
45:57
And so, all of a sudden, this is the same mentality.
46:00
Okay, Paul is saying, watch out for those people who say You
46:03
must do this, but I'm going to do whatever I Want to do because
46:07
I've got this Liberty that God has given me but not for you and
46:11
so he's warning us about legalism.
46:15
So then you come to two examples.
46:18
That is that the example displayed by Paul in verses 14
46:21
through 16, but far be it from me to boast in the cross.
46:25
Except in the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ by which the world
46:30
has been crucified to me, and I to the world for neither
46:34
circumcision counts for anything nor Or uncircumcision, but a new
46:39
creature, a ssion. And as for all who walk by this
46:42
rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God.
46:47
So here, he says that the only place that he has to brag again.
46:51
I said it earlier. Is Christ anything good, it's
46:55
Christ, anything bad, it's me anything good.
46:59
It's Christ, pretty simple. And the world being in Christ,
47:04
the closer you are with Christ. The Closer Sir, the the less and
47:07
less the Allure of the world is, what is the wonderful old song.
47:11
Turn Your Eyes Upon, Jesus look, full in his wonderful face and
47:16
the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of
47:22
his Wonderful Grace, how true that is verse 15.
47:27
He says neither circumcision counts for anything nor
47:30
uncircumcision But a new creation.
47:34
What is the new creation? The old Covenant sign of
47:39
circumcision is gone. It doesn't matter if you're
47:41
circumcised or uncircumcised, it does not matter.
47:44
Because what is now the case in the New Covenant is a new heart.
47:49
It's the new creation, it is God, birthing being born again
47:54
in you and in Salvation, that's what it is.
47:59
And then he says, for those who walk by this role, plea, peace,
48:03
and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God.
48:05
What is the Israel? God, Israel was God's chosen
48:09
people. This is God's as what is the
48:13
church, the church is the called out assembly.
48:15
It's God's people. So peace and mercy be upon the
48:20
church God's church. I was listening to a friend of
48:24
mine local Pastor here and he made a statement and he said, I
48:29
guess this is maybe one of his he started a little podcast so I
48:31
was listening to it and he said the make the statement.
48:34
He said if you Or to go to someone and ask them what are
48:39
you most informed about? What do you know the most about
48:42
that you could talk hours and hours and hours on what would it
48:45
be? We started this podcast out by
48:47
John talking about our movie junkies and how he knew all the
48:50
ordering stuff and he could go on all on and on and on about
48:53
Laura rings and with me it's different things with sports and
48:57
football and different. You know I just I love those
48:59
things but he said in Paul's writings, he basically boils
49:03
down to the thing, he knows the most about Out is the cross.
49:08
That's what he lives in and lives for.
49:11
He makes a statement, he said, except the cross of the Lord,
49:14
Jesus Christ, which the world has crucified to me, and I to
49:17
the world, he begins to make the statement.
49:19
The only thing I know now is the cross, I've crucified everything
49:23
else. I crucified the world, I've
49:25
crucified the Flesh and I'm living in the cross, because I'm
49:29
a new creation, and he begins to really dwell into this.
49:32
Thought of, are we living in this new creation?
49:36
Are we living in? Across daily and he reiterates.
49:39
What Jesus says, crucify the flesh daily.
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He begins to go through this thought and he's displaying his
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life by saying this is how I live my life.
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And then he goes on to give this great farewell simply by putting
49:56
out the farewell of saying it's all by the grace of God, it's
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nothing that I've done. It's nothing that I can say that
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I've done for let, no one. From now, on let no one calls me
50:09
trouble for I bear in my body, the marks of Jesus, the scars
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that I've lived, the scars that I've went through for the name
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of Jesus. And then he says the grace of
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our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with you in your spirit
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Brothers. Amen.
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And so he goes through and he says that the superiority of the
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Gospel over any man-made system, it's better than anything that
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we can live in. Absolutely, absolutely.
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And Paul was a great example of that.
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He suffered for Christ, he was persecuted for Christ, he lived
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for Christ and he had such amazing joy and Christ and so he
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he was concerned for these for his brothers, he was concerned
50:49
for the church and the church has he says in another place
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that he has such anguish over the churches.
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And and we we just see a wonderful Apple and such a great
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message for the church in the book of Galatians that Paul gave
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us, you know, message of Grace and may we going forward as
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Believers, grab, hold of Truth, stand for truth, proclaim the
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truth. But always be seasoned and
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covered in Grace as we do it, it's good.
51:29
John, I'm great. I've enjoyed this study
51:32
together. I hope you guys are listeners.
51:34
Have enjoyed this. Hey, it was great on our first
51:39
episode back to be able to handle a question that one of
51:42
our listeners have on biblical counseling.
51:45
If you have a question like that, let us know.
51:46
Shoot us an email, shoot us, a post on or a direct message on
51:51
Facebook or Instagram or Twitter wherever you may be following us
51:55
and let us be able to engage in those things.
51:58
With like I said, We've got some great interviews coming up.
52:01
But again, we want to discuss some things that are on your
52:04
heart and some things, maybe you have questions with and so would
52:08
John with that. Been said, do you have anything
52:10
else? I've been?
52:12
No, I think that covers it. Let's try to get our sign off
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right today, Grace and peace to all of you.
52:18
And to God, not the pastor, be the glory.
52:26
Thanks for listening to the for Freedom podcast, to find more.
52:29
Tip like this, please visit RFP network.org to find more
52:35
podcasts like this one resources and meetups to encourage you on
52:39
your journey.