Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #14823 - Helping Each Other Along the Way - Galatians 6:1-5

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#14823 - Helping Each Other Along the Way - Galatians 6:1-5 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through
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Abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Open your Bibles.
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Galatians chapter 6 is where we are.
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We're going to pick up where we left off last time.
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Galatians chapter 6, we're going to move forward a little bit in
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a few more verses, and I've entitled our Bible study,
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Helping each other along the way.
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Two sides to that title #1 God wants us to help each other
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along the way. Those of you that are spiritual,
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we've learned in verse 1 of chapter 6, those who are
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spiritual, God wants you to help.
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Those that are wrestling and those that are struggling, He
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wants you to look for them and seek them out.
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He wants us to have the heart that Jesus has and that is to
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seek and to save the lost. And on the other side, there are
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those among us that need a little help along the way.
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We need someone to come alongside and strengthen us, or
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restore us, or encourage us, or pray for us.
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Notice in verse one of Galatians 6 it says, Brethren, if a man is
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overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such
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a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you
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also be tempted. We're in that part of Galatians,
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this epistle. I want you to learn these Bible
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words. The word epistle is a Bible
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word, but all it means is a letter.
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So I want you to know both words.
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Epistle equals letter. Paul took his pen in hand and he
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wrote a letter to the believers, to the churches in the region of
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Galatia. And we have that letter today.
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It's inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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So God is inspiring Paul to write down exactly what God
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wants communicated to the church then and to us as a church now.
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And this practical part of the letter, he, Paul is now turning
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a corner and giving some practical applications of what
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he taught us in the 1st 5 chapters.
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In the 1st 5 chapters was a defense of the gospel of grace
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against the false teachers that brought legalism into the
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churches. Remember, they were new
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believers, excited about the things of God, life change,
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family change. And then these false teachers
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came in and said, Oh, no, no, no, no, you're not saved until
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you're circumcised, and you're not saved unless you keep the
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law. And unfortunately, some believe
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that and that it rocked the church and ruined many people's
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lives. They were biting and devouring
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one another. They were hurting and harming
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one another, and they were no longer the effective light of
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the gospel in their community. And we learned in the first part
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of this practical side that the most beneficial part of your
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life and mine is the love of God flowing through us.
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That is the most beneficial thing that comes from your life
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and mine. It wasn't too long ago where we
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spent a few years studying the Book of Acts verse by verse.
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It was starting at the end of 2020, maybe mid 2020.
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We spent a few years studying the book of Acts and every week
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on the wall behind me, every week on the pulp and in front of
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me, over and over I repeated the theme.
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There was a theme throughout the Book of Acts week after week,
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month after month, year after year.
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What were we learning? We were learning that we're to
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be the church, be the church. We live in a world, in a culture
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where the world is the world. They act like the world, talk
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like the world. The Bible says the world is
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filled with the spirit of Antichrist.
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The world is always going to be the world.
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But only the church can be the church.
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Only the church can reflect the character of Jesus.
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Only the church can walk in the agape love of God.
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The world can be the world. Now believers and unbelievers
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alike can be the world. Believers act like the world at
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times. They get into the flesh.
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Believers and unbelievers can be like the world, but only the
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church can be the church. And one of the benefits, one of
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the most beneficial things that you and I have to offer this
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world is to live out the agape love of God.
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Now you ask the question, what does that look like?
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And we've learned so far, it says in chapter 5 that the fruit
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of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace, long-suffering, kindness,
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goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
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These characteristics lived through your life in a darkened,
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resistant Antichrist world. They make a big difference.
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It's noticeable when you're patient or when you're acting
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with self-control where everyone's waiting for you to
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blow up because that's what they would do and you don't jot it
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down. In First Corinthians chapter 13,
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in verse 4, we have a display of love.
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It's not an exhaustive list, but listen to some of the
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characteristics of this love and you'll see why it has such a
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great impact in our world. Paul writes to another church
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and he says love suffers long and is kind.
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Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself, is
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not puffed up. Love does not behave rudely,
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does not seek its own. Love, is not provoked, thinks no
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evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the
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truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
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things, endures all things. Love is powerful.
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Love is what helps people see Jesus in a Dark World.
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In chapter 6, verse one, we've spent a couple weeks looking at
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the heart of love, and that is to have a heart for others.
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Specifically to seek those that are broken, helping restore the
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lost. Caring enough to see, caring
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enough to help. Caring enough to step into
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someone's life, to help God mend them, reconcile to help repair
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broken lives. To have the heart of the father
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in receiving the prodigal daughter or the prodigal son
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come home not prejudging them or wagging the finger at them, but
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rather celebrating and throwing a party that what the enemy
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wanted to do and destroy God has done in rescuing.
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And now we pick up more practical parts of restoring.
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We get new insights on what the church is to look like both
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together and outside of these walls where we spend most of our
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lives. Verse 2, he says bear one
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another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
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Very important if you're a note taker, a very important
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principle. And it's simply this, as a
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Christian, a follower of Christ, you and I are not to be burden
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givers, but rather to be burden bearers.
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That is God's will for your life, that you are not to be a
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burden giver and just laying heavy trips and burdens on
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people all the time, but rather God's heart for us is to help be
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burden bearers. This is really the essence of
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the gospel, a heart of rescuing, a heart of helping Jesus.
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Put it this way, John chapter 13 verse 34.
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He said a new commandment I give to you that you love one another
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as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
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Then he says this epic statement, one that our ear
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should should really pay attention to.
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He says this in verse 35. By this all will know that you
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are my disciples if you have love for one another.
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By this it's singular. He says this is how the world is
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going to know that you follow me.
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This is how he's the world's going to know.
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There's not going to be any question.
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It's going to be completely obvious.
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This one thing is going to be how the world knows that you're
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the church and that you're distinct and that I'm in your
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life and and that I'm leading you and helping you and I've
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changed your life and I've changed your family and I dwell
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in you. And then I died on the cross and
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I rose again. This is how the world's going to
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know that you're my followers by your love for one another.
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I find it very interesting what he doesn't say.
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I find out a very interesting what this is not.
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He doesn't say by your great Bible knowledge, you know, some
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of you are are are a little frustrated and like you don't
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know so much of the Bible. You want to know more, but you
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don't know more yet. Well, that that's not how the
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world's going to know that you're a disciple just because
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you know the Bible, just because you have a lot of Bible
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knowledge. I find it interesting that
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doesn't he doesn't say by this, everyone's going to know you're
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my disciples. You know how to really argue
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people and bury them with your strong Bible arguments.
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You're just winning arguments all the time and just jumping on
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people. And then you can prove your
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point and you got all your theological IS dotted and your
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TS crossed. He doesn't say that I find it
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interesting. Jesus doesn't say in our current
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21st century culture. He doesn't say to us that by
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this all will know you're my disciples by by your strong
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political opinions. The room got a little silent
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there, but you're strong. That seems to be the popular 1
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today. Your strong political opinions.
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You know the world has political opinions too.
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They have all kinds of attitudes.
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That doesn't show that you're a disciple.
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Your anger and frustration and jumping in on all kinds of
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wacky, wild ideas. And no, that's not how people
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are going to know you're a disciple by your growing social
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media platform or you're jumping on into every argument on
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Facebook because you're going to make the point that that's not a
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reflection that you're a disciple.
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I mean, you might have good answers and you might have
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strong opinions and you might even have a good point.
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But is it in love? Has the Holy Spirit told you to
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do that? Has he LED you to, I mean, I
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could picture you at your keyboard.
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Oh no, that's a typewriter. He's like, I'm going to get it
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and I'm going to be and I'm going to Pam.
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And then what does it do? What happens when you meet flesh
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with flesh? What do you get?
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More flush. Jesus said that's not, that's
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not what's going to make the church distinct.
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That's not what's going to promote the gospel.
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He says this is how by your love for one another, your love for
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one another. Paul says in verse 2 that our
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love is lived out by bearing one another's burdens, by helping
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one another along. That's how love is lived out.
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A church that's healthy and effective and safe is a church
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filled with the never ending love of Jesus.
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The world can't demonstrate God's love.
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Only you can. Only you can.
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You're living it out. Only you as a born again
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believer can say I love because Jesus loved me first.
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I've experienced it. We're going to learn in our
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midweek study as we study first John, second John, and 3rd John.
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And by the way, you know what the theme of first John is love.
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It's all about love. John is the disciple and the
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apostle of love. And he's going to say in the
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very first chapter, these are things that we handled, we
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touched, we experienced Jesus. Only the born again believer can
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share that testimony. I didn't read about love in a
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book. I didn't see it in a movie.
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I live it. God is in me.
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The eternal love of God is in my life.
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One way in a in a church that can easily get distracted
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through legalism and all kinds of weird stuff going on in the
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world is to bear one another's burdens and you're going to
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fulfill the law of Christ. I I find that interesting that
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he uses that phrase too, because the law of Christ.
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There's been a lot of talk about law in the churches of Galatia
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because the false teachers came in and said, Oh no, no, you
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don't need the great grace of God is not enough.
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You need the law. And what you really need is to
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get circumcised and then keep the law the rest of your life.
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And then maybe, just maybe you'll be saved.
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And he says, no, no, no, you wanted to fulfill the law of
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Christ. Love one another.
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That's what when they asked Jesus, well, how do I, what are
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the great commandments? What did he say?
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Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and mind.
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Then love your neighbors yourself.
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There is a temptation to label people anything other than
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neighbor, because then it makes it easier not to love them, not
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to care about them. Well, you know, they're not our
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neighbor there. And then you fill in the blank.
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There's some popular ones that are going around that certain
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segments of society, they get labeled and in the mind of the
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world, and perhaps a few believers listening to me, you
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just think you don't have to love the label, but Jesus
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already labeled people. They're our neighbor who are our
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neighbor? Everyone you and I have been
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created in the image of God, and Jesus has come to seek and to
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save the lost, both unbelievers. By the way, whenever we talk
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about unbelievers, I know it's a generic term, but you can add
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names to that, can't you? You have a friend, Co worker, a
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mom, a dad. We're not just talking about
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generic view. These are people you love and
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care for. These are part of our family.
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These are people we do life with.
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Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, the believer, the
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unbeliever, but also the believer, the ones that wander
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away, the prodigal sons and daughters, oh, which by the way,
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have names. Some of them worshiped in this
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church for years, but right now they're not walking with the
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Lord. You see, love remembers the
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person. So many believers get distracted
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and find themselves focused on the wrong things, fighting the
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wrong war with the wrong weapons, and then wondering why
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their lives, why the relationships are fractured, why
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they're so frustrated and angry all the time, why they feel so
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distant from God. Could it be that you have fought
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the wrong war with the wrong weapons and that you are
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distracted living lives that are not spiritual but carnal,
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fleshly? We've already learned that Flesh
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bad, spirit good. That's the simple kindergarten
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version. Flesh bad, spirit good.
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And that God's heart for us is not to be carnal, fleshly men
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and women, but to be spiritual. This is a Bible word, by the
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way. You can jot it down in First
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Corinthians chapter 3, as Paul's talking to another church.
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He says this. He says, and I, brethren, cannot
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speak to you as spiritual people, but as carnal as to
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babes in Christ. Listen, when you're in the
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flesh, you're acting like a baby.
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That's what he's saying here. Can you imagine getting a
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letter? Like we all came together and
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said, I had a Bible study prepared for you, but Apostle
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Paul sent us a letter. So I'm going to set my Bible
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study aside and I'm going to read the letter to you.
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And as I open up the scroll and I start reading it, the very
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first thing says, you bunch of babies.
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You're like, whoa, is he calling me a baby?
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Usually if you have to ask yourself that, that's you.
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And he says, look, you're acting like children.
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You're not acting like the mature men and women that you
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are in Christ. You're not walking in the
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Spirit. You're in the flesh.
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Some have gotten so good at excusing their flesh that they
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think they're in the Spirit. But the Bible says you're acting
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like a baby and you need to grow up.
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Paul said the same thing in Hebrews, he says, in a different
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angle. He says, you know, by now I
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should be able to talk to you guys like adults, but I got to
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go over the ABC's with you again.
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I got to take you back to simplicity and grateful God will
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do that in our lives. But it doesn't have to be.
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It ought, as James would say, it ought not to be.
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So God's purpose and will for your life is that you mature and
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grow up and get beyond these things.
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Come back to love, come back to grace, come back to looking not
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only for yourself, but look for others.
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The devil's tried to divide you and disrupt you and distract you
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and destroy you. But today you can return, and we
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pray that you will if the Bible says to bear one another's
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burdens, so you'll fulfill the law of Christ.
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Which leads us to a question in the room today, and that is, are
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there people in your church? And we're talking about our
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little church here. But by extension, if you're
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listening on the radio right now or watching online, it could be
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the church you're a part of. But our church here, is there a
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need? Are there people in your church
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that need help? That's just a very important
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question to ask. And some might say, well, yeah,
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pastor there. There's some people that are in
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need. I met them this week, and I sent
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them to the church. You did what?
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You sent it to the church. You're the church.
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So here's what happened. God saw a people, people with
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need and he sent them to the church.
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You. And instead of taking care of
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them and instead of serving them and instead of burying their
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burden with them, you gave them a phone number and sent them to
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the church, to the organization church or to the leaders that
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are here. When all the while you and I are
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the church. And still others might say,
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yeah, I know there's a lot of needs here.
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And that's why you're here. Pastor, you're here.
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I'm going to send them to you. Anytime I find a need.
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I'm going to say that's what Pastor Ed's here.
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That's his job. Oh, now you're going to give me
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my job description. Thank you very much.
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Appreciate that. But you know, when there's needs
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in the church, I know about needs in the church.
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I don't know about all of them, but I know about some of them.
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And but I know of needs, and I meet needs.
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Not as a pastor, but as a brother.
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I'm a brother in the Lord before I'm ever a pastor.
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I relate to God as a brother, as a son, not as a pastor.
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You see, I don't get caught up in the titles and positions that
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God has put me in or allowed me to be a part of.
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That's not how He sees me. First and foremost, God sees me
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as a son. I'm adopted into his family so
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that when I respond to a need, I respond as a brother.
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A brother in the Lord, certainly.
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How we as a church family will help those in need.
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But the Bible says that you're to help those in need.
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That's what it says in verse 2 here.
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Bear one another's burdens. The Bible doesn't say to go
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looking and finding all the burdens and get someone else to
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help bear the burden. The Bible says that you and I
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are to bear one another's burdens, to come alongside and
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help each other, to serve one another, to build one another
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up. Those that are physically
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hurting, those that are emotionally hurting, those that
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are struggling financially, those that are wrestling with
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life, that we as brothers and sisters of the Lord are going to
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help one another. That's what it says.
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We're not going to send them away.
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We're going to help them. And you are the church.
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And so before you ever give a phone number and before you ever
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give them off to someone, you have to ask the Lord, why did
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you send them to me? Why are they in my life?
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And I can already answer that for you.
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I know the answer that God will give you.
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I've sent them to you because you can help.
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You're the church. And it's amazing when the church
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operates in the agape love. It's amazing when we're all
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doing what God's called us to do.
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Now consider verse 3 as we move on.
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For if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing,
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he deceives himself. So right here, tucked in the
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middle of verses 1:00 and 2:00 and 3:00 and 4:00 is a warning.
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And again, you can write it down in your, if you like to write in
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your Bibles or you're taking notes, it's a warning against
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spiritual pride because pride will hold you back from being
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useful in the Master's hands. Spiritual pride.
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Spiritual pride in the context of this section of Scripture can
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go a couple of different ways. First of all, spiritual pride
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could be lived out in your life. I don't need to help anyone.
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The church can help them, but you're the church.
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So that's not an accurate way of looking at it.
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Well, you know, I don't need to help them.
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I don't need to help them. No, you actually do need to
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help. And I know, I know.
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It gets overwhelming. We get to the place where we
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say, oh, I can't do everything. You're right.
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Nobody asks you to do everything.
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God just says do something. Don't do everything, just do
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something. What's in front of you?
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Taking care of the needs that are in front of you.
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You, you come in and out of this building.
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I don't know, 52 * a year. If you come on midweek and say
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you have perfect attendance, A+ plus perfect attendance, then
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you're here. 104 * a year just for Bible study.
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Hundred say you come 80% of the time, 80 times you're in here,
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80 times you're asked to greet people, 80 times you're sitting
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next to someone or in a couple of chairs over you, Somebody
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sitting in front of you, somebody sitting in back of you.
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God says to us today that we should know the people around
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us, and if their burdens are heavy, we should help them.
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That God would have given us and he has given us a heart to care.
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That's this whole section, caring, caring enough to do
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something. Some of you, I was thinking some
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of you need to start getting here earlier.
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Now, I'm not talking about all of you that are late all the
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time. There's a lot of people that are
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late. I'm not saying get on time, stop
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being late. That's just the way you are.
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It's the way it's going to be. But maybe you can be on time
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next time, but that's fine. I'm talking about some of you or
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most of you that need to be here early just to greet people, just
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to say hi to people, just to walk around before service and
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to say welcome to this church. I love this church, I'm glad
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you're here. How can I pray for you just to
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get to know your body of Christ, just to greet people.
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You know, the people that are new to our church, they usually
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get here early and you can see them.
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They get here because they don't know what they're walking into.
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They don't know what kind of parking lot, they don't know
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where to put their kids. So they come early so they can
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scope out everything and they're here early.
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And by the time they find everything, they come into the
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sanctuary early and you know they're new because they're
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reading the announcements. They're actually the only ones
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that read the announcements or they're reading the
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announcements up there and this is kind of what's this church
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all about and what are they into?
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And then you walk up to them and go, hey, welcome here.
24:28
I see that you're new and they go, how do you know how to know?
24:30
Well, you're reading the announcements, folks don't read
24:33
the announcement around here. Or you got a new believer and
24:35
you're just being a loving person in your own church family
24:41
and you have given a few more of your minutes by getting here on
24:44
time. You have your own kids to get
24:46
settled or whatever it might be. You come to the building caring
24:50
about others before you ever care about yourself.
24:53
It changes you. Some of you need to do that.
24:58
And of course the introverts are like, oh, I'll never do that.
25:01
I'll never. I'm an introvert.
25:03
I'm an And you've been hiding behind your personality for a
25:06
long time. It's OK to be introverted extra
25:09
whatever you're introverted. It's OK.
25:11
God's not going to embarrass you.
25:13
He's not going to make life harder for you.
25:15
Here's what God will probably do.
25:17
You're the introverted 1 and you go, OK, I'll do it.
25:19
And you walk in and you meet somebody and guess what?
25:22
You meet another introverted person and this is how it's
25:25
going to go. Hi, my name is Ed and I came
25:28
here and the other person go hi. I didn't really want to be
25:31
greeted but I'm glad you're here and it's just God all connects
25:34
you up. But you got to make yourself
25:37
available and and obey this. The Bible says it's a command
25:40
bear one anothers burdens. How will you ever know someones
25:44
burdens unless you approach them, unless you think of them,
25:49
unless you start talking to them?
25:52
Even today in greeting, I love doing it.
25:55
We train all the pastors to do this, all the school ministry,
25:58
so there are people always early greeting.
26:01
As soon as I'm done praying, I'm going to meet everyone here
26:04
that's new. Everyone.
26:05
The guy, I just want to catch up with them.
26:07
I can't meet. I can't say hey to everyone, but
26:09
I'll say hey to as many people as I can.
26:11
And sometimes I sit down, sometimes I'll pray, sometimes
26:14
I'll hear their story. But I was walking around in both
26:16
services even last night, a lot of heavy pain in the room.
26:22
That could just be that those are who I'm drawn to or who are
26:26
drawn to me. And that's possible.
26:29
It could just be for my prayer life to pray and to learn.
26:33
I don't know. I just know that's what it was
26:35
today. I, I was greeting and I was
26:37
joking around with some people in the back, you know, probably
26:40
happy and excited, reminding everybody that the Dodgers are
26:43
back-to-back world champions. And, you know, when I was in
26:46
Brooklyn, I thanked everyone for giving us the Dodgers because,
26:49
you know, that's where they started.
26:50
And so we're, you know, we're happy, happy.
26:52
And I'm walking up a couple rows and I'm greeting with a big
26:55
smile on my face because we were just having some fun before
26:58
service and greeting and catching up on life.
27:01
And, and there were tears in her eyes.
27:04
And I wasn't sure if it was allergies or not or what was
27:06
going on. So I sat down with her and I
27:09
asked her if she was OK, which led her to break down and crying
27:15
and rather than talk, because there really wasn't much to talk
27:18
about, I just laid my hands on her and prayed for her.
27:23
Now of course I'm the pastor, yes, but that was my sister in
27:28
the Lord, a sister in church. I don't, I still don't even know
27:32
what it was. She didn't share with me and I
27:33
didn't ask her, but I did take her to the Lord.
27:37
Imagine if you multiply that by 100 people or 200 where there's
27:40
more people asking each other. How can I pray for you?
27:43
Then there are people to pray. What a testimony that is because
27:49
then you start a new habit in your life and it doesn't just
27:53
extend to the church. This is how you show up at work.
27:56
You actually show up at work ready for the Lord to show you
27:59
someone ready to step in. You know, the person that's been
28:02
really hard to work with. I'm getting a new job.
28:05
I got to get a new job because of so and so.
28:07
Well, guess what? So and so is saying I'm going to
28:09
get a new job. I'm going to get a new job
28:11
because of you. But what if you came in and I
28:16
know it's hard and working in the world is hard?
28:18
You know, work is not the curse. By the way, biblically, work is
28:21
not the curse. It just being hard is the curse.
28:24
But work is given to us by God. He wants us to work.
28:28
He wants us to produce. That's God's will for our lives.
28:31
So, So what if you went to work tomorrow morning with the heart
28:35
of God sent me here so I can help someone.
28:39
Would that not change your whole perspective?
28:41
I think it would. That doesn't mean work won't be
28:44
hard. It's still going to be hard, but
28:46
it's going to be easier for you because you're walking in the
28:48
spirit and you're not in the flesh.
28:51
And maybe instead of getting in the flesh and 15 minutes into
28:53
your shift, you get into the flesh the last 15 minutes of
28:57
your shift. Look what God has done in a
28:59
whole day to use you for the Kingdom.
29:04
That's what he's talking about here.
29:06
Don't be spiritually prideful thinking that you're somebody.
29:11
Well, I'm somebody at and the Bible says no.
29:14
If you think you're somebody when you're nothing and you look
29:18
at this and go, wait a minute, is God trying to tell me, you
29:20
know, this isn't like a statement of self esteem trying
29:23
to demean you or put you down. He's just telling us remember
29:27
where you came from and that'll keep you humble.
29:30
Remember where you came from, and that will keep you humble,
29:34
because if you're spiritually prideful, that's one more
29:37
barrier that's there between you and someone that needs you, and
29:43
perhaps even you need them. We read in the Psalm today, in
29:49
Psalm 36, that the prideful refused to act wisely.
29:53
They strive against wisdom, and that's exactly where they fall.
29:59
It says in verse 3 here in Galatians, that they're
30:01
deceiving themselves. We deceive ourselves in pride
30:07
because so often we're faced with situations, circumstances
30:10
that are impossible. But instead of thinking of
30:13
ourselves and our own inadequacy, we turn to the Lord
30:17
and He's faithful. Notice now verse four and five.
30:20
But let each one so not spiritual pride.
30:23
Instead, let each one examine his own work, and then he'll
30:27
have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another, for each one
30:34
shall bear his own load. Let each one examine so you can
30:39
circle that word. Examine in verse 4 and you can
30:42
write next to it. Scrutinize.
30:44
It's the kind of examination where you pay very, very close
30:47
attention to all the details says examine yourself.
30:52
Pay attention to the details in your life.
30:55
I mean, when's the last time you ever you, you were in front of a
30:58
mirror, You went in front of the mirror and you asked the Lord to
31:02
show you who you are. You asked the Lord.
31:05
You know, you got, I think of some marriage issues that are in
31:08
the room right now and I think it's always their fault, their
31:10
fault, their fault. When's the last time you just
31:12
looked in the mirror and go, Lord, what about me?
31:15
What about me? What do you want to do in my
31:17
life? You obviously allowed this and
31:19
it's very hard. Very.
31:20
But what about me? And you're looking at the world
31:23
today and you got they're doing it wrong and they're doing it
31:26
wrong and they're doing it wrong.
31:26
When was the last time you just stand in front of the mirror and
31:29
go, what am I doing wrong? That's what he says here.
31:32
Look at your own life. Let the Holy Spirit penetrate
31:36
and speak. Pray out the psalmist where he
31:39
says, oh Lord, search me and know me.
31:43
Reveal to me any unclean thing and then show me the pathway of
31:46
righteousness. Scrutinize.
31:50
It's ourselves, those of us as believers, we're so value the
31:54
truth. We we traffic in the truth.
31:57
We're always in the word of God and we're helping others,
32:01
helping others. But before we ever help others,
32:04
listen, before we ever help others, we've got to get our own
32:07
house in order, our own house, our own lives.
32:12
Let me let me show you Jesus illustrated this turn over to
32:14
Matthew Chapter 7 with me. Matthew Chapter 7.
32:19
We're almost done today, but the teachings, the older I get
32:23
following Christ, the easier it is to understand that the
32:26
teachings of Jesus are so simple.
32:30
Their E children can understand what Jesus is saying.
32:34
Young children can understand even this particular passage.
32:39
Kids can understand this. They can get the picture.
32:41
Notice what he says. Jesus is teaching on the same
32:44
subject. Verse 1, Chapter 7 Matthew,
32:47
judge not that you not be judged, for with what judgment
32:52
you judge, you'll be judged and with the same measure you use,
32:56
it'll be measured back to you. Not a prohibition of all
33:00
judgments, we all make judgments, but a prohibition of
33:03
I believe at least two types of judgment, hypocritical and
33:07
hypercritical. Hypocritical and hypercritical.
33:10
I've taught on that in another Bible study.
33:12
You can pick up this the study on the app or on the website.
33:15
But notice the illustration now. In case you don't understand
33:18
what he's teaching, look how Jesus illustrates it.
33:22
And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and you
33:25
don't consider the plank in your own eye?
33:30
How can you say to your brother, let me remove the speck out of
33:34
your eye and look, a plank is in your own eye.
33:41
Now. What a silly illustration.
33:44
It's absolutely it's funny how how you there you are.
33:49
You've got this big 2 by 4 sticking out of your eye like
33:52
it's this big, it's this this far out and you're going around
33:56
and you're trying to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
33:58
Hey, brother, I see this little problem in your foot and let me
34:00
get it close enough and let me take it.
34:02
And what happens? You knock him in the head with
34:04
your two by four. And he was like, hey, get closer
34:06
here. But bro, I can't get closer
34:08
because you're 2 by 4 keeps hitting me in the forehead.
34:11
What's your problem? Well, you got a speck, brother.
34:13
Dude, Dude, I got a speck. But have you looked in the
34:19
mirror lately? I think you got a bigger problem
34:22
than I do. And think about it.
34:26
Those of us with planks in our eyes, everybody sees them.
34:31
But us, everybody sees them. It's pretty obvious.
34:35
I mean, if you walked in, we're calling 911.
34:37
If you walk in with a plank in your eye, you had some accident
34:40
at work and you just had to come to church, we're going to call
34:42
911 for you. I mean, we see it.
34:45
You may not see it, but we see it.
34:47
But a speck? Nobody sees the speck.
34:51
You've never seen another speck in someone's eye unless they
34:55
asked you to. I know on occasion Marie will
34:57
ask me. Hey, Ed, will you come over And
34:59
she'll open up her eyelid and she'll blow in my eye to get
35:01
something out. But I would never know she had a
35:03
problem with her eye unless she asked me.
35:05
How would I know I can't go on around and wake it up?
35:08
Where's the speck? Look, I see the speck and I'm
35:10
examining her eyes and all I'm looking for is fault in her
35:13
instead of seeing her fool who she is.
35:17
That's what Jesus, Jesus say you.
35:19
You're going to have a hard time bearing one another's burdens if
35:21
you don't see your own issues. If you don't examine your own
35:26
life and stay clean before the Lord.
35:28
Get your own house in order so that you can be helpful to
35:32
others. If you're a person with a plank
35:35
in your eye, your house is not in order.
35:38
You're not walking in the spirit, but you think you can
35:40
help everyone else's life. You, you think you got all the
35:43
answers because you took a class and you have a degree and you
35:46
have been counseling in the church for if, if that's you,
35:50
this is what the Bible says, you're a hypocrite.
35:53
Verse 5, That's what Jesus says, you hypocrite, the one with the
35:57
plank looking for the speck, you hypocrite.
36:01
And then he says, here's how to get out of it.
36:03
First remove the plank from your own eye, humility, repentance.
36:10
Then you'll begin to see clearly to remove the speck out of your
36:14
brother's eye. And you know what I found to be
36:17
very true in my own life? That the more time I spend on
36:22
taking care of the things in my own life on my own personal walk
36:25
that needs attention, the more time I spend on that I'm not
36:29
even really looking for specks. I might respond to them, but I'm
36:33
not really looking for. I don't see the worst in someone
36:36
when the Lord has me working on the worst in myself.
36:39
Just walking in the spirit. You'll rejoice as you help
36:47
others by helping yourself and then he says back in Galatians
36:52
and verse 5. The conclusion of this paragraph
36:55
is for each one shall bear his own load, which it sounds like a
37:00
contradiction to some degree because earlier he said bear one
37:03
another's burdens and now he's saying bear your own load.
37:07
But this is where knowing the original language or having
37:09
access to dictionaries like I do and you do too on
37:12
blueletterbible.org you can get the same dictionaries I use.
37:16
You can see the original word that's used in verse 2 is very
37:21
different than what's used in verse 5.
37:24
So in verse 2, the idea of a burden is like being kicked in
37:28
the gut. Being kicked in the gut where I
37:31
don't know if you've ever lost your breath, you know, maybe get
37:34
gun hit or punch or fall off your bike or something and you
37:36
can't breathe and you need help. Somebody needs help, you start
37:40
breathing again. The burden is like taking a hit
37:43
in the chest. Whereas in verse 5, when you
37:47
bear your own load, that's just everyday life.
37:50
You just live your life. The idea behind this word is a
37:53
soldiers pack. You know, soldiers, they all
37:55
have their own pack. Everybody has their own pack.
37:58
But if somebody needs help along the way, they have their own
38:01
pack, but they're also helping their brother.
38:03
That's what he's. So all of us have to carry our
38:05
own load. We are to be burden bearers.
38:08
What? Not burden givers.
38:11
And the way that we're not burden givers is we carry our
38:14
own load. Let me show you another
38:15
scripture. Turn over to 2nd Thessalonians
38:18
Chapter 3 now because there was a problem and there is a problem
38:21
in churches in the 1st century, even to this day where there are
38:26
churches with burden givers and they're not here to give,
38:29
they're here to take. And the Bible says no, no, no,
38:32
don't do that. Don't be a taker, but be a
38:35
giver. Be a burden bearer, not a burden
38:38
giver. So in in the church in
38:40
Thessalonica, another group of believers, they had some serious
38:45
problems. And in this case here in chapter
38:48
3, there were believers that didn't want to work.
38:53
They didn't want to work. They didn't want to bear their
38:55
own burdens. Notice what Paul says to them in
38:58
verse 7 of chapter 3, Second Thessalonians 37 For you
39:06
yourselves know how you ought to follow us.
39:10
For we were not disorderly among you, nor did we eat anyone's
39:14
bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and
39:19
day, that we might not be a burden to anyone.
39:23
So Paul comes in and gives the illustration, We were not a
39:25
burden to you. We didn't give you a burden.
39:28
We helped you by carrying your burden.
39:30
So he says, look, you have us as an example.
39:33
We worked with our hands. And he says, verse 9 not because
39:36
we don't have authority, He certainly did have authority as
39:40
an apostle, but he wanted to make himself an example of how
39:44
you should follow us. Verse 10 For even when we were
39:48
with you, we commanded you this If anyone will not work, neither
39:54
shall he eat. For we hear that there are some
39:57
who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working
40:01
at all, but are busy bodies. So he's describing a very
40:05
specific group of people. He's not describing someone that
40:08
might have been laid off or having issues at work or a
40:11
downtime where hours were cut. He's talking about those that
40:15
have decided that they're going to mooch off other believers.
40:19
They're not going to work with their own hands.
40:21
They're not going to be faithful with the gifts and talents they
40:23
have. They're not going to take any
40:25
job to make ends meet, but rather they're going to take
40:28
advantage of well meaning believers.
40:30
That was what happening in Thessalonica and it has certain
40:33
happened, certainly happened through our church in the last
40:36
26 years. We've seen it come and go from
40:39
time to time where folks will come in and they want to be
40:42
takers and not givers. They want to take an add a
40:45
burden to someone rather than take a burden.
40:49
And it's an issue that is important that you pay attention
40:53
to. It may not be work for you, but
40:56
certainly getting things in order in your own life will help
41:00
you bear others burdens so that we can love one another.
41:07
Because there are times where and we see it just about every
41:12
week. I mean it, it's certainly here
41:14
every week where some in our church who have their own
41:18
burden, their own pack, their own challenging life issues with
41:22
the kids or a divorce or single mom, single, just their have
41:26
their own pack and it's heavy. And something happens with some
41:30
heavy situation or even not so heavy, but now that it's on
41:34
their shoulders, it's super heavy.
41:37
And they need those of us that are stronger or those of us that
41:41
are in a more stronger position to come along and help them
41:44
relieve the the load, to help them along the way.
41:49
Not to do things for them, but to rather help them bear the
41:54
burden. I know one of the difficulties
41:56
I've always had as a believer and as a pastor is they're the
42:01
folks that are in my office where I'm just sitting there,
42:03
I'm talking to you off and I just wish I could take it away
42:06
from you. I just wish I could take it
42:08
away. I wish I could relieve the
42:10
consequences of sin. I think of when my kids were
42:13
young and they would get really, really sick with fever and I
42:17
would just lay on them and pray over them as they're sweating
42:20
and they're hurting. And I just ask God, would you
42:23
just give them, give that sickness to me and relieve my
42:29
kid? Just take it.
42:31
That would be my purchase. Take it away from him.
42:34
And the Lord would tell me that's not my sickness to bear,
42:38
that he bore our sicknesses on the cross, and I'm going to
42:41
trust my kids with him. And I'm not the one that's going
42:45
to take it away. And when it comes to the body of
42:48
Christ, this kind of love matters.
42:52
It matters to other believers, but it also matters outside of
42:55
the walls of this church, which is where we live most of our
42:58
lives. Where we live most of our lives
43:02
are not here, but there. And we want these healthy homes,
43:08
effective and safe homes where the Lord will use us so that we
43:13
take care of our own business, so we can take care of others.
43:16
That we're not walking around with a plank in our eye looking
43:18
for specs, but we're just taking care of business and being led
43:21
by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps.
43:24
I know I used the illustration, you don't have to do it this
43:27
way, but it's, it's very, we just look at yourself in the
43:29
mirror and say, Lord, what do you want from my life?
43:33
Am I in the right place? Am I doing the right thing?
43:38
Am I responding the right way? Help me, Lord, show me, lead me,
43:42
guide me so that at the end of the day, if we do well or we
43:46
don't do well, we can say at the end of the day, but but I, I
43:49
asked the Lord and I thought I was following him and now he's
43:52
correcting me and I want to be a help in the church.
43:55
I don't want to be hurt. And I believe, especially if
43:59
you're newer to this church, that you're in a church, you've
44:02
stepped into a church, not a perfect church, but a loving
44:05
church filled with hundreds and thousands of people that love
44:11
Jesus and are all growing together in the grace of God.
44:16
We're all at different stages. And I know for some, you know, I
44:19
read Corinthians and some of you are babies and you're like, some
44:21
of you are your new believers or you're just coming back to the
44:25
faith. It's not something to demean you
44:28
or to discourage you. It's just reality and being a
44:33
baby is not all that bad because everything's done for you and
44:37
you're just so simple in your relationship with your Father.
44:39
You're just like so simple. You just hug and enjoy in those
44:43
early stages. But you are greatly loved by
44:46
Jesus and He's placed you in a church that loves you.
44:50
So walk close to Him. Be someone who helps bear
44:54
burdens. Don't be a burden giver.
44:57
Don't look at someone of what you can get from them, but
45:00
rather look at someone for how you can love them and serve
45:04
them. Because when you practice in the
45:05
church, it's going to prepare you for the person you keep
45:08
seeing it Safeway. And it's going to compare you
45:11
for the person you keep seeing on your walk.
45:13
And it's going to prepare you when that person on your bike
45:16
ride and they're always there sitting on the bench every
45:19
morning or every evening. It's going to prepare you so
45:22
that when you sense the prompting of the Holy Spirit,
45:24
you just step into their lives and then you're like, well, I
45:27
don't know what to do because I, I had some of you just need to
45:29
start by coming early, right? Just come early to service and
45:32
go, well, that's so awkward. That is so this is going to be
45:34
so hard. Let me just remind you, things
45:36
are only awkward and hard until they're not.
45:39
So you just step into them and then before you know it, it's
45:42
not so awkward anymore. It's normal, It's normal.
45:45
It's normal Christian living that you show up wherever you're
45:49
going and your eyes are always open.
45:51
You're going, Lord, how do you, what do you have for me today?
45:53
This is not just some ordinary day, you know, this is not some
45:56
regular day, Sunday, Monday. This is the day that the Lord
45:59
has made and let us be glad and rejoice in it and be used
46:05
mightily by him. Amen.
46:06
Amen. Lord, thank you for your word as
46:08
it speaks to our heart. And we just know these messages
46:12
are so good for us. But we do get distracted and we
46:15
do get off track and, and Lord help us to be right with you.
46:20
Lord help us to say that we are like we are not walking around
46:25
with a big plank in our eye or a big plank in our heart or a big
46:32
plank in our lives, but rather we are abiding in you, trusting
46:40
you, obeying you. And if someone asks us for help
46:45
with the speck, will be in a much better position to help
46:50
them get their eyes back on you to see you clear.
46:54
I think of removing a speck means now someone can see
46:57
clearly again. And that's all we really need is
47:01
to see you clearly. Looking unto Jesus, the author
47:05
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him
47:08
endured the cross, despising the shame, sat down at the right
47:12
hand of the Father and Father. I do pray today for those
47:17
listening and those that have joined us, for those that need.
47:21
I pray specifically for the men and women and the boys and girls
47:25
that need to be born again. That they resonate in their own
47:29
hearts. The need to follow you with
47:33
their lives, to repent and turn away from their sin, to choose
47:37
to give you and yield to you their lives.
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And so as the church is praying, I just want to give a few
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moments of invitation today. And I'm inviting you to follow
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Jesus. You can almost hear him say to
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you, can't you? Jesus says to you, you come and
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follow me. I know sometimes a call to
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follow Christ has been turned into some theology, or to follow
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some man, or to follow some church movement or some church
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denomination. But that's not what the Bible
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teaches, and that's not what Jesus invites.
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Jesus invites you to follow him, to leave everything behind and
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follow him, to repent of your sins and follow him.
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He has a plan for your life, a purpose for your life.
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He wants to start generational change in you.
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And so today before we leave, if that's you and you'd say, Ed
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pastor, that's what I need. I need to follow Jesus.
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I want to turn to him for the very first time in my life.
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Would you just stand to your feet?
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I'd like to pray with you before we leave.
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Pastors and people in our ministry team will come
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alongside of you. We don't want to leave without
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giving you that chance. And I acknowledge not only in
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the room, but you guys downstairs.
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We obviously don't see you or online or on the radio, but God
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sees you. Believe me, God sees you.
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But you guys here, we get to see you.
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So if that's you, just stand to your feet so we can pray with
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you, so you can obey the Bible where it says if you confess
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with your mouth the Lord Jesus and you believe in your heart
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that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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I see you back there. God bless you.
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Who else would say that's me? God bless you right up front.
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Today is the day, now is the time.
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This is it. This is where your ears are
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hearing the invitation. God bless you here in the middle
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and the Lord would just meet you.
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Thank you, Dale, that God would just move you to follow Christ
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in a world that's yelling at you and drawing you and influencing
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you and changing you. God, his voice is able to get
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through. Imagine that His voice has
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gotten through to you today. God bless you right here.
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Yeah, God is moving. I know he is.
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God bless you. I see you, Stu.
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If you can stand right here with the sister.
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So let me help you and you can still keep standing.
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We're low on pastors and and prayer team folks.
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They're all gone today. But there's a lot of art here.
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So if somebody's standing with you, that's because we asked
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them to. So I see you back in the back,
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brother. And we asked them to because
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this is how we follow up. We want you to know you're not
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alone. We could have you come up here,
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and that's great. But this is where you got
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somebody right standing next to you.
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And so you can ask God to forgive you right now.
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You can say, and you can repeat these words right after me.
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You could say, God forgive me of my sins.
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I want to follow you with my life.
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I believe that you died for me and that you rose again from the
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dead to save my soul. I need you to work in my
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singleness or my marriage, my family.
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You can say what it is I want the newness of life that that
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man talked about. I need purpose, direction and
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hope. And God, I just pray that over
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those praying to you right now, the purpose and hope power that
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today something supernatural is happening and that you would
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fulfill the desires of their heart as they look to you today.
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And that the men and women that have responded today, the boys
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and girls are born again of the Spirit and that their life will
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be forever changed. Like all of ours, Like all of
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ours, you've been so faithful. So bless them and bless us as we
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navigate this world. May you be glorified in our
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lives. Jesus name and everyone says
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Amen and Amen we pray. That you've been encouraged by
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this Bible study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary
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Church. For prayer, call us at 87730
52:03
Grace that's 877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
52:10
integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
52:15
online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
52:20
Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
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this week.