Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
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Welcome/Prayer of Dedication
Music Ministry
“Everywhere I Go”
“Trust and Obey”
“Holy Spirit”
Message
I wonder how the early churches
Like the one Paul is writing to in Galatia
How would think if they looked back on their church today
From our state of knowledge
Would they “be proud”
Would they be more sad about them straying
Or would they be proud that they received correction and acted
Maybe they would decide to erase their history entirely
I hope not
We should always learn from our history
but to learn, we must know TRUE history
Based on how much society today seems to want to remove reference to past mistakes
Is there any doubt?
I have been focusing on the mistakes made in the early Christian church because we either learn from those mistakes
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
[Sir Winston Churchill]
Winston Churchill was no theologian
But he was certainly right
Good things that can come from bad things
Learning from our mistakes or the mistakes of others is an example
This is consistent with Romans 8:28
We cannot expect our local church at Grace or the greater church to improve and be MORE godly
unless we examine where we have failed
and repent from THOSE ways
Always moving to be more like Jesus’ example
Put simply, we have freedom of choice
In fact, what did we see at the beginning of our core text today?
(13a)
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers.
Like the Galatians, we are called to freedom
Let us not forget, as Paul Harvey would say.. “And now, The rest of the story”
Paul was calling the church to use their freedom from the legalism of the law
to fulfill the essence or heart of the law
The rest of verse 13(b)
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
13 Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Here’s a simple way of thinking about it
God frees Believers from slavery under the law
So the Believers can CHOOSE to serve one another
Imagine if you don’t HAVE to feed the hungry
No more taxes used for welfare programs
Would you still feed the hungry?
Would you still pay for their medical care?
Isn’t the church called to help provide for the needy?
That is one of the 5 purposes of Grace Church
Not by state mandate, but by God’s Word
Families often go through a tough time when kids go off to college
This is especially true in strict households
When little “Johnny” or “Jane” are about to leave the nest for school
They will go where they are not watched very carefully
Maybe no curfew
Plenty of opportunities to party without obvious repercussions
Thankfully, they have a credit card, you know, for emergencies
Like when they are starving to death and the need for pizza to help them study late
They have legal freedom
It is legal for them to stay out late and not study
It is legal for them to buy beer and pizza
after all they get to decide what an emergency is
It is also legal for them to use their freedom to honor their parents’ love and trust
They are free to study
They are free to use the emergency card for a flat tire or whatever
They are even free to use their freedom to witness to a classmate in need
Do you TRUST them to do what is right in the site of God?
That is the question
I want to call your attention to the “Jenga table”
Alora did a beautiful construction job using these blocks at a recent youth lock-in
In fact, the title slide for the service today used that image for the background
Here is what she built that day
I’m proud of Alora and her talent
When I was a kid and anyone did something
even something this spectacular
I would expect someone to pull out a piece
To knock it down
In fact, the game of Jenga starts with these blocks
You take turns pulling out one piece at a time
The goal is to pull out as many pieces as possible without the blocks all falling
You are FREE to pull out any piece
But, you lose if your action causes the structure to crumble
These are clear examples of freedom being dangerous
In Galatians 5:13, Paul calls on us to use our freedom to “serve one another”
This is much like in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 9:19
Many of you here live this verse out and I’m proud of you for that!
Especially for those who have retired from your career in the workplace
Some of you have dedicated yourself to serving others in your retirement
I know it’s not the high wages you receive when you volunteer
Yet, you drive for Wheels on meals
Jim and Floyd, both dedicate untold hours preparing and teaching Sunday School and Midweek lessons
Making the AV magic happen every week
Mowing the grass at Grace and fixing all the things that break
Serving in Board leadership
Taking medicine or food to someone who is sick or in need
So many ways
No one MAKES you do these things
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