← ArchiveSunday, July 5, 2015DateJuly 5, 2015Speaker—TextGalatians 2Passages in this sermonGalatians 20:00Galatians 2:200:39Joshua 2420:22Judges 2:11–1223:16Titus 1:1630:56John 8:3233:02John 8:3633:07Romans 8:133:14Romans 8:1833:221 Peter 1:3–433:31Matthew 2836:48Lamentations 3:2139:01TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00Thank you. Thank you. Please be seated. Turn with me to your Bibles, please, to Galatians chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2. Thank you, Jessica and our children's worship team. I think the worship in the church is in good hands. Amen? Because of these wonderful children0:27that are being taught by Jessica and her team in the children's worship area. And our student worship is as equally as good. Galatians chapter 2, verse 20. It's kind of a launch verse. We'll get back to it in a few moments, but I want to read it for us to launch us out. Today, I'm going to kind of step away in our series. It's called What God Says About. And today, the title of the sermon is, I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb. Now, I want to read0:56this verse of scripture because it's very familiar to most of you. And I want to share with you a parallel between the patriots, because it is Independence Weekend, our celebration of our 239th anniversary, our birthday, 1776, when it all began. And the parallel from our nations, where we came as a nation, and parallel as where we came as Christ followers today. Galatians chapter1:202, verse 20. I have been crucified with Christ, and is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Let's pray. Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Lord, we love you. We praise you. We thank you for what you're about to do1:50in our midst today. Do what you want to do. Do all you want to do. And we give you all the praise and all the glory and all the honor. In Jesus Christ's name we pray. And the church said, Amen. This holiday is so much more than hot dogs and hamburgers and barbecue and cookouts and swimming and fireworks and all of that. July, the 4th of July, is about country founded and rooted and established on2:19Christian principles. That's what this country was founded on. Christian principles. Not different colors, images over our White House. The country was founded on Christian principles. I want to give you some background on that. I want to read some quotes from our early founding fathers, if I may.2:45Patrick Henry said this, I quote, I cannot, it cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians. Not on religion but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. George Washington, our first president in his farewell address to the3:07nation, he said this and I quote, do not let anyone claim tribute of American patriotism if they even don't let anyone claim tribute of American patriotism. And that's not an attempt to remove religion from politics. That's our first president. The dollar bill has his photo on it. That's another one, Thomas Jefferson, the great Thomas Jefferson president of our country. He addressed the Danbury Baptist3:37Convention. He says this and I quote, the first amendment has created a wall of separation between church and state. But that wall is a one directional wall. It keeps government from running the church but it makes sure that Christian principles will always stay in government. John Adams, one of the authors of the4:00Declaration, he says this and quote, I quote John Adams, we have no government armed with power cables of contending with human passions unbridled by morality or religion. Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to government to the government of any other. So you and I can see we can4:28see despite what modern politicians, what the contemporary media might say, or the history revisionist might say, America was founded not on the concept of freedom to worship any god, Buddha, Allah, etc., etc., but that we4:48are based on the freedom to worship Jesus Christ as Lord, the Lamb of God. That's what we were based on. That's what we were founded on. Not on all of these other gods, but the one true god, the god of the universe. Now, I've taken care of some of what I wanted to talk to you about on this Independence Day weekend celebration5:14today, but I want us to briefly, over the next few moments, it's not going to be a long sermon, aren't you glad, but I want to parallel our founding father's allegiance to this great country of ours. I just left the country in Central America. I love Central America. I love Honduras, but I was so glad when I went through customs in Atlanta, Georgia, and he happened to look at me and my wife and said, welcome home.5:44I loved hearing that. As messed up as we are as a nation in some areas, I still believe we have the greatest opportunity to make disciples of all the nations if we get our act together in the church first. If we get our act together, our founding father's allegiance to this country and our allegiance to the Lamb, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. First of all, I want us to look at the patriots and then I want6:11to look at the Christians and parallel them. First of all, the patriots in the early days, they made a bold declaration. Now, date back with me just a little bit. Fourteen months after the Battle of Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775. Now, contrary to popular belief, no, I wasn't there. I'm reading from my history books. The patriots fought not for their independence, but rather they fought for their rights within the6:41British Empire, the rights that had been gradually taken away before, even more after the Boston Tea Party, and hundreds of Americans gave their lives to reign these rights. 400 people died at the Battle of Bunker Hill Hill alone. Patrick Henry, one of the great writers, one of the great politicians of early days. In his final,7:05during his speech to, of the conflict, Patrick Henry, this fiery Virginian politician, he stood up and gave this famous speech. And I want to read you some excerpts of this because it sets up this bold declaration that bold declaration that they talk about. I quote, "Three million people armed with a holy cause of liberty in such a country as to which we possess are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.7:32Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destiny of nations." I love that line. I love that line. A just God who presides over the destiny of nations. He goes on to say, "And who will raise up friends to fight our battle for us." Be it the battle, sir, you say, is not the strong alone. It is the, to the7:59vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat, but in submission and slavery. Our chains are forged. They are clanking. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston. The war is inevitable. And let it come. I repeat, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to evacuate the8:28matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace, peace," but there is no peace. The war has actually begun. Our brethren are already in the field. We stand where we hear, we stand right here, idle. What is it that gentlemen may wish? What would they have? It is life so dear or peace so sweet as to purchase the price at the price of chains and slavery?8:55Forbid it, almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." Now, folks, I want to tell you, these gentlemen stood up and made a bold declaration. Early, then, early in 17, the summer of 1776, in a meeting of the continual, of the9:18Continental Congress on July 2nd, actually, of 1776, the colonies voted to announce and declare that the would accept nothing less than absolute freedom from England. Absolute nothing. They declared that. Two days later, on July the 4th, 1776, after some minor adjustments to the document, the final wording9:42was ratified and signed by 56 members of Congress representing the 13 colonies. John Adams was so giddy with excitement. He wrote back to his wife, and he said this. He was so excited. He wrote her back in Massachusetts. He said, quote, "2nd of July 1776 will be the most memorial day in the history of America. I believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the greatest anniversary10:09festival, with shows, games, sports, balls, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of the country to the other. And from this time forward and forevermore," is what he said. Now, apart from the date, apart from a couple of days, I think he had a prophetic word. Do you not? He made a bold declaration. After the declaration signed, they sent it out to George Washington, who was with his troops up in New York. And the10:37declaration on July the 9th was read before the troops and the battle was on. Understand, this was a bold declaration, brothers and sisters. This was what our forefathers drew a line in the sand and said, "We are making this bold declaration." Not only were they just standing up and making a bold declaration, but they were making it to the most powerful country on the11:02planet, the King's Army, the English forces. They were making it against the England. England had the greatest army, the greatest empire. Here's a bunch of believers making this bold declaration. Had no navy. Had no army. And they were fighting against the greatest fighting force on the planet. These citizen soldiers were ready to defend their11:27homes, their families, when danger or threat. The colonies could call upon the militia forces to serve on any length of time from a few days for a few months to a few years, whatever it took. On the other side, England had this great, well-trained red coat army. They made a bold declaration too. They had a pledge, their life, and their allegiance to the country11:54of England. So I declare to you, my brothers and sisters today, we celebrate those men who made that bold declaration. So the patriots made a bold declaration. The second thing they did, they did, they paid a high price. They paid a high price. After the Americans declared their independence, they had to win it by force. It's one thing to stand up and make a declaration and even sign a12:23document, but you've got to go out there and win it by force. The task proved especially difficult because the party, partly because the people were not fully behind this. They were not fully behind the war effort. A large number of the colonists, about a third of them, remained unconcerned about the outcome of the war. They were indifferent and they, some even supported the English side. They supported the12:50other side. As many of the third of the population sympathized with Great Britain. They called themselves loyalists. The patriots called them, you don't remember this from your history lessons, they called them Tories. They called them Tories, the name of the political group in Great Britain that adamantly supported the English cause and the king himself. These problems meant that victory was going to be13:13very difficult during the Revolutionary War. Depending on the patriots, only made up of about a third of the nation's population. Let me give you some of the price that took place. 7,200 Americans were killed in the battle during the war. 8,200 some odd were wounded. 10,000 died from disease and exposure. Nearly 3,000 men died at13:34the battle of Valley Forge alone. In addition, 6,500 of them died in prison after being captured and 1,400 soldiers were listened as mission in action. They paid a high price. What about the 56 men? I started thinking about13:56this past week. What about the 56 men? So I did a little research on the guys who actually signed the document. Listen to what happened to them. Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, they paid this huge price for their allegiance. They were convicted, but they paid the price. Of the 56 men, 5 were captured14:18by the British soldiers and tortured before they died. 12 had their homes ransacked and burned. 2 lost their 2 lost their sons in the Revolutionary War in the Army. Another 2 had sons who were captured. 9 of the 56 fought and died from wounds of hardship of war. Carter Baxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ship14:45sunk by the British Navy. He sold his home and property to pay his debts and died in poverty. After the Battle of Yorktown, British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson's home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered George Washington to open fire, leveling his own home. The home was destroyed.15:10Nelson died bankrupt. John Hart, another signer. He was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields were destroyed. For over a year, he lived in the forest and caves, returning home only to find his wife had died. His children had vanished. And a few weeks later,15:34he died from exhaustion. They paid a high price, did they not? It's one thing to stand up and make a bold declaration. To the comfort of the congressional wing, the congressional room. In that meeting, it's quite another to pay the price for the declaration. That declaration on the battlefield,15:57they paid with their blood. They paid with your blood and our blood. Their families and our families, our founding fathers made a bold declaration and they paid a high price for it. But lest you be sad this morning, let me tell you something. They reaped a great reward. They really did. They made the16:20declaration. They paid the price and they reaped a great reward. Listen to what happened. The war that began on April 19, 1775, officially ended when the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. Nearly two years after Great Britain, after the Great Battle of Yorktown, where 10,000 troops laid down their arms and General Cornwallis16:48hid in a cave. The Americans made a bold declaration. They paid a high price and they reaped a great reward. They won their freedom, their freedom, their independence. But not only did the Patriots win their freedom, but at the treaty in 1783, the U.S. territory doubled in size, by the way, as the17:13British gave a new nation all the land east of the Mississippi River. Although the signers of the Great Great Declaration paid the price, others reaped a great reward because of their declaration and because they paid the price. Two of them, two of the signers became future presidents of our nation. Ten U.S.17:36congressmen, 19 judges, 16 became governors of states, and dozens of others held high political offices, not to mention a place of endurance and endearing to our hearts as we study history. The Patriots made a declaration, a pledge. They paid the price and they reaped the reward. A new land, a new country, a bright18:02future, a bright future and a new beginning. So what does that mean? Yes, they made the declaration. They paid the price and they and they reaped the reward. That is what the Patriots did for us. Now let's look at the side of the equation of the Christians. You see, Christians, yes, if you're a Christ follower in this room, we all made a bold declaration, did we18:29not? You remember the time when you stood in a worship facility like this or at a camp or on a beach or in a wooded area or in a deer stand of all things? When you stood and you made that declaration that Jesus Christ was Lord? You remember the moment that you said yes to Christ Jesus? You confessed your sin and accepted him into your life?18:54You remember the day, my brothers and sisters, that when you made that confession of faith, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and I received him into my life as my Lord and my Savior? When you repented of your sins, you confessed that? You were buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in a newness with him? In doing this, you and I made this bold19:16declaration. As the Patriots did in declaration of the freedom of this country, we made a declaration of freedom of sin and slavery. Sin to this world. We made that same declaration. And I declare to you, that's exactly what Paul says in Galatians 2:20. He says, "I have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me." That is a very bold declaration.19:43This very bold declaration saying that you will live for him for all of eternity. And you were here today as a Christ follower. You're here today as a Christian in the New Testament church. You made that bold declaration. This20:12declaration is as bold and as powerful as the one Joshua made in Joshua 24 verses 14 and 15. Listen to what God, listen to what Joshua said. God's people had conquered the promised land and were beginning to settle down. But listen to what he says, "Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Turn away the gods of your forefathers. Worship beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord. But if you, if20:36serving the Lord seems undesirable, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods of your forefathers serve beyond the rivers and the gods of Ammonites or in the lands whose are living. But as for me and my house." Say it with me. "We will serve the Lord." Church, let me tell you something. If you're a Christ follower in this room, you made a bold20:56declaration, drew a line in the sand, drew a line in the sand against the evil darkness of this world. We made a bold declaration. When you came to Christ, you pledged your allegiance not to the flag. You pledged your allegiance to the Lamb, the Lamb of God. You made a very bold declaration. But not only did you make a21:06bold declaration. We, like the patriots, we must pay a high price. We must pay a high price. Now, I know Ray Boats wrote that song, "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb." And usually, that's sung around this time a lot. And we get up in all teary-eyed21:34with old glories waving by. And we get all giddy about that song, "God bless the USA." We love that song. I love that song. And we get all teary-eyed over that. But let me say something to you today. When you made the declaration to be a Christ follower, you also signed your22:03allegiance to pay a high price. It's one thing to stand up in a room that people love you so much and your friends around and you make that declaration in a comfortable confines of a worship room like this, it's quite another to live up to it, is it not? It's quite another to say, "I will pay the price." It's one thing to stand up and say, like Joshua says, "As for me and my house,22:28we'll serve the Lord." But listen what it goes on to say in verse 16 and 18 of Joshua 24. "Then the people answered, far be it for us forsake the Lord and serve other gods, we too shall serve the Lord because He is our God." They said, "Not only you're going to do it, but we're going to do it as well." What a declaration, brothers and22:52sisters. What a declaration of the nation of Israel to pledge their allegiance to the one true God. But tragically, tragically, it didn't last long. You know, it just didn't last long. As I say it often time, they got saved, but they got over it pretty quick. And this is what happened. Look what Judges, if you turn over a few pages, Judges 2:11-12 says, "The Israelites did evil in the23:16eyes of the Lord and served Baal. They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of peoples around them." Understand, my brothers, wars are not won by those who simply stand up and make declarations. Wars are won. And we claim the battle23:38when we actually get up and not just speak the words, but live out the words that we speak. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the Christ followers. We do that often, don't we? We make that declaration, and somewhere along the way, some kind of hiccup happens or something24:01comes our way against us, and we fall. We take the no-stand approach. We slip back to the old way of doing things. We take a stand against spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. They are real battles to be fought. There are real struggles to overcome. There are real worlds to overcome. We are called in Scripture24:26to finish the race, to fight a good fight, to endure hardship like a good soldier. Folks, we are in a real war. If you don't think so, turn on any of the liberal media and they will declare it for you. Read the newspaper. You know, the paper with black ink on it. Scroll on your iPad and find any news outlet.24:52And believe me, brothers and sisters, it's time for the American church to stand up and not just wave old glory, but to stand up and say, "I pledge allegiance to the Lamb, and I am willing to die for this." Now, many of us will say that in this room because it's easy, but not all of us will stand up and do it.25:15And that reason is because we're not committed. That reason is that we're not committed. Oh, we're committed as long as it doesn't cost us anything. We want to be like the Tories. We want to kind of just commit to the thing that's already winning. Folks, we are losing the battle. The American church is losing the battle. The only reason that the North American church is not losing membership, which we are, at a higher rate,25:43is because most of you are living longer. You're skewing the numbers because you're living longer. We're not winning more people to Christ. We're just living longer. Thank you for keeping the numbers up for us. Amen? But we need to be willing to pay the high price. It's one thing to stand up and clap and shout, and I know some of you are saying, "Dan, shut up.26:10We're tired of hearing it, but that's okay. I'm going to keep saying it until it sinks into our hearts." Because we need desperately to be willing to lay down our life for the Lord Jesus Christ. These patriots gave their lives, many of them, lost their possessions, lost their families for this great nation that we called America.26:39Yet, sometimes, if it gets tough in church work, we run for the hills. We run for the hills. Let's make no mistake about it. There is a high price for our declaration that Jesus Christ is our Lord. The Lord demands a radical and total unwavering allegiance to the fact that He does.27:02It's no secret. Jesus made it crystal clear. Crystal clear. It's not some secret sign-up deal. It's crystal clear. It's in His Word. Luke's Gospel, chapter 9, verse 23 says, "If anyone come after Me, he must deny himself. He must take up his cross daily." Not every now and then. Not when we have revival.27:30Not when we have a high-priced speaker come in. Not when we have some kind of event happen. It says, "Take up your cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. For whoever loses his life for Me will save it. What good is it for Me to gain the whole world and lose it or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of Him when He comes into His glory.27:53And in this glory of the Father and of the holy angels." He goes on to say in Luke's Gospel, chapter 14, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father or his mother." Now, I know what some of you say, "That's not nice." But this is the Word of God, folks. It's not my words. It's His words. If you've got a problem, take it up with God." He wrote it. His wife and His children, His brothers, His sisters. Yes, even His own life.28:22He cannot be My disciple. That's harsh, is it not? But, folks, He's saying that we've got to take up the cross and follow Jesus Christ daily. We've got to lose our lives. Anyone who does not carry his own cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. I used to think that is so harsh. But then I realized, if I just be obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ, I'm not going to lose my life. If I just take up my cross and do what my Savior said do, oh, my goodness gracious, the price will be so much easier.28:47If any of you do not give up His life and everything He has cannot be My disciple. Let me ask you to come in here real close with me. How many of you said, "Lord, everything I have, everything I own, every aspect of my being is Yours."29:06Anything less than that, you're living in your own power, not His power. Now, folks, let me tell you something. There's been a time when I was that way. "Lord, anything but." This pastor would say that. I would think it. I might as well say it. Amen.29:35Amen. If you think it, it's going to come out sooner or later, right? But some of us are so, so into ourself that we're not willing to pay that price. Luke's Gospel, chapter 7, verse 21 and 23 says, "Not everyone says to me, 'Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.' Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name,30:00and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly.'" I love that language. Jesus said, "I'll tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.'" Church, if you're not willing to sign a blank check and say, "God, here I am. Do whatever, whatever you want to do in my life."30:29You are truly based on His Word, not His disciple. Based on His Word. Now, man-made religion, we can kind of play this game. But based on His Word, we got to deny ourselves, take up a cross, and follow Him daily, every step of the way. Titus 1:16 says, "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him.30:56They are despicable, disobedient, unfit for anything good." So we got a high price to pay. I've often wondered, why is it that we live this way? Why is it that I live this way? It comes down to one word. Self. I have my own self.31:23I want to take care of self. I want my way, my agenda, my idea. It's all about me. Many will say, "I pledge allegiance to the Lamb," in their declaration. But in reality, they say, "I pledge allegiance to myself," because it's all about me. That's why the Word of God is infallible.31:52That's why the Word of God is His Word breathed in print. It's sharper than a two-edged sword. It's a comfort blanket, but it's a direction road map. That's why when we always get in a debate in whether we should do something or not, we go back to His Word. What does His Word say? It says, "Take up your cross daily and follow Him." To the people of Jesus Christ's day, picking up a cross meant only one thing: death.32:19It meant dying to self. It meant literally, in some cases, physically death. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Son of the living God, and I receive Him as my Lord and Savior. That's a bold declaration. When you pick up your cross and deny yourself and die to yourself, that is a high price to pay.32:43But the reward is staggering. The reward is worth it. Listen to what the Word of God says. John 8:32, "Then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." John 8:36 says, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."33:08My favorite verse right now in my life is Romans 8:1, "There is there now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:18, "I consider that my present suffering are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:3-4. I paraphrase. "He has given us a new birth in a living hope and into an inheritance that can be perishable, never can be perishable or fade, kept in heaven for you."33:36Not only we will win our freedom. Not only do we win freedom from sin, death, and destruction in our lives and condemnation. There's no small thing in that regard. But we will be a particularly kind of church that people will want to be a part of. We will be a particularly kind of church that will be established where people can come to know Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord.34:05We will be a place where the good news is preached to the poor. We will be a place of freedom that will be proclaimed to the captives. We will be a place of recovery of sight of those that are blind. A place where the burdened and oppressed will be released. A place of hope for the hopeless. A place of joy despite circumstances. A place beyond our understanding. A group, a body of believers, of love, forgiveness, healing, and acceptance.34:32A place of brand new beginnings. I declare to you today, I want to be a part of a New Testament church. Where it's a hospital for hurting people, not a hotel for holiness. I want to be a place where Jesus Christ reigns in every aspect of what we do. One day we will reap perhaps the greatest reward ever known to man. We will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ in all his glory.35:02And one day we will reap the most precious reward. He will say, well done, thou good and faithful service. Come and share your master's happiness. Church, I'm here to tell you that we will reap a great reward. We will stand with a heavenly choir and sing and worship him for all of eternity. The declaration is Jesus Christ is my Lord. The price is high.35:29We must die to self. But the reward is great. We've seen the parallels of the patriots. Now we've seen the parallels of the Christians. What are we to do on this side of glory? What do we do on this side of the cross? Jesus doesn't give a hope by changing the circumstances that we're in.35:55He restores our hope by giving himself. And he promised to stay with us until the end of the age. I shared with you, I just got, you know that. I just got back from Honduras. And our son, Seth, led part of our team. And he was a part of several projects in the week. At the end, we always have a share time. And I just kind of share it from truth, from God's word.36:23And final teaching, I teach every night to the team, a 10 or 15 minute message. Yes, I can do a 10 or 15 minute message. I just don't do them on Sunday mornings. But I was with the team. And I shared and we covered, wrapped up everything. And then my son said, Dad, I want to speak. I hadn't seen this side. And my son stood there and read Matthew 28. And he made a statement to the team.36:51And it just riveted into my soul. It was like, this is all that needs to be said. That was it. That's the crescendo. That's the amen right there. He made this statement to one of the best teams we've ever had in Honduras. Of all our ministry down there, 18 years. And never had, I don't think, a better team than this. I'm telling you, we've had some great teams. But this one knocked it out of the ballpark. It was amazing work that these teenagers and adults came. They came ready to work right out of the gate. They were there on mission.37:19And my son looked at them and challenged them. He said, you think this is a great mission trip? You're about to be on one of a lifetime. Head back to Atlanta. Head back to Texas. Dad, head back to Alabama. We're now entering into the mission field. And he said, the good news is, and Jesus said, I will be with you always, even until the end of the age. And you say, well, Dan, you've been so straightforward today.37:47Folks, on this side of glory, until he calls us home and we stand before him, we have a battle. We can stand in this room and declare Jesus Christ Lord until we have no voice to scream that out yet again. It's when we walk out these doors that we start paying the price. And the reward is when he calls us home. Jesus spoke of a different kind of freedom, the type of freedom that comes not through power, but through submission.38:16Not through control, but through surrender. Not through possessions, but through open hands. Saying, Lord Jesus, I have given you a blank check. My life is yours to have and to hold. Do what you want to do. Send me where you want to send me. I will go because your word commands me to do so.38:41If therefore the son shall make you free, you are free indeed. Now, freedom is not something that we learn about Jesus. Brothers and sisters, freedom is Jesus. Lamentations chapter 3, verse 21, and I close with this. I want you to listen to the words of the Lord. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.39:09The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore, I will hope in them. The Lord is good to those who wait for him. The soul to the soul who seeks him. Make that declaration. Be willing to pay the price.39:38And enjoy the rewards. When he says, well done, good and faithful servant. Let's pray. Let's pray.More sermons on Galatians →
