Galatians: Finally Free

Galatians 

Welcome:

Good morning, everyone! Thank you so much for worshiping with us today at Eastern Shore Baptist Church! My name is Stuart Davidson, and I have the wonderful privilege of serving as the pastor here. 

Boy, it is great to see so many of you here this morning! Whether you’re worshiping with us in person, right here and right now…physically present, or joining us online, we are so glad you’re here!

If you’re visiting with us today, welcome! You know that we have lots of families visiting our church by tuning into our broadcast. That’s awesome. Watch online but make sure that you come see us in person. I promise you that the experience of being here, in this sanctuary is so much better. 

Folks, I am especially thankful that you’ve chosen to spend your Sunday morning with us. My prayer is that from the parking lot to the pews you’re sitting on, you’ll feel welcomed, and loved. More than anything, my sole desire is that you’ll leave this place feeling closer to the Lord than when you arrived.

Before we get started, I want to remind everyone about our church prayer line. It’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We believe in the power of prayer, and we’d love the opportunity to pray for you! If there’s something happening in your life, a burden you’re carrying, or a need you’d like us to pray about, send us a text message at 251-222-8977. We’d consider it a privilege to pray for you and your family.

Again, welcome to Eastern Shore Baptist Church! We’re so glad you’re here!

Introduction To Today’s Message:

In 1856, a little boy by the name of Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in Franklin County, Virginia. For the first nine years of his life, Booker knew nothing but bondage. He was born a slave, he was raised a slave, and had every reason to believe that he would spend the rest of his life as a slave.

Born in 1856 but everything in Washington’s life would change in 1865. 

Mr. Washington later recalled that one morning, everyone on the plantation was told to come up to the big house. A man whom Booker believed to be from the US Military stood before the crowd and began reading a document. This man looked official and powerful to the young 9 year old boy. What was this military official reading? You can probably guess what it was. It was President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

When the man finished reading, the announcement was made. They were all free! Each man, women, boy and girl could now leave that plantation and go wherever they pleased!

Booker T. Washington would never forget what happened next.

His mother, who had spent years praying for this singular moment, leaned over and kissed him. Tears of joy streamed down her face. She told her children that this was the day she had prayed for. She had convinced herself that this day would never arrive but it did. It came. It happened.

Imagine that moment. A mother looking into the faces of her children, realizing that the bondage they had known was finally done. Over. Never to return.

After years of slavery, years of suffering, years of longing for liberty, they were FINALLY FREE!

Booker T. Washington would eventually become one of the most influential educators in American history. Sill he never forgot that day when freedom came to his family.  

Friends most of us in this room have never experienced the horrors of physical slavery. We’ve never known what it means to be owned by another human being. We know nothing of what it means to be deprived of our freedom, or forced to live under a slave master.

Here is a truth this morning, regardless of if you believe it or not…it’s still truth. Every single person in this room has experienced another kind of slavery. I’m talking about the slavery, the spiritual bondage of SIN!

The Bible has a great deal to say about spiritual slavery.

John 8:34 (CSB)

“Jesus responded, ‘Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.’”

Romans 6:17 (CSB)

“But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over.”

Romans 3:23 (CSB)

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that every one of us has been enslaved by sin. We were born with a sinful nature. We have rebelled against God. No amount of religious activity, good behavior, or personal effort could ever purchase our freedom.

Thank God, the story doesn’t end there!

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ went to a cross on Calvary, He shed His precious blood on that horrible hill, and He paid the penalty for our sins!

He did what we could never do for ourselves!

He broke the chains of sins. He defeated the power of death. Jesus made it possible for every person who places their faith in Him to experience genuine spiritual freedom!

Listen to what Jesus said in John 8:36 (CSB):

“So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.”

I love that verse!

Jesus didn’t come to make our bondage lighter. He didn’t die so the load of our sin could be more bearable or less intrusive. He came to break our bondage completely! The image on the front of your bulletin is how I imagine it must feel to have the weights of sin fall off. Those bondages finally being loosed should drive us all to our knees thanking God for the goodness that He has given to us. It really is Amazing Grace. 

Remember this lyric?

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come:

'tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

and grace will lead me home.

The snares are the shackles of sin, the bondage of our wickedness, that drags us all straight to hell. Jesus has destroyed the slavery of sin. It no longer has power over us. 

When you surrender your life to Jesus Christ, something extraordinary happens. You’re no longer condemned by your sin. You’re no longer separated from God. You’re no longer enslaved to the sinful nature that controlled your life.

We’ve been forgiven! You and I been redeemed! We have all been reconciled to God!

Now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, all of us have the freedom to live the life God created us to live!

Friends, Jesus Christ didn’t come to make us better slaves. He came to set us FREE!

That’s exactly what the Apostle Paul wants us to understand as we continue our study through the book of Galatians.

In fact, that’s the title of my message this morning…

“FINALLY FREE!”

Today’s Message:

“Finally Free”

Introduction To Today’s Thought:

Friends, when Jesus Christ sets us free from the bondage of sin, He doesn’t simply forgive us and leave us the way He found us. He begins the process of transforming our lives!

The Bible calls this sanctification.

That’s a big theological word with a relatively simple meaning. Sanctification means to be set apart for God. The moment we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we’re set apart as His people. From that moment forward, the Holy Spirit begins working in our lives to make us more like Jesus.

Our desires begin to change. Our priorities begin to realign to match God’s. Even the way we think about life begins to be rearranged. We start to see the world and people the way God does. The things that bring God joy bring us joy and the things that bring God grief grieves us. 

We’re no longer living to satisfy the desires of this world. We’re living to serve the Savior who set us free!

That’s what I want you to understand this morning. Jesus doesn’t just free us FROM something. He frees us FOR something!

That brings me to today’s thought. You can fill in these blanks on your outline this morning. 

“Surrendering To Christ Means You Are No Longer A Slave To The World. You Are Sanctified, Serving A Risen Savior!”

Today’s Thought:

Surrendering To Christ Means You Are No Longer A Slave To The World. 

You Are Sanctified, Serving A Risen Savior!

Introduction To Today’s Quote:

I’ve always loved R.C. Sproul. He’s been one of my favorite pastors, authors, and Christian thinkers. He had an incredible ability to take deep theological truths and explain them in ways that people could understand.

All the way back in 2005, Dr. Sproul began preaching through the book of Romans. In the very first sermon of that series, “Introduction to Romans 1:1-7”, he discussed what it means to be a servant of Jesus Christ.

Man he just has a great way of speaking. There’s something really amazing about realizing that freedom isn’t found in living for ourselves. It’s found in surrendering ourselves…giving ourselves completely to Jesus Christ.

Listen to this quote inspired by his teaching.

Today’s Quote:

“When Christ sets you free from slavery to the flesh, He calls you to the royal liberty of being a slave to Him. True Christian freedom is not the freedom to live however we please, but the freedom to live as God intended. We are no longer bound by the chains of sin, controlled by the desires of the flesh, or condemned by the weight of the law. Instead, we are free to walk in obedience, serve one another in love, and live for the glory of God. The greatest freedom a person can ever experience is found in complete surrender to Jesus Christ.”

-R.C. Sproul’s Sermon Entitled “Introduction To Romans 1:1-7” Preached October 16th, 2005

Background and Context of Today’s Scripture:

Friends, I want to invite you to open your Bibles to Galatians 5:7-15.

Remember, the book of Galatians was written by the Apostle Paul sometime around A.D. 48-49. If you remember, Paul wrote this letter from Antioch in Syria.

Paul was writing to a group of churches in the Roman province of Galatia, located in modern-day Turkey.

The problem was that false teachers had infiltrated these churches. These men, often referred to as Judaizers, were teaching that faith in Jesus Christ wasn’t enough for salvation. They insisted that Gentile believers also needed to follow the Jewish Law, particularly circumcision, to be fully accepted by God.

Paul was absolutely furious about this! Why? These false teachers were adding requirements to the Gospel that Jesus Christ had never required.

If you read the entire letter you’ll find out that Paul reminds the Galatians that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our ability to obey religious rules and regulations.

In fact, look at how Paul begins chapter five.

Galatians 5:1 (CSB)

“For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

In verses 2-6, Paul warns these believers that relying on circumcision as a means of justification would undermine their dependence on Christ. They couldn’t depend on the Law to save them while claiming that salvation came through grace.

That brings us to verse seven.

Paul now turns his attention to the people who were leading these believers astray. He reminds them of the freedom they have in Jesus Christ and challenges them to protect that freedom.

I want to remind you this morning that…

Statement of Belief:

“We are opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Today’s Scripture:

Galatians 5:7-15 CSB

You were running well. Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth? [8] This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. [9] A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. [10] I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. [11] Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. [12] I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated! [13] For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. [14] For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. [15] But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His Holy name.”

In Christ, We Are Finally Free To…

I. Protect Our Freedom vs. 7-10

Well friends, we’ve finally made it to the heart of today’s message! We’ve spent some time talking about the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. Now I want us to consider what that freedom means for our daily lives.

In Christ, we are FINALLY FREE to…

Protect Our Freedom! 

Fill in the blanks under Roman numeral one for me, Protect Our Freedom!

You can see this point illustrated in verses 7 through 10. 

“You were running well. Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth? [8] This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. [9] A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. [10] I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.”

There on your outline, you’ll notice a short explanation of this first point. It says:

“Don’t allow false teaching to pull you away from the true Gospel and our freedom in Christ.”

You know, as I was reading this passage, I was drawn to verse 7.

“You were running well. Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth?”

Now, some of you know that I love to run. I run just about every day of the week. Sometimes I run indoors on a treadmill. Other times I run outdoors on trails, roads, and sidewalks. One of my favorite runs starts at Daphne Elementary School on Main Street. There is a great sidewalk that takes you all the way into Fairhope. Its a great run. 

Several years ago, I was in Montgomery visiting my in-laws. I decided to go for a run through their neighborhood. They live in a large neighborhood with lots of running paths. 

Everything was going great. I was enjoying the run. Making good time. I wasn’t thinking about anything other than getting some exercise.

Out of no where, the toe of my shoe caught a piece of raised sidewalk.

I went flying! All 190 pounds of yours truly was in the air. I went horizontal. 

I landed HARD on my knees and hands. I scraped myself all to pieces! One moment I was enjoying a nice run, the next moment I was lying on the sidewalk thinking about all my life choices.

I didn’t fall because I was tired. I didn’t fall because I didn’t know how to run. I fell because something got in my way!

That’s what Paul is communicating here in verse 7. 

The Greek word translated “prevented” comes from the word enkoptō.

Pronunciation: en-KOP-toh

It carries the idea of placing an obstacle in someone’s path or hindering their progress.

Paul is essentially asking these believers, “You were running so well! Who got in your way? Who tripped you up?”

Remember, these Galatian believers had started their Christian journey well. They had heard the Gospel. They had placed their faith in Jesus Christ. They were growing in their relationship with the Lord. They seemed to have their act together, doing it all right. 

Then somebody came along and got in their way!

These false teachers began convincing them that Jesus wasn’t enough. They needed more. They needed to follow the Law. They needed a medical procedure. They needed to earn what God had already given them through Jesus!

This is really important here folks, so sit up and clue in. 

SOMETIMES THE GREATEST THREAT TO YOUR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS ISN’T WHAT YOU’RE RUNNING TOWARD. IT’S WHO YOU’RE LISTENING TO ALONG THE WAY!

That’s why we have to protect our freedom in Christ.

Not every preacher who opens a Bible is preaching the truth. Not every person who claims to speak for God is actually speaking for God.

We have a responsibility to know what the Bible teaches. We have a responsibility to recognize false teaching. We have a responsibility to protect the Gospel that has been entrusted to us.

Remember, Jesus Christ has already paid the price for our freedom.

Don’t let somebody convince you to put the chains back on!

I love what Paul says in Colossians 2. That verse is there on your outline. Check it out with me. 

Colossians 2:8 CEV

Don't let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ.

In Christ, We Are Finally Free To…

I. Protect Our Freedom vs. 7-10

II. Proclaim Our Freedom vs. 11-12

Friends, let’s look at our second point this morning.

In Christ, we are finally free to PROCLAIM OUR FREEDOM!

We see this illustrated in verses 11 and 12. Listen to what Paul writes.

“[11] Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. [12] I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated!”

Friends, there on your outline you’ll notice a short explanation of this point.

“Don’t compromise the message of the cross to gain worldly approval and applause, because freedom is found in Jesus Christ.”

Now, I want to be transparent with you for just a moment.

As a pastor, I have to be honest. It is good to be honest, good to be transparent. There are times when it would be so much easier to sugarcoat some of the more culturally difficult passages of Scripture.

Think about the world we’re living in today. If I were to take the temperature of our culture concerning the Bible, I think I’d find that our culture is pretty cold toward much of what God’s Word teaches.

It would be easy for me to take passages that address human sexuality and minimize their importance.

It would be easy for me to take verses that explain God’s design for marriage and trivialize their meaning.

It would be easy for me to take passages that teach the sanctity of human life, especially the life of an unborn child, and try to explain those teachings away.

Why would I do that?

Maybe I could become more popular. Maybe I could attract a larger following. Maybe I could build a bigger church.

Maybe I could gain the approval and applause of a culture that increasingly rejects Biblical truth.

There are pastors today who have built enormous platforms by avoiding some of the more difficult teachings of Scripture. Let’s be honest, there are some pastors who have just fabricated what some passages say to fit a narrative that the culture finds acceptable. 

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with having a large church or a national platform. I want our church to grow. Still, I want it to grow the right way, with the right foundation. Praise God for pastors who faithfully preach His Word to thousands of people! The problem comes when we begin compromising Biblical truth to maintain that popularity.

Friends, I have to tell you something. There have been moments in my ministry when I’ve felt that temptation. I have felt that pull to preaching to itching ears. 

There have been times when I knew that preaching a particular passage would be uncomfortable. I knew some people wouldn’t agree with what the Bible said. I knew that faithfully teaching God’s Word might result in criticism. I knew that proclaiming the truth of the Bible would end friendships. It would mean that some people would leave the church. 

It would’ve been easier to avoid these subjects altogether.

The reality is that I don’t have that option!

As a pastor, as a preacher, and as a proclaimer of God’s Word, I don’t get to decide which parts of the Bible are acceptable and which parts should be ignored.

My responsibility isn’t to make God’s Word more acceptable to the world. My responsibility is to faithfully proclaim God’s Word to the world!

That’s exactly what Paul is talking about in verse 11.

Paul understood that the message of the cross was offensive to people who believed they could earn their salvation through religious obedience.

He could’ve avoided persecution by preaching circumcision as a requirement for salvation. He could’ve made his message more acceptable to the Judaizers.

Paul refused!

He understood that the moment you add human requirements to the Gospel, you’ve compromised the very message that sets people free.

The Gospel Doesn’t Need Our Approval. It Needs Our Proclamation!

Now, I want to show you something.

Several years ago, Joel Osteen appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live. During that interview, Larry King asked him some very direct questions about salvation and whether Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.

This is one of the most important questions anyone could ever ask.

Jesus Himself answered that question in John 14:6 when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

That’s pretty clear, isn’t it?

Yet, when Larry King asked Joel Osteen about this very subject, his response was noticeably hesitant.

I want you to watch this brief clip.

Friends, let me ask you something.

Why is that clip so important?

It’s important because it demonstrates just how difficult it can be to proclaim the exclusivity of Jesus Christ in a culture that wants to believe there are many different ways to heaven.

Now, I don’t know Joel Osteen’s heart. I can’t tell you what he was thinking during that interview.

What I can tell you is that he was given an opportunity to clearly proclaim that salvation is found exclusively through Jesus Christ. His response left that essential truth unclear.

Friends, the Bible doesn’t leave that question unanswered!

Jesus didn’t say He was one of many ways to heaven. He said He was THE WAY!

Acts 4:12 teaches that salvation is found in no one else. There is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.

That’s not my opinion. That’s the Word of God!

We don’t have the authority to change the message simply because the culture doesn’t like it.

Paul was persecuted for preaching the Gospel. He was beaten. He was imprisoned. He was rejected by people who hated the message he proclaimed.

Sill, Paul never changed the message to make himself more popular.

Paul understood that the Gospel was worth defending. The truth was worth proclaiming. Jesus Christ was worth suffering for! Friends, we need that same conviction today. We need Christians who aren’t ashamed to stand on the authority of Scripture. We need churches that aren’t afraid to preach the whole counsel of God’s Word. We need pastors who are more concerned about pleasing God than receiving the applause of men!

I’d Rather Be Rejected By The World For Preaching The Truth Than Be Applauded By The World For Compromising The Gospel!

Listen to what Paul wrote in Romans 1:16.

“I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God’s power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles.”

Friends, that’s the confidence we need! 

Our confidence isn’t in our popularity. It isn’t in the size of our church. It isn’t in how many people approve of what we’re preaching.

Our Confidence Is In The Gospel Of Jesus Christ!

We’re finally free to proclaim the truth. Let’s never be ashamed to do it!

In Christ, We Are Finally Free To…

I. Protect Our Freedom vs. 7-10

II. Proclaim Our Freedom vs. 11-12

III. Practice Our Freedom vs. 13-15

Well, friends, we’ve finally come to Roman numeral three.

In Christ, we are finally free to PROTECT our freedom, PROCLAIM our freedom, and our last point this morning, PRACTICE OUR FREEDOM!

We see this illustrated in verses 13 through 15. Listen to what Paul writes.

“[13] For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. [14] For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. [15] But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.”

“Christian freedom is not permission to satisfy our sinful desires. Rather, we demonstrate Christ’s love through serving others.”

Now, you’ve probably heard the old saying, “Practice makes perfect.”

There’s a lot of truth in that statement, isn’t there?

If you want to become a better quarterback, you’ve got to practice throwing footballs. If you want to become a better baseball player, you’ve got to get into a batting cage and hit thousands of baseballs.

You don’t become a great athlete simply by talking about sports. You’ve got to get out there and practice!

Let me tell you about something that happened to me last Sunday. In fact, it took place right after the service last week. 

There’s a little boy in our church who’s nine years old. I love this kid and I love his family. Great kid and great people. He’s playing his first year of kid pitch baseball for Daphne. For those of you who aren’t familiar with baseball, that means he’s now facing pitchers who are other little boys instead of a pitching machine or a coach.

This young fella had a problem. It is a common problem that all baseball players have to adjust to or quit. A few days earlier, this little guy had gotten hit by a pitch during one of his games. If you’ve ever played baseball, you know that getting hit by a baseball isn’t exactly an enjoyable experience! It hurts! It stings. There is usually some tears shed.  His dad was telling me about what had happened, asking me to pray for his son. Apparently, after getting hit by that pitch, his son had become afraid of stepping back into the batter’s box. He didn’t want to hit anymore. He didn’t want to stand there wondering whether another baseball was going to come flying toward him.

Can you blame him?

I mean, that’s a pretty natural response! His dad wasn’t asking me to intervene or talk to his son. He was simply telling me what had happened. Now, you know that baseball is a pretty big part of our family. I’ve spent countless hours on baseball fields with my boys. I’ve coached them through situations just like this one. I remember those days when they were learning how to hit against live pitching. I remember helping them overcome the fear of getting hit.

So after church last Sunday, I found this little fellow and sat down beside him. I put my arm around him and told him how much I loved him. I told him that I was proud of him. Then we started talking about baseball.

I asked him, “Buddy, do you love baseball?”

He said, “Yes, sir.”

I said, “Do you want to keep playing baseball for a long time?”

“Yes, sir.”

Then I asked him, “Well, tell me what happened the other day. Why didn’t you want to get back into the batter’s box?”

He looked at me and said, “Pastor, I’m afraid I’m going to get hit.”

I told him, “I understand that. Getting hit by a baseball hurts! Nobody wants to get hit by a pitch. That’s a natural fear. Every baseball player has to learn how to deal with that.”

Then I told him something I hope he’ll remember.

I said, “If you want to keep playing baseball, you’ve got to overcome that fear. You’ve got to be brave. You’ve got to be courageous. You’ve got to get back into that batter’s box!”

Do you know exactly what I said to him? I told him the reason that I love baseball so much is because it teaches you so much about life. In life, you can do everything right, you can be totally prepared, and you can still get hit. When life hits you, it can hurt. It can really scare you. It can leave a mark just like a baseball. The temptation is to pull away. To say “no way am I doing that again”. That makes sense. No one wants to willingly sign up for pain. 

I told him that he “can’t quit just because something hurts. You’ve got to keep practicing!”

Well, Wednesday night rolled around, and that little boy had another baseball game. Guess what happened? HE GOT BACK INTO THE BATTER’S BOX! He stepped up to the plate. He took his swings. He faced his fears, and he was successful! Man, I was proud of him! I think there’s something we can learn from that nine-year-old baseball player.

YOU DON’T GET BETTER BY AVOIDING THE THINGS THAT CHALLENGE YOU. YOU GET BETTER BY PRACTICING THE THINGS THAT HELP YOU GROW!

That little boy couldn’t become a better baseball player by refusing to step into the batter’s box. He couldn’t improve his swing by sitting in the dugout. He couldn’t overcome his fear by avoiding the very thing that frightened him. He had to get back out there! Friends, the same principle applies to our spiritual lives.

Now, I want you to understand something. I’m not suggesting that we earn our salvation through spiritual practice. That’s exactly the kind of thinking Paul has been fighting against throughout the book of Galatians!

We Don’t Practice Our Faith To Earn God’s Favor. We Practice Our Faith Because We’ve Already Received God’s Favor Through Jesus Christ!

That’s the difference between legalism and Christian liberty.

Look again at verse 13.

Paul says, “For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.”

Paul says we’ve been called to freedom, but that freedom comes with a responsibility.

We’re supposed to SERVE one another!

In fact, the Greek word Paul uses for “serve” is douleuō. 

Pronounced doo-LEV-oh

It carries the idea of serving as a slave.

Isn’t that interesting?

Paul has spent much of this letter explaining that we’re no longer slaves to the Law. Now he’s telling us to use our freedom to become servants of one another!

Here’s the difference.

Before Christ, We Were Enslaved By Sin. Through Christ, We’re Set Free To Serve!

That’s what Christian freedom looks like! Understand this friends, no one gets out of this life without becoming a servant to something or someone. We are all destined to be slaves. We are either slaves to the world which will leave us broken and in bondage or we can be servants to the King of Kings, leaving us blessed. 

It’s not sitting around doing whatever we want. It’s not using God’s grace as an excuse to indulge our sinful desires. It’s using the freedom Christ has given us to love God and serve other people. 

If you want to become a better servant in God’s Kingdom, what should you do?

START SERVING!

Find a place in this church where you can make a difference. Volunteer in our children’s ministry. Help with our students. Sing in the choir. Serve on a ministry team. You don’t have to know everything before you get started. Sometimes you simply need to step out in faith and begin serving.

Maybe you’re sitting here this morning thinking, “Pastor, I really want to become more comfortable telling people about Jesus.”

Well, that’s wonderful!

How do you become more comfortable sharing your faith? START SHARING YOUR FAITH! Begin talking to people about what Jesus Christ has done in your life. Get involved in our Harvest Ministry. Come participate in our Fall Festival tonight. Help us welcome families from our community. Hand out Gospel tracts and materials that point people toward Jesus Christ. You don’t have to be a theologian to tell somebody about Jesus. You just gotta to be willing!

Maybe you’re sitting here thinking, “Pastor, I want to become a stronger Christian. I want to grow in my relationship with the Lord.” Praise God! How does that happen? START PRACTICING THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES THAT HELP YOU GROW! Open your Bible and read it! Spend time talking to God in prayer! Come to church on Sunday mornings. Come back on Wednesday nights. Get involved in a Life Group. Find a discipleship group where you can study God’s Word with other believers. Make worship a priority in your life!

Friends, I think one of the great problems facing the modern church is that we have people who want the benefits of spiritual maturity without practicing the disciplines that produce spiritual growth.

We want to know God’s Word, but we don’t want to read it. We want a powerful prayer life, but we don’t make time to pray. We want strong Christian friendships, but we don’t make fellowship a priority. We want to become more like Jesus, but we struggle to make time for the very things that help us grow in our relationship with Him.

Church, it doesn’t work that way!

You can’t become a better baseball player without practicing baseball. You can’t become a better runner without spending time running.

YOU CAN’T EXPECT TO GROW SPIRITUALLY IF YOU NEVER MAKE SPIRITUAL GROWTH A PRIORITY!

Friends, listen to what Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:16.

“Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God.”

Live like FREE people!

Don’t use your freedom as an excuse to sin. Don’t use God’s grace as permission to live selfishly.

Use your freedom to serve the Lord! Use your freedom to love your neighbor! Use your freedom to make a difference in the lives of other people!

CHRISTIAN FREEDOM ISN’T ABOUT GETTING WHAT WE WANT. IT’S ABOUT GIVING OUR LIVES TO THE ONE WHO SET US FREE!

Friends, as we bring this message to a close, I want you to remember the three things we’ve learned from Galatians 5:7-15.

First, PROTECT OUR FREEDOM! Don’t allow false teachers or worldly influences to pull you away from the truth of the Gospel. 

Second, PROCLAIM OUR FREEDOM! Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel. Don’t compromise God’s Word to gain the approval of others. 

Third, PRACTICE OUR FREEDOM! Don’t simply talk about your faith. Live it! 

Friends, if you’ve surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you have something even to celebrate!

You’ve been delivered from the bondage of sin! You’ve been forgiven of your transgressions! You’ve been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ! You have a Savior who loves you, a Father who has adopted you, and a future that is secured through the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

The chains have been broken! The price has been paid! The victory has been won!

Thank God! We Are No Longer Slaves!

Closing Prayer:

Father, thank You for the freedom we have through Jesus Christ! Lord, we were once slaves to sin. We were lost and separated from You. Thankfully you sent Jesus to pay for our sins. You broke the chains of sin and slavery and gave us the gift of eternal life!

Father, help us never to take that freedom for granted. Give us the wisdom to recognize false teaching and the courage to stand firmly on Your Word. Help us to proclaim the Gospel without fear or compromise. Remind us that our responsibility isn’t to please the world but to honor You.

Lord, teach us to practice our faith every day. Give us hearts that are willing to serve others. Help us to grow spiritually through prayer and studying Your Word. May our lives reflect the love of Jesus Christ in everything we do.

Father, I pray for anyone here this morning who’s still living in spiritual bondage. Open their hearts to the Gospel. May today be the day they surrender their lives to Jesus Christ and experience the freedom that only He can provide.

Thank You, Lord, that the chains have been broken! The price has been paid! The victory has been won! Thank God, we are no longer slaves! We are FREE!

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.