Greetings from Galatians - Part 6

What can we learn from Paul's letter to the Galatians?

On this episode, we land in Galatians 5. Paul tells the Galatians that their freedom should not be used to continue sinning. Our freedom should be used to love and serve each other. 

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Everybody got Galatians ready? That's like three of y'all. Man, I need to get y'all a Bible app or something. Okay, cool. The rest of them were like, I was late, but I'm here. Uh Galatians chapter 5, it says this So Christ has truly set us free. Somebody stay free. Now make sure that you stay free and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. We've been in this series on the book of Galatians, and we've been talking about how uh Paul is writing to these Galatians and saying to them, Hey, uh, when I came to you and I preached Jesus to you, I said you were free because of the work of Jesus. And now other people are showing up and they're telling you uh that you're not free unless you do this, you're not free unless you do that. You got to go get yourself dude. Like, can I just tell you all you are free in the name of Jesus today? But but but Paul Paul makes a good point that I think sometimes we skip over. How many of y'all know it's easier to start a thing than it is to keep it going? Y'all, I was doing a wedding a couple days ago. Uh like it was an outdoor wedding in the middle of all that smoke, y'all. So if you're close to me and you're like, Pastor picked up on another habit. Well, it's not me, it's just Canada blowing down on me. Uh, I was doing the wedding, and you know what I know what I want to tell this couple? It is easier to get married than it is to stay married, amen? It's a lot easier to walk down that aisle, look all pretty, and be like, hey, I love you. And then the moment somebody doesn't do the dishes, you're like, let's fight right now. It's easier to make them kids than it is to parent them kids, amen. It's easier to get started on that gym membership. You sign up, you get ready, you're all excited, and then the next morning you're all sore and tired, and you're like, I don't even want to go no more. It's easier to get started. And what Paul is telling the Galatians, you start it in the right way, but if you don't keep going, you'll give up the freedom that Jesus paid for and that you received. See, the truth is, just because the seed you receive what gives doesn't mean it'll grow in you. Uh, he continues, says this, you are running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough. I'm trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is who has been confusing you. He's telling them you gotta watch out who you listen to, you gotta watch out who you're believing, you gotta watch out for who you're following, because whoever you follow, eventually you will become. And these people are trying to put slave cuffs on you, and you've already been made free. So watch out who you listen to. But you know something else I was thinking about as I was reading the scripture? It's not just about watching out who you listen to and who you follow, you gotta also watch out for who's following you. Because there are people watching how we live our faith, there are people watching out how we walk out of freedom, there are people watching how we talk about Jesus, there are people watching how we talk about hope. And can I tell you, the people that are watching you are following you? And I want to encourage us to be a people that when they look at us, they go, Jesus is in the midst of them. See, here's the truth of it. These people uh they couldn't let go of their guilt, so they're trying to use control and manipulation to get their way. They were trying to start religion when God had given them freedom. Uh, dear brothers and sisters, Paul continues. He says, If I were still preaching to you must be circumcised, as some say I do, why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. He's saying, Hey, I'm a bunch in a bunch of church people. If I was preaching anything other than Jesus, nobody'd be offended. I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves. I don't know if I can explain that verse in a room this diverse. Like, this is one of those like not mixed company verses. If you know what I'm talking about, uh he's he's he's calling them out. He's like, Man, I wish they would. Some of y'all just got saved, and you know what Paul is trying to say, amen. For you have been called in freedom. Somebody say freedom. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. So Paul does this turn. He's been talking this whole book about how we've been given freedom and how we have been given uh grace and how it's not about what we do, but he says, hey, you've been given freedom, but don't use your freedom to hurt others. Don't use your freedom to be selfish, don't use your freedom to think about yourself, don't use your freedom to just do whatever you want to do. He's giving them instruction about what they need to do with their freedom. You instead use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up by this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you are always biting and devouring one another, doesn't that sound like our culture nowadays? Everybody biting and devouring one another. Watch out, beware of destroying one another. For the next few minutes that we have together, I want to talk to you from this subject. Uh, this is my title for this message: No trespassing. No trespassing, no trespassing. Can we pray together? Our Father who is in heaven, holy is your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us, Jesus, not into temptation, but would you deliver us from the evil one? For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. And God's people said, uh, when my wife and I moved to the county, we moved into a house that had been a rental, and so we started doing some renovations. Uh, and whoever had had the house, they really didn't like having guests come over because y'all, there were no trespassing signs on everything, there was no trespassing signs on the trees, there were no trespassing signs on the mailboxes. I found a no-trespassing sign inside the house. I was like, how, how, uh, and I when I moved into the community, I was like, Well, I want to be pastoral, I want to be somebody that welcomes people in and lets them know that they come in anytime. And just like I welcome them is the way Jesus welcomes them because I wanted them to know that I love God. So I took those no trespassing signs down because there's no barrier between us and God, and I want to be united to you, and I want to be one community under Jesus. Uh, and then after I did that, the first Jehovah's Witnesses showed up. And I was like, Where did I put that thing? Uh I was like, okay, like, and can I like just a note like to those that why do you show up on a Saturday morning? Like, like, make an appointment, send an email, put a letter in the mail, something, let me know you're coming. But you show up, like, it's never convenient time. It's always when, like, we're about to sit down for lunch, we're about to sit down for dinner. I'm like, okay, I'll I'll leave the Jehovah's Witnesses for all. Here's another one that showed up at my house right now. Anyone have the guy that drives around and tries to sell meat out of the back of his truck? Like, bro, okay, some of y'all are like shocked, but some of y'all know who I'm talking about. You're like, yeah, that's exactly it. Bro, guy shows up at my house, walks up to the driveway, I'm like, hey sir, what can I do for you? He's like, Well, sir, I'm selling steaks out of the back of my truck. I'm like, that is the sketchiest thing I've ever heard. Is there like a cooler about like what's going on? Like, are you saving? Like, are you okay, sir? Like, uh man, uh, we did have one show up that was really nice. There was this young lady that was selling books. She was very sweet. Uh, but here's what I know about no trespassing. The reason we put up no trespassing side isn't just because I don't want people in my yard, it's because of what people do when they're in your yard. It's because you have people show up and when they're not welcome, uh, they might grab something that's not theirs, they might tear something up that's not like one of the things that happened to our house recently is we had a motorcycle accident, and so now there's a there's like um, not um to me, I'm fine. Thank you for asking. Uh, but there was a gap in the fence now, and our whole neighborhood decided there's a hole in his fence, so that means we get to walk to his yard to go to the gas station. So I ain't never seen any of y'all ever, but now everybody's like, this is the new. Uh I'm I can I tell you, I wanted to put up a no trespassing sign so, so, so, so bad. Uh, but here's what we're talking about today, uh, because we're talking about sin. Somebody say sin. Uh, here's what I want you to know sin separates us from each other. See, what sin does is sin is like putting a no-trespassing sign and saying, Because you've sinned against me, I'm gonna put a no-trespassing sign because I don't want you to trespass on my territory. Has anybody ever had somebody step on your toes? All the parents said, yeah, two minutes ago during worship. You know what's funny? When somebody steps on your toes, the first time you're like, it was an accident, the second time you're like, that was on purpose, we fighting. But when they start stepping on your toes, when you get around them, what do you do? You start shuffling, you start shuffling. But isn't that the way it is with some sometimes people that hurt us? Is when people hurt us, we want to put up no trespassing sign against them. When people gossip about us, we want to go, well, I'm not telling them my secrets anymore. When people reject us, we're I'm not gonna open up my heart to them anymore. Can I tell you, that's even something that happens with church, is sometimes we go to church and people in church hurt us and we go, well, I'm not going back to that place anymore, and I don't want them to come into my space either. Can I tell you? Whenever here's the here's the here's the bad news about the the church. As long as we have people, there's gonna be hurt. And the what we're what Paul is telling them is, hey, you're sinning against each other, and because you're sinning against each other, uh, it's it's it's it's causing you to devour and hurt one another. But we have to be careful because see, here's the thing: sin separates us from people. Um and sin doesn't just separate us from people when when they do something wrong. Uh, because some of y'all are love Jesus more than I do, but how many of y'all know uh sin separates we wanted people to be away when they hurt us, but how many know there are people that are holding the sign against us when we hurt them? If we were honest, we'd say there are people out there that I've heard, there are people out there that I've disappointed, there are people out there that I've gossiped about, there are people out there that I've rejected, there are people that are holding the sign of rejection against me, and they are separated from me. Uh, and uh that's what sin does. See, sin walks or makes us walk in shame, sin makes us walk in regrets, sin makes us walk in fear, sin makes us walk with a no trespassing sign that says, I can't come close to you, and if you've hurt me, you can't come close to me. Sin separates us from one another. Fear separates us from one another, hate separates us from one another, insecurity separates us from one another, greed separates us from one another, selfishness separates us from one another. But how many of you know that there's a God in heaven who did not stay in heaven, who came to break down the division between us because of him? We don't have to be separated from one another, we can be united. But here's what I want you to know. Here's what Paul is talking about. The separation sign, this no-trespassing sign, isn't just something that you and I hold against each other. How many of you know God has a no-trespassing sign? See, you think you've hurt each other, but God sees everything you do, God sees everything I do, and God knows that you and I are separate from Him. See, Paul is talking about it that God, like the way I want you to picture is like in heaven, there literally is a no-trespassing sign, and God is saying, This is my private property. You cannot trespass here. And if you violate it, you will be persecuted. And here's what the law does the law, the law just tries to cover it up. The law just says, Let's pretend. The law just says, hey, let's let's let's just like let's just pretend like it's not there and we'll walk in. But how many of you know you can cover up the sign as much as you want? The sign is still there, the separation is still there, the hurt is still there, the dysfunction is still there, and God doesn't want to be separated from us, God wants to be united to us. See, in verse 13, it says this, for you have been called to live in freedom. Somebody say freedom. You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. See, the freedom that God has called us to is not a freedom where the no-trespassing sign is covered up. The sign isn't just edited, the sign isn't just in the dark corner. The freedom that God has called us to, the sign is removed altogether. It says in his word that he cast our sin as far as the east is from the west. We have been fully forgiven, fully redeemed. We have a new identity in Jesus. We're not who we used to be, we are who God has called us to be. We get to live, not even thinking about the new trespassing sign, not even thinking, see, that's the thing. When you step into the presence of God, you don't have to think about what you used to be. You don't have to think about who you used to be, you don't have to think about what you used to do. Because here's here's the truth: sin doesn't just steal, separate you from people, sin doesn't just separate you from God, sin steals your identity. See, when we sin, we we here's what I know, and I've heard this said a bunch of times, and I think it's so true. The devil calls you by your sin. But God, who knows all of your sin, calls you by your name. See, sometimes we get into, I've talked to people that are even part of our church, and they'll go on and they'll say, Pastor, I've had a bad week and I've been really, really struggling, and so I don't think I should come to the house of God. Can I tell you when you're struggling is especially when you should be in the house of God. When you've messed up, when you've broken down, when you've gone through the valley, when you've gone through the difficult moment, when you've had the bad day, when you haven't kept up the way that you should, that's not the moment for you to go. Well, let me fix myself up. There are no trespassing sign is for you, no matter what kind of week you've had. No matter where you've come from, what you're experiencing. See, there are things that God wants us to do that we're not doing, there are things that God wants us to stop that we're doing, but all those things don't separate us from the presence of God. Uh sin steals our identity. It says this continues and says in verse 13, though, but don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. See, it'd be easy to walk around and go, Well, I'm free and there is no trespassing, so I can do whatever I want. Can I tell you, just because you're welcome doesn't mean you're welcome to do anything you want to do. I can say, hey, welcome to come to my house. Come over anytime. If you show up with a blowtorch ready to burn the thing down, how many of y'all know you'll no longer be welcome? Man, sometimes like we will have a couple people over to y'all, y'all ever um I'm not gonna say who because some of y'all will be like, it's talking about me. Y'all ever uh do a church cookout or church potluck? Anybody grew up in church? You have the church potluck and um and church pot I I love the church potluck. Attendance. Are you tying my shoelaces? Christy, I thank you, Christy. Y'all say hi to Christy. Christy's her safety expert, safety expert. I love it, Christy. Uh uh like I I don't know how where I was talking about. Um, yeah, church potluck, thank you. So uh by the way, we're gonna be doing one of those pretty soon. Uh, but I'm gonna give you a warning right now. The church potluck is an opportunity for all of us to hang out, but I'm gonna be real, the church potluck is also a test. Because if you bring me mac and cheese with raisins in it, you're gonna be bringing napkins the next time. And if you bring the bad, don't if don't you dare bring cheap napkins to the cookout either. Bring like the good napkins, like three ply. I don't know what else you're gonna bring. Like, but but here's the thing if if God lets us in the house and we are still messing up the house, how many know after a while God's gonna put the no-trespassing back sign up? God has called us not just to be welcome, God has called us to live in accordance to his will, to live according to his heart. See, God has given you a new identity. It says in Ephesians chapter 1, before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. So God has preemptively put down the sign, he's invited you in. He says you're welcome, he says you don't have to worry about your past, but you had better believe when you are in the house, you don't have to watch yourself like, oh man, I better be all nice and proper, but you can't be burning the thing down. See, my kids know this, my kids know they're always welcome at my house. My kids know they're always welcome at my table. But if you come into my house and you are disrespecting my wife, you are not my child anymore. You are the enemy of my wife. My wife isn't here today, by the way, so I feel like I should be saying stuff that's like really, really trifling. But I don't want to because I just miss her. She's just so nice. Well, her parents are here, yeah. Uh and she's gonna be listening to the podcast later, so I'm trying to score points. Sin separates us from each other, sin separates us from God. Sin steals our identity. Because here's what I oh no, and man, I threw that sign down. That's kind of annoying because I kind of need it. Um wait, I got another one. Praise God. So sin steals our identity. And and here's what's crazy about being in the house of God and being being a person of God. There are things that God is, it's not just about the things God wants you to do, there are things God is calling you to be. See, in your freedom, when you are free, some of us we've never been free before, and we or we've been in bondage and so long to our sin and to our past that we we can't even imagine the person that we would be if we were free. Some of us can't even imagine, like some of us are like, I don't even know if I'll ever be able to pray for somebody because God, God definitely don't hear my prayer. Some of us have been walking in addiction for so long that we're going, I'll always be in addicted. Can I tell you? And what you're looking at is you're looking at the house of God and you're saying, There's your sin has separated you from the identity that God has for you. Your sin has there, there is there is a new name for you in the house of God, there is a new life for you in the house of God, there's a new purpose. And the issue is when we sin, when we devour one another, when we give in to our selfish impulses, we stay on the outside of the fence looking in. And we keep thinking to ourselves, God has a no-trespassing sign on us. But how many know God has torn down the no-trespassing sign? Sin steals our identity, but I think just as importantly, sin doesn't just steal your identity, sin steals your calling. We talk about this quite a bit in this house. How many of y'all know God wants to do something in your heart, in your life, give you freedom, give you purpose, give like there, you should walk out of here, transformed, seeing yourself. You're like, man, I don't know what it is, but I am more like Jesus than I was a week ago. I am more like Jesus than I was a month ago. I may not be where I want to be, but I am not where I used to be. I may not be doing all I want to do, but I'm not doing what I used to do. Can I tell you, we all get to look at that situation. Uh, but God doesn't just want to give you a new uh identity and a new address. God wants to give you a new calling. And the issue is when we sin, we separate ourselves from our calling. The things that God see, it's it's it's really hard to imagine yourself praying and interceding for people if you are still walking in your addiction. It's really hard to imagine yourself leading that small group and and helping people get get their marriages right if your marriage is still struggling with selfishness. It's really hard to to it's really hard to even picture yourself. Can I can I could give some people some encouragement? It's really hard to picture yourself going to that job and talking to people about Jesus because they've been hearing the gossip and the cussing that's been coming out of your mouth. And now you're going, well, this will be a perfect opportunity for me to pray, but but I've just been dropping F-bombs all day with them. They're not gonna take me seriously if I pray. Can I encourage you today? Don't let sin steal your identity, don't let sin steal your calling, don't let sin steal from you what God has called you to do, don't let sin take away the purpose that God has called you to. That's why it says in verse um verse 14 the whole law can be summed up in this one command love your neighbor as yourself. See, you haven't been here's what I I love about the word of God. Uh, you haven't been just adopted. How many of y'all know you've been adopted into the family of God? You have access to the inheritance, you can walk in at any time. There is no trespassing sign. There may be trespassing signs for some other people, but you can walk in any day and go, This is my father's house. I have a place here, I belong here. I'm gonna walk up right to his table. I'm gonna make my requests known. Can I tell you? But you don't just have an adoption, you have not just been adopted, you've also been recruited. See, God is not just on a mission of building a table so that you and I can look at each other and talk about how holy we are now and how God, can I tell you, God doesn't Want to do something in you? God doesn't just want to do something for you, God also wants to do something through you. See, there is a calling on the other side of your yes. When you say yes to Jesus, and as he begins to move through your life, some of you are looking at your family, you're going, These people be crazy. And you don't recognize that God is sending you as an evangelist, as a pastor, as a prophet, that there is a significant spiritual word on the inside of you. Some of you are going to work tomorrow and you're like, Pastor, can we just fast forward to next Saturday and next Sunday? Some of you are stressed out. But God has put a calling on the inside of you. You are the solution. There is somebody praying a prayer out there, and the answer to that prayer is you. Well, John, John, John, I ain't nobody, man. Like, John, John, can't can you come to my work because you're a pastor? Can you can you come hang out with the family cookout? And maybe if you come to the cookout, like you can pray and get them saved. Can you can I tell you the same Holy Spirit that's on me is the same Holy Spirit that's on you, the same word that empowers me is the same word that empowers you. The same identity I have in Jesus is the same identity you have in Jesus. In your calling, I want to tell you this right now. There is a myth in the American church today that people that hold microphones and stand on stages are greater. Can I tell you some of your mansions are gonna be bigger than mine, some of your callings are more important than mine, some of your destinies are greater than mine. There are things that God is gonna do through you that you could not even believe or imagine. You'll get to heaven and God will show you the line of people that are in heaven because of you, and it will be longer than the line that the people that is in heaven because of me. You gotta you gotta know that. Well, well, well, John, John, John, I don't think I can. Can I tell you insecurity is sin too? Insecurity is looking at God who's inviting you in and saying, I want to adopt you into my family, I want to adopt you into my purpose, I want to adopt you to do everything you've called to be. And you're looking at God and you're saying, God, I would rather stay on the outside than step into what you've called me to be. I'd rather stay in bondage than walk into the freedom you have for me. God, I don't I don't I don't believe that you can make me free. See, that's what's happening. I promise I'd wing back to the scripture because that's what we do. That's what's happening to the Galatian church. A new group of people come in, and this church has been made free. This church has been full of purpose, this church has been full of life, and now these people come in and they say, Well, before you can step into all that God has for you, you gotta do X, Y, and Z. And they go around, they say, Well, I'm gonna put the no trespassing sign between me and God back up. Can I tell you how foolish would it be if God tore down the wall of enmity between you and I? If God took down the no trespassing sign, said you're welcome into his house. And y'all, I've been looking at God's house. We mean him been talking. He got a brand new pool that's for the summertime. It's a nice pool. Uh, he's got barbecue going, it's a nice barbecue. I don't know why I went in that corner, but man, y'all pray for me. That's why I need Kia to look at me and go, that was crazy. Why are you doing that? How crazy would it be for us to take the no trespassing sign that God has torn down and built it back up? How how crazy would it be for God to say, I'm giving you a new identity and a new life, and I'm calling you something new. You're not the addict that you used to be, you're not the broken mess that used to be. You're not you're not what they call you, you're not what you call yourself, you're what I call you, and you're going, no God, I don't, I don't, I can't see it. God is calling you into purpose in life. God is saying, hey, I'm putting together a team. It's gonna be a team of revival. There's not gonna be a school that's safe for my presence. I'm gonna go into every school, every business, every community center. I'm putting together a team. I want you to be on it, and you're going, no, God, I don't think I'm good enough. I don't think I'm smart enough. Can I tell you, you don't put the no trespassing sign up, you let God tear the no trespassing down. You let God use you and make you into the person that He's called for you to be. See, sin steal separates us from people, sin separates us from God, sin steals our identity, and sin steals our calling. But I am grateful today that grace gives us freedom. Grace gives us freedom. Grace gives us freedom. Paul says this, the whole law can be summed up in this one command love your neighbor as yourself. See, there Paul is quoting Jesus because Jesus gotta ask this question, and when Jesus said it, uh Jesus actually gave a two-part answer. He said there's there's really two things you gotta do. And the two are connected. The first one is this you gotta you gotta you gotta love God. You gotta love God. Somebody say, Love God. You gotta love God. You gotta love God. And and why is it, John, why is it so important to love God? Like, I can't just just love my neighbor. You'll never love people properly until you've seen them, how God sees them. Because if you're walking around and you're going, here's what's gonna happen, and maybe you're holier than me, but I walk around and when I'm just trying to love people out of my own strength, here's what I do. I go, I like you, I don't like you. So I'm gonna I'm gonna love you like God wants me to love you, and then move out of the way. Like just move out of the way. But when when when I see people the way God sees people, then I love you. And I may not like you, but dog darn it, I gotta love you anyway. Well, John, that doesn't sound fair. That's exactly how Jesus felt about you and I. See, the Bible says that you and I were enemies of God, that there was a no-trespassing sign between us. Jesus had no reason to love you or like you, and he came and he bled and died for you anyway. And until you see God clearly, until you see that sacrifice, you're never strong enough. So, first, you gotta learn to love God. The second thing you gotta do before you can love anybody is you all gotta learn to love yourself and God. John, that don't make sense. I got a Bible, y'all show, y'all show. Not going crazy. It says, love your neighbor as what some of us the reason why we don't pray for, don't reach out to, don't connect, is because we think we are not enough. And before you can love other people, you gotta receive the love of God. See, it's it's it's different. You don't ever meet a sad Christian. You know what I'm talking about, where you're like, they're like, like, they're they're like Bible verse, and then two minutes later they're like, my life is terrible. And you're like, I don't know if I want to get saved. If that's what getting saved looked like, I don't know if I want it. Until you fully receive the love of God, it's impossible to give the love of God. You gotta love God, you gotta love yourself and God, you gotta walk around and go, man, I am fully saved, I am fully free, I am fully redeemed. It's not about where what I've done, it's not about where I've been, it's not about who I've hung out with, it's about the blood that is on me, it's about the spirit that is renewing me, it's about the new identity that God has called me to. You gotta love God, you gotta love yourself and God. And lastly, you gotta love others for God. See, verse 13 to B says this instead use your freedom. Somebody say freedom to serve one another and love. This is what I'm observing in our in our culture right now. This is this is a cultural moment we're in where it feels like everybody like this is kind of how people are walking around nowadays in America. Okay, okay. Todd Todd, why'd you say? Okay, well, I'm offended by you, Todd. You can't come close to me anymore. Okay, I'm walking around, walking around, walking around, walking around, walking around. Pee-wee man, I don't like the hat you're wearing. It's got a cross on that yell chill. I don't like the hat you're wearing, so no trespassing. Chad, Chad, your beard is nicer than my beard. No trespassing. Like, Jason, Jason, I I wanted you to bring barbecue to the cookout and you only brought plates. No trespassing. We have a culture that is so deeply offended, so deeply broken, so deeply separated, so deeply, and I think the reason why our culture finds itself so easy to offend, and it says even in the verse that we're studying today, verse 15, you are always biting and devouring one another. The reason why our culture is devouring one another, biting one another, hurting one another, is because our culture is full of sin. We've been separated from God, so it's impossible for me to look at you and go, Well, I love you with the love of God because I haven't received the love of God. You know what I do when I when I see people on Facebook like like y'all, the comment section on some of these websites is wild. You know what I do? I pray and then I move on. Why, John, you should get in the middle of it. You should share your opinion, you should let the world world know. Listen, every Sunday y'all get to hear what I think. But you know what's more important than hearing what I think is meeting the God who loves you. Can I tell you how good of a news it is that there is now no division between us and God? So here's here's my encouragement. Here's my encouragement for us. Paul is teaching them. That kind of works. Paul is teaching them, and Paul is saying, Hey, I I think you you're trying to put the sign back up, division between you and God. I want you to not put it up. I want you to remember the freedom that God's given you. And and I want you to tear the sign down that stand between God and other people. See that what that's what happens when you serve other people, when you love other people, when you care about them. See, people are walking around, especially, I'll say this, especially if they know you're a believer, because here's what most people in our culture think about people that believe what we believe and think like we think and are following Jesus and they're reading the Bible. They think we're walking around with our holier than thou, no trespassing sign, saying, Don't you know you're not good enough to step into the presence of God? Don't you know you're not good enough to step in the presence of God? Don't you know, hey, I'm on God's side, there's no trespassing in heaven, you're not allowed in. But the God that we serve, the Jesus we know, the one who came and died, tore down every division between us and him because of him. There is now no division, there is now no sign, there's now no there's nothing that can stop you from getting into the presence of God. So so so so what John, in light of that, what should I do? What does serving look like? I need I need some help. Megan, what you want, John? Uh I want you to picture like Megan's great, she's funny worship, she's gonna say, loves the Lord. Uh hey, dress himself, do you? Uh her husband's awesome, they're great. Uh they gave me some chickens, I don't want any more chickens. Nobody give me any more chickens. No more chickens. Everybody you're walking around that is going through brokenness, hurt, pain. And sometimes their pain looks like anger. Like they are mad at everybody. I don't like them. It's probably because they're hurting more than everybody. Your job as a believer is to go, don't you know? There is now no division between God and you. The no trespassing sign that you're holding up between you and God that you think is like God is holding you back. You're doing great just you can just stand there, you're doing fantastic. I need to prep people better for these. The no trespassing sign that is between you and God has been torn down. So, what happens? When you serve somebody, they go, Oh, maybe God loves me. When you bless somebody, they go, Maybe God loves me. When you encourage somebody, maybe God loves me. When you pray for somebody, maybe God loves me. When you pray with somebody, maybe God loves me. When you encourage somebody, maybe God loves me. And at some point they go, the maybe fades away, and they go, Oh my Lord, I think God loves me. I think God's for me. I think God isn't counting my sin. I think God isn't holding up no trespassing sign. I think God's giving me full freedom into his presence. There is a name above everything. His name is Jesus. He's broken down the division between us and him. Because of him, we get to love God. Because of him, we get to love ourselves in God. Because of him, we get to love the world for God. Vision, can you stand to your feet? Here's a couple of seconds. I'm gonna invite the prayer team to do two things. One, try not to trip over these signs I've been throwing everywhere. The prayer team's gonna come up. And uh, if you need prayer, I want to give us two points of direction. Uh there are some of you that have been going through things, and you feel like there is a no-trespassing sign between you and God. I haven't been doing enough. There's now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. John, you don't know what I did. God knows. He says the sign is down. John, you don't know where I've been. You don't know where I was last night, you don't know what I was looking at. Can I tell you there is grace for you and there is freedom for you in the name of Jesus? So I want to encourage you, even as we sing, to step in. And there's some of us that, if you are honest, you say, I've I've never made a decision to trust in the grace that God has given me. To step into the house. I feel like I'm far away from God. I feel like I'm not enough. I feel like, can I tell you, it's never been about you being good enough. There are no good people in heaven, just forgiven people. Jesus did the work. All you have to do is say yes to the invitation, to say yes to the adoption. God wants you and his family today. We're gonna pray, we're gonna sing. If thus you're in either of those two groups, I want you to come, and the prayer team will love to pray with you today. Lord God, we love you. We thank you, God, that because of you, there is now no division between us and you. You've torn down the no trespassing sign, you've placed us into your presence. We get to live out a full life in you because of your love and your blood. We get to love you, we get to love ourselves in you, and we get to love others for you. So, God, today as we sing and as we praise you, we thank you for your presence. Come and be in our midst. In Jesus' name. Amen. Let's sing together.