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#20230419 - Jesus + Nothing = Everything - Galatians 1:1-10 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word recorded live at Calvary
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Church in Aurora, Colorado, to learn more about the many
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resources available, through abounding Grace, Media, or to
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tune into our live stream Services.
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Visit us online at Calvary. Co dot church or download our
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free Calvary Church app now. Let's open our Bibles and study
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God's word. Amen.
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Hey if you have your Bibles turn with me we're going to be in
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Galatians tonight. Turn to Galatians chapter 1,
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let's read it and then we'll pray and ask God to bless the
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word. Galatians chapter 1, we're going
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to read this text together. And after we read it, we're
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going to ask God to bless and anoint his word to our ears to
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our hearts, to our minds, that God would use it to minister to
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us. Galatians 1 starting in verse 1
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all the way down to verse 9. It says Paul an apostle not of
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men nor through man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father
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who raised him from the dead and all the Brethren who are with me
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to the churches of galatia grace to you.
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Peace from God, the father and Lord.
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Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins, that he might
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Deliver Us from the present evil age, according to the will of
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God and Father to whom be the glory forever and ever.
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Amen, I Marvel that you are turning away.
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So soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a
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different gospel, which is not another, but there are some who
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trouble you and want to pervert, the gospel of Christ.
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But even if we or or an angel from heaven, preach any other
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gospel to you, that we have preached to you, let him be
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accursed. And as we said before, so now I
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say, again, if anyone preaches, any other gospel to you than
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what you have received, let him be accursed Lord.
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We thank you so much for the opportunity to study your word
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tonight together. And we know, Lord, that your
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word is an expression of your love for us.
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It's Revelation to us and Lord how we need to be.
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Reminded of your great love for us.
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I pray that we would grasp that truth, that reality tonight that
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we would understand. There's nothing we could ever do
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to earn your love to earn salvation to somehow purchase it
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by our Deeds or action. And so God Me You Deliver Us
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From Any bondage of a Works based faith and give us
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Simplicity to rest in you. So, teach us now, by Your Word,
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you use me to communicate your word tonight to this
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congregation. It's in Jesus name, we pray and
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together, we say, Amen. You know one thing I love about
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the word as he studied every book in the scripture that you
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go from book to book and you study it are all the incredible
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themes and topics that you find through each of the books.
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Each of the Epistles the Old Testament bucks, they all have a
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theme, a topic, a point of focus reference as you read through
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it. It's by divine inspiration and
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Revelation about the Holy Spirit did that that we would learn
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about him and his word through All these different topics,
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every every book will have them and the Book of Galatians is no
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exception. The book of Galatians has a
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theme. Now a few years ago as a church,
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we taught through the book of Galatians.
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And so we have this theme and behind me is a slide that you
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can see. And so the theme of the book of
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Galatians, what I want you to get tonight from the word.
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Is this is that Jesus plus nothing equals.
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What? Everything was.
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Try that again for somebody behind.
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Some guys, just got off work. You're tired.
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Been all day, right? Jesus plus nothing equals.
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Everything. It's everything and this is the
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theme of the book of Galatians. It Centers on this idea.
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And this thought it's all about the grace of God, it's all about
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the doctrine of grace, the gospel of grace, that Jesus plus
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nothing else in your life. We go, everything that you need,
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that's it. Once you have Jesus, you have
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everything. Jesus plus, nothing equals
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everything. And what you learn In the book
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of Galatians that the only way to live the Christian Life, The
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Only Way is by daily applying The Gospel, According to Grace.
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Now, what do we mean by the gospel?
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Well, I'm sure most of you guys know this, because you guys have
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a great Pastor inning, and a great church that you attend,
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right? You know what Grace is?
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Are the gospel, is the gospel is what?
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Good news. It's great news, right?
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But you can't have great news unless you have the bad news.
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Now, how many people when you have the option between good?
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In bad news. You want the bad news first.
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How many guys want the good news first?
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Yeah, I'm with the other people. I like the bad news first.
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Bring me down and then pick me up, right?
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That's the idea. That's the thought.
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So here's the bad news when it comes to the gospel, we are
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tremendously Wicked. That's what the gospel will tell
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us. It shows us that we are, we are
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wicked. That we are born.
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That we are bad. That we are really, really,
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really bad. You know, don't believe the lie
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that the world has this mindset for us to think that we are Born
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good and that we develop bad habits but that's not true.
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The scripture says that we are born into sin, right?
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We kind of know that you don't believe me.
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Listen, you can go downstairs right now, get brand-new toys.
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Put them in the center of the toddler room.
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Take them all out, put them all in.
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And listen it'll be a bloodbath. Those kids will jump on each
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other. They'll be teeth fangs coming
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out, why? Because they're fighting for the
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toys. You don't have to teach the kids
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that because they're born with it.
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They're born with a sinful nature again, Romans 3:23 towel,
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Us. All have sinned and fallen short
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of the glory of God. And so, the bad news is were
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working or sinful, we're born into sin because of this, but
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it's not all bad news. The gospel says that, yes, we
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are born in sin but the really, really good news with the
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gospel. It's this the gospel tells us
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that we are incredibly more love than you could have ever
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imagined. That the gospel says that,
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there's good news that God loves you, and he sent his son for
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you. That's the gospel.
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God sent Jesus. Did you forgot wash?
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Well, we could never do for ourselves and there's a few
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things to understand about this. Number one, Jesus did for us,
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what we could never do. He lived the perfect life.
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He was sinless without fault without wrong.
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That's how he was the perfect sacrifice.
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He was sinless and I love how the Bible describes the life of
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Jesus Hebrews 4:15. It tells us it says, for we do
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not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our
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weaknesses, but was in all points tempted.
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As we are, yet without sin. Jesus in his complete Humanity
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here on Earth understands and sympathizes with us with our
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weaknesses. He understands Temptation, he
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understands how we stumble and how we fall because he was
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tempted in every way yet he Without sin.
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Secondly, Jesus in his Perfection, he becomes our
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atonement. He paid the debt.
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We owe that we could never pay ourselves.
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He took upon himself, our sin upon the cross, right?
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Just a few, we couple weeks ago we had Good Friday All About the
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Cross of Christ. He took our sin upon himself, he
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becomes our atonement. And lastly, because of what
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Jesus did on the cross, we receive forgiveness.
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We can be cleansed. And forgiven, we can be set free
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and now, because of what he's done, we put our faith and trust
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in him. Guess what?
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We become adopted children into the family of God.
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Now I say all that because all of this comes because of his
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love, and because of his grace, because of his love, and because
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of his grace, guys, listen, to the doctrine of grace, is one of
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the most important, fundamental biblical truths, that we need to
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know, but also we must apply daily into our lives and walk
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with the Lord, the doctrine of grace.
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Again, you guys know what Grace is?
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It's been taught from this Pulpit many times Grace.
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Is that which is undeserved its unearned.
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It is freely given by God, it's unmerited, favor, that comes to
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us by faith in Jesus, right? That's what Grace is.
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You might have heard the acronym Grace.
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Grac, ear, a'ight God's riches at Christ's expense.
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You guys heard that before, I love that.
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Aw Tozer who was a incredible, Pastor commentator back in the
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early 1900s. He said this about Grace and I
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quote Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines him to
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bestow benefit on us. The undeserving, we are
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undeserved. How many guys remember?
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Dennis the Menace comic books? Anybody else we're gonna date
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myself? Yeah, Dennis the Menace right
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II. Remember reading those, the kid
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kind of growing up in the 70s 80s and this comment about this
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kid. That's really bad.
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Dennis, the Menace is really bad, right?
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And so there, there is Dennis with his good, Pal, Joey.
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And they're coming home from mrs.
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Wilson's house and their hands and their arms are filled with
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dozens of chocolate chip cookies across their face, smothered in
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chocolate chips and there Smiling ear to ear.
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They're just so blessed in the moment.
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They're coming home, they're walking home and their Joey
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looks that Dennis and says to Dennis G.
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Dennis, I wonder what we did to deserve all of this and Dennis
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turns and gives the perfect response with the definition of
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Grace. He said this to Joey, he said
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mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not
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because we are nice, Joey, but because she is so good.
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God gives you Grace, not because of what you do, not because you
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are good. Not because you are a good
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Christian. It's because of his great love
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with, which he has towards you tonight.
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That is the grace of God. He see the gospels.
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Realizing the simple truth found in the book of Galatians.
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Is that Jesus plus? Nothing equals everything.
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It's Jesus, is simply Jesus. Listen, there is nothing we can
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do that. Can add to the Gospel of Jesus.
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There's nothing that we can do. Ooh, that contributes to the
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gospel or Grace, we cannot enhance it.
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We cannot better it. We can solely receive it in
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that, is it? It's not on you.
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We can only receive with open arms.
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Again, this is what the gospel is.
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According to God the gospel of grace, according to God's word.
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Now, here's what's sad. And this is why the book of
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Galatians exist. There are those who will seek to
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misapply the gospel and the doctrine of grace and Paul
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calls. This misapplication this
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misunderstanding theologically and doctrinally.
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He calls us a wrong gospel. He calls this a false gospel and
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it's so important. We grasp this this is huge
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again. What does a false gospel look
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like from a man's perspective? From Earthly perspective?
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What does a false gospel? Look?
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Like, by way of religion, or religiosity well, religion and
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legalism, and religiosity is man's attempt to be good with
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God, right with God. It is this religious pressure.
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That's so often can come outside of the church that creeps into
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our lives. There is a checklist that in
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order for you to be a good Christian you must hit you must
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check off these. Boxes.
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And if you miss a box, that's what will.
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Now you are a bad Christian. But what's equally disturbing
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with this outside? Pressure of religiosity and
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legalism. Is that he can often happen
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within the church. It comes with inside the church.
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Again, this religiosity becomes a performance-based Christianity
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created by man and for man And it's wrong.
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It's simply this idea that to be a good Christian, you must do
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and not do that. If you are a good Christian you
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must perform more and perform better and any deviation from
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that performance. Well, now you are a bad
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Christian you can put it this way.
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Religious Christianity is Works based which says this, you must
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be better. And you must do better.
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You must add to the gospel of grace, the doctrine of grace in
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your life, but the true gospel of Christ says this Christ is
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better and has done better for you.
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There is nothing you can do tonight to add to the Gospel
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According to Grace, or to the doctrine of grace.
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And again, that there's confusion with this even within
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the church. Because I think most of us
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tonight, we understand that were saved by got this free gift from
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God. Right.
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We're saved by grace through faith, Ephesians 2:8, how many
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guys know that verse in fusions to anybody in the house?
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Okay. From people are with me or
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waking up. Okay.
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Ephesians 2:8 says, for by Grace you have been saved through
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faith, not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.
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It is not of Works, lest anyone should boast Here's the problem,
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many Christians. We get this, we get this but we
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don't fully grasp this. See, we need to understand that
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the gospel isn't only something by which we are saved by.
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Listen, the gospel is that which we are meant to live by
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everyday. Because it has saved us and it
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is saving us and it will save us, but it has nothing to do
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with you. It is his love and his grace in
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your life. Again, here's the truth, we're
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not only saved by the gospel, we are meant to live in the Gospel
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of Jesus Christ. It is not only meant to be
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believed for salvation. It is meant to be applied for
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life. That's huge.
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And this is what the whole book of Galatians is all about.
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This is what is all about. When you read Galatians starting
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in chapter 1, all the way to chapter 6, this is the theme.
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This is the idea. This is the fight that the
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Apostle Paul has to live, according to the gospel of grace
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and the doctrine of grace. What's my direction of the
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Endless? Praying, we're done just joking.
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Something that's like, oh man, this bastard.
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Who's this guy? Listen, I'm not diving for the
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introduction. Okay?
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Now let me talk about Galatians a little bit because, for, you
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know, I can't teach the whole book of Galatians tonight.
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So, let me give a little bit background and understanding
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with this book to help us, the book of Galatians was written
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not to a single Church. It was written to a network of
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churches, several churches in the region of galatia.
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Now, these churches were the ones that were planted by the
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Apostle. Paul, you go back some homework.
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Go go back and read Acts chapter 12, 13 and 14.
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And there you'll see him plant and start these churches
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churches in Antioch and lystra and Iconium and Derby all
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planted by the Apostle Paul. But one of the things that
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you'll find interesting for you Bible students, as you study the
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book of Galatians, is that This letter begins much different
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than the other Epistles. When you begin to read that
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first chapter, that one, the one that we just read earlier, it's
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much different than the other Epistles.
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Oftentimes, when Paul would write these letters to these
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churches, encouraging them, it would be a pretty would give
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them praise. He man, I've hear that.
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God's blessing, you praise the Lord for you.
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There's some form of thankfulness for them as a
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church man. I'm so thankful for God for you
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guys, but Paul does not do that with this letter.
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He doesn't do it. The letter to the Galatians and
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you have to ask the question, well, why what makes the start
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of this epistle so different than all the other Pistols that
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he wrote? It's because of this, there was
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major issues in this church and the in these churches, there was
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a major problem happening in the region of galatia there were
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serious problems. And it all had to do with the
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Gospel According to Grace and the doctrine of grace.
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And fact this letter became a Battleground It became a fight
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for the gospel to Grace. It became a fight for the
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liberty of the believer in Christ and a stand against
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legalism and religiosity. That's what the book of
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Galatians is all about. There were these group of people
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that began to influence these churches, they began to creep
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into all the. It would go from church to
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church and they would kind of mingle with the people become
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their bodies, their friends, and then also, they began to whisper
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things into their ears. Now Commentators and Scholars
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and theologians. They had a term for these
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individuals. They would call them the
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judaizers and these judaizers would come in, and they would
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add to the Gospel According to Grace, and they would add to the
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doctrine of grace. And so, the formula that they
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would live by was much different than the formula.
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I mentioned earlier, right. There formula looked like this,
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it was Jesus, plus the law. That equaled, everything.
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You got saved with Jesus. Awesome, that's so good but now
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you must add the law into your life and where Dean practice and
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now now you'll be a good Christian.
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Again. These people they crept in these
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churches. They didn't start their own
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churches. No, they snuck in and their
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whole goal was to subvert the teaching of the Apostle.
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Paul, they wanted to dismiss the Apostle Paul, they didn't even
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count him as a real apostle. And they began to teach a
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different golf gospel to lure those people in the church away.
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Now here's the crazy thing. Although this letter and Pistol
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was written some two thousand years ago.
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With this in mind, this still happens in churches today.
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The same fight, the same struggle, the same false
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Doctrine is creeping within the church.
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And again, although 2,000 years ago guys, there would have been
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a huge cultural difference between them and us today.
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The letter hits the core of churches today and what Paul
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does here in this letter and he's taking off the gloves, he's
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going full MMA on these guys, man, I need bring out the
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Jiu-Jitsu and all that stuff. He's going hardcore, full
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contact. He's Pulling any punches, why?
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Because the issue is severe and serious.
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Now we read those, we read a lot of the chapter, right?
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Read verses 1 through 10. So quickly verses 1 through 5 is
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kind of Paul's introduction. And there's only three things,
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you get from that, you get Paul's Ministry, Paul's message
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and motive. So, Paul's Ministry is simple.
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He was called by God to be an apostle.
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It wasn't man-made. It was God made.
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It was am an ordained. It was God ordained.
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He called him to be a represented.
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Jesus himself met with Paul and said, you'll Paul, you're going
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to represent me go and preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
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And that's what he was going to do.
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Again, he established his authority because these people,
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that were creeping in the church in the church, they were
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subverting his message and what was Paul's, message simple,
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verse 3 and 4. Look what it says grace to you
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and peace from God, the father and the Lord Jesus Christ who
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gave himself for our sins, that he might Deliver Us from the
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present evil age, according to the will of God.
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And the Father, the message that Paul Brought was simple.
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It was solely about Jesus his work for us not our works for
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him. And last was Paul's motive in
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verse 5, it simple. It was to bring glory to God,
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you see the danger of a Works based faith is that you take the
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glory from God. Because if there's something you
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can contribute to the gospel, to the doctrine of grace, guess
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what? You pat yourself on the back and
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you become the good man, and the good woman.
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Listen, you take Glory from God when that happens.
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And Paul says, listen all. Lori goes to God and then you
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get to verse 6 down to verse 9 and this is this is where it
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gets serious, and this is going to be our Focus tonight versus
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six in nine. So look at it with me verse 6,
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all the way to 9. It says I Marvel Paul says That
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you are turning away. So soon from, Jesus, from him
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from God, who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different
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gospel, which is not really another gospel, but there are
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some who will trouble you that, who want to pervert the gospel
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of Christ. But even if we or an angel from
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heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that, which we have
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preached to you, let him be accursed.
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Now, as we said before, so, now I say, again, if anyone
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preaches, any other gospel to you, Then what you have
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received, let him be accursed. It's so serious.
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What Paul is dealing with, with these churches.
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What crept into the church that he says, if you do this if you
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preach another gospel another Doctrine than what I've given
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you that. God, the Holy Spirit has given
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you, you will be accursed and if you didn't get the first time,
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he said well let me repeat it again in the next lecture.
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Next verse, let me say it again. In verse 9, he repeats it twice,
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different translations will kind of give you different Thoughts
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and ideas. The NIV will say let him be
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eternally condemned. The New Living Translation will
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say let him be cursed forever. And when he says that you will
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be a curse that word accursed in the Greek, is the word anathema.
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It's the idea to be banned and Damned and rejected
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excommunicated or Cast Away. Listen, Paul is being very
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serious and its first six verses of this book.
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It's a serious danger. He wants to understand that that
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he wasn't playing around that we're talking about eternity and
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we're talking about the doctrine of the gospel of grace, the
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doctrine of grace. He wanted them to know the
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serious danger that they were in the series hazards.
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They were facing this threats. And although Paul was writing to
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a church, some 2,000 years ago it applies to you and me today.
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There's a serious danger. We need to grasp and understand
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red flags need to go up because the same air that was creeping
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or that church. So often creeps creeps into
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churches today and it can creep into our own hearts and our own
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minds and our walks with the Lord, and it goes like this.
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Oh yeah. You believed in Jesus.
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Yes. You are saved but now you must
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perform to maintain, you must do better.
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And you must be better if you want to be a good Christian.
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So what does Paul to say to them verse?
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Is he says, I Marvel. I am blown away, guys.
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I'm Blown Away by you. That so so quickly.
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So soon you've turned from the gospel of grace, to another
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gospel. I can't believe it happened so
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quickly. You just got saved God's doing a
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neat work in your life. And yet, you're thinking that
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you can add to the gospel. You can do something more than
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what Jesus has already done for you.
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Again, this idea of Turning Away in the Greek, is this word.
23:26
It's like as idea of being a deserter, I can't believe you're
23:29
deserting Grace already. I can't.
23:33
Deserting. It's the idea of transferring
23:35
ones Allegiance. It's a military term of someone
23:39
who's kind of gone AWOL man. They just kind of they've left
23:41
the building. They've left Grace all together.
23:45
Another idea behind this word being a deserter is to become a
23:48
turncoat one who switches to the opposing side.
23:54
And so, what were they, what were they turning from?
23:57
What were they abandoning guys? Listen, they were turning from
24:00
the gospel of grace. They were turning to a gospel of
24:04
Works. They were turning to a year on
24:06
gospel. Get he says in verse 6, he says
24:08
I Marvel that you are turning so soon from him who called you in
24:11
the grace of Christ to a different gospel.
24:17
Again they were saying yes, your Christian Life begins with
24:20
Christ but now it must be completed in and with the law Of
24:27
Moses. Now, how many guys know the law
24:31
of Moses anybody in this room? Like honestly, you know, the law
24:33
of Moses like tpr. Like, I think I did like your
24:36
wife hit me better now, but the law of Moses we are so removed
24:40
from the law of Moses, right? Like when was the last time you
24:42
went to Temple, When's the last time you took your pet goat to
24:46
be sacrificed? We are so removed from this,
24:48
right? It's like another culture than
24:52
what we understand, but the law of Moses is all the laws that
24:56
the Jews had to follow that Judaism, the ceremonial law, the
25:00
ritual laws, the sacrificial laws, the washing, and cleansing
25:04
and the tithing, and reading of the mishnah and reading of the,
25:09
the talmud in to understand how to apply the laws and to
25:12
practice them. They You saying you want to be a
25:14
good Christian, who many have to be circumcised like you have to
25:18
do that. You want to be good Christian.
25:20
Well you need you need to wash your hands a certain way before
25:22
you eat. You want to be a good Christian.
25:24
Then you do you apply the law of Moses?
25:26
Listen, we are so far removed from that.
25:28
Like, it doesn't even compute to us, but there are things that
25:32
you can apply, but this applies to our lives today.
25:36
You just receive Jesus. Awesome.
25:37
That's great. Now, you got to read your Bible
25:40
every day. I mean, how many pastors have
25:43
ever heard? Talia read your Bible every day.
25:45
It's a good thing. I should we read our Bible every
25:47
day? Yes or no?
25:49
Yes right? Yeah, I say that to my church on
25:51
time and read your Bible. We have these Bible bookmarks to
25:54
go through the whole Bible. Yes.
25:56
Read your Bible every day. If you want to be a good
25:59
Christian, read your Bible every day.
26:01
We ought to pray every day. That's a good thing.
26:02
Pray right. You need to worship God, you
26:06
become a Christian. Well, listen, you need to go to
26:08
church every week. And Wednesday, you want to be a
26:12
good Christian and you stop. Your cursing.
26:14
Is that good to do? Stop your cursing.
26:16
Yeah, I would say it's pretty good thing to do, right?
26:18
And you stop your drinking, you need to cut your worldly hair.
26:25
I don't know what that's like. I haven't had that for a long
26:28
time, I can't flip it or whatever worldly hair looks
26:32
like, but you need to cut that, man.
26:34
You need to cut short and throws a high and tight.
26:36
Whatever the case might be, ladies you take that paint off
26:39
your face. Listen, stop looking like the
26:41
world, man. That lipstick little too dark.
26:43
The eyeshadow stuff, little too dark.
26:45
Hey, ladies wear a dress guys, I hope no one's wearing sandals
26:49
tonight. Not only could it snowing but
26:51
we're in the house of God and we don't want to see your toes.
26:55
You know, you start wearing a suit and tie, man.
26:57
This is that you need to bring God your best.
27:01
None of this jeans and this ripped jeans stuff.
27:04
Those skinny jeans, right? You see all of a sudden.
27:07
Now the application of what I've just said, begins to make more
27:11
sense. Because the idea is now that
27:14
you're saved, you must do better and be better to be accepted by
27:18
God. It's a different gospel.
27:21
Essentially what the, what the judaizers are saying to these
27:25
churches and do these Believers is, you must add to what Jesus
27:29
did in order for you to be accepted by God, or loved by God
27:31
more. The pastas I Marvel.
27:34
I'm blown away that you are training so quickly.
27:36
From this guy's listen, they weren't just turning from some
27:41
kind of ideology. They weren't turning from some
27:43
kind of theology. They were turning from God
27:47
himself. Look what he says, again, in
27:49
verse 6, I Marvel that you are turning away.
27:52
So soon from him who called you to the grace of Christ, to a
27:58
different gospel, they were returning from God himself.
28:03
They were abandoning what God through Christ had already done
28:07
for them. And guys, if there's one thing I
28:09
want you to get and listen to is this one thing tonight is this
28:12
what they were doing was bringing the Galatians into a
28:16
never-ending trap of performance That's what they were doing to
28:21
the churches in galatia what they were doing, was bringing
28:24
the Galatians in the Believers in galatia into a never-ending
28:28
trap of performance and this danger that that Christians,
28:33
this is a dangerous, so many Christians can have today and
28:36
even you might have tonight, and we can relate to this, you know.
28:41
I grew up my whole life and was about performance as a person.
28:44
I'm sure you've got our culture is saturated with this idea that
28:47
we must perform. We want me much.
28:50
Do it surrounds everything in our life ever since.
28:53
We were little kids, it's all about comparison evaluations and
28:56
performance. How do they look compared to me?
29:00
How much do they make compared to me?
29:02
What are they achieved compared to me?
29:05
What are they in life? Compared to me?
29:06
How is their marriage compared to me?
29:07
How are their kids compared to me?
29:10
And we've been taught to since we were little, I mean, it's so
29:13
funny, some of the conversation, like, in my family and I'm Cuban
29:16
Dominican and some of the other arguments that they'll have and
29:19
and like You know, one of your siblings or something and all
29:22
when did your child begin to walk?
29:23
Only begun to walk around 18 months.
29:25
All. Yeah, but your sister hurt.
29:27
Her son began to walk in like 12 months and then, your grandma
29:29
walks in the I was born walking. You Grandma comes out, it's like
29:33
in the snow Barefoot, right? Because this idea, that all Guy,
29:36
I learned how to do this better and quicker than you.
29:38
We learn this from an early age to do better, and to be better
29:41
to get better grades to perform to become what we need you to
29:44
achieve the American dream. It's this idea of performance
29:47
and doing To get ahead. Great to school, the way we
29:52
dress, the way we look the careers.
29:54
We have the, how much money we make the homes, the cars, the
29:56
income, and here's what happens like, for me, you know, I was a
30:00
55. Yeah, I was a little kid growing
30:01
up my whole life in Allah. So I get picked on for being
30:04
little. And so I had to prove myself
30:07
prove my Worth or my value with everything.
30:10
And so all the sports, all the Athletics, I would just Excel to
30:13
do my best, to be better, to do better to prove everybody wrong
30:17
and that thinking with both good and bad because when I became a
30:20
Christian I began to apply that to my life.
30:24
I need to do better be better man.
30:25
If I'm gonna be a Christian, I go all in, is that good?
30:29
Yes, I was all-in when I got saved.
30:31
I was like, I'm going for this. I'm going to seek don't care
30:33
what anybody thinks I'm going to read my Bible.
30:36
Going to pray. I'm gonna smash my worldly CDs,
30:39
I'm gonna cut my worldly hair, I had hair back.
30:42
Then I am going to like live for Jesus hardcore.
30:46
What happens? We get carried away and we begin
30:48
to think that we can somehow add to what Jesus has done for us.
30:53
And what we realize when we live a performance-based faith or
30:57
live a life of performance, we always learn that we will never
31:01
be good enough because there will always be someone better
31:03
always. And what happens when we bring
31:07
this into our Christian Life and our Christian walk, what happens
31:11
to us as this? We become a slave and we become
31:14
a slave to our own laws. We become a slave to a
31:18
performance-based Christianity. Thinking that we could add to
31:22
the gospel of grace, into the doctrine of grace and Paul
31:26
throughout this letter, this is what he addresses throughout
31:28
this whole letter. Listen to what Paul said,
31:30
Galatians 5:1 Galatians, 5:1 he says so Christ has set you free.
31:38
Now, make sure you stay free and do not get tied up again in
31:43
slavery to the law, you know. It doesn't get any plainer than
31:47
that. Stay free from sin.
31:54
Stay Free from legalism. Stay Free from the law.
31:58
Don't go back to slavery. Now that you're saved.
32:01
He was wanting Christians about this.
32:03
It's a warning for us. Make sure you stay free.
32:06
Don't get tied up. So here's the question for us to
32:08
ponder these things to think about these things for us.
32:12
What is it? That's so dangerous to have a
32:16
performance-based Christianity. Why is that so dangerous?
32:19
What's so wrong with a performance?
32:21
Bathe Christianity? The problem is this, it will
32:25
always lead to one of two opposing outcomes.
32:27
Always, it will lead you to great pride.
32:32
Or it will leave. You two great shame.
32:35
It will lead you to one of the other.
32:36
These opposing outcome great pride because here's what
32:39
happens. You do better.
32:40
You be better. You think you are better.
32:43
Look what I've done, man. Hey, when did you read your
32:46
Bible this morning milk? Well, I read the whole book of
32:50
Galatians. Oh really?
32:53
Yeah, you know again, it's like I remember as a Christian man.
32:56
The first time I went through the whole Bible, I read the
32:58
whole Bible stinking. Yeah, the Pastor said, every
33:00
Christian should read through the whole Bible and I and he
33:02
said that I was like, I'm going to do that.
33:04
And that's what I did. And I read through my whole
33:06
Bible and when I was done, I remember finishing up going,
33:09
man, I did it. I was so proud.
33:12
It was just. So there is something proud.
33:13
There's nothing wrong with being proud of you, read the Bible.
33:15
How great is that? But then I began asking other
33:18
Christians. Hey, have you read the whole
33:19
Bible? No.
33:20
Really I guess not all of us are at the same level.
33:28
And I remember I read it a second time and I'd be like
33:30
asking Christian how often you read the whole you have read how
33:32
many times once all. Well I've doubled that I've
33:39
tripled that and it lends itself to this attitude of great pride.
33:43
Look what I've done. But on the opposite Spectrum, it
33:47
can lead to Great shame. Why?
33:49
Because it makes us look at ourselves as being the worst.
33:54
All you've read the whole Bible, never you read through a book of
33:57
the Bible. I suck.
34:00
I'm a horrible Christian. I can't believe that my steak
34:03
me. I can't.
34:04
I don't even think I'm saved now.
34:06
I didn't read my Bible today. I didn't read my Bible.
34:09
I only read it like twice. This past week, I'm the worst
34:14
you ever feel that way. You ever think that every one of
34:19
you probably have? That I can't go a day without
34:23
sinning. How could I ever even really be
34:24
saved? I keep struggling with these
34:26
same patterns in my life. I can't believe that, man.
34:28
Look at those other Christians. They've got Victory.
34:30
And here I am. I'm struggling through him and I
34:31
just Can't believe I even saved God doesn't love me.
34:37
God doesn't care about me. Again in great pride, we think
34:42
that we are something amazing. Look at what I've done.
34:44
Look at my performance in a great shame.
34:46
I'm the worst both are wrong. And the problem with us today as
34:51
Christians. So often, we Teeter between the
34:53
both between the both of them. We go up and down.
34:56
I'm the worst. I'm the best.
34:57
We go up and down. And here's the second aspect to
35:01
this. That's important.
35:02
When it comes to this performance-based, Christianity.
35:04
That's wrong. They're both wrong above pride
35:07
and shame but it's wrong because not only is this thinking wrong,
35:12
but the emotions that so often follow are just as bad.
35:15
And what do I mean by that? Well, it will cause you, and I
35:19
to think, and to act towards others, and to deal with others
35:24
on biblically, done correctly, Because we no longer see them to
35:28
the eyes of God's grace. We see them thin, we see them
35:31
through the lens of performance and pride This lends us to
35:35
become judgmental and callous and cruel towards people cold
35:40
and demeaning. Why?
35:41
Because it is all based on their performance.
35:45
We simply think too much of ourselves and we look through
35:48
others as less through the lens of legalism and performance, and
35:52
no longer Grace. And we've all done it.
35:56
We've been a Christian for how long and they still struggle
35:59
with the same thing? I can't believe me.
36:03
I know you're still. You're still smoking you to
36:04
quit. I can't believe you're smoking.
36:06
What's up with that? Your Christian?
36:09
Yeah, that's a bad witness man. You're being a bad witness for
36:11
Christ, announces lens of performance in great shame.
36:15
Again in great, shame for us, we begin to have a wrong
36:18
perspective, we become desperate to gain the favor and the
36:22
approval of others. And when this comes out of our
36:25
lives, that leads us and so many horrible ways wanting and
36:28
gaining the approval of others. I must be better and do better.
36:32
They will know and think I'm a better Christian than I am.
36:35
That's wrong. And it's bondage.
36:40
It's the same as being bondage to the law of Moses.
36:42
You're being bound by the law of performance again.
36:46
Failure to see to accept in the follow, the true gospel of grace
36:50
will always distort our view of God and it will also distort our
36:54
view of others always and this is why it is so crucial that we
36:59
grasp The Gospel. According to Grace that we grasp
37:02
the doctrine of grace that we live according to Grace because
37:06
the true gospel sets us free from a works.
37:09
Based Christianity a true gospel sets, its free for me
37:13
performance Christianity. A true gospel sets us free from
37:16
an attitude of being better than are seeking the approval of
37:19
others. The true gospel.
37:21
Settles our true identity in Christ.
37:23
The true gospel centers, our pride and our shame.
37:27
And that's why we must learn to to understand and grasp The
37:31
Gospel, According to Grace and the doctrine of grace.
37:35
Because any effort to achieve approval before God becomes an
37:39
And moment of the gospel of grace before God.
37:43
Do you want to say that again? Because some of you guys might
37:45
not have heard that any effort to achieve approval before God
37:52
becomes an abandonment of the gospel of grace before God.
37:57
Realize this in Ephesians says, that while we were Sinners,
38:02
Jesus died for us and other words, if he loved, you at your
38:06
worst, what makes you think? He loves you left now.
38:11
It's a twisting of our minds. On a performance-based
38:15
Christianity. See, it's not about getting
38:18
God's approval. It's not about what we do for
38:21
God, but rather, what he has already done for us and here's
38:25
what it boils down to you've heard this before.
38:27
Because if you go to a good church, you go to a Bible Church
38:31
like Calvary Church here. You would have heard this many
38:33
times. It's all about the relationship.
38:35
We have with Christ. You've heard that right?
38:38
It's not about religion. It's about relationship.
38:41
And not only is about our relationship with Christ, but
38:43
now it becomes the motive of that relationship.
38:46
The motive that we have with Christ.
38:48
It is about our love for him. Their greatest commandment is to
38:52
love him, with all our heart, mind and soul in the second is
38:55
just like it to love others. As we love ourselves, you see,
38:59
it's our love for the Lord that causes us to do, right?
39:02
And to do good not rules and regulation.
39:07
You know, my wife and I last month we just celebrated 27
39:10
years of being married, 27 years, man.
39:12
I thought that bad you know for his young couple that you know,
39:16
fell in love and we were like, 16 17 and we didn't know what
39:20
the heck we're doing and but I'll say in those 27 years there
39:23
was lots of ups and downs. There's a lot of tough moments
39:28
hard moments. And I give this example because
39:32
are there rules in marriage. Yes or no.
39:35
Yeah, a lot of rules and Marin you got it.
39:37
And I think I would say marriage is like half the whole time of
39:40
marriage. This figuring out what those
39:41
rules are because he liked and even know like they're saying
39:44
that even know my wife like, well, that's a roll guy.
39:46
Didn't know that, right? I didn't know.
39:47
Where do you find that? Where he does just the rule, you
39:49
know, and you learn Phi, delta T roles and responsibilities.
39:57
Right. But here's the thing, understand
40:00
it's not the rules that make the marriage work.
40:04
And it's not the rules that make marriage, wonderful.
40:09
It's all based on the foundation of mutual love and respect.
40:13
It's the love that that is shared between the husband and
40:16
wife the enjoyment of their time together.
40:21
Going through difficulty together, the trust that's built
40:24
the Loyalty that's built the time that you go through
40:26
difficulty. It is the love for one another,
40:29
that builds the relationship, not the rule, Christianity is
40:33
just like that. There are rules in Christianity.
40:36
There are things, we are called to do, and there are things were
40:38
called, not to do, but they can never be what governs, the, the
40:42
the relationship that you have with God, it makes for a
40:46
horrible marriage to be married. And think that in order to be
40:50
married, you have to I follow these rules, it ruins it.
40:53
It takes all the good and sucks the life out of it.
40:56
It's the same thing with your walk with Jesus tonight.
40:59
But when we replaced the rules and the regulations with love
41:03
and devotion and time, spent and growing in faith and growing in
41:07
Grace, and growing in service and growing and commitment all
41:10
of a sudden. Now, the focus of the
41:12
relationship radically changing and it becomes this wonderful,
41:15
incredible thing that we have with Jesus.
41:18
Out of our love for him. You know, Paul gives an
41:23
illustration in the book of Galatians in chapter 3 and
41:27
chapter 4 and the contrasting illustration, he gives is that
41:31
of a slave or a servant compared to a son with his dad.
41:37
A slave says he has to do. More has to try harder, has to
41:41
do better to do more, and it's all based on works and
41:45
performance because I have to make the master happy.
41:49
Or I'll be judged. A son says, I want to be with my
41:53
dad. I want to enjoy all that my dad
41:56
has, and all that my dad has given to me.
41:59
And it's because of my the love that I have for my dad and love
42:02
that. My dad has for me is what makes
42:04
our bond strong as he. So often as Christians we can
42:08
try to live as a slave to a master and it's always going to
42:13
be worked based and performance-based and it will
42:16
lead you to be a bitter resentful Christian and will
42:19
always cause you to have to do more and to be better and to do
42:22
more. But when it comes to just being
42:25
a son or a daughter of the father, it is out of the love
42:28
that he has given to us. We love him because he first
42:30
loved us. And this relationship with them,
42:32
that causes this relationship to Globe grow and to flourish.
42:37
And this is the warning that Paul is wanting to give the
42:40
church in galatia and run from a performance-based Christianity
42:46
and run to a love for the father, a Devotion to the father
42:51
walking his grace Walk In The Gospel, According to Grace.
42:54
Again, we read this. Look at verse 6, Galatians 1, he
42:57
says, I Marvel that you are turning.
42:59
It's so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a
43:04
different gospel. Which is not really.
43:07
Another gospel. For there are some who trouble
43:10
you and want to pervert, the gospel of Christ.
43:14
But even if we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
43:17
to you than what we have received to you, let him be
43:20
accursed as I said to you before.
43:23
So now I say, again, if anyone preaches, any other gospel to
43:27
you than what you have received, let him be accursed again,
43:31
Paul's warning is to not follow a false gospel based.
43:36
On performance or works that this false gospel is a
43:40
perversion of Grace, the gospel of grace, the god, doctrine of
43:46
grace. He says, don't follow this.
43:48
Don't believe what is contrary to the word of God?
43:52
Don't follow your feelings, follow his word and even if some
43:57
gifted Pastor were to come and to teach us, don't follow him.
44:00
Even if a supernatural being will come and say this, don't
44:03
follow him by the way that happened, right?
44:07
Ever heard of this cult that was all formulated and found it on
44:12
this angel that came and gave this special divine revelation,
44:16
another gospel, it's called Mormonism.
44:19
It's all based on this angel, that came that brought a new
44:23
revelation, a new gospel, he says run.
44:27
So if you were to formulate, the book of Galatians me give you
44:30
some some ideas and thoughts. The first two chapters of
44:33
galatian is all personal chapters, one and two are
44:36
personal. Even the next two chapters of
44:39
Galatians chapter 3 and 4 doll doctrinal.
44:42
And the final two chapters of Galatians are practical how to
44:45
live it out. How to do it?
44:47
Well, Paul wants to do to the churches in galatia.
44:49
If Paul takes the theological and he makes it practical and
44:52
Paul takes the doctrinal and he makes it relational.
44:55
So what do we do take tonight? What do we do?
44:57
Walk away with when we leave, we go to our car and we go to bed
44:59
tonight and wake up in the morning.
45:01
What do we need to take away? And it's this The true gospel is
45:06
realizing this simple. Truth found in the book of
45:08
Galatians. That Jesus plus nothing equals
45:13
everything, that's it. And as we close in a word of
45:17
prayer, be closed and worship as we close in the song.
45:20
I pray that for something. You you would respond to what's
45:23
been said tonight because it requires a response.
45:28
Do you know that every time you open up the word God wants you
45:31
to respond to his word? He wants not only for there to
45:35
be meditation and thoughtful consideration for his word, but
45:39
there is an idea and thought from the word that there needs
45:42
to be a response to it. And for some of us, you've been
45:47
living a performance-based Christianity and you're stuck in
45:52
this bondage of what you do. And you're seeking the approval
45:56
of others by what you do. You're seeking the approval of
45:59
God by what you do. I must be better and do better.
46:03
And if that's our thinking Paul makes it clear.
46:06
We need to repent from that. We need to stop living a
46:09
performance-based Christianity but rather we must rest and what
46:14
he's done. His atoning work, his grace, his
46:17
Mercy, his love, you know, maybe even invited tonight to go to
46:22
church and you haven't been in church for a while, maybe you
46:25
just got saved, you know? It's important that we grasp the
46:29
grace of God, that it's unmerited unearned.
46:31
There's nothing you can do to add to to it.
46:34
We can only receive it and just no man.
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God loves you tonight, even in your failure, even in your
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weakness, even in your addiction, even in your
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Brokenness of things in your life, that no one sees, God sees
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sees it all, he loves you and his by the power of the Holy
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Spirit. He not only, can he deliver you,
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he'll provide new strength and new Grace, for you today.
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And set, you free from this bondage of performance.
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But you might rest and experience all that he has for
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you. When you pray with me tonight,
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God help us to grasp this reality, that Jesus plus.
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Nothing equals everything Lord, that we would truly grasp, the
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wonderful work of your love and of your son and of the grace of
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God, help us to rest in you. Help us to rest and Grace help
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us got in our pride, help us in our arrogance to think we can
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somehow add to the gospel of grace.
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That we somehow can work and do more and be better and perform
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and add to what you've already done for us.
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God, we do want victory over the flash, we do want to be pleasing
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in your sight. And so now Lord, may your spirit
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move and bring conviction a holy spirit.
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Now may your spirit move and bring freedom from sin and
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bondage. God me your spirit move and and
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give us a surance of your great love for us to be called
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children of God. And tonight, you know God might
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be Calling you to for you to give your life to Jesus.
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Maybe you think that's Christianity is all about what
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you do and don't do listen. That's a lie.
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Christianity is simply who you put your trust in faith in and
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if you put your trust in faith in what Jesus has done on the
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cross, the Bible says that you can be forgiven, not because of
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what you do, but because of what he has done for you, God might
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be calling you tonight to give up your Performance Based
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Christianity or legalism, all about your rules and regulation.
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But the more rules you have in your life, the better Christian
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you are and God wants you to give that up.
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No, he's not asking give up personal conviction.
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No, he's not. Why asking you to lower your
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standards? That's not what he's doing.
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But he wants you to realize that you can't live a legalistic life
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for yourself or for others. Says, in the gotten and first
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John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is
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faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all
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unrighteousness. Romans 10:13 says for everyone.
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And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
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I pray tonight, we would call on the name of the Lord.
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And so God, I pray for those that are here tonight.
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It's not by accident, not by coincidence, that we're here.
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It's divine appointment by the Holy Spirit and I God I pray
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that we would hear your voice and that me might respond
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tonight. That we might surrender Our
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Lives to you. So just right now, this have a
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moment of prayer talk to God. If you've never received Jesus
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right now, ask them to come into your life and forgive you of
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your sins. Ask him to change you to save
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you from everything you've ever done.
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He would bring healing to the Brokenness of her life, that he
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would bring Deliverance in the change that you're stuck in the
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fear. The doubt the wanting of
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acceptance. God, for those Christians who
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have been struggling just by trying to be better and do
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better, that we might come to a place of empting ourselves
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before you just allowing the Holy Spirit to Freshly refill Us
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by your spirit that we might know your love and your peace.
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That we would rest fully in the grace of God.
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Help that to be our reality to us.
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That's our prayer. That's our ask tonight.
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In Jesus name. Amen, we pray that you've been
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encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
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sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
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Call us at 877, 30 Grace. That's eight 77304, 703 to
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listen to this message in its entirety or to join us for our
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lives dream Services. Visit us online.
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At Calvary Co dot church or download our free Calvary Church
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app. Be blessed, is you worship Jesus
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this week. At Calvary Co dot church or
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download our free Calvary Church app.
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Be blessed, is you worship Jesus this week.