Scripture referenced 11 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Psalm 145:3 opening verse shared before singing: 'Great is the Lord, He is most worthy of praise, no one can measure his greatness'
3 Great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised! His greatness is unsearchable.
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Keep this verse
Jeremiah 29:11
charge to graduates: 'For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
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Galatians 1:3-4
review of Paul's opening gospel summary: grace and peace from God the Father, Christ who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—
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Galatians 1:8
review of warning against any other gospel, even from an angel
8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.
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Galatians 1:9
Paul repeats the curse on anyone preaching a different gospel
9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.
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Galatians 2:20
review: 'I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me, the life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me'
20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.
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Galatians 3:1
review of Paul calling the Galatians foolish and asking who had bewitched them
1 Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified?
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Galatians 4:1-7
review of the heir-as-child illustration, bondage under elementary principles, and adoption as sons crying Abba Father
1 But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;
2 but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.
3 So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
5 that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.
6 And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”
7 So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
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Galatians 4:8-11
review of turning back to weak and beggarly elements after knowing God, observing days and months and seasons
8 However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.
9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?
10 You observe days, months, seasons, and years.
11 I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.
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Galatians 4:12-20
main sermon passage: Paul's personal plea to become like him, his physical infirmity, their former blessing, the Judaizers making much of them, and his labor like childbirth until Christ is formed in them
12 I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,
13 but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.
14 That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.
16 So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.
18 But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you—
20 but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
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2 Corinthians 6:18
closing: 'I will be your father and you will be my sons and my daughters, thus says the Lord almighty'
18 I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
The pastor preached from Galatians 4:12-20, the next passage in First B's ongoing study through Galatians. He used a personal plea from Paul to the Galatian church to press on the same question that has driven the whole letter: why would anyone who has received the freedom of the gospel trade it for something smaller?
What was said
The letter to the Galatians has been building a case from the start, and the pastor walked back through it before arriving at chapter four. Paul's argument runs on three tracks, grace versus law, faith versus works, and spirit versus flesh. He is not ambiguous about which side is right. From the opening benediction through three and a half chapters of what the pastor called "indicative" teaching, Paul has been stating the facts of how things are in Christ before he ever issues a single command.
That first command, when it finally comes in verse 12, is personal rather than doctrinal. "Become like me, for I became like you." The pastor read this as Paul describing the freedom he found when he left behind Jewish legalism and crossed over to sit with people he once considered outside the covenant. He is not holding himself up as a model of discipline. He is describing a man who has surrendered his life to Jesus and loves where that has taken him, and he wants the Galatians to experience the same thing.
Paul then recalls how the Galatians first received him. Whatever his physical condition was when he arrived, whether illness from traveling through swampy terrain or injuries from a beating, they did not treat it as a sign of God's curse. They welcomed him the way they would have welcomed Christ himself. That memory makes the change in their attitude toward him all the more painful. He is not their enemy for telling them the truth, even if the Judaizers who came after him have made it seem that way.
The Judaizers are the target of verses 17 and following. The pastor described their method as flattery in service of exclusivity. They make much of the Galatians, telling them they have what it takes to meet the requirements, because the more selective a club appears, the more people want in. But lifting people up so they believe they can earn their way into God's favor is, the pastor said, a form of pride, and pride is the sneakiest sin because it sits underneath all the others.
To put flesh on what it looks like to be made much of for a good purpose, the pastor talked about Dave Brunk, whose funeral he attended the night before. People spoke for two and a half hours, and every word was true. Dave was known for telling people, "I'm your biggest fan," and he meant it. He had texted his brother not long before he died to say he had left it all out there and had no regrets. That, the pastor said, is a life lived after Jesus, and it is what Paul is reaching for when he says it is always good to be made much of for a good purpose.
Paul closes the passage confused, and the pastor said the confusion is the point. Paul knows these people tasted the real thing. If you have actually received the gospel, the alternatives on either side, whether lawless license or grinding legalism, should hold no appeal. The perplexity Paul expresses is not a rhetorical device. He genuinely cannot understand why anyone who has walked with God would want to trade that for bondage, in either direction.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Paul says the Galatians had genuinely received the Holy Spirit and trusted the gospel, yet they were drifting toward legalism. Have you ever found yourself sliding back toward earning God's approval after already trusting His grace? What did that look like?
- Pastor Nathan described two ditches on either side of the gospel: legalism on one side and license on the other. Which ditch do you think is the bigger temptation for you personally, and why?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 8,119 words
0:00
Good morning, everybody. Good morning. Good morning. It's really good to see you, and it's really good to hear everybody just talking and laughing and having a good time. It's a beautiful day.
0:11
Can I share a verse with you? It's from Psalm 145, and the verse is this. Great is the Lord. He is most worthy of praise. No one can measure his greatness.
0:23
We serve a great and awesome and mighty God. Shall we sing up and praise him?
0:27
Amen.
0:28
Let's do it. Stand up with me.
0:36
Alright. All hail the power. All hail the power of Jesus' name. Let angels prong straight forward bring forth the boy you're dying down and crown him lord bring forth the royal diadem and crown him of all. Alright.
1:11
A little louder
1:12
on the second verse, shall we?
1:14
He chosen seed of Israel's race, he ransomed the far. Hail him who saves you by his grace and crown him Lord of God. Hail him who saves you by his grace and ground him, Lord of all. Verse three, the loudest, shall we? Let every kindred, every tribe
2:28
Amen. Let's pray together. Good morning, God. It is good to meet with you. It is good to praise you.
2:33
It's good to learn from you. It's good to be filled up by your presence. I pray that we would just acknowledge your being here with us and be be ready to meet with you, the living God. Amen. You can be seated.
2:53
Welcome. First of all, glad that you're here. I know a lot of y'all are in town for graduation and a lot of you are in for a different kind of graduation. There was a funeral last night. I tell you what, that put the fun in funeral.
3:05
I had a ball. I I went to a funeral and then went to a graduation party and then went back to the funeral because it was celebrating somebody who lived his life for Jesus. So, it was just fantastic. That'll come up. I'm sure in the sermon.
3:16
I don't know exactly how but I'm glad that you're here. Whatever the reason, I've got a few announcements. One of em is that VBS is coming. It is June 22 through the twenty sixth. So, it's just couple weeks away.
3:28
There's a donation table in the foyer out there and there are still a few slips. If you could and you would, if you would like to help out, you can grab one of those slips and then retrieve whatever the item on the slip is and bring it back and Krista has been sorting through that stuff. So, please go for that. Turning Point is the Pregnancy Resource Center in town and there is gonna be a big gala on this... Let me make sure, Thursday July 16 at 06:00 in the evening.
4:00
It's going to be at Spring Creek Ranch and there are still tables available if you would like to do a table. First B is doing a couple. There are there are several other churches that are going to be there but if you'd like to be a part of that, please let us know. Shelly Donahue is a very tall lady. She's almost as tall as me and she has a great, great, great ministry of relationship education.
4:25
I would say, this is something that you should not miss. July 16 and there's a flyer in your bulletin. Put it on your refrigerator so that you'll remember it. Monday nights at first b are going on. They keep going on and tomorrow night in that room over there, the fellowship hall, even though we're not doing Awana at this time of year, the kids are welcome at Monday night.
4:46
If you'll bring em in, that's good. And we're in first John right now. So, walking in the light. And check your bulletin. That's why we have em and that's it.
4:55
That's all the announcement that I have but I'm going to invite Renzi up. This is graduation. Here he comes.
5:01
Graduation. Yes. Is upon us. It has come and gone. Yesterday was a big day for a lot of folks because it was a triple crown, Saturday.
5:12
That's not true. It's actually because a lot of your guys' kids and grandkids graduated from Jackson Hole. So first of all, I'd like to say, congratulations. Save time, we combined the two words and we're going to get through this quick but if you guys graduate, first, actually before, yeah, there you go. We got it finally in the back.
5:31
Nice job. I'm going to ask, if you're a graduate this year, would you please come up here on the stage? I won't embarrass you but I just want to make sure that you're all recognized in front of our church body here. So if you graduated, Amy, nice. Jamie, Nikki, yeah.
5:46
Alright. Give these guys a hand. Fantastic. Very good. Very, very good.
5:56
And I will just put this out here. If I did forget anybody, I apologize. Also, well, no that's it. No, we actually have some. I've got slides for each of these guys.
6:11
So we'll see if we can get this. Josh Gilmore, he's a part of this church. Well, I don't see him here this morning but I just wanted to give him a little shine as well. Heading to Calvin College for Chemical Engineering and Physics. We've got Amy Hall who is here.
6:26
Carl Myvanna White back here is gonna be handing out some gifts for these guys. Montana State University, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. If I say something wrong, let me know. Charlotte Hoyft. Is that right, Hoyft?
6:44
Hoyft. Foolish. Charlotte Hoyft, University of Vermont Educational Policy and International Relations. I don't think she's here either right now. Clay Humphrey.
6:54
Is Clay in the house? We've got some Humphreys in the house though. Very loud at graduation yesterday, nice job. Going to the University of Wyoming and then off to another spot after that I believe but for creative writing. Emily Johnson.
7:09
Nope. Working. Oh, she's at another church. Whatever. No.
7:17
She plays violin at River Crossing so she has an excuse. Oral Roberts University for music education. Nikki. Nikki is here. What up Nikki?
7:28
Nikki heading to the University of Denver and undeclared on what you'll be studying? Just whatever. You're gonna go out there and figure it out. That's good. You'll end up like me.
7:37
Alright. Wyatt Lowe. Band right here. He's not graduating right with this class but he will before 2015 is over, so we wanted to include him. So New York University, recording and production.
7:53
Jamie McMullen, I saw her up here way at the end, heading to University of Wyoming for physical therapy and athletic training. Yes. Anders Olsen, half of the congregation here today is with him. So, good job. What I did?
8:10
How do you spell it? Anders Olsson. It's not sun? It's sin? Anders Olsson?
8:19
Oh, oh, gotcha. Oh, architecture. Don't worry about that. I didn't... I didn't I didn't go to school for architecture, so I wouldn't know that.
8:30
Montana State, you'll be close. Just a few hours away and gonna study architecture. Kylie Ripley. Yes, we got some Ripley's in the house. Nice job.
8:41
Taking a gap year in Oregon and then on to college in Washington. Yes. Conor Seton, right here, this handsome fella. University of San Diego, gonna be studying business. Connor.
9:01
He'll also be playing in the band today. Trevor Swink, he's heading to Jackson Hole Bible College. He's sticking around for a year. We went to his graduation last week actually over CBC. It was wonderful.
9:18
Rachel Tucker, we're on the string here. This is perfect. Rachel Tucker, University of Wyoming for Veterinary Science. And that's it. Congratulations, guys.
9:30
This is exciting time. You guys are heading off on an awesome adventure. I'm gonna leave you with one verse and my thunder was sold... Of... Stole a few weeks ago when...
9:40
Oh, what's his name? Your dad. Doug. Doug spoke. He he talked about the source but Jeremiah twenty nine eleven, for I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
9:51
They are plans for good and not for disaster. To give you a future and a hope. Guys, big encouragement. Make good decisions. I like to say that.
9:59
Make good decisions. Love people, be kind, and seek Christ. That is the charge. You guys can go and sit back down. Thanks.
10:14
Yeah. So you guys can stand up, greet one another, greet these grads, send them off with a hug and a high five, and we'll bring you back in song. Alright,
10:30
singing about our firm foundation in Christ.
10:35
I'll firm my foundation, you saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word. What more can he say than to you he has said to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled. And fear not, he's with us. Fear not, he's with us. So be not dismayed for he is our God, our sustainer and strength.
11:09
He'll be our defender and cause us to stand upheld by his merciful almighty. And how firm, how firm a foundation, how sure our foundation and we will not be shaken. Jesus' firm foundation, the soul that's trusting. The soul that is trusting in Jesus as Lord will press on and endure it in darkest a storm. And though we even hell should endeavor to shake, You'll never, no, never, no, never forsake.
12:05
How firm, how firm a foundation, how sure a foundation, and we will not be shaken. Jesus, firm foundation. And age to age, he stands a I hear the savior say, thy strength indeed is small child of weakness watch and pray find in me thine all in all Jesus paid Jesus paid it all as snow. Over now, indeed, I find life on and thine alone can change the lepers spots and they're the hottest stone Jesus paid it all to him I owe when before the throne, I stand in him complete. All day, my trophies down,
15:24
We're gonna praise the one who paid our debt.
15:43
And freezes life up from a dead. Oh, praise the one who beat my death and freezes life up from a dead. Jesus paid it all, and all to him I know. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. God, how true?
16:31
And that is
16:31
the case with us. Sin does leave a crimson stain on us. But you, God, by the power that raised Christ from the dead, you have given us new life, a spiritual rebirth, and for that, we are grateful. And what does it take? Belief, repentance, knowing that we're sinners and that you're holy God, but then trusting in you and having this new life in you, and I'm grateful for that.
16:55
And I pray, God, that we'd live that new life in you. We know that we have new life in you, and the Holy Spirit would regenerate us in such a way. Be living for you. Be loving you, loving people. A good spiritual fruit would flow from us.
17:10
That's my prayer for us, God. In Jesus' name. Amen. This is an awesome invitation here right here. I pray that you'd sing it with us here.
17:30
And come ye sinners, poor and needy, a weak and wounded, a sick and sore. Jesus ready, stands to save you for pity, love and power. And come ye first aid, come and welcome God's free bounty, glorifying, true belief and true repentance. You will embrace me in his arms. And in the arms of my dear savior, there are 10,000 shines.
19:47
Are 10,000 chimes,
19:50
and I'll rise. Let's sing it out.
19:53
And I'll rise and go to Jesus. You will embrace me in his arms. And in the arms of my dear savior, there are 10,000 shines. There are 10,000 shines.
20:41
God, I thank you again for the the invitation. And and some of us do feel weary and heavy laden. And I thank you that you give us the invitation, to come just as we are. Like, we don't need to clean up our act first and then come to you. We come to you, and then you, by the power of your Holy Spirit, help us to kinda clean up our act, and you sanctify us, and you make us more like Jesus.
21:07
And I pray that you'd continue that good work in us. You're not finished with us. I know that. And we have the the rest of our lives here to to become more like your son. And so I'm praying God for that.
21:22
I'm praying for the Holy Spirit to move. Like, what do we have? What do what do we have on our own apart from you? And we come to you. You fill us up, and there are indeed 10,000 charms.
21:34
There are so many benefits to following you. And a lot of them even... They're not even material. It's what you do on the inside. It's how you change us and transform us.
21:46
You give us hope. You fill us with joy. You give us peace and so much more. And I'm praying God for this whole church right here. And if anyone's coming in and going, I don't get it.
21:56
The Holy Spirit, you do your good work. Thank you. Thank you, God, for every gift that you give. I thank you for for blessing us with material blessings, with spiritual blessings. And as we enter here in the worship of giving, when we're throwing things in the offering plate again, I pray that it'll be more than just just cash or money or whatever.
22:19
But it'd be... We're saying, God, I trust you with this. I'm giving this to you. And I I trust that you're gonna multiply. I trust that the gospel's gonna go out, and you'll keep moving in people's hearts.
22:31
So we thank you for these gifts, and we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Y'all can have a seat.
22:39
Amen. Wow. It's a full house this morning. I am excited to be back because this is just kind of a normal Sunday. It's a normal Sunday where we get to dig in together and we're in the middle of a study in Galatians.
22:51
So, we're up to Galatians four but I wanna flip through. This is gonna be the main focus for the day is Galatians four twelve through 20 but I wanna bring us back up to speed. I have been away from this text for a month now and if y'all are like me, y'all forgotten what we did last time we were in this. So, that's what we're gonna go through. Hopefully, really quickly.
23:11
The first few slides will be that. So, a little review. Paul starts off right away in the first verse. He starts off and says, the authority that he has to preach and teach and to spread the gospel directly from Christ and then he says this, the gospel, grace to you and peace from God, the father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins. That's the gospel.
23:39
That he might deliver us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and father to whom be glory forever and ever. It's a benediction. It's a blessing. It's a praise but it is the gospel summed up right there. It's the message of the cross and Paul always, always, always hits the cross heart.
23:57
Some people read him as a legalist but I think they're bringing something into the picture. If you look at Paul, honestly, he always starts with the gospel. Whenever he goes to a new place, he always starts in the synagogue because those are his people. They're the people that he knows best because he knows their traditions. He knows where they're coming from but he starts with the message of the cross.
24:19
Everything that you know about the Old Testament was pointing towards this and then he explains it and y'all seen this slide and y'all seen this slide and y'all seen this slide and y'all seen a yellow one and a green one I couldn't find and you probably gonna keep on seeing em because this is the message that makes the difference between life and death. To those who are being saved, it is the power of God, the very simple gospel that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, offered that perfect life on your behalf and you can accept that. You have nothing to do with it. You can accept it. You can earn it.
24:57
You can't work for it. You can't get there. But you can accept it. He made it. And to those who believe that it and appropriate it for themselves, you're being saved.
25:08
It's the power of God that does it but to those who are perishing, it's mere foolishness. I can't believe. That's no. I can't believe that you gotta do something. Surely, you gotta do something.
25:20
We even expound on it sometimes but it's still the message of the cross. This one, hopefully, will come back at the end. The letter to the Galatians deals with this, grace versus law and he's very, very, very clear about it. Faith versus works. Very clear.
25:38
You can't come down on the wrong side of this issue in this book. And spirit versus flesh. We haven't gotten as much into that part yet but we'll get there next week or the week after. So, grace versus law, faith versus works, spirit versus flesh, and if you look at it, this is the right answer, okay? And that's the wrong answer.
25:58
Paul's very very clear about it all the way through everything we've heard so far. He has pointed towards grace, faith, and the spirit. So, is the book of Galatians relevant to our time and place? We're only up to one eight nine right now but this is a time when we're surrounded by other faiths. But even if we, Paul says, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you.
26:30
Let him be a curse. The very simple message of Jesus, a simple gospel. If anybody else preaches anything in addition to this, it's not the gospel. That's not good news. It's repackaged bad news.
26:42
And he says it again, the very next verse. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you, than what you have received, let him be accursed. Now, the historical context of this time, the Judaizers were trying to convince the Galatians that they had to be circumcised, that they had to follow the Mosaic Law in order to be saved. That's what they are working against the simple gospel and saying, no, you have to add to it this. That might be enough to save you but it's not enough to sanctify you.
27:16
It's not enough to make you more like Jesus. In fact, I don't even really think it's enough to save. You need to be sure. Be sure by doing, not by just believing or being. So, that was chapter one.
27:26
Chapter two, Paul, this great, I have been crucified with Christ. He considers himself to be dead to his old life. I I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith. Grace, faith, spirit.
27:46
I live by faith in the son of God who love me and gave himself for me and I do not set aside that grace of God for if righteousness comes through law, then Christ died in vain. Do y'all get the logic there? Paul's going through chapter two, that's his point. We get up to chapter three. It kind of washed out there but oh foolish Galatians, remember the start?
28:07
Oh, foolish Galatians, he addresses him. Who has bewitched you? Who is it that is trying to trick you into believing that what you already know to be true is not true and adding to it or changing it in some way. Having begun by the spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Well, ask that way.
28:27
Well, no, Paul. The life I now live, I live by faith just like you. Did you suffer so many things in vain? No. No.
28:35
By faith, I believe that all of the suffering that I've experienced will be used by God. He'll work it into my life. Does he who supplies the spirit, capital S, Holy Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law or does he do it by hearing with faith? Hearing with faith, no doubt. So, he goes into the classroom.
28:57
If you look through the first three chapters up through midway through chapter four, all of the verbs pretty much are in the indicative. They're all saying, this is what it is. This is the way that it is. He's teaching em like a classroom and he even gets into legal argumentation toward the end of chapter three and he's just stating the facts of how it is. With a little bit of passion in there, oh foolish Galatians.
29:23
I'm perplexed by you. He presents he presents the law as having been a tutor, a guardian, but even better put, a disciplinarian. And this is the law right here. This is a picture. Oh, I wish I I will be good.
29:41
I will be good. I will be good until recess. Oh my goodness. I have to come back in and write more sentences. Union with Christ through faith is what it's all about.
29:50
That's chapter three summed up right there. Union with Christ through faith. Now, legalism is one ditch. We talk about this all the time. It's way over here.
30:01
Legalism and it's easy to fall into this ditch and it's graduation Sunday. Most sermons on graduation Sunday will be stay out of this ditch. We want you away from the ditch of license. Don't go there. Don't go there.
30:15
Danger, danger, danger but in our attempts to keep people out of this ditch, we run way over here. And we get in the legalistic. Don't do this. Don't this. Don't this.
30:26
Do this. If you do this, oh my goodness. Jesus is right here, right here. His Holy Spirit is available. His gospel is good and if you've accepted that and trusted that, pay attention to him.
30:42
I will arise and go to Jesus. Out of either ditch, you can do that. Alright. So, here's the where the sermon starts. No, it isn't.
30:49
This is Galatians four. We're just getting to this. Now, I say that the heir, as long as he's a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all. But he's under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so, we, when we were children, we were in bondage under the elementary principles.
31:09
Y'all remember this? This is a New King James version. I used the ESV when I preached on this. We were in bondage under the elementary principles of this world but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those that were under the law that we might receive adoption as sons. Do you see what it's about being in family of God?
31:31
It keeps on bringing it back to being in God's family. Are the rules different for a son than they are for a slave? Y'all can answer yes or no. Yes. The rules are different for a son than they are for a slave.
31:47
And when we were bound to the elementary principles of this world, we were enslaved to those things. Paul saying, sonship is what he offers. You still wanna do the will of the master. You still wanna do the will of the father but it's from a different place. You know that he loves you.
32:04
So, we got this far already. Today, we'll go to six and seven. So, it's receive adoption as sons and because you are sons, he's writing this to the Galatians. The ones who've been bewitched, ones the he's mad at, that he doesn't thank God for. You remember that?
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At the very beginning, he always thanks every, I thank God every time. It's like being on the phone and going, no, I love you. You hang up first. That's Paul normally. In this one, that's not what he's doing.
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He's saying, I'm upset with you. I'm upset because you've put down something that you know and you're going for it. You're going for some bad teaching. Come on, people and he's been pleading with him but he knows that they're still believers. I'm going to go a bit out on a limb right here now.
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Paul planted churches all over the place, right? And if you plant a church and the people that get saved in that church, they're saved forever. You'll see em in eternity. That'll be fantastic but if their theology gets off, there won't be another round. Does that make sense?
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You can make legalists. You can produce these. You can produce legalists pretty easily. Every other religion in the world is legalistic in that sense. It's a works based thing.
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You can produce that but you can't produce the spirit. You can't produce Christianity if you don't just stick to the simple gospel message that Jesus died for you. But Paul knows that they've accepted it and he wants for this to continue. So, he wants for him to get back to the, keep the main thing, the main thing and because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your heart and he is crying out, Abba, father, Abba, equated with daddy. It's not an angry God.
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This is a god who loves you. He's your father and he cares for you. He's not angry with you. He's not mad. He loves you and you know this if you'll listen to that still small voice in your heart.
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I know that you're a son of God. I know that you're a child of God. He sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying out, Abba, father, daddy. Therefore, you're no longer a slave but a son and if you're a son, then you're an heir of God through Christ. Now, does that bring joy?
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Should that bring joy? Join heirs with Jesus as we travel this thought. I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God. Yeah. Alright.
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Next slide. But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. Now, to the Galatians, this might have been the Roman pantheon of gods. To the pothead, it might have been dope. To a drunkard, it might have been drink.
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You were serving things that were not God's. Does that make sense to you? Are you with me so far? Actually, I wanna back up just a second. What we're gonna get into here for the 12 through 20, it's fuzzy to me.
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This one's a little bit fuzzy, but it gets fuzzier in 12 through 20. I believe in the clarity, the perspicuity of scripture to just be able to read it and the simplest child should be able to understand, but this part is a
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little
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muddy. So I'm going to try to just explain my way through the the verses and hopefully shed some light but let you just take it. This is getting to a personal plea from Paul. Instead of all the theology, he's still reasoning with him at this point but it's going to turn personal here in a minute but then indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which which by nature are not gods but now, after you have known God, oh, or rather are known by God. He's riding along and he goes, wait a second.
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It's not that you know God, it's that he knows you. There's an intimate relationship both ways. You know him and he knows you. There's no doubt about it. Y'all are together.
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How is it that you now turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, the elementary principles of this world, whether it be in that ditch or this ditch? The elementary principles, when you train up a child in the way that they should go, it sometimes seems disciplinary and legalistic. There's a lot of memorization that happens in the grammar stage, you know. But you can just as easily be enslaved on that side, in that ditch. How is it that you turn again from this right here, the center of the gospel, trust in Jesus, not just to save you but to sanctify you when you yield your will to him.
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Put it in neutral and let God draw you. Let him be the one that moves you. Listen to what he says and obey. How is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, the elementary principles to which you desire again to be in bondage? Do you really wanna live that life again, whether it's over there or over there?
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You observe days and months and seasons and years. Those could have been pagan rituals for the pagans, but it could have also been the Jewish calendar, the must do Jewish calendar for the Jews. I'm afraid for you, he says. Lest I've labored for you in vain. Now this, if you look at it and you go, he's going, great.
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You turn away. It's all about me. No, he's saying, I I really am afraid for you and the next generation of people, Christians that won't be if you just let this simple gospel drop. I'm afraid for you. Lest I've labored for you in vain.
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Alright. We're going to go on to twelve to twenty. This is what the sermon's about right here. Brethren, brothers and sisters, I urge you to become like me for I became like you. What in the world does that mean?
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I want you to become like me because I became like you. Now, Paul is what? From what background? He's over here. Jewish legalist.
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He had the ceremonial law. He had the dietary law. He had all this but when he met Christ, he was right here and he could see those guys over here and he went, I think I'll have a ham sandwich with these guys and bring em in. I'm free enough that I can reach out to you on the other side. I don't think that this is the only way.
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Don't think this is the only way. Brothers, I urge you to become free to become free. I became like you. I reached over to bring you in. I urge you to become like me.
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Now, some people would say, it's just that dietary, pagan, whatever. I I think that he's saying, I'm I'm experiencing the freedom in Christ right now. I'm doing what I love. Woe be unto me if I don't do this. I love it.
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This is what Jesus made me to be and to do and I'm having a ball in it. I want for you to experience what it is to live life in God exactly like he designed you to do. So, become like me for I became like you. I reached out. You've not injured me at all.
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I'm not upset with you. Like I said, the other verse is not like he's going. You've not injured me at all. I know that. I just heard news of what's going on there and I want to help.
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You know that it was because of physical infirmity that I preached the gospel to you at first. Now, anytime that there's something like this where there's a statement and you don't really know what's happening, everybody tries to explain it. All of the commentaries have a different version of it. A lot of people feel like when he entered Pamphilia through the swamps, he probably was bitten by a mosquito and had malaria which comes in bouts of fever which make it very hard to travel. He was not originally intended in staying in Galatia but when he went through, he was stuck and he preached anyway.
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Other people and I think this one probably is more reasonable. Say when he was going through Lystra and Derby where he picked up Timothy, he got beaten almost to death, and he was beaten up so badly that he had to stop along the way. And that physical infirmity could have been that. You can take it from Acts and several different places what it might have been when he's going through Galatia. Doesn't really matter what it was but he was not doing well.
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Put it that way. Whether he had a fever or whether he was beat up pretty bad, possibly even in the next couple of verses, make it look like he mighta had a physical deformity, maybe a beaten up so bad you couldn't tell what he looked like. You know that because of physical infirmity, I just wasn't able to keep on going but since I'm here, I'm going to preach the gospel because that's what I do because that's what Jesus wired me to do. And my trial which was in my flesh, what I was going through, whatever ailment that was, you did not despise and you did not reject. Now, in the old ancient world and still in some cases today, there's a belief that if you are physically hurt, deformed, or going through some sickness or illness that you are being judged or cursed by God.
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Remember the whole story with Jesus's disciples come up on the blind man and say, who sinned? This guy or his parents? Had to be one of em, right? Who's the punishment on? Who's God's wrath?
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This angry God. Who's his wrath falling on? And Jesus says, neither one. It's so that the glory of God might be revealed. God's glory was being revealed through Paul's physical infirmities right here and my trial which was in my flesh, you did not despise, reject.
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You didn't say, oh, he's under God's curse. We're not listening to him. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. But you receive me as an angel, same word for messenger, a messenger of God, an angel of God, even as Jesus Christ, as Christ Jesus himself. You receive me well.
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What then was the blessing you enjoyed? If you read that in the New King James, it could be confusing. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? It's like Paul doesn't know. So, this is the ESV.
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What then has become of your blessedness? He remembers the blessing that they enjoyed. He remembers that they had accepted Jesus and they got it. Bam. Holy Spirit filled lives, doing, being, loving, taking care of one another, being in family with God.
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He knew that. What then happened to that blessing that you were enjoying at that time? For I bear witness that if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given em to me. You were incredibly generous. Some people say it's physical infirmity was some sort of eye problem, and that's a pretty good one.
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It comes up several times in his letters. Look at... I wrote this. See how big the letters are? Could have been that too, but it's probably just an idiomatic expression.
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He says, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given em to me. Now, now, have I therefore now become your enemy because I told you the truth? I told you about the simple gospel and you accepted it and now these guys have been teaching you all this legalistic nonsense that you have to do. Now, now, I've become a bad guy because I just told you the simple gospel. Over the time that I've been gone, my name has been made mud.
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That's why it started off in that very first verse saying, hey, the apostleship, the scent, nature of my ministry comes from Jesus. I didn't get it from those guys. I didn't get it from those guys. I got it right here from Jesus, from the source. Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
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After three full chapters, three and a half full chapters of theology and legal argumentation and pointing out the indicative things. This is the first place where he uses an imperative. He says, be like me. Be like me. I love I love where God has me right now.
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He's not saying be like me. I'm a legalist and I know what's going on. Be like me. No, he's saying, be like me. I've surrendered my whole life to Jesus and it's great.
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Come on in. The water's fine. That's what he's saying. And then he get turns attention a bit to the Judaizers here. In verse 17, he says, they and he's talking about these legalistic folks that are saying you have to follow the Mosaic Law.
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They zealously court you but for no good. Yes, they want to exclude you that you may be zealous for them but it's good to be zealous and a good thing always and not only when I'm present with you, my little children for whom I labor and birth again until Christ has formed you. I would like to be present with you and change my tone for I have my doubts about you. That one confused me in the New King James too. Sorry, it lost me.
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So, if you ever do that, you hit something and it's just too confusing, try two or three translations. Sometimes, it'll just clean it up. This one helped me. They make much of you. He's talking about the legalists, the Judaizers.
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He's saying, they make much of you. They are falling over you. They're making much of you. But not in the sense of praising you. This is a hard one to to teach and to preach.
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Pride is the sneakiest of sins. Would you all agree with me? Yes. It's kind of the chief among all of em. It encapsulates.
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It's an umbrella over all of em. It's the original sin of the devil was pride. Vawning himself and lifting himself up and so pride is so so sneaky. If you really think you can do it on your own, you can earn your way to heaven. That is a very, very proud thought.
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Do you agree with me? Yes. When these guys say, they make much of you, they're like, no, you can do it. You can do it. All you have to do is not eat this, eat this, don't do that, snip this part.
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My goodness. Keep on going. They make much of you. If you'll do these things, that equals entry into the kingdom. They make much of you but not for any good purpose.
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It's lifting up man. It's lifting up self if you think you can earn your way to heaven and they're making much of you is really just feeding your pride and self. They want to shut you out. What's the best way? What's the best way to make a club popular?
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Make it exclusive. Make it exclusive and make put the velvet rope up. People just tear down that place to get in the in there. They want to set the bar so that you say, wow, that's an exclusive club and they're making much. You can do it.
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I think I think you could do it. Not everybody can do it but I think you've got what it takes to do this. Come on. Join us. Be with us.
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They want to shut you out that you may make but yeah, I do want to be a part of that club. That looks cool. And and they're the they're the righteous ones. They have the cool hats or the long black trees or whatever those things are called. They wanna shut you out that you may make much of them.
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It's always good to be made much of for a good purpose. Not only when I'm present with you. Now yesterday, I said the funeral will come up again and this is where it does. Yesterday, I went to a funeral for Dave Brunk. How many of know Dave or knew Dave?
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I had a ball there yesterday because that was a life well lived after his savior. Everybody that stood up had good things to say, and they weren't lies. They were true. When I saw him the first time, I was playing bass over here. I thought it was Tom Petty.
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Actually, he looks kinda like Tom Petty. And he was sitting right out there and he locked in from the very first of the worship. He was worshiping God with a full heart. When I stood here and was preaching and he locked eyes and he was like, yeah, man. The whole time he was like that and when the sermon was over, I went and met and he goes, man, I've never considered that before.
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That doesn't happen often. Usually, if you've never considered it before and you're preaching it from here, it's some new heresy. But what he heard was something that he said, that unlocked something for me, and he told me about it. He's an incredibly encouraging man. I never heard him say anything insincere, and I never heard him say anything that wasn't encouraging.
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And yesterday, they gave time for people to speak up and people did for like two and a half hours. They just kept on standing up and everybody said he was encouraging and he was sincere. He loved Jesus. There's no doubt about it. I thought, man, that's great.
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There was even a time. This is crazy. When there was a cheer, Dave Brunk, Dave Brunk, Dave Brunk, Dave Brunk, and it went on for a while and I thought, he would have been incredibly uncomfortable with that. But we're making much of him for a good purpose. He was following after Jesus with his whole heart, his whole heart.
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One of the brothers read something that he wrote a text, you know, his brother, one of his brothers is a this brother is a pastor and he said, I I wrote him a text and I said, man, he said, you're so encouraging to me and I love you so much and he said, normally, you get the, yeah, you're encouraging me too. I love you too. He didn't answer that. He said, I've left it all here. I've done all I can, I, all I can do and I have no regrets?
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Praise God. That was like a week before he died. That's a life well lived after Jesus. Dave Bruck. Dave Bruck, absolutely.
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He, his his slogan for everybody. One of them stood up and said, one of the brothers stood up and said, how many of you heard this from Dave? I'm your biggest fan. About half of us raised our hand. He made me feel like I could do this two and a half years ago when I didn't think I could.
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Praise God. It's always good to be made much of for a good purpose. The gospel is that good purpose and what we're making much of him is because he lived his life for that and not only when I'm present with you, it's not to be seen by me. I don't, it's not that. I want you to enjoy this life, this abundant life that Jesus came to give.
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So, my little children and this is the only time Paul uses this. If you come to Monday nights at first being here, Carl preaching through first John, second John, third John. You'll hear my little children a bunch of times from John but Paul says this right here. He goes, my little children, oh, I love y'all. I love you like my little children.
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But I feel like I'm again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you. He's saying, I know that you received it. I know that you received it but now that you're rejecting it, I want for it to flow out of you so naturally that everybody around you sees it because that's the next generation. That's how Christ builds his church. Does that make sense?
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Are you with me? Okay. And then he says, I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone. He realizes that his first three and a half chapters have been pretty terse but when he breaks it down and it's really really personal to him. He says, I wish I could be present with you and change my tone but right now, I'm perplexed.
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Why is Paul confused? Why is he perplexed? Yell it out. Why is he confused? Because he knows that they've tasted this.
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And if you've really got this, why do you wanna go back over there? And if you've really got this, that has no appeal for you. Does that make sense? Yes. He's confused and perplexed and I think that's the end of the scripture that I've got for the day but it gets back to this.
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I'm confused because to those who are being saved, it's the power of God, not just to save you but to sanctify you and clean you up from that side and clean you up from this side and to bring you into a relationship where you're walking with God. Like Adam before he sinned, where he walks with God, he talks with God, he enjoys fellowship with God. That's what he wants. You can't force that from either side over there. It has to be about the cross.
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Jesus lived that perfect life. He did not sin. He hung out with these people though. Right? He hung out with these folks and he lived his life around him in a way that drew some of them out of that lifestyle and he loved these folks.
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And he hung out with them and it lived his wife and life in such a way that it drew some of them out of that. It won't be everybody who believes the gospel. It is really, really good news because you really don't have anything to do with it except for trusting the message of the cross. That's it. Carl, would you come on back up?
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It is about grace through faith and if you believe by grace through faith and he gives you his spirit, it is not about law, works, or flesh. Would you stand with us?
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Alright. In The Marvelous Light, we're running. And tomorrow for this night, I'm burned. And I'm darkness out
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I'm
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wakes in me, wakes in me from my sleep. Your love it beckons deeply, a call to come and die. By grace, I and I will come. Take this life, take your life. Sin has lost its power, the like you are the way.
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My dead heart now beating.
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My dead heart now is beating. My deepest state's now clean. Your breath fills up my lungs. And now I'm free. Now I'm free.
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Sin has lost its power. Death has lost its stake
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So, this is what we receive through Jesus. The second Corinthians six eighteen. God says, and I will be your father and you will be my sons and my daughters. Thus, says the Lord almighty. Would you go and act out of what you are?
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Just be what you are. A son or a daughter and if you're not a son or a daughter but still a slave, would you come talk to me or one of the elders here and hear that simple gospel message that you can accept. Amen.
Topics
Belonging To GodFreedom From LegalismGrace Vs WorksLiving For JesusPaul GalatiansSpiritual Identity
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