WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.820 I invite you to take your Bibles this morning and turn with me over to the New Testament book of Galatians. 00:00:05.060 --> 00:00:11.359 We're going to be in Galatians chapter 4 this morning, and we're going to begin in verse 1, work our way through verse 7. 00:00:11.540 --> 00:00:18.080 Galatians 4, 1 through 7, and this morning we're going to talk a little bit about the topic of adoption. 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:24.300 Now, we're not going to be talking about so much the topic of adoption as bringing a child into our home 00:00:24.300 --> 00:00:26.839 and them becoming our child and we becoming their parents, 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:31.960 but we're going to be talking specifically this morning about the topic of adoption in regards to how 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:38.460 when you repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ, you are adopted into a heavenly family. 00:00:38.619 --> 00:00:40.980 And so that's what we're going to be looking at this morning. 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:42.840 Galatians 4, 1 through 7. 00:00:43.460 --> 00:00:44.820 I trust that you have found our text. 00:00:44.879 --> 00:00:50.179 I want to invite you to stand as we honor the reading of God's holy and inerrant word. 00:00:50.179 --> 00:00:54.880 Paul writes, 00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:02.219 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:06.420 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 00:01:07.180 --> 00:01:13.400 In the same way, we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:20.180 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, 00:01:20.180 --> 00:01:24.560 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 00:01:25.780 --> 00:01:30.700 And because that you are sons, God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, 00:01:31.240 --> 00:01:32.240 Abba, Father. 00:01:32.940 --> 00:01:35.220 So you are no longer a slave, but a son. 00:01:35.320 --> 00:01:38.140 And if a son, then an heir through God. 00:01:38.180 --> 00:01:38.880 Would you pray with me? 00:01:40.080 --> 00:01:43.420 Father, this is your word, and we are thankful this morning for it, Lord. 00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:47.840 It is inerrant, and it is authoritative to everything it speaks of. 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:50.960 And Father, we are thankful this morning that we have it, and it is reliable. 00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:57.000 And so, Father, as we open it up this morning to study this text, I pray that you would teach us, Father, 00:01:57.060 --> 00:02:01.460 that we would leave here changed, and we would take your holy word and apply it to our hearts. 00:02:01.520 --> 00:02:03.400 We pray this in Christ's name. 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:04.100 Amen. 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:04.820 Thank you. 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:05.480 You may be seated. 00:02:07.659 --> 00:02:11.780 When I was growing up, when I was a teenager, mainly 16, 17 years old, 00:02:11.780 --> 00:02:21.960 I thought that I had the strictest parents in the neighborhood because it seemed like I had to follow rules and regulations 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:26.599 that the rest of my friends weren't necessarily required to follow. 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:32.680 It seemed like my friends could do what they wanted, and my mom and dad would always put these rules on me. 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:36.180 And every time I went out, I remember my dad, we would have this conversation. 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:38.120 He would ask me four questions. 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:46.360 He wanted to know where I was going, who I was going out with, what I was going to do when I got there, 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:48.740 and what time I was going to be home that night. 00:02:48.900 --> 00:02:53.539 And it used to drive me crazy because it just seemed like my friends didn't have to answer these questions. 00:02:53.920 --> 00:02:55.759 My parents would put on me a curfew. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:59.800 I had to be home when I was 16, 17 years old when I was driving. 00:03:00.060 --> 00:03:05.099 I had to be home on Friday, Saturday night, right around 11, 12 o'clock at night, which is fair. 00:03:05.099 --> 00:03:07.419 But at the time, it didn't seem like it was very fair. 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:11.060 And I remember one Friday night, I went out with some friends. 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:14.259 We went bowling, and my curfew that night was midnight. 00:03:15.019 --> 00:03:19.319 And I remember leaving the bowling alley, getting in my car, driving home. 00:03:19.359 --> 00:03:26.799 And as I pulled into the neighborhood, looking at the clock on the dashboard, and it was 12.05, 12.05. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:28.500 And so here I am. 00:03:28.580 --> 00:03:29.860 I go into ninja mode. 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:31.260 I go into stealth mode. 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:38.200 And what I did, if I was running late, I would put the car into neutral when I was about one house away from my parents' house. 00:03:38.260 --> 00:03:45.060 I put the car into neutral, turn the headlights off, and then turn the engine off and just kind of coast right up onto the house 00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:46.980 so that way my parents didn't hear me coming in. 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:49.480 And I had done my homework already. 00:03:49.580 --> 00:03:54.060 I had already oiled the lock on the front door so when I stuck the key in, it didn't make any noise. 00:03:54.060 --> 00:03:57.240 I mean, I was in bonafide ninja mode. 00:03:57.560 --> 00:03:58.780 And so I pull up to the house. 00:03:59.060 --> 00:03:59.740 It's 12.05. 00:04:00.140 --> 00:04:01.599 I come up to the front door. 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:03.719 It's well-oiled, ready to go. 00:04:03.800 --> 00:04:06.759 I stick my key in there, and I begin to turn that key. 00:04:07.420 --> 00:04:08.620 And there's no noise. 00:04:08.920 --> 00:04:09.580 It was beautiful. 00:04:09.920 --> 00:04:10.319 It was beautiful. 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:14.360 And I open the door, and the TV was on. 00:04:14.860 --> 00:04:17.920 My parents were never awake at 12.05. 00:04:18.220 --> 00:04:20.620 They were always in bed between 8 and 9 o'clock. 00:04:20.620 --> 00:04:24.000 And so the TV's on, and I can tell by what's on the television. 00:04:24.339 --> 00:04:27.639 I can tell that it is my dad that is up because it's National Geographic. 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:30.540 He's up watching something that us men like to watch. 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:32.060 And so I go to Plan B. 00:04:32.139 --> 00:04:33.000 I had a Plan B. 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:36.540 And so I open the door, and I walk in like there's nothing wrong. 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:38.160 And I walk right by my dad. 00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:40.980 He's sitting in the Lazy Boy, and I just kind of wave at him as I walk by. 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:43.560 I didn't want to say anything to him because I didn't want to strike up a conversation. 00:04:43.939 --> 00:04:45.879 So I just wave at him as I walk by. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:47.120 I get to the hallway. 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:54.899 And as soon as I get to the hallway to go to my room, my dad says, get over here, boy. 00:04:56.899 --> 00:04:58.420 And so I walk over to my dad. 00:04:58.439 --> 00:04:59.579 I know I'm in trouble. 00:04:59.800 --> 00:05:03.019 I walk over to my dad, and I say, yeah, I play dumb. 00:05:03.339 --> 00:05:03.920 What's up, dad? 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:05.959 He says, what time did I tell you to be home, son? 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:08.079 And I said, midnight. 00:05:08.479 --> 00:05:09.620 He told me to be home at 12 a.m. 00:05:10.379 --> 00:05:11.279 What time is it? 00:05:12.099 --> 00:05:13.039 And so I look at my clock. 00:05:13.099 --> 00:05:13.859 I knew what time it was. 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:14.680 So I look at my watch. 00:05:14.779 --> 00:05:16.599 I said, oh, it's 12 o'clock. 00:05:17.859 --> 00:05:19.159 He says, so you're five minutes late. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:21.199 And I say, yes, sir. 00:05:21.699 --> 00:05:23.579 He says, you're grounded for a week. 00:05:24.339 --> 00:05:30.659 At that moment, as a 17-year-old boy who knew everything, I began to buck up at my dad. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:33.939 And I told him how unfair it was. 00:05:33.939 --> 00:05:38.980 And, you know, you are grounding me for seven days for five minutes. 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:39.920 That's not fair. 00:05:39.980 --> 00:05:45.719 And I just remember my dad sitting there in his lazy boy looking up at me, waiting for me to finish. 00:05:45.819 --> 00:05:49.040 And after I finished ranting and raving, he looked at me. 00:05:49.100 --> 00:05:57.920 He said, Michael, you can either be grounded for seven days or I can ground you for 14 days. 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:03.240 And so I did what every smart 17-year-old boy would do. 00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:09.439 I stuck my tail in between my legs and I walked back to my room defeated. 00:06:10.180 --> 00:06:13.160 Seven days of restriction for five minutes. 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:25.300 I look back on those days and I think to myself how thankful I am today for a mom and a dad who were wise enough to put boundaries around me. 00:06:25.300 --> 00:06:34.939 When I was at an age where I thought my parents didn't know anything and all of the adults in my life, they didn't know anything either. 00:06:36.060 --> 00:06:38.600 I'm thankful for those who invested their time into me. 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:43.600 I'm thankful for a dad who was willing to say, you know what, you're grounded for seven days. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:46.160 Because it made me who I am today. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:59.360 I bring that up because in the United States alone, there are over 581,000 foster children. 00:07:00.140 --> 00:07:08.140 And out of that 581,000, 129,000 of them are waiting for adoption. 00:07:08.139 --> 00:07:13.719 They don't have a mom and a dad who are waiting up for them to come home five minutes late. 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:20.139 They don't have a mom and dad who are there always to love on them for one reason or another. 00:07:21.099 --> 00:07:28.339 And I often tell our teenagers, you complain about how hard your parents can be sometimes, but you know what, be thankful for them. 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:31.079 Be thankful that you have them in your lives. 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:37.159 And for some of these 129,000 children who are waiting for adoption, there's going to come a day. 00:07:37.379 --> 00:07:45.680 There's going to come a day where a couple is going to adopt them and they are going to become members of a family. 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:51.740 They're going to be adopted by a mother and father who's going to love them and take care of them. 00:07:51.740 --> 00:08:01.860 And when they are adopted into that family, they inherit all of the rights, all of the privileges, and all of the benefits that come with being part of a family. 00:08:02.340 --> 00:08:07.939 And so this morning, what I would like to do is take a few moments of your time to talk about an adoption process. 00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:17.560 And an adoption process that takes place the moment we repent of our sins and place our faith in Christ, we are adopted into a family. 00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:24.319 And when we are adopted into this family, there are some serious and great advantages that come with it. 00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:26.519 And so we're going to talk about those this morning. 00:08:27.139 --> 00:08:33.899 One of the advantages of being a member or being adopted into God's family is that you are no longer trapped in sin. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:39.120 You are no longer under the bondage, under the thumb of sin. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:42.139 Look what Paul says here in verses 1 and 2 again. 00:08:42.139 --> 00:08:43.740 He says, 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:58.840 Now in Paul's day, there were three different customs. 00:08:59.580 --> 00:09:00.779 There was a Jewish custom. 00:09:01.319 --> 00:09:02.519 There was a Greek custom. 00:09:02.919 --> 00:09:04.179 And there was a Roman custom. 00:09:04.179 --> 00:09:10.779 And every single one of those customs had a particular age by which a boy became a man. 00:09:10.779 --> 00:09:16.620 In the Jewish custom, a boy became a man right around the age of 12 years old. 00:09:16.959 --> 00:09:19.819 And we're familiar with that here some because of the bar mitzvah. 00:09:20.339 --> 00:09:26.539 But in the Greek culture, a boy didn't become a man until he was around 18 years of age. 00:09:26.699 --> 00:09:36.059 And we're familiar with that in our country because that's when we recognize children or youth as becoming adults in the eyes of the law. 00:09:36.059 --> 00:09:43.619 I often joke with our youth when they turn 18 years of age, I say to them, congratulations, you can now go to jail. 00:09:43.979 --> 00:09:46.039 Because you are now accountable for your actions. 00:09:46.119 --> 00:09:48.159 Your mom and dad are not accountable for you any longer. 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:57.919 Now, in the Roman culture or in the Roman custom, the boy didn't become a man until the dad said so. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:07.620 And I like that one because I think every one of us here in this room knows not every 18-year-old boy is yet a man. 00:10:08.259 --> 00:10:09.279 I was one of them. 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:19.360 And so the boy was under the thumb of his dad until his dad said, today, son, you are a man. 00:10:20.019 --> 00:10:27.079 The reason I bring up these three customs is because that's what Paul is talking about here in the first two verses of chapter 4. 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:39.240 He is using the Roman custom of a boy becoming a man when the dad says so as an illustration to make a point in verse 3. 00:10:40.180 --> 00:10:40.379 Okay? 00:10:40.820 --> 00:10:42.200 Look what he says here. 00:10:42.259 --> 00:10:48.840 In verse 2, he says that the child is considered a boy until the date set by his father. 00:10:49.220 --> 00:10:54.920 And each of these customs had a particular ceremony that marked the child as coming of age. 00:10:54.919 --> 00:11:04.059 And until that ceremony, Paul says the boy is no different than a slave, even though he would inherit the entire estate of his father. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:08.899 And so essentially what's going on here is the boy could make no decisions. 00:11:09.939 --> 00:11:13.500 And he was under the thumb of his dad until his dad said so. 00:11:13.719 --> 00:11:20.199 And until that time, the boy was subject to guardians and trustees is how one translation puts it. 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:24.240 Essentially what the guardian would do, they're like modern-day nannies. 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:32.720 They would take care of the boy, raise the boy if the parents were too busy, and the trustees would manage the estate that the boy was taking. 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:35.519 And so Paul was using an illustration. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:37.360 And he makes this point in verse 3. 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:38.180 Look what he says. 00:11:38.860 --> 00:11:39.240 He says, 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:50.460 And in the same way, in the same way as that Roman custom, okay, we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:55.200 And so just like children, before they became adults, they were in slavery. 00:11:55.460 --> 00:12:00.080 We, the same way, before we came to faith in Jesus Christ, we were in slavery. 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:02.420 We were under the thumb. 00:12:03.180 --> 00:12:06.300 And we were under the thumb of sin. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:13.840 And so he says, we were in slavery under the basic principles or elementary principles of the world. 00:12:13.920 --> 00:12:17.800 That word elementary comes from the Greek word for alphabet. 00:12:18.300 --> 00:12:19.879 And what is the alphabet? 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:22.259 It's the building blocks of writing. 00:12:22.900 --> 00:12:23.060 Okay? 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:24.300 It's how we write. 00:12:24.299 --> 00:12:31.859 And so what Paul is saying is that before the Galatians came to Christ, they followed their own ways. 00:12:32.359 --> 00:12:33.579 Their own elementary ways. 00:12:34.599 --> 00:12:34.799 Right? 00:12:34.939 --> 00:12:36.699 They followed their ceremonies. 00:12:37.199 --> 00:12:44.759 They followed their man-made religions that focused on pleasing God when, in fact, they could not do that. 00:12:45.779 --> 00:12:52.199 And since their religion could not save them, they were under the thumb of their sin. 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:58.920 And they were under the thumb of the man-made religion that they chose to follow. 00:13:00.340 --> 00:13:07.540 I want to take just a moment here to talk about three things that are kind of taboo within the church, especially in the Baptist church. 00:13:08.020 --> 00:13:12.780 Let's talk about cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:14.879 Cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:18.460 I'm a guy, I like to read statistics and research. 00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:24.680 And one statistic that I looked at said this about youth, about young people. 00:13:25.660 --> 00:13:36.000 30% of 8th graders, 44% of 10th graders, 52% of 12th graders have confessed to using illegal drugs. 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:38.139 I want to say that one more time. 00:13:38.560 --> 00:13:46.620 30% of 8th graders, middle school, 44% of 10th graders, and 52% of 12th graders have confessed to using drugs. 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:50.620 This doesn't include the ones who didn't confess. 00:13:51.139 --> 00:13:55.299 This doesn't include the ones who didn't want mom and dad to find out, so they said nothing. 00:13:55.720 --> 00:14:01.379 And so what that equals is 42% of teenagers in our country have confessed to using illegal drugs. 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:09.659 Underage drinking has cost our country right around in the neighborhood of $58 billion a year. 00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:11.779 That's billion with a B. 00:14:12.699 --> 00:14:23.980 In the last 30 days, 50% of teenagers report of drinking alcohol, and 32% confessed to being drunk at least one time in that 30 days. 00:14:24.959 --> 00:14:25.899 Listen to this statistic. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:31.299 Every year, over 276,000 men die from smoking cigarettes. 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:33.480 Just men, 276,000. 00:14:34.620 --> 00:14:37.339 142,000 women die from smoking cigarettes. 00:14:37.340 --> 00:14:48.259 Alcohol is also attributed to car-related fatalities, suicide, sexual assault, and the contraction of STDs among teenagers. 00:14:50.300 --> 00:14:52.300 You know what's ironic about all these things? 00:14:53.920 --> 00:14:55.060 We know this. 00:14:56.580 --> 00:14:59.160 And people who choose to live this kind of lifestyle know this. 00:14:59.300 --> 00:15:00.460 They may not know the statistics. 00:15:00.620 --> 00:15:02.300 They may not know the exact research. 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:04.960 But we don't live in 1940 anymore. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:07.740 We know that cigarettes cause cancer, and cancer kills you. 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:14.920 Knowing the research, knowing that this stuff will kill, people still choose to do it. 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:16.900 It just blows me away. 00:15:17.860 --> 00:15:25.139 And what happens is, is when you start abusing these things, your body becomes dependent upon them, and you get addicted. 00:15:25.139 --> 00:15:31.799 You get addicted to something that will eventually take your life. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:33.240 They're in bondage. 00:15:33.319 --> 00:15:38.799 They're under the bondage of the cigarettes, of the alcohol, and the drugs. 00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:49.620 You know, this bondage that they find themselves in is a bondage that will kill them. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:59.419 And sin's bondage is clothed in fun, independence, and pleasure. 00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:04.740 And what we fail to realize is that it kills. 00:16:05.659 --> 00:16:10.779 It can kill us physically, and it will most definitely kill us spiritually. 00:16:13.179 --> 00:16:17.559 Glory be to God this morning that he has released us from these things. 00:16:18.139 --> 00:16:21.059 When we come to faith in Christ, you are released from the bondage of sin. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:24.740 I often illustrate to our youth on Wednesday nights, and I know they're tired of this, 00:16:24.740 --> 00:16:27.399 but there's a line that goes right down the center of the exchange. 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:28.379 It's a crack in the floor. 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:31.320 And I say to our youth, you can't straddle that line. 00:16:31.899 --> 00:16:33.680 One foot in sin, bondage. 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:36.560 One foot in the church, or your walk with Christ. 00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:37.879 And walk straight. 00:16:37.960 --> 00:16:38.500 You can't do it. 00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:39.299 It's incompatible. 00:16:40.060 --> 00:16:43.060 No matter how many times I've read the Bible, it's just not there. 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:47.879 You can't have one foot in the world, one foot in the church. 00:16:48.419 --> 00:16:52.320 You're either with Christ, or you're not with Christ. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:58.540 You're either in bondage, or in Christ, you have been released from bondage. 00:16:59.140 --> 00:17:00.240 And that's what Paul talks about. 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:04.880 When we are adopted into his family, when we are adopted into the heavenly family, 00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:07.460 we are free from this bondage. 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:11.220 Second thing that happens to us when we are adopted into a heavenly family 00:17:11.220 --> 00:17:13.460 is that we have an assurance of salvation. 00:17:13.740 --> 00:17:17.279 Now, if you've been in the church long enough, especially a Baptist church, 00:17:17.299 --> 00:17:19.220 you've heard the phrase, once saved, always saved. 00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:23.559 And this is one of the texts that we get that doctrine from. 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:26.440 Listen to what Paul says here in verses 4 and 5. 00:17:27.319 --> 00:17:27.779 Paul says, 00:17:28.180 --> 00:17:31.039 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, 00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:35.240 born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, 00:17:35.779 --> 00:17:38.900 so that we might receive adoption as sons. 00:17:39.100 --> 00:17:41.819 And so Paul says, when the timing had fully come, 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:45.819 in God's perfect timing, in God's sovereignty, he sent his Son. 00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:49.019 He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman. 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:53.079 He fulfills the Isaiah prophecy of being born of a virgin, the Virgin Mary, 00:17:53.079 --> 00:17:56.720 and it says that Jesus was born under the law. 00:17:56.819 --> 00:18:01.119 In other words, Jesus perfectly obeyed the law to a T. 00:18:01.579 --> 00:18:02.759 He never sinned. 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:04.159 He never messed up. 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:08.259 And he is our perfect, sinless sacrifice. 00:18:08.259 --> 00:18:11.420 No one else could do that. 00:18:12.420 --> 00:18:14.180 Doesn't matter how you interpret the law. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.700 You can interpret the law as being all the Old Testament, 00:18:17.220 --> 00:18:18.660 the first five books of the Old Testament, 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:20.720 or even just the Ten Commandments, 00:18:20.779 --> 00:18:22.660 all of which is correct, okay? 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:23.660 But we break them. 00:18:24.759 --> 00:18:27.700 I would argue that we break the Ten Commandments 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:29.160 on a pretty regular basis. 00:18:31.299 --> 00:18:32.119 Jesus never did that. 00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:37.159 And so he was able to become our perfect sacrifice. 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:39.859 He took our punishment. 00:18:41.379 --> 00:18:43.219 I often illustrate it this way, 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:45.319 especially when I'm talking to children 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:47.699 and when my kids were younger, 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:50.579 you know, explaining penal substitution, 00:18:50.979 --> 00:18:52.419 the atonement, propitiation, 00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:56.139 these big theological words to a three-, four-year-old 00:18:56.139 --> 00:18:57.039 is almost impossible. 00:18:57.539 --> 00:18:58.539 But, you know what? 00:18:58.539 --> 00:19:02.539 They do understand, hey, Jesus, 00:19:02.819 --> 00:19:03.879 he took your spanking. 00:19:04.899 --> 00:19:05.819 Maybe you don't like spanking. 00:19:05.899 --> 00:19:06.220 That's okay. 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:07.220 He went to timeout for you. 00:19:08.099 --> 00:19:08.240 Right? 00:19:08.339 --> 00:19:09.299 Jesus went to timeout for you. 00:19:09.319 --> 00:19:10.019 He took your punishment. 00:19:11.059 --> 00:19:13.059 And I know that illustration breaks down at a point, 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:13.940 but you know what? 00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:15.659 In the mind of a three- or four-year-old, 00:19:15.740 --> 00:19:16.859 it makes perfect sense. 00:19:18.500 --> 00:19:19.559 Jesus took your punishment. 00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:22.099 When he died on the cross, 00:19:22.159 --> 00:19:23.259 that was supposed to be us on the... 00:19:23.259 --> 00:19:24.299 That was supposed to be our death. 00:19:25.339 --> 00:19:26.500 That was supposed to be our punishment. 00:19:26.500 --> 00:19:28.900 And so when we place our faith in Christ, 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:31.279 essentially what happens is there's a great transaction. 00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:36.839 We give Jesus our sin, our guilt, our punishment, 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:38.819 and what Jesus gives us in return 00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:40.619 is his imputed righteousness. 00:19:41.180 --> 00:19:42.539 And so when the Father looks at us, 00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:44.420 he no longer sees a guilty sinner 00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:46.019 and deserving punishment. 00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:50.180 He sees the righteousness of his Son. 00:19:50.380 --> 00:19:52.119 In a sense, we are taken out of a family, 00:19:52.299 --> 00:19:53.200 which would be Satan's family, 00:19:53.259 --> 00:19:55.519 and we are put into God's family. 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:57.660 And so Paul says in verse 6, 00:19:58.039 --> 00:19:58.480 he says, 00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:00.319 And because you are sons, 00:20:00.879 --> 00:20:02.819 God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son 00:20:02.819 --> 00:20:03.700 into our hearts, 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:05.619 crying, Abba, Father. 00:20:05.980 --> 00:20:07.720 Because you have trusted in Christ, 00:20:08.819 --> 00:20:10.220 you are adopted. 00:20:10.980 --> 00:20:12.359 You are part of God's family. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:14.099 And even more, 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:16.440 like it couldn't get any better, 00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:18.799 God gives us his Holy Spirit, 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:20.299 the third person of the Trinity. 00:20:20.700 --> 00:20:22.240 He comes and lives in our heart, 00:20:22.299 --> 00:20:24.000 and the Holy Spirit does a number of things. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.259 He regenerates us. 00:20:25.420 --> 00:20:26.599 He gives us spiritual gifts. 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:27.859 But one of the things he does 00:20:27.859 --> 00:20:29.240 is he's our assurance 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:31.720 that we are going to see God one day, 00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:33.980 that we're going to be with him in heaven one day. 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:35.259 For lack of better words, 00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:36.359 he is the guarantee, 00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:36.900 the ticket, 00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:39.900 that we are going to go to heaven when we die. 00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:42.740 2 Corinthians 1, 21 and 22, 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:43.779 Paul says this. 00:20:44.339 --> 00:20:44.619 He says, 00:20:44.779 --> 00:20:45.740 God anointed us, 00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:48.019 set his seal of ownership on us, 00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:48.859 and listen to this, 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:49.380 1 Baptist, 00:20:49.380 --> 00:20:52.660 and put his spirit in our hearts 00:20:52.660 --> 00:20:53.960 as a deposit, 00:20:55.020 --> 00:20:56.500 guaranteeing what is to come. 00:20:57.260 --> 00:20:58.440 2 Corinthians 5, 00:20:59.060 --> 00:20:59.620 Paul says, 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:03.060 now it is God who made us for this very purpose 00:21:03.060 --> 00:21:06.060 and has given us the spirit as a deposit, 00:21:06.620 --> 00:21:08.680 guaranteeing what is to come. 00:21:08.900 --> 00:21:10.420 Ephesians 1, 13 and 14, 00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:11.640 having believed, 00:21:11.900 --> 00:21:13.320 you were marked in him with a seal. 00:21:13.900 --> 00:21:14.520 What's the seal? 00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:16.240 The promised Holy Spirit, 00:21:16.819 --> 00:21:17.639 who is a deposit, 00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:19.720 guaranteeing our inheritance. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:22.900 It's like God looking at us and saying, 00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:25.379 I promise, 00:21:26.740 --> 00:21:28.220 there's going to come a day 00:21:28.220 --> 00:21:32.139 when we step out into eternity. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:35.720 One out of one person dies. 00:21:37.299 --> 00:21:38.619 No one escapes him. 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:40.779 It's like God saying, 00:21:40.879 --> 00:21:41.799 when that day comes, 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:44.059 you're going to be with me. 00:21:44.519 --> 00:21:45.599 Here's my Holy Spirit. 00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:47.000 I promise. 00:21:48.500 --> 00:21:49.599 When I was growing up, 00:21:50.139 --> 00:21:51.460 for those of you that don't know this, 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:52.259 I'm an only child, 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:54.000 and so I'm spoiled rotten, 00:21:54.639 --> 00:21:57.359 and I had the advantage, 00:21:57.980 --> 00:21:58.599 and I'll confess, 00:21:58.680 --> 00:21:59.400 I was a city boy. 00:21:59.559 --> 00:22:01.639 I grew up in Virginia Beach 00:22:01.639 --> 00:22:03.299 and grew up in a big neighborhood. 00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:05.079 We didn't live out in the country or anything. 00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:06.639 Had lots of people around me, 00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:08.119 and since I was an only child, 00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:09.279 I was fortunate enough 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:11.339 to have a little boy named Chad, 00:22:11.500 --> 00:22:12.500 who was my age, 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:13.879 that grew up across the street from me, 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:15.620 and Chad was my best friend. 00:22:16.020 --> 00:22:16.840 Chad was my best friend, 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:18.260 and I remember me and Chad, 00:22:18.300 --> 00:22:19.460 we used to hang out all the time, 00:22:19.540 --> 00:22:20.460 four or five years old. 00:22:20.780 --> 00:22:21.740 We would do things 00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:22.660 that four and five-year-olds 00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:23.560 would always do, right? 00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:24.780 We rode our big wheels. 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:25.780 Y'all remember big wheels? 00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:27.520 Some of the generations in here 00:22:27.520 --> 00:22:28.380 don't know what big wheels are. 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:28.920 That's all right. 00:22:29.020 --> 00:22:30.420 We rode our big wheels. 00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:32.540 That was that thing that we sat in 00:22:32.540 --> 00:22:33.760 and it had two little wheels on the back 00:22:33.760 --> 00:22:35.520 and one big old wheel up front, 00:22:35.560 --> 00:22:36.600 and we would ride our big wheels 00:22:36.600 --> 00:22:37.420 up and down the street, 00:22:37.420 --> 00:22:39.980 and my dad had a bunch of bricks 00:22:39.980 --> 00:22:41.460 and plywood in the backyard, 00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:42.560 and we would go back there 00:22:42.560 --> 00:22:43.779 and we'd build a ramp 00:22:43.779 --> 00:22:45.620 and we'd jump it with our big wheels, 00:22:45.860 --> 00:22:46.779 and every now and then 00:22:46.779 --> 00:22:48.680 we would start ghosting our big wheels. 00:22:48.800 --> 00:22:49.740 If you don't know what ghosting is, 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:50.620 that's when you build 00:22:50.620 --> 00:22:52.080 a really big, tall ramp, 00:22:52.120 --> 00:22:53.920 and then we would take our big wheels 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:54.580 and run with them 00:22:54.580 --> 00:22:55.620 and just let it go 00:22:55.620 --> 00:22:56.640 and let it fly off, 00:22:56.680 --> 00:22:57.800 and my dad would get mad at us 00:22:57.800 --> 00:22:58.759 for doing that, 00:22:58.800 --> 00:23:00.080 but we still had a good time doing it. 00:23:00.800 --> 00:23:03.960 And I remember we were never allowed inside. 00:23:04.560 --> 00:23:05.420 That's a good thing. 00:23:05.420 --> 00:23:07.560 Kids play too much inside these days, right? 00:23:08.220 --> 00:23:09.300 And we were never allowed inside. 00:23:09.420 --> 00:23:10.580 My mom wouldn't let us inside. 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:12.180 Chad's parents wouldn't let us inside, 00:23:12.259 --> 00:23:14.080 and so when it was like 100 degrees outside, 00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:16.259 we would play on Chad's front porch, 00:23:16.300 --> 00:23:19.300 and we would play with three specific figurines. 00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:20.640 We would play with G.I. Joe, 00:23:21.160 --> 00:23:22.300 Transformers, and He-Man. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:23.259 Those were the only three. 00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:25.240 Those were the three that were big back then. 00:23:25.560 --> 00:23:27.640 G.I. Joe, Transformers, and He-Man, 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:28.620 and we would sit there 00:23:28.620 --> 00:23:29.700 and we would play these things, 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:31.060 and I remember I had to be home 00:23:31.060 --> 00:23:32.960 right around 5, 5.30 for supper, 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:35.620 and around that time, 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:36.400 I would look at Chad, 00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:36.680 and I'd say, 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:37.680 Chad, I've got to go home, man. 00:23:38.519 --> 00:23:39.160 I'm going to go home. 00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:39.880 I've got to go eat supper, 00:23:39.940 --> 00:23:40.799 but I'll be back tomorrow, 00:23:41.079 --> 00:23:42.880 and I remember Chad looking at me. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:44.400 Now, we're four or five years old. 00:23:44.819 --> 00:23:45.740 I remember he'd look at me. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:46.960 It was almost like he didn't trust me. 00:23:47.420 --> 00:23:47.740 He says, 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:48.620 You're leaving? 00:23:49.380 --> 00:23:49.779 I said, 00:23:49.840 --> 00:23:50.340 Well, yeah, Chad. 00:23:50.360 --> 00:23:50.980 I've got to go home. 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:52.500 You're coming back tomorrow, right? 00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:53.360 I said, 00:23:53.400 --> 00:23:53.579 Yeah. 00:23:54.460 --> 00:23:56.059 And then Chad would look at me every time, 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:56.559 and he would say, 00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:57.900 Do you promise? 00:23:58.980 --> 00:23:59.779 And I would say, 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:00.720 Yes, Chad. 00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:01.900 I promise. 00:24:01.900 --> 00:24:03.980 And it was like those words, 00:24:04.100 --> 00:24:05.080 I promise, 00:24:05.800 --> 00:24:06.560 brought him comfort. 00:24:06.620 --> 00:24:06.840 He's like, 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:07.780 Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. 00:24:08.500 --> 00:24:09.200 Every now and then, 00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:10.800 we'd be up there playing with his He-Mans, 00:24:10.860 --> 00:24:13.200 and my parents never bought me He-Man for some reason. 00:24:13.340 --> 00:24:14.560 They bought me Transformers. 00:24:14.620 --> 00:24:15.680 I still have my Transformers. 00:24:16.700 --> 00:24:18.500 Transformers and G.I. Joe, 00:24:18.600 --> 00:24:19.940 but they would never buy me the He-Man, 00:24:20.019 --> 00:24:21.180 and so we'd be playing He-Man, 00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:22.720 and it'd be time to go home and eat supper, 00:24:22.860 --> 00:24:24.380 and so I would say, 00:24:24.380 --> 00:24:25.700 Hey, Chad, I've got to go home. 00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:27.759 I'll be back tomorrow. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:30.400 You think I can borrow Skeletor while I'm gone? 00:24:31.060 --> 00:24:33.740 Ooh, you ask a five-year-old back then in the 80s 00:24:33.740 --> 00:24:34.720 if you could borrow Skeletor, 00:24:34.800 --> 00:24:36.440 that was like asking for a million dollars, 00:24:36.660 --> 00:24:37.980 and so he would look at me. 00:24:38.019 --> 00:24:38.140 He says, 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:39.400 You want to borrow my Skeletor? 00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:40.420 Are you coming back tomorrow? 00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:41.120 And I said, 00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:41.680 Yeah, Chad. 00:24:42.420 --> 00:24:43.460 I'm coming back tomorrow. 00:24:44.040 --> 00:24:44.380 And he says, 00:24:44.660 --> 00:24:45.160 You promise? 00:24:45.860 --> 00:24:46.519 And I would say, 00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:47.380 Yes, Chad. 00:24:47.500 --> 00:24:48.040 I promise. 00:24:48.140 --> 00:24:48.960 I'm coming back tomorrow. 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:49.380 Don't you worry, 00:24:49.420 --> 00:24:51.080 and I'll bring Skeletor with me. 00:24:51.079 --> 00:24:53.960 There is something about those words, 00:24:54.639 --> 00:24:55.439 I promise, 00:24:56.099 --> 00:24:57.279 that brings us comfort. 00:24:58.399 --> 00:24:58.559 Right? 00:24:59.399 --> 00:25:00.259 Even as adults, 00:25:00.379 --> 00:25:02.480 when we have a friend looks at us and say, 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:02.679 You know, 00:25:02.740 --> 00:25:04.819 I promise you I will do X, Y, and Z, 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:06.159 it's almost like, you know, 00:25:07.059 --> 00:25:09.059 this sense of peace comes over us. 00:25:09.740 --> 00:25:12.859 Because we expect someone to do what they say, 00:25:13.500 --> 00:25:15.319 especially when they say the words, 00:25:15.379 --> 00:25:15.799 I promise. 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:19.500 The Holy Spirit of God, 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:21.220 given to us at the moment of salvation, 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:23.220 is God's I promise. 00:25:24.119 --> 00:25:25.519 You can never get rid of him. 00:25:25.940 --> 00:25:27.440 The Holy Spirit will never leave you. 00:25:27.740 --> 00:25:28.859 He is always with you. 00:25:29.639 --> 00:25:30.539 He is your assurance. 00:25:31.339 --> 00:25:32.460 He is your promise 00:25:32.460 --> 00:25:34.799 that God will complete exactly 00:25:35.460 --> 00:25:37.819 what he began to do in your life. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:40.819 When we are adopted into a heavenly family, 00:25:41.059 --> 00:25:42.759 we're released from the bondage of sin. 00:25:43.220 --> 00:25:45.059 We receive the assurance of salvation. 00:25:45.059 --> 00:25:46.559 And the last thing is, 00:25:47.019 --> 00:25:48.480 we become an heir of God. 00:25:49.179 --> 00:25:49.740 In closing, 00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:51.399 look with me at verse 7. 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:52.919 Paul says, 00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:54.799 So you are no longer a slave, 00:25:54.919 --> 00:25:55.720 but a son. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:57.319 And if a son, 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:00.159 then an heir through God. 00:26:00.859 --> 00:26:02.220 Like, it couldn't get any better. 00:26:02.500 --> 00:26:02.679 Right? 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:03.700 I mean, you know, 00:26:03.779 --> 00:26:05.879 you're released from under the thumb of sin. 00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:06.679 Okay? 00:26:06.899 --> 00:26:09.200 You have this assurance of salvation. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:11.859 But Paul also says here in verse 7, 00:26:12.119 --> 00:26:14.139 that God has made you an heir. 00:26:14.140 --> 00:26:15.259 In other words, 00:26:15.340 --> 00:26:17.320 the promise of being a son of God 00:26:17.320 --> 00:26:20.880 includes a shared inheritance with Christ. 00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:23.600 The ultimate outcome of your faith 00:26:23.600 --> 00:26:26.560 is inheritance in the Father's estate. 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:28.940 And we receive all of the rights, 00:26:29.280 --> 00:26:29.620 benefits, 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:32.100 and privileges that come with that, 00:26:32.340 --> 00:26:33.780 such as security, 00:26:34.820 --> 00:26:35.180 comfort, 00:26:36.040 --> 00:26:36.400 love, 00:26:37.360 --> 00:26:37.700 forgiveness, 00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:39.380 eternal life, 00:26:39.560 --> 00:26:39.759 heaven, 00:26:40.340 --> 00:26:41.020 and support. 00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:44.539 And I think I would be remiss this morning 00:26:44.539 --> 00:26:45.539 to not point out 00:26:45.539 --> 00:26:46.759 that in verse 6, 00:26:48.099 --> 00:26:50.099 the word son is plural. 00:26:50.339 --> 00:26:51.019 It's sons. 00:26:52.019 --> 00:26:53.259 In verse 7, 00:26:53.700 --> 00:26:55.299 it becomes singular. 00:26:55.299 --> 00:26:58.419 And I believe it drives home the point. 00:26:59.720 --> 00:27:00.200 Galatia, 00:27:00.339 --> 00:27:01.220 the church of Galatia, 00:27:01.559 --> 00:27:03.799 they were sons of God. 00:27:03.899 --> 00:27:04.759 They were heirs 00:27:04.759 --> 00:27:07.240 when they came to faith in Christ. 00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:08.859 Way back when. 00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:11.159 But so are we. 00:27:12.359 --> 00:27:12.839 Today, 00:27:12.919 --> 00:27:13.899 in the year 2017. 00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:14.619 It's personal. 00:27:16.119 --> 00:27:17.559 It's God's way of saying to us, 00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:19.599 when you place your faith in my son, 00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:20.240 Jesus Christ, 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:22.960 you become my child. 00:27:23.659 --> 00:27:25.460 You are an heir. 00:27:26.919 --> 00:27:27.799 And so this morning, 00:27:27.859 --> 00:27:28.759 I want to ask you, 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:31.599 have you been adopted into that heavenly family? 00:27:33.159 --> 00:27:34.919 Have you come to a point in your life 00:27:34.919 --> 00:27:36.359 where you have repented of your sins 00:27:36.359 --> 00:27:38.039 and placed your faith in Jesus Christ? 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:39.579 Because there is no other, 00:27:39.679 --> 00:27:40.980 more important decision 00:27:40.980 --> 00:27:43.179 than who is Jesus. 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:45.159 Who is Jesus? 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:47.480 And we all one day 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:48.460 will have to stand 00:27:48.460 --> 00:27:49.540 and give an account 00:27:49.540 --> 00:27:51.460 to the answer to that very question. 00:27:51.860 --> 00:27:53.200 Who is Jesus? 00:27:53.800 --> 00:27:55.860 And I want to remind us this morning 00:27:55.860 --> 00:27:59.300 that you can't straddle the line. 00:28:00.460 --> 00:28:01.960 You're either with Jesus 00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:03.820 or you're not with Jesus. 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:07.700 So who is Jesus to you? 00:28:09.580 --> 00:28:10.060 Secondly, 00:28:10.560 --> 00:28:11.720 I want to issue a challenge 00:28:11.720 --> 00:28:12.880 to those of you here this morning 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:13.720 that do know Christ. 00:28:15.160 --> 00:28:16.940 Are you walking with him? 00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:18.740 Is he your all in all? 00:28:19.900 --> 00:28:21.920 Is he the most important thing in your life? 00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:25.560 Or has the busyness of life 00:28:25.560 --> 00:28:28.980 kind of distracted you from him? 00:28:29.320 --> 00:28:30.200 It's easy to do. 00:28:31.080 --> 00:28:33.660 My family and I are learning that right now 00:28:33.660 --> 00:28:34.519 with two children, 00:28:34.860 --> 00:28:35.680 both in sports. 00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:36.840 I get it. 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:39.659 But despite that, 00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:42.220 we've got to keep the main thing 00:28:42.220 --> 00:28:43.139 the main thing. 00:28:43.859 --> 00:28:46.220 And we can't allow academics, 00:28:46.959 --> 00:28:47.500 sports, 00:28:48.279 --> 00:28:49.599 extracurricular activities 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:51.699 to come in between 00:28:51.699 --> 00:28:54.099 our walk with Christ 00:28:54.099 --> 00:28:56.039 and our love for our family. 00:28:57.000 --> 00:28:58.279 And I begin with myself. 00:28:58.819 --> 00:29:01.199 I say that speaking to myself. 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:03.340 And so this morning, 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:05.279 if you're in that boat, 00:29:06.080 --> 00:29:07.140 let me just encourage you, 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:08.200 maybe right where you are 00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:10.460 during the time of invitation 00:29:10.460 --> 00:29:11.279 to pray to God 00:29:11.279 --> 00:29:13.299 and repent. 00:29:14.840 --> 00:29:15.860 Ask for his forgiveness 00:29:15.860 --> 00:29:17.900 and make the main thing 00:29:17.900 --> 00:29:19.519 the main thing again. 00:29:20.700 --> 00:29:22.200 However the Lord has led on your heart, 00:29:22.660 --> 00:29:23.880 I'll be down here at the front. 00:29:24.500 --> 00:29:25.420 Love to pray with you. 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:26.340 The altar will be open 00:29:26.340 --> 00:29:27.580 if you'd like to come up here and pray. 00:29:27.679 --> 00:29:29.199 But however the Lord has led this morning, 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:30.699 you let him have his way. 00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:31.980 Would you pray with me? 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:35.439 Father, we thank you this morning 00:29:35.439 --> 00:29:36.399 for your word. 00:29:36.639 --> 00:29:37.399 We thank you that, Lord, 00:29:37.419 --> 00:29:38.639 we can come before you this day 00:29:38.639 --> 00:29:40.240 to worship you in this place. 00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:42.259 Father, I thank you for this church 00:29:42.259 --> 00:29:43.480 and just what it means 00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:44.159 in this community 00:29:44.159 --> 00:29:45.039 and to my family. 00:29:45.779 --> 00:29:48.139 So Father, as we close this time, 00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:49.819 Lord, I pray that your spirit 00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:51.319 would work. 00:29:52.599 --> 00:29:54.539 That he would speak to our hearts 00:29:54.539 --> 00:29:56.539 and that we would respond. 00:29:57.579 --> 00:29:59.059 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:00.059 Amen.