WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.679 So today I want to continue this series of one another, but mainly just focusing today 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:15.120 and serve one another. 00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:21.160 So please go with me again to Galatians chapter 5 verse 13. 00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:33.679 For you were called to freedom brothers, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, 00:00:33.679 --> 00:00:42.679 but through love serve one another, but through love serve one another. 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:50.000 I have to say that one of my favorite films is Braveheart. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:59.920 Maybe you don't agree with Mel Gibson's Scottish accent, but the poetic story behind the film is, 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:05.640 I mean behind the landscapes and the glens and everything is fascinating for me. 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:12.879 I was just like five years or seven years old, I can't even remember, but back in Chile just watching this film. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:25.280 And wow, I really like that film. This warrior spirit of William Wallace captures the people's hearts, right? 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:34.039 This sacrificial way of serving the Scottish people is vital to understand this film. 00:01:34.039 --> 00:01:38.159 Today I just had some lunch with a couple of people and I just asked, 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:47.359 have you watched this film Braveheart? And he said no. So for those of you who have already watched this film, 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:54.959 do you remember the last words of William Wallace? 00:01:54.959 --> 00:02:05.159 No? Well, no. But it was freedom. Yeah? Okay, yeah please. You have to anyway. 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:11.400 But it's freedom. It's not just freedom, but freedom. 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:18.359 So according to this film, freedom and service were related to each other. 00:02:18.359 --> 00:02:22.960 But after all, this is just an only a film. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:29.079 So some people doubt the historical accuracy of Braveheart. 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:38.120 Therefore, all this inspire spirit of serving one another, it just disappear when this film ends. 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:46.000 However, we keep yearning for this sense of freedom in our hearts. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:52.439 Now, let me ask you this. Do you know what freedom is? 00:02:52.439 --> 00:03:06.120 Have you ever experienced this freedom? As Christians, how do we know if we are living according to this gospel of freedom? 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:11.000 Jesus said, by their fruits, you shall know them. 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:21.560 And according to Paul in Galatians 5 verse 13, there's an important and vital fruit that comes from true freedom. 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:30.039 And that is service. Again, but through love, serve one another. 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:37.840 So I want to continue this series about one another by talking about serving one another. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:43.159 And this is really connected with the previous sermon about loving one another. 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:55.400 Because to love one another is so important in the Christian life that we cannot talk about love like in a film or in a movie. 00:03:55.400 --> 00:04:03.879 No, because this is not a film. This is real life. This is about life itself. 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:19.879 Therefore, the reality of love is expressed by serving one another. As Paul says here, we must serve through love in freedom. 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:25.240 So I want to speak only two points and not three points in this sermon. 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:32.199 The first one is true service comes from true freedom. 00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:37.719 So the first point, true service comes from true freedom. 00:04:37.719 --> 00:04:47.879 And the second point is true service and true freedom are rooted or come in the true servant, the Lord. 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:55.319 So true service and true freedom are rooted in the true servant, the Lord. 00:04:55.319 --> 00:05:02.920 So the first point is true service comes from true freedom. 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:15.879 So having said this, we should mention that therefore it exists a false service that comes from false freedom. 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:25.079 In other words, false service comes when someone is tied to something that not only opposes to growth, 00:05:25.079 --> 00:05:32.279 but lives in constant oppression that harms your life. 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:44.120 A man with chains, sorry, in her hands and feet cannot move. He's unable to serve well. 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:48.759 Everyone of us belongs to someone. 00:05:48.759 --> 00:06:03.480 In other words, everyone of us has a master and in a certain sense we become his or her servant or slave. 00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:07.959 To whom do we belong? 00:06:07.959 --> 00:06:21.399 And this is very important. Who is taking your thoughts, your energy, your joy, life, family, gifts and heart? 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:23.319 And heart, sorry. 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:31.879 The person or the thing you dedicate your thoughts, words, actions, affections, 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:39.719 does it bring you joy, satisfaction and true comfort in trials? 00:06:39.719 --> 00:06:51.240 And let me tell you this just briefly. Three things can bring a burden or can enslave your life in a pretty bad way. 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:57.639 The first is a religion that preaches a false gospel. 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:05.639 Paul is serious about anyone who preaches a different gospel according to Galatians. 00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:15.000 But what is a false gospel? Any message that focuses on your works or your efforts or deeds 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:21.959 to obtain the approver and salvation from God. 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:29.560 The second thing that can enslave our lives is the consequence of breaking God's law. 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:36.279 And please remember this. Our enemy, your enemy, my enemy is not the law. 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:44.439 It's our sin because the root of the law is love. 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:52.439 Therefore, the meaning of the law is to love God and love your neighbor. 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:58.600 So if we talk about the root of sin is hate. 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:05.639 It is to hate God and hate your neighbor in a conscious or an unconscious way, whatever you call it, 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:09.480 but it's to hate God and hate your neighbor. 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:19.319 And the wages of sin is eternal death. And the third thing that brings this that can enslave our lives is sin, 00:08:19.319 --> 00:08:25.720 sin itself. And sin is not a toy. 00:08:25.720 --> 00:08:32.039 What God hates is sin. 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:37.080 And I have to say this. I really like the Westminster Shorter Catechism, 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:40.840 the definition of sin and the question 14. 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:45.160 Question 14, what is sin? And the answer is this. 00:08:45.160 --> 00:08:52.920 Sin is any want of conformity onto or transgression of the law of God. 00:08:52.920 --> 00:09:00.520 Again, sin is any want of conformity onto or transgression of the law of God. 00:09:00.520 --> 00:09:06.680 So in other words, is when we disagree with loving God and loving our neighbor, 00:09:06.679 --> 00:09:17.239 and in some sense we create a new system of law that leads us to hate God and hate and slave our neighbor. 00:09:17.239 --> 00:09:20.839 This is why sin is so awful. 00:09:20.839 --> 00:09:25.879 And this is the nature of every kind of sin, of every secret sin. 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:33.799 We are hitting God and we are hitting our wives, children, church, ministry, job, whatever. 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.719 That's the nature of sin. 00:09:37.719 --> 00:09:43.319 So when we live enslaved to sin, false service appears. 00:09:43.319 --> 00:09:55.399 Because false service seeks to use the gifts of people for our own benefit in a very selfish way. 00:09:55.399 --> 00:10:00.519 Sometimes it manipulates, sometimes it has an appearance of service, 00:10:00.519 --> 00:10:09.079 just an external appearance of service, but at the end of the day it's not true service because it's not real. 00:10:09.079 --> 00:10:20.120 Only in freedom, in freedom we can serve well, and that is not for our glory, but for God's glory 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:27.480 and the well-being of our neighbor. Only in true freedom there is true service. 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:33.240 Obviously the whole Bible is about the gospel, and here in Galatians we see this gospel, 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:41.159 about the work of God for our salvation, not about our works to earn salvation. 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:50.920 And it's about faith in Christ. It argues for freedom as a result of the gospel, sorry, 00:10:50.919 --> 00:11:00.120 nevertheless while we don't do good works to obtain salvation, we do good works 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:06.519 because we are already saved by the love and grace of God. 00:11:06.519 --> 00:11:16.919 So we are not saved by doing good works, but we are saved for good works prepared beforehand by God. 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:24.599 And all this is done in the context of freedom. So as we, as Ken read, 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:34.679 for freedom Christ has set us free, stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of 00:11:34.679 --> 00:11:42.439 slavery. Do we want to breathe this freedom? Do we want to live in freedom? 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:54.840 Do you want to experience this freedom? Then we have to serve, we have to serve one another. 00:11:56.440 --> 00:12:05.560 Again verse 13, for you were called, you were called to freedom, brothers, only do not use your 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:13.239 freedom as an opportunity for the flesh and that is to enslave people into your own laws and things 00:12:13.239 --> 00:12:21.879 like that, but through love the last, the previous sermon, serve one another. Freedom, it's a position 00:12:22.599 --> 00:12:30.039 and the reality of liberty, freedom from the requirements of the law to be saved, freedom 00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:36.759 from the condemnation and consequence of breaking this law and also liberty from the power of sin. 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:48.199 Only in freedom we can serve one another. So service, what is? It is to put our gifts and hearts 00:12:49.079 --> 00:12:55.639 for others. It is to put our gifts and hearts for others in love, 00:12:55.639 --> 00:13:03.559 not for my glory, not for the glory of our ministries, not for the sake of our names, 00:13:03.559 --> 00:13:13.000 but for God's glory. Service is to build up the body of Christ through reciprocal sharing of gifts 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:22.439 and hearts for God's glory. So again service is to build up the body of Christ through this 00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:34.040 reciprocal sharing of gifts and hearts for God's glory. So to serve well we have to first serve God. 00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:40.760 If we go to the Old Testament as I read and now Israel 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:51.480 and now people here at Sanctis, members of this church, members of the Church of Christ 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:58.759 whatever you are if you are watching online and if you are put your faith in Christ, 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:06.759 what does the law of your God require of you? But to fear the law of your God, to walk in all 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:13.080 his ways, to love him, to serve the law of your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:24.600 So to serve God here, the word here implies just this to work for God in the sense of worship God. 00:14:25.400 --> 00:14:33.800 So to serve God is to worship God. So because God brings freedom to his people, 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:48.039 his people worship him, worship God, his God in freedom, in this sense of awe, joy and 00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:55.639 thankfulness with all their heart and soul. So from this worship to God in freedom we can 00:14:55.639 --> 00:15:04.840 serve our neighbor and in distinction from our service to God the Creator and Redeemer we serve 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:12.759 our neighbor because we are created and in need of redemption and sanctification. 00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:25.080 And not only that, we are social beings so we need each other. This is something reciprocal. 00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:37.480 God's freedom allow us to experience true service. I serve you in love and I receive your service 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:45.480 for God's glory. This is something mutual. It is not something that I only give to you 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:50.519 but only through service means that I receive something from you. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:16:01.159 So we serve each other when we realize this is very important that God has given us something 00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:15.799 that is for us but it's not ours. And that is our gifts. So God gives you gifts but not for you 00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:25.079 but for your neighbor. So you have something that is yours but it's not yours because it's for your 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:33.720 neighbor. That's the reason why every single member of the body of Christ has gifts. So you have 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:46.120 gifts that are not yours but are for your neighbor. For the person who is next to you right now 00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:58.919 or behind you. So gifts are made to be given. And in seminary we are learning about how to preach. 00:16:58.919 --> 00:17:05.960 We always receive this advice. Do not mention the original work in Greek or Hebrew about 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:12.200 some word. So I'm not going to mention the Greek or Hebrew word but the Latin word and the Spanish 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:21.480 word. So I am okay with this. So I love this because the Latin word for gifts is donum. And in 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:31.000 Spanish I'm from Chile by the way, South America is don. So don, don, where is don? Well done, 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:39.480 done. So don means to donate. You know what I mean? So don to give, to donate yourself 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:50.839 to the person who is next to you. So that's a gift. So you have gifts to be given to your neighbor. 00:17:51.880 --> 00:18:01.720 That's service. So you give your gifts and your heart to the person who is next to you, 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:11.160 to your neighbor for God's glory. Service is to donate our lives for Christ the king and his body, 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:18.920 the church. We freely give our gifts because freely we have received them. 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:26.120 That's service in freedom, in gratitude, just to give your heart 00:18:26.119 --> 00:18:38.839 for Christ the king and his body. So having said this, we serve each other when we realize 00:18:39.479 --> 00:18:48.519 that I don't have all the gifts of the world. Therefore I need others gifts. 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:56.599 You need the gifts of the person again who is next to you in front of you. We need each other. 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:07.480 We are needy and we are needed. I need to work for you and you need to work for me. 00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:17.640 Through love we serve each other in freedom by the gospel. 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:29.079 And now let me tell you this. How can we serve well? We serve well when we know each other. 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:37.799 We serve well when we know each other. Otherwise it is impossible to give a true service. 00:19:39.079 --> 00:19:46.439 It is impossible to give a true service to someone who I don't know that person or that guy. 00:19:46.440 --> 00:19:59.559 So we need to spend time and be intentional in getting to know more about each of us. 00:20:01.559 --> 00:20:13.559 We need to know our names, hobbies, dreams, struggles, gifts and so on. This is key in service. 00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:25.879 We cannot love someone if we don't know him. Same with service. You can't worship or serve God 00:20:27.399 --> 00:20:36.359 if you don't know him. We cannot really serve our brothers and sisters if we don't know them 00:20:36.359 --> 00:20:45.799 or if we don't have the practical intentionality and the heart to know them. It is impossible. 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:54.439 Otherwise it's going to be something very mechanical, external and a true service. 00:20:54.440 --> 00:21:05.799 What are we doing to get deeper in our knowledge about God, the Creator and Redeemer? 00:21:06.600 --> 00:21:14.600 And also what are we doing to get deeper in our knowledge of the person who is next to you? 00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:26.359 Maybe we are resistant to this because society teaches us that true freedom is just 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:33.799 something, just to be isolated, just to be yourself and just fulfill your dreams and that's all. 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:43.720 So that is not freedom. Maybe you think that you don't serve to serve others. 00:21:45.399 --> 00:21:47.960 Yeah, maybe we think about that. No, I don't have the gifts. 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:56.919 I don't serve to serve others. Maybe you think that you are doing the opposite to serve. 00:21:56.920 --> 00:22:06.920 But let me tell you this. God calls these kind of people. When we more recognize that we can't 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:12.680 serve well, it is when God uses our lives to serve him and to serve others. 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:19.720 And this is the gospel again. Think about this. Paul, he was persecuting the church. 00:22:19.720 --> 00:22:29.720 Therefore, he was not serving the church. He was serving his own desires. Paul was killing the church. 00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:37.799 Again, he was not serving the church. Therefore, in reality, he wasn't serving God. 00:22:38.600 --> 00:22:47.799 He thought he was serving God, but he didn't. Why? Because Paul was a servant of his legalistic 00:22:47.799 --> 00:23:00.119 religion. He was a slave of his own righteousness. And he needed freedom. And the God of the gracious 00:23:00.759 --> 00:23:11.960 covenant of grace, the God of Abraham, came to him and broke the chains. In that moment, Paul, 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:21.960 he got the sweetest freedom. He was completely free by the free grace of God. And now the best way 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:32.039 to live out that freedom was by living as a servant, actually as a slave of Jesus Christ. 00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:43.000 When you read the New Testament, he presents himself as Paul, a servant or slave of Jesus Christ. 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:51.879 In Philippians, Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ. And please don't think about this awful 00:23:51.879 --> 00:23:58.920 slavery of the 18th or 19th century. No, in Paul's social context, we found bad masters and good 00:23:58.920 --> 00:24:05.720 masters. And concerning good masters, there was a good bond between the master and the servant. 00:24:06.840 --> 00:24:15.080 The servant or slave was devoted to the well-being of his master. And his master was concerned about 00:24:15.080 --> 00:24:24.039 the well-being of his servant. So in this case, Paul presents himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:31.799 So the true experience of freedom and service comes when we declare that all Lord is Jesus Christ. 00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:39.000 We are free people when we live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And literally, 00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:47.000 this is not about us. It's about Christ. So that's the best comfort, both in life and death. 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:55.559 I really love and encourage you to study or to read the Heidelberg Catechism, just the first question. 00:24:55.559 --> 00:25:04.119 What's your only comfort both in life and death? And the answer is that I'm not my own. 00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:15.720 But both in life and death, in body and soul, I belong to Jesus Christ. That's the only comfort, 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:24.839 both in life and death. Are you dealing with bad issues during this week? Do you need comfort? 00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:34.039 That's your comfort. That we do not belong to people. We do not belong to fallen political system. 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:47.079 Even we do not belong to our secret sins. No, we belong to Christ. And Christ is our Lord. 00:25:51.799 --> 00:26:00.200 So we are free people. Our identity is not in our feelings or approbation, but in Jesus Christ. 00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:08.039 Why? Because Christ, the Lord of Lords, the King of kings came to surface people. 00:26:10.200 --> 00:26:15.240 True service comes from true freedom. And now let me go to the final and second point. 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:24.680 True service and true freedom are rooted in the true servant, the Lord. The true servant 00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:33.320 is the Lord of Lords. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his 00:26:33.320 --> 00:26:40.680 life as a ransom for many, according to Mark 10, 45. He came to serve. And the word here in the 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:50.039 original means to attend to the wants and need of others. He came to serve the worst of the worst 00:26:50.039 --> 00:27:05.079 people in society. He came for the sick. Are you sick? Are you sick of struggling with 00:27:06.039 --> 00:27:15.240 things or you know what things you are struggling right now? Do you feel sick or do you realize 00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:24.200 that you are sick? So the gospel is for you. The gospel is for me. He came for those who are dead. 00:27:24.200 --> 00:27:31.559 Do you think that you are dead and you're tired of everything? The gospel is for you. 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:38.440 So he came for the sick. He came for those who are dead, dead in their trespasses and sins. 00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:46.680 And he came to serve in order to give and satisfy the greatest need of our hearts. 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:56.759 And the greatest need of every single human heart is life. Spiritually, we are born as 00:27:56.759 --> 00:28:05.559 dead people. Therefore, nothing in this creation will satisfy our hearts because our hearts were 00:28:05.559 --> 00:28:13.639 not created for creation but for the Creator. And the Creator comes to redeem our hearts. 00:28:14.200 --> 00:28:23.319 He comes to bring freedom. He came to serve and to give his life. He gave his life to give us 00:28:23.319 --> 00:28:31.879 life and that life is God himself. He is the highest good to bring absolute freedom. 00:28:31.880 --> 00:28:39.880 Then the Lord of Lords took a human nature, a form of a servant. Let me go quickly to Philippians. 00:28:39.880 --> 00:28:44.600 Have this mind among yourself which is yours in Christ Jesus. 00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:49.400 Though he was in the form of God, 00:28:52.840 --> 00:29:01.160 by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form, 00:29:01.160 --> 00:29:07.640 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 00:29:09.240 --> 00:29:16.840 Here is the gospel. The Lord of Lords got himself, took a human nature, and being fully man, 00:29:16.840 --> 00:29:22.680 he took a form of a servant to be the suffering servant. 00:29:22.680 --> 00:29:32.840 By his life, we see the beauty of the gospel because he fulfilled the law for us, for you, 00:29:32.840 --> 00:29:39.560 for me. By his life, he lived the perfect life by representing his people. Therefore, 00:29:40.279 --> 00:29:48.519 he loved his God, he loved God with all his heart, and he loved his neighbor, us, with all his heart 00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:58.119 and life. He fulfilled the law. But not only that, he humbled himself by becoming obedient 00:29:58.119 --> 00:30:05.160 to the point of death, even death on a cross. And maybe you can say, I already know this, 00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:16.279 I am a Christian, but this is vital for service. Why? Why Christ died for this? 00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:25.559 Because our selfish desires turn into attitudes, attitudes that enslave people 00:30:27.079 --> 00:30:32.279 for our ugly benefits deserves death. 00:30:32.279 --> 00:30:47.240 Or manipulation and false service deserves death. Our lack of love and service to our 00:30:47.240 --> 00:30:56.039 wives, to our husbands, widows, children, or people in church deserves death. 00:30:56.039 --> 00:31:07.639 Jeremiah 48 verse 10, cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slagness. 00:31:10.839 --> 00:31:18.920 By his death, we see the beauty of the gospel because Christ took the curse that we deserve 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:26.360 and he took the death that we deserve and he died for us. If you are a Christian, my friend, 00:31:26.360 --> 00:31:32.840 amigo, amiga, do you feel guilty for not serving God and your neighbor right now? 00:31:33.880 --> 00:31:41.320 Here's the gospel. By his life and death, Christ removes the guilt of every single sin. 00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:49.079 By his life, death, and spirit, Christ removes the power of sin. And in the resurrection day, 00:31:49.079 --> 00:31:56.279 Christ will remove the presence of sin in every redeemed heart. Now there's not 00:31:56.279 --> 00:32:02.839 condemnation for us. There's not condemnation for you and me. Therefore, by the love of the 00:32:02.839 --> 00:32:08.279 Father, the grace of the Son, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, we have true freedom. 00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:17.960 True freedom. What are we going to do with this freedom? Enjoy it. Enjoy this freedom. 00:32:21.639 --> 00:32:25.160 Not only in a good Cayley dance with your brothers and sisters in the church, 00:32:26.680 --> 00:32:36.119 but by serving God. That is worshiping his name, by meditating about the person and work of Christ 00:32:36.119 --> 00:32:46.119 while you walk to your job or while you are being tempted to commit that secret sin. 00:32:47.479 --> 00:32:56.119 Again, what are we going to do with this freedom? Enjoy it. But how? By serving our neighbor. 00:32:56.119 --> 00:33:06.599 The life of Christ brings redemption in order to give freedom and also an example for us. 00:33:09.879 --> 00:33:19.319 We receive a complete forgiveness of sin, past, present, and future sins to serve God, 00:33:19.319 --> 00:33:25.720 to have fellowship with God, and also to serve our neighbor and to have fellowship 00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:33.960 with our neighbors. This is by grace. Jesus, who is fully God, came to give the best gift 00:33:33.960 --> 00:33:43.079 himself. Jesus came to serve us. If you are free, if you have the best example, if the guilt has 00:33:43.079 --> 00:33:54.359 been removed, then God commands you, commands me to serve through love. There's not option. 00:33:56.279 --> 00:34:04.759 This is the sweetest imperative to serve one another. This is the time to spend more time 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:11.480 with our families, friends, and brothers and sisters of this congregation, or with all, 00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:21.480 from other congregations, to know them better. And with this, we will be able to give and receive love. 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:30.519 And with freedom and love, you will be able to serve your neighbors and receive their service 00:34:30.519 --> 00:34:38.360 as well. Maybe you are thinking in practical things to do, to serve the church, to serve 00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:46.680 your brothers and sisters, and that's fine. That's good. But first, fill your heart with Christ, 00:34:47.720 --> 00:34:57.640 to give and serve with a heart full of Christ. That's what we need right now, to serve with hearts 00:34:58.360 --> 00:35:07.320 full of Christ, because our service must reflect the service of Christ, to the church, to the world, 00:35:07.320 --> 00:35:14.519 to every corner, to the end of the world. Amen. Let's pray together. 00:35:18.200 --> 00:35:32.200 Oh God, we worship you because of who you are, because of the gospel, the beautiful gospel, 00:35:32.199 --> 00:35:41.239 the guilt, the power of sin has been removed by your life and death, 00:35:43.719 --> 00:35:54.519 and by your Holy Spirit, you apply this freedom in order to serve, to serve you, 00:35:54.519 --> 00:36:02.840 to worship you in freedom, because there is no condemnation. Again, the guilty has been, 00:36:02.840 --> 00:36:13.960 the guilt has been removed. There's freedom to love you, to know you more, to spend more time 00:36:13.960 --> 00:36:24.119 by worshiping your name, by declaring your wonderful works in the past, in the present, 00:36:24.119 --> 00:36:38.119 and also in the future. God, we want to love you more, and also in freedom, by the work of Christ. 00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:49.880 Help us, and awake our hearts to serve our neighbors, to serve the brothers and sisters here, 00:36:52.039 --> 00:36:59.319 to put our gifts for the service, for the sake of the one who is next to me. 00:36:59.320 --> 00:37:07.960 And also, help us to receive the service from our brothers and sisters. Help us 00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:21.400 to experience this freedom by serving one another in love. We thank you. We thank you for your word. 00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:31.800 Oh God, please help us to understand that there are no excuses. There's only freedom. 00:37:33.320 --> 00:37:44.119 So please help us that you only know how many days we have here on earth, 00:37:44.119 --> 00:37:54.119 so help us to live every single day for your service, to serve you well, and also to serve 00:37:56.440 --> 00:38:05.400 our neighbor. Thank you. We thank you because this is not a film, but this is the best reality, 00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:15.400 the gospel of freedom, to love you and serve you and serve our neighbors. In Jesus Christ, 00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:35.639 in your precious name we pray, Amen.