Freed to Love, Part 2

Today on Summit life with JD Greer. If you have experienced the gospel. The center of your life begins to rotate around this idea my life for yours. I can see the person reverses that it says your life for my every single moment of every day you were living according to one of these two principles your life or mine or my life for yours lightly. As always, I'm your host Molly bit events. One topic that seems to be on everyone's mind these days. Who should we love when and how we should live is a big deal like the world right now but were here today to talk about different kind of life from Jesus. What is genuine Christian love actually look like and how do we live it out in a world screaming for we are diving into those questions. In the second part of the message titled freedom to live remember if you've missed any of the previous messages, including the first half of this message you can watch or listen to them on our website.

JD Greer.com we're looking at Galatians chapter 5, starting at verse 25. So if you want to turn there now will jump back in where we left we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. In other words, the spirit is created a new reality for us in the gospel and that reality comes with it the power of a new creation in the power of resurrection but in order for you to access the power you walk in a way that is consistent with what the Spirit is doing so. Therefore, he says let us not become conceited, provoking one another in the one another that word conceited bears a very important word in Greek literally means is empty of glory.

If you become a person who is empty of glory you are going to become a person who provokes and envies one another. What Paul is explained.you and I were created for the glory of God. We were created so that God's love and acceptance was our glory for when you and I said we were scriptable love in the acceptance of God and when we are stripped of that love and acceptance that glory. We felt naked and ashamed. So we immediately turn to begin to look to replace that glory was something else and one of the main ways that we do that is we do it by comparing ourselves to one another that manifests itself in two different ways.

In this verse. The first way heroes, provoking one another, provoking is when you have a superiority complex toward others and you just feel like you are better than them. For some reason. Maybe you are smarter or you are more moral or my guess of how you say that more your more talented you get a better family, but there's something that makes you better and so you look down on them and you provoke them in the is the opposite side of the coin.

When you envy others is because you have an inferiority complex because when you compare yourself to others.

You don't match up. And so you resent that what the provoking and begin the what the superiority complex and the inferiority complex have in common is that you enter into relationships from a sense of emptiness. You need glory from other people.

While the gospel does three things Paul says that transforms your relationships. The first thing it does is it humbles you it teaches you that there really is nothing about you that makes you better than somebody else. Everything you have is a gift of grace.

Secondly, it completes you.

You don't need glory or distinction from other people because you have the approval of the heavenly father, and then it redirects you.

Rather than mean a person who is focused on using others to meet your needs. You become a complete person who offers your self to meet the needs of others. I watch how those things show up in this litany of instructions if you been experience the gospel. You will be humbled to be complete and will be redirected.

Watch a show over these next few verses are brothers and sisters, if somebody is overtaken along doing, you who are spiritual, restore the three core cooperatives, which means that a broken bone back in place, restore such a person with a gentle or humble, proud, tossed spirit watching out for yourselves, because you made out of the same stuff. They are 1 also be tempted. As you get into this, how does a gospel saturated person respond to somebody and said Paul's answer they approach them with empathy and compassion, knowing that they are made out of the same stuff that that person is in the fact that they haven't been overcome by this particular temptation is not because they're better than them.

It's if anything it's because they been spared the set of circumstances that that person was an which leads me to the next verse verse two pulses carry one another's burdens.

In this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Now, in context, the burden that he's talking about here is the burden that comes to somebody because of their own sinful choices.

And Paul says if you get the gospel you will voluntarily enter into the burdens of others burdens that they brought on themselves for their own sinfulness. You know what Christ did when he saved you. You know how far he reached.

It was a burden that you would brought on yourself, so why wouldn't you reach out to somebody even when they brought on the burden on themselves because we do that to start fulfilling the law of Christ.

I will Paul keeps developing this point. What are the first three anybody considers himself to be something we nothing, he deceives himself. What you talking about he still going after this issue being conceited. Do you really thought your something, do you not know the gospel at all know you were so just you by yourself was so bad that the son of God had to spill his precious blood to redeem your soul from hell that you deserved. Verse 44 let each person examine his own work and take pride in himself alone and not compare himself to somebody else prefers not to carry the load is contradicted everything you said it looks like on the surface but not when you understand the context.

The context listen he's still going after this idea of being conceited and he is saying it is foolish of you to feel proud that you're not struggling with something when somebody else is because each of us have been given a different size load to carry back to somebody else's struggling with something that you're not struggling with is not because you were just inherently awesomer than they are. It's because the situation of their life and the circumstances that they were in were different.

It was a different load and you know what had you been under the same load. You probably would've struggled the same way that they did because all the righteous is that you have is a different God anyway. But let me let me illustrate this way sometimes in the church you encounter people who were just especially difficult Reiki was a mentor that you look at somebody right now you're probably thinking about around here we call these PGR people extra grace required. You know you are okay and are the kind of people that you like all you honestly part of you is you know just with us or you can like you like you can wish they would move out of my social circle and get some of the friends or I can wish they would go to another church. Even because then I wouldn't have to spend so much time on this and here's what else you think about this.

There are some issues that I've never had to deal with because you one example come home. I grew up in Hydro with mom and dad who love each other always felt secure in my home.

I never had to deal with abuse. I never develop real significant trust issues because I grew up in a context of security and so I brought that into my experience that the load that I had to bury the wasn't that heavy of one and that context back to somebody else and the situation has severe trust issues might have to do with the fact that they had a different load that I have affected the struggling but that doesn't mean there inherently a worse person than me. She just means they were given a heavier load than I was given the bear and that heavier load is nothing to do with them be worse or better.

It has to do with God's grace in my life have God's been gracious to me than bending over my look at them and say you know what I'm just better and you and I want to mess with your problem because I was absolutely nothing when Jesus entered the hell of my life and he saved me and Jesus did that for me then it just changes home and approach somebody else to see. Here we are in these first two verses Moses Walters throughout the gospel reshape how we approach broken a needy people.

The measure with which you understand the gospel is shown by how well you relate to broken MET people.

If you are conceited you look disdainfully toward people who struggle with sin because you think that your good life came primarily from good choices you made as you were just inherently awesome. If you are conceited you move away from people in need because you don't live in the awareness of how much lead you where and when Jesus got involved with you if you're conceited you approach every relationship from a market standpoint, we are always asking what not to get out of this is his first can add value to my life or to my family's life is gonna cost me too much to get involved conceited people are basically on outline for those whose lives are not a mess so they can help us fulfill our goals for our lives. By the way, a little sick twist here sometimes conceited people like to be around people whose lives are a mess because it makes them feel good about being that person Savior, their personal neediness is shown by how much they need to be needed. That's why they get mad when women are not appreciated or they get depressed when they're not really needed are the center of attention. On the surface they look like they're serving others, but they're actually using other people gospel people do the opposite of all these things they approach people with humility, not different than me I'm gay. Approach with compassion and empathy because they realize were made out of the same stop and Jesus died for us both their eager to share each other's burdens because Jesus shared our burden.

That's what Jesus did for us and I can experiencing that without it transforming how I see you give the temple the Jewish Temple God laid out every single detail exactly the way that he wanted the dimensions were the furniture goes with the furniture look like I'm at the center of the temple was nothing but a gold slap on that gold slabs where they offered sacrifices and that some sacrifices gave us a picture of what God would do for us. One day Jewish people believe that that temple was the center of the relationship.they also believe it was the center of creation. They thought that the temple sat on the original side of the gardening and they thought that it was really the center of the universe would you get this at the center of creation at the center of the universe at the center of reality is nothing but a gold slab where God was going to offer his life for ours and what that means is that the center of our lives then begins to come become how I'm I going to offer my life for others. If you have experienced the gospel.

The center of your life begins to rotate around this idea my life for yours. I conceited person versus that and says your life for mine.

Every single moment of every day you are living according to one of these two principles your life or mine or my life for yours every moment of every day you have a choice to live either the Jesus way or the self way the conceited way, which is your life or mine for the Jesus way, which is my life for yours now finally alters the subject of giving verse six he says other one was taught the word share all his good things with the teacher can't share I would share. It is a common theme that runs this chapter. There's a difference in sharing and giving giving the difference in sharing and giving is the word commitment because when you give to something you can be like a you know what I paid my dues. I've given the money that I'm supposed to give.

Now I need you to go into the work of the ministry, but when you share in the ministry.

You've taken ownership of it. And you say this church's mission is my mission and I actually bear some of the burden, and I'm willing to do whatever God asked of me to see that mission, multiply, and to see that vision accomplished. You are committed. I've heard it described as the difference between how the pigment chicken contribute to your breakfast. If you eat a plate of eggs and bacon for breakfast. Will the chicken made a contribution, but the pig was committed right they went all in what Paul is saying is we want chickens in the church who want pics because we love people who actually take the burden then they own it and they say I'm not just trying to give an offering.

This mission is my mission. We do not want to be a church where the pastors have a vision for ministry and we try to get you to fund it is me tell you this, God is not going to hold me in your pastoral team unaccountable alone for reaching this community.

That is something he is given to you. You are responsible for this community. You're responsible for your families. You are responsible for this generation of people all over the world. And yes, I am the leader of this church and me and the other pastors are try to put forward a vision that compels us all and not what we rally around the end of the day it's gotta be your vision, not just mine so I don't want you to fund the vision of God is given me. I want you to own the responsibility to multiply the gospel in the life of your family the life of your friends in our community and around the world is always never is never been about raising money for the primary and the secondary goal try to be clear with those. A secondary goal is the amount of money that we thought we need the primary goal is that you get involved heart and soul in the mission, multiply the gospel to say some really important stuff about giving in the next two verses of right now I just want to jump ahead to Paul's grand conclusion covers 11.

Look what large letters I use. As I write you now in my own handwriting thought somebody else right in his letters for him because evidently they said he had bad eyesight to the very end of this letter, Paul grabs the pin out of his hand.

Think this is the MOMENT. The writing HE got the crayon. He's right really big because what he's about to say is super important. I like those who want to boast of the flesh are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised, but as for me I will never boast about anything except for the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through circumcision and on circumcision mean nothing. All that matters.

Instead is a new creation and not only come from the power of resurrection power. Resurrection comes from the blood of the cross of a criminal and the empty tomb that he left the Heinz and I am not going to boast about anything.

I'm not going to boast about the law not to boast about my accomplishments. I'm not going to boast about my obedience and not go to boast about my family call me to boast about is the blood he cross of Jesus and the empty tomb because in that is the power of new creation and that is all that you need. It's all I can come into you and it's all I want to leave you with.

You see some people.

He says a lot of people in your midst you say to the Galatians they boast about how well they keep the law.

All they been circumcised so they keep all these commandments, he says big deal. Others boasted how talented or beautiful they are. Some boast and how much they know I don't boasted any of those things. He said I only cling to the cross of Christ and you may not think it's that important to back it is so simple that a child can understand it in the world doesn't evaluate Jesus was dismissed as a criminal. They think it's nothing, but in that message that that simple message of the gospel is the wisdom and the glory of God and the power of life back from the dead.

The power of new creation and that power is greater than any technique, any knowledge, any ritual is stronger than the strongest power on the world is mightier than the mightiest fortress in the world. It is the very power of God, and resurrection. Martin Luther got this a few weeks ago I told you Luther, I rediscovered salvation by faith alone, and he was called to appear before the religious and the government authorities of the time that something that is called the deed of firms and we go to the deed of firm's be religious at the church was there I began the representative of the Pope regarding Cardinal Koch a time, and the Emperor, though the Emperor the Holy Roman Empire was there and they bring the slow monk from an obscure place before him and he said Luther. Your writings have caused quite a stir. You got to quit saying, salvation is by faith alone. You got to turn your back on this and you got to get back to what we are teaching and Luther is square feet she really Russell that me just as a look.

I look to the masses. I can't. I can't do this because this is what God is said in August it will gotta send you a set Cardinal Koch a time Using the phrase with Luther kept him Luther. You know how to sense if you don't recant. Were going to burn you at the stake. Just so you're aware of what's happening here. Luther you can get out of this in the phrase he kept using this is one little word. One little word and the word in Latin was revoked out and translated as I recant.

You say one little word. One little three syllable word and you can walk out of here a free man all the trouble, goes away natural.

Luther said I cannot cannot recant because I've got to stick with what God says will immediately after this happens, Luther is going home in the holy Roman empire Emperor sits on a death warrant for Luther, and I was Luther's friends took him captive and hit him in the castle of Fort Burke, the castle of Warburg was a German fortress that was one of the most impenetrable fortresses in all Germany.

The time can't we see here this is I was there a few weeks ago with some of our church planters over there Germany and here's a sheer rock wall face and it's this incredible fortress and as they take Luther into this fortress.

He takes out a pen and he writes the words to him that we still sing today called a mighty Fortress is our God.

Here's what he says and what you listen this, he says and does this world, with devils filled will threaten to undo us.

We will not fear for God has willed his grace to try them through us.

The Prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage recanting to work for low. His doom is sure one little word will fail him.

He is thinking about Cardinal Koch at time saving him one little word make this go away and what he looks at him and miss him as he says if you keep your one little word that will set me free because I would rather have the mighty Fortress of our God. That would all the fortresses of the Roman Empire and all the fortresses in all the world, that word of faith that I'm talking about one little word, that word of faith, has in it the very power of God is the power of new creation is the word that makes the sinner righteous. It makes the lame walk, it makes the blind see. It brings the dead back to life.

He can release you from the powers of addiction they can heal the wounds of years of abuse they can scrape off the dead parts of your heart that have been hardened by a lifetime of selfishness they can bring renewal to a heart that is dark and dead. It is the power of salvation to all who believe it gives hope to the hopeless turns tragedy to try out. It makes you more than a conqueror through him who loves us. When you believe that one little word of the gospel.

One little word releases in you the power of the spirit so much that not even the gates of hell can withstand us from our logo looks back at the Cardinal he says you can keep your offer of safety. I'd rather have the fortress of God's promises in the fortresses of any earthly power that word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them. A bite of the spirit and the gifts are ours through him with the side of select goods and kindreds go this mortal life. Also, the body they may kill God's truth.

Abydos still can't see when the battle see when it's all said and done when it's all said and done that's our most excellent. We boasted it's what I but I don't commend to you a bunch of principles that I have a better family. I want you to have a better family and I give you 10 ways you be successful in business. I want you to be successful in business but what I sent to Ron what I cling to what I boast in is the gospel is one simple word of faith in the gospel releases in you the power of God is a mighty Fortress of God's power on Luther's death bed after you died. His friends found them dead. Sad because they did know his last words are to be the great men like this the last words when looking around and in his pocket. They found little piece of paper that he scribbled the handful of words on the last words that he wrote what he committed to the what's document was was amazed probably caused more change in the world than anybody else in the last thousand years what you think. His last words are his last words are. We are beggars. The sister in other words, at the end of the day all I am somebody empty, somebody broken somebody without what it takes somebody who is unrighteous who has discovered the righteousness of God and the power of God that is given as a gift in the gospel. What I commend is nothing else I will commit my leadership or my accomplishments. I just give you Jesus I just give you the gospel because in that gospel is the power to heal your marriage to transform your kids to set the captive free and to redeem your soul from sin and set you on the path of eternity. Divorce is asthma boast brothers and sisters, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, amen. Many photographs of Mike right off I just want to fall down the stage and or Swisher to come with the way over top of me to do that but what it is is you in the West gospel mighty Fortress is our God's power is made available not to technique not to knowledge, not skill, but the simple faith that he has done everything necessary to save you and everything necessary to redeem you and transform your life. The power of resurrection more and there is absolutely nothing you can do to make him have you been transformed by embracing the freedom that he's done everything needed to save you if you happen to 10 in a little late or if you want to share this message with a friend.

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