Guarding Your Faith: Lessons from Galatians | Don's Sermon

In this sermon, Don focuses on the importance of guarding our faith, as discussed in the Book of Galatians. He welcomes both regular members and visitors to the church, emphasizing the significance of being 'all in' for what truly matters in life. Don shares insights on protecting the gospel, faith, and love by focusing on three key aspects: our church family, physical family, and the eternal soul. He delves into practical ways to maintain faithfulness and loyalty to God, highlighting several verses from Galatians to illustrate his points. Don also underscores the importance of valuing one's relationship with God, understanding our worth in God's eyes, and the eternal impact of our actions. The sermon aims to inspire individuals to maintain and defend their faith amid life's challenges.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:58 The Theme of the Week: Being All In
02:41 The Importance of Guarding Your Faith
05:26 Responsibilities Entrusted by God
08:22 Guarding Your Church Family
11:58 Guarding Your Physical Family
15:21 Guarding Your Eternal Soul
15:56 Guarding Your Faith and Family
16:34 Practical Steps to Guard the Gospel
17:51 Lessons from Galatians: Chapter 1
20:04 Lessons from Galatians: Chapter 2
22:16 Lessons from Galatians: Chapter 3
24:15 Lessons from Galatians: Chapter 4
27:04 Lessons from Galatians: Chapter 5
29:44 Lessons from Galatians: Chapter 6
32:45 Final Thoughts and Invitation

Transcript

Hmm. Good morning. Good to see everybody today. Do you have a Bible this morning? We're going to the book of Galatians, if you'll be opening there. It will take us a little while to get there this morning, but get there eventually. We will. And while you're opening your Bible and getting settled, we certainly join the welcome you received.

So glad to see all of you today. Glad you are with this good church family. If you're visiting with this church as I am this week, we especially welcome you. We. Pray that you'll have opportunity to come and be with this good group again. We hope you can do that soon and do it often. I am visiting with you today and delighted to be in that category once again.

We have shared occasions like this many times in the past several years, and each of them has always been very, very special to me, and I'm delighted to be back with you again. Appreciate this good church in so many, many ways. Appreciate the shepherds who invited me to be with you and delighted to get to be with.

With Harold and with Reagan. Glad to get to share opportunity to study the Bible with you. We are in fact this week talking about being all in all. Oops, that's not it. I just need sermon slides there somewhere. 'cause I am not leading singing today. I'm gonna tell you. I was thinking about when we sang sang the old Rugged Cross at home, I heard an elder say, look, we're only gonna let Don sing on a hill far away.

And that's about the way that is. We are talking this week about being all in about living for what lasts. And this worship period. This morning we want to talk about. What may sound like an odd title, defense wins championships, but we'll explain that to you in just a minute. So good to be with all of you.

Appreciate this church and appreciate you and look forward to studying with you this week. This afternoon at five. At five o'clock that when we meet at five, we're going to talk about a simple lesson in title prayer, repeat after me, and we're going to try to look at prayer through fresh eyes and talk about it from the perspective of which.

Paul spoke in the book of Ephesians, and perhaps that will be a fresh way of us to look at that. We hope he can be with us. Then as we. Study together advertisers, advertisers pay a fortune to get you think about the company they represent. So that slogan that gets, that gets stuck in your mind. It, it is a byproduct of hundreds of hours of testing and literally millions of dollars.

Of advertising and it works, doesn't it? And so, you know, you know, they like a good neighbor. State Farm is there. And when you have good insurance and you decide to play a sport with Nike, you can just do it. And when you finish working out, you may remember that America runs on Dunking, and then when you get there, they're going to ask you.

What's in your wallet because all of that, all of that works. I think if the Apostle Paul, if the Apostle Paul were working for an advertising company, he might have come up with this expression for US Shield. Ah. Now there was a Star Trek episode by that name. That's not what we're talking about. Four times.

Four times. The Apostle Paul wrote to his young friend in protege Timothy and he said, I want you to guard, put some shields around. I want you to guard what has been entrusted. To you guard, and we understand that word guard well, don't we? We know that there's security guards and prison guards and mouth guards.

We know that there are guardrails on the interstate. There are rail guards on bunk beds. We know that in basketball you have to guard the ball, and football lineman have to guard the quarterback and in finance because have to guard the money that is entrusted to them. But in this case, Paul is asking Timothy to guard his faith in fact.

Listen to what he says about that. I want you to retain the standard of sound words, which you have heard from me in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus. Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure that has been entrusted to you. There's a lot in those two simple verses. There's the idea of of the gospel that is sound words and faith and love and guarding treasure that is entrusted to you.

And so what God has entrusted to us can rightly be called. Treasure. Now, there are a couple of things about that. The first is that whatever it is that God has given us, he entrusted to us. It's not really ours. He gave it to us for keeping. We understand that if somebody entrusts something to you and says, I want you to keep this from me, then you have certain obligations, don't you?

For example, year before left, year before left, just out of the blue, my wife Vicki said. I'd like for us to get a dog. I'd like for us to get a dog. And I said, Vicki, why would we want a dog? I said, we, I know we like dogs. We had dogs all the time. The kids were coming up. We had dog. But the kids are gone.

The dogs are gone. We don't have to worry about that. We can travel where we want. We don't have to worry about getting somebody to watch the dog when we're at home. We don't have to get back to take care of the dog. We just really don't need a dog. Absolutely not. We are not getting a dog. Well, this is our dog.

So this is Zoe, and as you can see, Zoe is she has found a throne in our house from which she rules with an iron paw. Just be be honest about that. But let's imagine that we Vicki and I go on vacation. We, we ask you, we ask you to, to watch Zoe for us. So we come back and I say, well, where's our dog?

And you say, well, your dog got on my nerves, so I sold it. Now I'm gonna give you a high five. I'm just gonna be honest about that, but Vicky's not gonna be very happy with you about that. Why? Because that wasn't your place. That wasn't yours to do. It didn't belong to you. You were just keeping it impulses to Timothy.

I want you to guard a treasure that God has entrusted you. Now, lemme tell you what that does not involve. Maybe that's the place to start, that there are certain things that are just not our job to do, and we ought to be clear about that. For example, it's not our job to run the universe. That Preity belongs to God and to God alone.

And yet we have all known, some people haven't we who would do well to go over here to SFA and take a course in astronomy so they can figure out that the world doesn't revolve around them. That's not our job. That is God's prerogative, and it's not our job to reveal right and wrong that Preity belongs to God as well.

And so Jesus said, the apostles, the Holy Spirit will guide you into. All truth. Peter said that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. And the Apostle Paul said that all scriptures given by inspiration of God. Now think about that. All scripture, all things and all of God's revelation has already been provided.

And so it is not my place nor yours to try to write Bible version 2.0. That's just not my job. And then third, it's not my job to determine eternal destinies. I don't get to do that. Not to you. I don't get to decide who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. Now, I may have thought about that. I may have an opinion about that, but when all is said and done, the Bible still says, shall not the God of all the Earth do what is right?

And so I'm going to leave that ultimately in his hand. But there are certain things that are entrusted to us by God that he says he wants us to guard, to take care of and to protect. Well, why? Well, because our adversary, the devil, the Bible says, wants to steal. And to kill and to destroy. So when God gives us something of value, he would like to steal it away from us.

Well, how will he do that? Well, he, you know the answer to that. Sometimes he lies to us, or he cheats, or he steals to try to get our treasure. He'll try to wear you down. He'll try to catch you off guard in some way. So let's think about this. What has God given us that he wants us to guard and to protect?

Look at the verse with me. Guard the pattern of sound words, which you have heard from me in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus. So we have sound words, faith and love. Well sound words is the gospel, so let's use that terminology. The gospel, faith and love. Paul says, I want you to protect, to defend the gospel and faith and love.

What I want to do this morning is just ask you, what does that look like in practice? What would be the practical outgrowth of the gospel, faith and love? What do we have as an outgrowth of the gospel, faith and love that we need to protect? I'm gonna suggest three things to you. Very quickly. Then we're gonna segue to the Book of Galatians for one final thought, but three things that I believe are a direct outgrowth of the gospel, faith and love.

The first is your church family. This church family, the church family of which you were a part of. And what I'm talking about when I say we gotta guard that, defend that is we've got to make sure that we keep this church family faithful to God, faithful to serving the Lord. I mean, take a look at this building.

You all have a very wonderful building. You've got a nice building and classroom area and office area. But imagine, let's just imagine for some reason the decision is made. They're gonna sell this facility, this building. Well, what will it, what will it become? Well, maybe. Maybe it'll become a restaurant.

Nope, not really. They allowed to be a restaurant, is it? Well, maybe to be an auto garage. Nope. It's not laid out for that either. Maybe a bank. Nope. Not really laid out to be a bank either. What will it be? Well, it'll probably be a church. Probably there'll be a church of some kind that would meet in this building in my generation, your generation, and your kids' generation.

The question is, will that church be faithful and loyal to God? Will it follow God's word? Will it be true to the scripture? That's a relevant question after all, in Revelation two and three, Jesus wrote to his churches and he wrote to one and said, you are lukewarm. He said to another, you have a great reputation that you are dead to another.

He said, you are tolerating false people and false teaching. Well, the question is, whose job is it to make sure that doesn't happen here? You say, well, it's our shepherd's job. Well, you're right about that. They're to feed and to lead and to protect. It is their job. But I want to tell you beyond that, ladies and gentlemen, it is your job.

It's your job to make sure that this church is faithful and loyal to God. At Temple Terrace, I've said a thousand times that we have to remember that a church is, as her members are, think about that a church is as her members are. And so if you want a church that is faithful and loyal to God and his word, it's got to be composed of members who are faithful and loyal to God's word.

You want a friendly church? Well, you've gotta have friendly members who compose that church. But the fact of the matter is that when it comes to this matter, being faithful to God. No one else can do that for you. It is up to you to stay in the same lane with God. There is simply no outside agency that's going to come in and do a spiritual audit on the Timberland Drive Church, and then issue a report and say, well, in these areas you're doing really well, but over here you get in pretty close to the edge.

Nobody's gonna do that. What does that mean? It means that you've got to take responsibility. To make sure that this church remains faithful and loyal to God. Now, I realize that's kind of antithetical to the culture in which we live, isn't it? Did you see in the news last fall that at Harvard University at Harvard last year, they elected a new president of their order of chaplains, 40 strong.

They have 40 chaplains on the campus of Harvard to represent all the religious groups that are there. And last fall it made national news. They elected a new president of the organization of chaplains. Why was that National news? Because the new president at Harvard of the organization of Chaplains is an atheist.

He is an atheist. He was elected unanimously by those 40 chaplains. When I read that, I thought, well, what, how representative of our culture is that where the idea that nothing really matters, that nothing is absolutely right or wrong? Well, who's going to keep that mindset from infiltrating a local church like this?

Again, your shepherds, but beyond that, you, your church family is an outgrowth of the gospel, faith and love, but not just that. Secondly, your physical family is as well. Your physical family is as well. It is an outgrowth of the gospel and faith and love. And so the question then becomes who's going to get the little ones in your family as well as the not so little ones in your family to realize that they have been created by God and that they have responsibility to be thankful to the Lord and humble before the Lord and obedient to the Lord whose responsibility is that it's yours as a mom and dad and as grandmother and grandfather, that's your responsibility.

Moses taught that in Deuteronomy six. These words, which I command you today, teach them to your children and to your children's children. The Hebrews didn't have a word grandparent, and so it was your children and your children's children, and it's still true today, ladies and gentlemen. Our kids, when they go to school and grandkids, they're exposed to things that we'd rather than not be exposed to.

They come home and just watch TV and they hear language that we'd rather them not hear 'em be exposed to concepts that we'd prefer them not. Well, who's gonna make sure that they remain faithful to God? That those children and grandchildren remain faithful and loyal to serving and pleasing God? Well, that's our responsibility.

Children. Psalm 1 27 to verse three, children are a gift from the Lord. And so it's our job to protect that as parents and grandparents. I think that means, if we may just quickly say, as a side note here, I think that means at least three things. Number one, you need to fight for your family. You need to fight for your kids and grandkids.

Well, why? Because nobody else will. Not the government, not the media. Nobody else is going to do that. You've got to fight for your family. Secondly, you've got to model respect for authority. Why? Because nobody else will. Our culture is running headlong back to the day of judges where every man does that, which was right in his own eyes.

And so if you want your kids and grandkids. To honor and respect the authority of God later in their life. You've gotta teach 'em to honor and respect authority. Now. Your authority as a parent, the authority of grandparents, the authority of church leaders, the authority of their teachers at school, the authority of police officers.

You've got to teach 'em to respect authority now. And third, you've got to value character over performance. You've gotta teach your kids and grandkids that they matter. Ladies and gentlemen, listen to me. Simply because they are made in the image of God. If you've got kids in middle school or high school, I can guarantee you that they are judged by one of four criteria.

They are told that they were of value depending on number one, how many points they can score in an athletic competition. Number two, how in how smart they are, what they can score on an A CT or SAT. Three, how beautiful or handsome they are when they look in the mirror. And number four, how much money do their mom and dad have?

And we look at that as parents and grandparents and say, well, those are your superficialities, and you're right about that. But I will guarantee you there is not a middle school or high school student in this church that has not been judged among their peers by those criteria. So you've got to be the one to teach them that they are a value, simply because they are made in the image of God.

Your physical family and your church family are a byproduct of the gospel and faith and love. Here's the third, and this is your eternal soul. Your soul is a byproduct of the gospel, faith and love. That is your relationship that you have with God. Who's going to do this, but you Who's going to do this but you to keep you faithful to God?

I mean, who's gonna remind you to pray or to be generous or to watch your words, or to be kind or to shape your attitudes or to mold your character? I. Only you can do that. Now, quick disclaimer, I understand. I know that the church plays a role in that. I know that your brethren play a role in that. I understand that.

We all contribute to that one with another. I know that. But when all is said and done, the Bible still says you've got to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And so with your church family, your physical family, and your soul. These things have been entrusted to you by God. You have to guard these things and defend these three things.

When Paul wrote the Timothy consecutive the one 15 and 14, he said, I want you to guard through the Holy Spirit who is given to us, sound doctrine, faith, and love. So let's ask the how. Question about that. How do we do that? What would that look like? I. And practicality. So if I'm gonna guard these areas that come from the gospel, faith and love, how am I gonna do that?

You have your Bible. Let's go to the book of Galatians this morning. You thought I forgot about that, didn't you? Let's go to the book of Galatians and I go to Galatians this morning because in many ways the Galatians kind of mirrored where we are in America. The Galatians had navigated themselves through some very treacherous waters, and we're on the other side of that in many ways Now.

And now Paul's writing to them and he says, look, let me give you some thoughts about how you can, how you really can guard the gospel and faith and love as you see them in your church family, your physical family, and your soul. So here's what I want do. Really simple. I just want to look at one verse from each of the six chapters.

We're not gonna elaborate on it really very much at all. But I just wanna look at, at one verse from each of the six chapters, where Paul's saying to them, here's something that will help you. Here's something that will help you guard the gospel, faith and love, as it as it applies to your church family, your physical family, and your soul.

So can we do that together? Here we go. Chapter one. Chapter one, beginning in verse number 10. Paul begins by saying, you have the approval of God. You do not need the approval of the world. Chapter one, verse 10, do I now persuade men or God do I seek to please men? If I still please men, I would not be the bond servant of Jesus Christ.

So listen to what Paul says. You have the approval of God. That should be your priority. You don't have to have the approval of the world. Isn't it amazing that we can please God? Think about that mortal, finite human beings can please God? And I know that we can do that because Jesus, in that triad of parables in Matthew 25, said, God can say to you, well done.

You are a good faithful servant. Paul wrote to Timothy again and said, be diligent to present yourself. Approved to God. You can do that by handling a right the word of truth. You can do that. We can all do that. What kind of worker when he gets his paycheck at the end of the week doesn't have to be a shame.

Well, one that's worked hard and the same is true in regard to God, isn't it? Noah? Found favor in the eyes of God. David, in Acts seven, found favor with God. Mary in Luke one, the mother of Jesus was highly favored by God. It's important for us to understand that. You can please God. You can live in such a way that God really will say to you, one day well done, good and faithful servant.

Now, maybe you listen to that. Maybe you listen to that and you say, well, Don, that's all nice. But I don't have anybody speaking that into my life. I don't have anybody in my life telling me that I'm doing a good job for God or that I can be pleasing to God or that I, I, I'm doing, I'm doing good things that, that, that affect others.

That nobody, nobody ever speaks that in my life. I'm sorry if that's the case. I really am, but if that's you, could I just remind you of something? Would you just remember that criticism from those who know you least pales in comparison to love from those who know you best and the one who knows you best is your father in heaven.

And so on. Your church family and your physical family, and with your soul, you can be pleasing to God. Galatians two verse 20. Paul. Secondly says, what happened to the past is in the past, listen to this famous verse, chapter two, verse 20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh.

I live by faith in the son of God who left me and gave himself or gave his life for me. And so Paul says, look, I am changed. And the point of that is that you don't have to let your present be paralyzed by your past. Paul writes escalations two and 20. He says, look, I'm changed. I'm redeemed, I'm saved. So don't talk to me about my past because that's not who I am anymore.

That would be like LA Last year, last year in Temple Terrace, Vicki and I moved out of the house that we had been in for 30 years and we moved to a different house. We had lived in that house for 30 years. You collect an awful lot of stuff, junk. Actually in 30 years. We've been outta that house for a year now.

So imagine, imagine when I get home next week that the, the folks we sold the house to imagine, they call me and they say, Hey, Mr. Truex, we are so and so, we're the people who bought your house over here on Soaring Avenue. And I just wanted to let you know the water heater has gone out this week. Well, I'm gonna say to them, may the Lord bless you and keep you because that's.

Not my house anymore. I don't live there anymore. That's not my responsibility anymore. And Paul writes in Galatians two and he says, look. I know what I once was, but that's not who I am. Now. I am in fact redeemed, and so all things have become new for me. In fact, he would say later, I've forgotten those things that are behind and I'm reaching forward to the things that lie ahead.

There's so many individuals who are paralyzed by their past, either because they will not let go of the guilt themselves, or there are others who continue to put that guilt on them, and Paul says, we don't have to do that. You're changed, you're redeemed, bought with the blood of Christ. Remember the promise of God, your sins.

I will remember no more. Chapter three. In Chapter three, Paul argues that. You are a value. Your value is based on who you are, not what you have. Galatians three, begin reading with me in verse 26. We're gonna read a couple of verses here. Verse 26. Galatians three, you are all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as we're baptized into Christ, to put on Christ there, there is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free, neither male nor female. You are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ. Then you are Abraham seed and heirs according to the promise. And so Paul just argues, look, you're, you're, you're valuable to God because of who you are, not because of what you have.

Now, we all have some things, don't we? We're very fortunate live in America. You live in the great state of Texas. We all have some things, maybe a house, maybe a car. We have some money put away. We're able to live today and this week, but your value. Your value is that you are God's child, that you've been purchased by God.

That's what he says in Galatians 3 26 29, God has adopted you. He has written your name and the will, as it were, and you have an inheritance that Peter described, asrt in undefiled and the fade not away. Remember that The people to whom these words were written in the first century, many of them. Servants.

They were slaves. They didn't own anything. In fact, they were owned. They were merely chattel. They could be done with whatever a master wanted. And yet Paul says, you are of great value because you belong to God. And so God said to the Corinthians, look, I will be a father to you. You will be my sons and my daughters says the Lord Almighty.

This church family, your physical family, and you individually, you are a value. You belong to God. Chapter four. Chapter four. We're looking at verse number nine, Galatians four and verse nine. Paul says, look, you know God, and God knows you. That's an important understanding. Galatians four and verse nine, listen to what he says.

But now, after you have known God or rather known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and worthless elements of this world to which you desire to be enslaved again? Look at that. Paul writes and he says, look, you know God and God knows you, and so that ought to motivate you to live in a certain way.

You know God, God knows you. How do you feel about that? How do you feel about the fact that God knows you, knows all about you? Let me ask you, most of you I would imagine are like me. I grew up in this setting. I grew up in our fellowship in churches of Christ. I want to ask you if you, if you are in that circumstance, you kind of grew up among us.

I want to ask you, did you, growing up in our churches, did you ever have a a least favorite song? I mean, a song that when as it was announced, you just kind of cringed and you thought, oh, I can't believe we're gonna sing that again. I had one of those. Now I'm gonna tell you what it was, and if we're singing that as a closing song today, it just gonna destroy this illustration.

I'll tell you, my least favorite song growing up in our churches was. There's an all seen eye watching you. Every step you take, this great eye is awake watching you. That song creeped me out to no end. I gotta tell you, I wonder how many people think that way about God. I wonder how many type times people have thought, you know, if God really, if God really knew me, he wouldn't like me, but he does know you.

He does like you. A couple years ago at Temple Tears, I preached a sermon. 10 things that God Loves about You, and there could have been a lot more than that. He does know you. We need to understand that ladies and gentlemen, he knows us. He knows how hard you're trying. He knows your thoughts. He knows what you've been through.

He knows what you're dealing with. He knows everything about you. Why should we keep what's entrusted to us? Because. You are not alone in this. That's the point of that. When God says you, you know, when Paul says, you know God and God knows you, it means that you are not alone at all. God, in fact said through Isaiah, look, even if a, a parent could forget their child, and he says, that just wouldn't happen.

A, a child can break a parent's heart and do a thousand pieces, and yet that parent will continue to love that child. But he said, you know, even, even if that could happen, God says, I will not forget you. You know God. God knows you. Chapter five. He says, your steps are directed by God, not your feeling of your Bible.

Galatians five, and I want you to read with me beginning in verse 25, Galatians five and verse 25 beginning. Listen to what he says If we live in the spirit. Let us all walk in the spirit. Now, that's not the only time You said that in Galatians five. Back up to verse 18. If you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law.

But that's not even the only time you said it. Look at verse 16. I say that Walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So think about that phraseology. Live in the spirit. Verse 18, led by the Spirit. Verse 16, walk in the Spirit. What's he saying? He's saying that in your church family, your physical family, and in your soul, you have guidance.

It comes from God. Walk by the spirit, be led by the spirit, led by the spirit. You're being led by God. Not your feelings, not your emotions, not your preferences, not your desires, but by the revealed word of God. There is a way that seems riding to a man, Solomon said, but its ends are the ways of death. And so the way of God that we need to walk in in this passage so important to Paul that he would say it three times.

Walk this way. Think about what the psalmist said, Psalm one 19 verse 1 0 5, when he said, your word is a lamp into my feet and a lied into my path. That's the way you can walk. You know, we probably wouldn't have used that terminology today if we were writing that today. I doubt we would say that your word is a lamp or a light.

We would've probably said your word. A flashlight to my feet because that's what, that's what it does. You know, if it's completely black darkness, but you have a flashlight, you can shine it down. Your word is a lamp, a flashlight to my feet. You can, you can shine it at your feet and you can know if this room were completely dark tonight, if I had a flashlight, I would know.

There's a step there. And so I, I'd know to take that step carefully and then I'd see there was another one, and then the ground that the flashlight would show me where I ought to walk. And God's word does that sometimes God's word just tells us the next step we ought to take, but sometimes God's word is a light into our path.

It's like headlights on a car and it shows us the big picture of life and it shows us in, in large great terms. We ought to be striving for. So sometimes it tells us step by step what we ought to do, and sometimes the greater big picture. But when we do that, what are we doing? We're walking and being led by and living by the spirit.

And so if you want to know what to do with this church family, with your physical family, and your soul, just listen to God's word and then chapter six, and we'll be finished chapter six. What you're doing to the kingdom of God is seen in heaven and is a blessing on earth. Now, here's where he said that.

Galatians six, beginning in verse nine. Let us not grow weary in doing good for induced season. We shall reap if we do not lose heart. Let's add verse 10. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let's do good to all, but especially to those who are the household of faith. You know what? That sounds suspiciously like.

It sounds like what Jesus said, that whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple. Assuredly I say to you that he will by no means lose his reward. Jesus just says, look, what you do on Earth is seen in heaven. It's a blessing here. And he said it could be something simple, just a cup of cold water.

You ever thought about that? Jesus didn't say, you gotta pay somebody water bill. You need to rent somebody a water truck. You need to buy somebody a case of water. He just said, if you can just give. A cup of cold water, it will make a difference for good. Why? Because that's what Jesus did. Jesus was a servant, and he said to us, A servant is not above his master, and so is that last song that we offered to.

God suggested. We need to be the ones who are willing, be the ones who are willing to go out of our way on behalf of others to make sure that we are serving in whatever way that we can think about what we have said this morning. I want you to guard what the gospel, faith and love have given you, your physical family, your church family, and your soul.

These six things that Paul talked about, help us in doing that because again, our adversary, the devil, would love to come and steal. Steal that physical family and that church family in your soul. He'll try to convince you the opposite of these six things we talked about out of the book relations. He'll try to convince you that really, that unless you have a following, unless you, unless you're being pleasing to others, you're really nobody, and he'll try to convince you that unless you just have the best of everything in this world, that really you're of no great value and he'll try to convince you that your God can't help you and doesn't want to help you.

And he'll try to tell you that you just need to do what your heart says, what you feel, what you want, what your desires are, and he'll tell you that you're wasting your time trying to be a servant to others. If he can make you believe that, then he truly can steal the faithfulness of this church family, the future of your physical family.

More than that, he can steal your soul. Well, let's end with this this morning. There's a statement in Galatians two that we read a moment ago, and I want us to read it again and you tell me if you can see a theme here, tell me what the theme is In Galatians two and beginning in verse 20 where Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

The life that I now live in, the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I mean, you'd have to miss work to miss the emphasis, the Christianity, when all is said and done, ladies and gentlemen, is about life so much so. That the Bible says in the book of Romans that when we are buried with Christ and baptism, we rise to walk in newness of what?

Life. Life. So how about you today? Maybe you're in this room today and that's, that's the next need of your soul. There's always a what's next. And so if the faith in your heart is taken root and germinated and you have determined to repent of your sins and are more than willing. To make a confession of your faith in Jesus Christ, then you need to be baptized so that you can in fact have life that God wants you to have.

If that's your need this morning or you need to come home to God, this invitation's for you. Let's stand and let's sing.