Committing to Service with Generosity and Compassion | Dr. John Ewart

Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Inglewood

Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina.

Thank you so much for tuning in to our podcast.

You're going to hear from God today as we share from his word

about important issues facing your life that can guide you

according to the Bible. Well, I ask you to take your

Bibles this morning and turn to James chapter 2.

James 2 · chapter mention

I will be with you momentarily. I appreciate so much what God is

doing and I'm curious to what He's going to do next.

He fascinates me. He absolutely fascinates me.

I do want to encourage you. On a side note, I made sure

Jordan mentioned it earlier. This weekend in Tarboro is a

very important day. We need all hands on deck this

morning, this Saturday morning if we can.

And what we're going to do is we're going to be doing door

hangers and Flyers and just inviting people primarily just

canvassing, covering as much ground as we can to invite

people to their lunch Sunday on October the 19th.

So anybody and everybody, you can kind of come and go.

We won't go past the morning. And so hope that you'll be here.

Also appreciate, I appreciate the Wednesday night group.

It's been fascinating to me as well.

This this Wednesday night, believe it or not, we're going

to talk, talk about the unpardonable sin.

What does it mean to blasphemy the Holy Spirit?

We're going to try not to do that, but we're going to talk

about it. And so anyway, on Sunday

mornings, we've been examining the contextual biblical vision

that we believe God is leading us to achieve to, to make true

disciples. And making disciples sits at the

core of that. And I want to talk about that as

well as what's going on around us.

So we've been studying the Bible to show us what the essentials

of discipleship really are. Who do we need to be?

What do we need to know? What do we need to do to be a

disciple? And so I invite you, you know,

to continue to join me in this series called Come Live the

Church's Vision, The Seven Essentials of Discipleship.

Because we can't just be hearers of the Word.

We can't just be students of the Word.

We need to be doers of the Word as well.

We need to love God and love others, not only belief, but in

action. And so I've asked you over these

months and it's been interesting to watch how you've responded

for 100% participation in four areas.

I don't know if you know, there were four of them or not.

One was worship, the other one was connect groups.

Thank you all for doing those things.

Another one was the midweek experience, and this is for all

ages. 100% means all ages. And then there, there was a

fourth one. I don't know if you remember the

4th one or not. The 4th 1 was service.

And so I want to talk about that for a minute this morning

because you probably thought I forgot about that one, huh?

And so we've studied that as disciples of Jesus, we must

engage the Bible, united in fellowship, abide in prayer.

But there is a fourth and that is a disciple of Jesus is

committed to service with generosity and compassion.

And, and it's an interesting concept sometimes to people.

You know, I've had the, I've had the privilege and, and people

ask me all the time to share my whole testimony.

I, I don't, don't know when that 2 hour experience would come.

And it would probably be one that no children could be

allowed to, to attend. But you know, I've had the, I

had the had a weird privilege coming from the Bear Claw

Valley, growing up along the Bear Claw Creek in a little

place called Tahlequah, OK, to go all around the world and to

meet people and to serve with people and to teach in places

and to show the gospel in places.

I've been to every communist country on the planet except

one. And we were making inroads into

that one. I've been in Muslim contexts,

I've been in Hindu contexts, I've been in Buddhist contexts,

I've been in Jewish contexts, I've been an animistic contexts.

I've had confrontations with witch doctors.

And so it's been an interesting ride.

And I watch people who serve in those contexts, believers who

get saved out of some of that background and their strength

and determination to share the gospel with their people.

It's always challenged me. It's made me look in the mirror

a lot. And sometimes I worry about the

comfortable American church. I don't know if you know this or

not. 5th It's very possible, in fact quite likely that 15,000

churches in the United States of America will close this year.

15,000 in the next few years, so many churches are going to close

it. It will be 1/4 it'll be 25% of

the churches in the United States of America are going to

close in the next few years. If thanks continue.

And so to have an understood value and a true appreciation of

the church is crucial to me. Why are we here and who are we

trying to produce? What are we going to do about

that? And how that's that's what we're

trying to talk about. Don't know if I do a good job of

always communicating that. And sometimes I, I find people

funny. I, I find that I find that

sometimes people have an extremely immature ecclesiology.

I hope those words didn't throw you the way they pick and choose

and leave and come or whatever to a church and how not how the

reasons behind that, the motivation behind that

fascinates me sometimes. Why did they get mad about that?

Or why were they upset about this?

You know, and then sometimes it makes perfect sense.

They ought to be upset about that.

There's, there's a righteous indignation side of it too.

And a lot of people I've known they they needed to leave that

church. So sometimes it's a weird thing

in this culture. So, so John, are you saying

because in the rest of my world, in the rest of my world, I get

to sit back comfortably and kind of soak it all up, applauding or

maybe criticizing those who are doing something?

That's the way most of my life works.

So, so I do hope we understand this is not just some

performance that you simply get to watch others perform.

Church is not a spectator sport. And and yet it evolves into

that. And you say, now wait a minute,

preacher. I don't know about this one.

I mean, I mean, in all the other areas of my life, I get to, I

get to sit up in the stands and yell at the referees.

I get to sit in my easy chair and scream out the plays I know

the coach should have called. I get to comment anonymously

about everything on social media.

I get to gossip when the person I'm talking about is not there.

I get to demand service when I go out to eat.

I even thought I'd get to rank and score the worship service,

or what the pastor did or did not say afterwards or at lunch

or to others. So, preacher, you're telling me

there might just possibly be something else to this thing

called the Christian life, this thing called discipleship, this

thing called the church, and you're crazy enough to think

it's absolutely essential. Well, preacher, you've gone to

meddling. Now I don't know about this one,

so just a second, this is what some people are going to let me

find my scorecard. Let me find my where do I put

that scorecard? I got to score this, let me find

that scorecard. So I hope you got it ready

because here we go. Galatians chapter 5 verse 13

Galatians 5:13

says, for you were called to freedom, brothers only.

Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but

through love serve one another for the whole laws fulfilled.

In one word, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

So Paul's asking this church that at times really irritated

him, frankly. What are you all doing with the

freedom that you have in Christ now, the freedom of grace?

There are people right now, friends of ours, who have no

freedom physically. They have no freedom

relationally. They have no freedom legally,

and they're sharing the gospel. We sit here in complete freedom.

What are we going to do? We're going to use it as an

opportunity to love generously and to love compassionately.

Are we going to love our own flesh or how are we going to do

this? How can I love you as myself

when it's safer, when it's more comfortable, when it's when it's

just? It's what I'm used to, to just

love myself, to love what is mine, and to basically criticize

anybody who stands in the way. If we could grasp the real

purpose of salvation, if we could grasp the real purpose of

church, if we could grasp for the real purpose of

discipleship, it would fill our lives with such abundance.

And my fear, Chuck Lawless said this to you all.

My fear is that you're going to miss out on abundance for

comfort, safety, opinion. God saves, God indwells, God

baptizes, God gifts. God calls us to live out his

intended vision of discipleship by serving.

Jesus showed us this every step of the way.

Just think about it. Right before his death, right

before his arrest, even when he knew he was being betrayed, even

when the dude who was going to betray him sitting at the table,

he took up the towel in the wash basin.

And in John 13 it says, and we'd wash their feet, and that

included Judas's feet. And when he'd washed their feet

and put on his outer garment and resumed his place, he said to

them, Do you understand what I've done to you?

You call me teacher and Lord, and you're right, for so I am.

If I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also

ought to wash one another's feet.

For I've given you an example that you also should do just as

I have done to you. Truly, truly.

I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is

a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

If you know these things, blessed are you.

If you do them, how are you living out your salvation?

How are you using your spiritual giftedness?

You're doing it to build up and serve the body.

Or are you content to study about service, to watch others

serve rather than roll up your sleeves and do it yourself?

Are we guilty of Bible gluttony with no exercise?

That was a line by a layperson at a church.

I once served Bible gluttony with no exercise.

So our God-given, given gifts must be generously used to serve

others. So in James 2, you've got to

understand and you've got to understand the background of

James 2. If you don't understand the

background of James two, you will misunderstand these verses

and you will teach heresy. James is talking to Jewish

Christians. You can't, you can't leave that

out. It won't make sense if you don't

understand that he is writing to Christians with a Jewish

background. He is not writing to unsaved

people. These verses are not for unsaved

people. These verses are for saved

people with that background. So he's not explaining how a

person is to supposed to be saved.

He's talking about how Christians should live after

salvation. And if you lose this, these

passages will be misinterpreted. In fact, Martin Luther commented

about this. He said Romans deals with

justification, James deals with validation.

Now remember Ephesians 289? You all could probably quote it

to me. For by grace you have been saved

through faith, and this is not your own doing.

It is the gift of God, not a result of work, so that no one

may boast. So though we're saved by grace

through faith and not because of works, James is going to show us

that true saving faith must and will be demonstrated inactive

work. So James chapter 2, verse 14,

James 2:14

what good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but

does not have works, can that faith save him?

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily

food, and one of you says to them, go in peace, be warmed and

filled without giving them the things needed for the body, what

good is that? So we need to understand the

worthlessness of lifeless faith. You can call yourself a

Christian. You can call yourself a church

member, You can call yourself a disciple.

But we need evidence. We need action to validate and

demonstrate that claim. And this world demands it out of

the evangelical church today. Are you really a biblical fruit

producing, multiplying disciples who seeks to make other

disciples prove it by showing an authentic, generous,

compassionate service? Do the people who know you and

are around your life outside of these walls know that you are

strong believer seeking to live for Jesus Christ?

Because lifeless faith is like a brother or sister who comes to

you and need, and you do nothing to help them.

Now you've got to understand who he's talking about.

This is not some passing beggar. This is not.

This is not referring to someone you don't know.

This is referring to a family member.

This is referring to a Christian.

This is referring to a a fellow church member who really has a

need. These are daily needs for daily

things. They need daily food.

It's not some scam artist. Not some questionable beggar out

on it with a piece of cardboard on a random street corner.

This is not a question. What good would it do to extend

nice words and then do absolutely nothing when you know

there's a real need? So so how does that testify?

How does that demonstrate your faith in verse 16?

Don't miss it. And one of you says to them, go

in peace, be warmed and filled. It's sarcastic.

It's supposed to be without giving them the things needed

for the body. What good is that?

That word filled or well fed refers to cows that gorge

themselves on the feed lot. So in other words, it's like,

oh, go be stuffed. It's mocking.

It's sarcastic. So extending empty words like

these does nothing to meet their real needs.

There's no value. There are signs of an empty,

lifeless faith. Now, what if I told you that we

have real brothers and real sisters and real family members

in real need for regular help right now at Inglewood Baptist

Church? Now get ready.

Y'all got your seatbelts on steel toe boots?

You all right? I have asked 100% of you to

participate in worship connect groups and midweeks.

Well, that means that these areas are going to grow and they

are. But do you realize what that

means behind the scenes? Just just think about this

logistically, practically for a minute.

We have more people in more places we need, we need more

help. So, for example, our brothers

and sisters in the preschool children and special needs

ministries are three areas where our brothers and sisters have

regular, real needs and they need your real help and service.

Well, that's somebody else's problem.

Where's that scorecard again? Whoever someone else is.

Whoever someone else is. I've never met someone else.

Whoever someone else is that can do all the work, I let them do

that. I don't want to take my turn.

I've done my fair share. I've just never met someone

else. This is our family.

This is our next generation. This is many of our young

families and they need help, right?

It's a good thing because there's more of them.

There's more. There's more kids on Wednesday

nights, there's more kids on Sunday morning.

There's more everybody. So they need help.

So God gives us, equips us and calls us to exercise our faith

and to build up the body by serving.

Now the staff has worked real hard.

Pull out your worship guide. Wave them in the air.

I want to see them get your worship guide out.

Wave them like it's a a white handkerchief.

I want to see them on the very front cover of Your Worship

Guide for those of you who are members.

Our staff has worked on a updated real list of real

service needs in our church that need real servants.

You use that QR code right there or the one on the screen and

it'll take you to information. Now, some of these positions

require certain qualifications. Of course, not everybody can do

everything. We would never expect that.

But, and so there's certain qualifications you might need to

meet, especially when you're working with children and and

other and special needs and things like that.

But there's some vitally important areas.

So I want you to explore today how you can volunteer.

In fact, you don't even have to listen to the rest of the sermon

if you plant, if you're going to that QR code, forget anything

else I'm going to say go to the QR code and get that

information. If that's what you'd rather do.

I need you to do this. Now, there's certainly

qualifications you need to meet to serve in some of these

important areas, but please explore them.

So listen, how, how can we do this?

Now, some of you, and don't miss, don't misunderstand what

I'm about to say. You hear every word I'm about to

say. Some of you wonderfully give and

serve all around the community. You give to our partners, you

give to community ministries, you give to all kind of stuff.

And you put hours, hours and hours and hours.

And I certainly appreciate that. But as we grow, we've got to

make sure that we have enough servants taking care of

Englewood Baptist churches 100% prioritized core as well.

Now, does that not make common sense to you?

We want to guide you to discover and put into practice your

giftedness and calling. So our pastors in coordination

with the Acts 18 Missions Task Force, with your finance team,

are putting together a list of approved partners that we're

going to seek for each connect group to serve.

They're going to have missions, call them the M&M's, the

missions and ministry partnerships.

We want every single connect group to connect to and to

serve. And we're going to be helping

you with that to understand that our new budget proposal is going

to reflect this as well. These are the partners that

we're trying to support. We also have to prioritize the

growth that's happening inside. Let me tell you something.

You know, family comes here and there aren't enough people in

that children's class to help out.

What do you think that young family's going to do?

They're going to leave. We've got to be ready because of

growth. See, this is a good problem, but

it's a real need. Are you with me?

All right, so we've got to cover our 100% course structure first

with an abundant team. If everybody takes their term,

it'll be an abundant team of generous and compassionate

disciples, servants. So please go today to see how

you can help. And don't expect somebody else

to take your place. They're probably not because

everybody else is saying the same thing.

You take your place because you have an indispensable role in

the body of Christ. Paul wrote to the Corinthians

about it. He said.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I don't want you to be

uninformed. There are a variety of gifts,

but the same spirit, variety of service but the same Lord,

varieties of activities, but it's the same God who empowers

them all in everyone. To each has given the

manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

We are not to be ignorant of these things.

Peter wrote first Peter 410 As each has received a gift, use it

to serve one another as good stewards of God's.

Varied grace, so genuine saving grace produces authentic,

visible works of generosity and compassion that match our words.

We're to be servants of the Lord and one another, and we

certainly need you right now. But Oh no, I'm not done.

So, so get mark the scorecards because some of you qualified

men now I'm going to restart meddling.

Now some of you qualified men need to say yes when you're

asked to serve as a Deacon. It's called a pause and I

already know some of you been asked.

Now, once again, there are qualifications that have to be

met, but don't say you're too busy or right now or not right

now unless you know beyond any shadow of a doubt that that is

exactly what God wants you to do.

We need at least 10 new deacons because of our growth, at least

10 new deacons right now. We're getting ready for

nominations. We're getting ready for that,

that, that process. And so again, qualifications

have to be met, but we need to cover our 100% participation

areas well with servant workers so we can continue to grow and

to expect to grow. We're going to baptize again

next week. We got, in fact, I, I, I know of

three or four couples at least who are waiting on baptism, at

least that many. We've that means we've got to

work first, John 3 says. But if anyone has the world's

goods and sees his brother, brother in need, yet closes his

heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

I mean, we can run from church service to church service and

never know what service really is.

That's because too many think this is about us.

This is just about me, this is just for me, it's just about us.

I promise you, my friends around the world know better.

So false, lifeless faith substitutes words for work.

Will our faith live in action? Will you serve?

James 217 says so. Also, faith by itself, if it

does not have works, is dead. Faith without works does not

give life. It is dead.

It provides no visible value for living out as plan.

It produces no evidence for others to see.

It provides no foundation upon which to build life.

It's not strong enough to stand on its own.

Loving action accompanies true faith.

Always, always. True faith does not exist alone.

Never Jesus talked about this in Matthew 7.

Gang up in the booth. I'm not going to read that

passage for the sake of time this morning, but just recognize

that you've got to be careful how upon what you build your

house. What's your foundation?

Will you put action and evidence behind your faith?

So in James 218 it says this, but someone will say you have

faith. Good job gang and I have works.

Show me your faith apart from your works and I will show you

my faith by my works. You believe that God is 1.

You do well. Even the demons believe in

Shudder. Do you want to be shown, you

foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

So the second thing we've got to see is the display of living

faith. We've got to show this.

We've got to display this. The word means to bring it to

light. Exercise your faith.

Real saving faith is not hidden. That would again, it would make

it worthless. We, we must show our faith by

showing action. And so functioning living faith

results in this real work. It results in effort.

It, it results in energy. It it results in enthusiasm.

So faith is this inward response to God, but without fruit, it

remains hidden. And he never wants us to hide

it. Hidden faith has no testimony.

It bears no witness. So if you're not showing off

your faith, you're missing out on the abundant life.

And he has that life for you. And he wants, he wants you to

provide the evidence that he has that for you.

So you're affecting the rest of us too, by the way, you're

hurting us all. You're hurting the rest of the

world by doing that. Matthew 5 says this.

It says you're the salt of the earth.

But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be

restored? It is no longer good for

anything except to be thrown at and trampled under people's

feet. You're the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a

stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they

may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in

heaven. We are to be salt.

We are to be light. We're not to be useless or

hidden. And so God doesn't just save us

for eternity. He saves us to serve, to have a

relationship with Him and to serve Him, and to serve others

to bring Him glory and to join Him in redeeming the nation's.

And we are surrounded, my friends, by a community in great

need. Before I ever came here, I

conducted a pretty significant community assessment study of

this whole area. I've mentioned it many times.

And the people living right around you are concerned about

their families. They're concerned about their

finances. They're concerned about their

future. They have real fears.

They have real needs. So how can we be involved in

meeting these needs? And the and the answer to that

is by being the healthiest, strongest church possible, by

making sure our core ministries are in great shape, by being

active members of connect groups, reaching out to their M

and Ms. so to speak. We will not be one of the

15,000, but there will be others in our area that will.

How would he love for you to display your faith?

How can we let our light shine in front of everyone and put the

spotlight on him? So don't just believe something,

do something. And James 2/19 it says you

believe that God is 1. You do.

Well, even the demons believe and shudder.

Even the enemy believes in God. Even the enemy knows him and

trembles in fear because they know it's the truth.

They know who he really is and it's vital to believe.

Listen, demons are not atheists. Demons are not agnostics.

They, they believe in the fact, but they don't obey in faith.

So we got to be careful that we don't share demonic theology.

How was that for a phrase? We know all kinds of truth, we

studied everything. But does it really affect my

actions? Does it affect my yes, when I'm

asked to serve, to believe in God and not to submit to and

obey Him? That may be the very essence of

sin. James 417 says So whoever knows

the right thing to do and fails to do it for him, it is sin.

Do do we know the right thing He wants us to do?

Do we experience transformative active faith in then let that

pour out into service and love for others.

I mean, what's your option? James 220 says.

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart

from works is useless. So don't be a vein.

The word means empty. Don't be an empty person.

Be an abundantly overflowing person.

I mean, a person can be educated.

I've spent a lot of time around educated people.

They can be enlightened but still be absolutely empty and

lost. Don't live an empty life.

Exercise with enthusiasm and energy.

A living faith. In fact, let me show you as we

get come start coming into a close some examples of life

faith. James gives them to us.

He shares 2 extremes from Jewish history.

It's a fascinating study. There's a famous St. and a

famous Sinner that he shares. You got to remember these Jewish

Christian background believers would know about these people

already. And so first of all, in verse

21, he says, was it not Abraham our father justified by works

when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

So we see father Abraham. I mean, all these readers would

have said father Abraham. I mean, nobody would question

the faith of Abraham. In fact, Paul refers to Abraham

as the father of all who believe in Romans 4.

So God required remarkable works of faith from Him.

But never take verse 21 without verses 22 and 23 or you're going

to reach the wrong conclusion. Verse 22, you see that faith was

active along with His works, and faith was completed by His

works. So don't share that the Bible

says we're saved by works. But do share that after we're

saved, the Bible commands us to show our faith by godly works.

In fact, Hebrews 11/17 gives us some new commentary.

It says by faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac

and he who had received the promised promises was in the act

of offering up his only son. Abraham was saved by faith.

The sacrifice sacrifice of Isaac was a test of faith.

Faith could not be proven unless Abraham put into action that

whole act so that he obeyed. It's the same for us.

His faith was made complete by his works.

A mature Christian lives out faith in action.

Look at verse 23 and the scripture was fulfilled that

says Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as

righteousness and he was called a friend of God.

His belief in action was credited to him as

righteousness. It was put into his account

because Abraham believed or trusted and acted in obedience.

He was also called a friend of God.

What a title. Verse 24 says, you see that a

person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

But again, don't ever take this verse alone.

You can't ever just take that verse alone.

John Calvin actually comments. He says it is faith alone that

justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone.

You can understand the relationship.

And then James gives a second example before we close.

And in the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute justified

by works when she received the messengers and sent them out?

By another way I mean what a contrast to Father Abraham, this

immoral person who becomes this example of faith.

Rahab lived in the walls of Jericho and hid the spies of

Joshua. She was even in the genealogy of

Jesus. She put her faith into action.

And so it's important to read the whole Bible and not just one

passage because James is assuming his Jewish readers

already know about Rahab's faith.

You got to recognize that she wasn't saved by works, but

showed her faith through her works.

And so she spoke to the spies about how she had heard of the

things that God did back in Egypt and in the wilderness.

In fact, in Joshua too, it says this.

And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no

spirit left in any man because of you.

For the Lord your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the

earth beneath. I mean, this is a proclamation

of faith. So she didn't just talk about

it, she then acted on it. She protected and hid the spies.

Hebrews 11 again comments on Rahab.

Verse 31 says by faith, Rahab the prostitute did not perish

with those who were disobedient because she had given a friendly

welcome to the spies. She displayed a living faith.

Then James presents one more example in verse 26.

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith

apart from works is dead. If the reader couldn't relate to

Abraham or Rahab, they certainly could relate to this one.

The relationship between faith and works is like the

relationship between the body and the spirit.

Without a spirit, a body's just an empty shell.

It's a corpse without faith or what?

Excuse me? Without works, faith is

invisible. Faith is lifeless and so true

faith has to be living inactive. And so Abraham and Rahab didn't

just talk about it. They responded in obedience.

Their faith was full of life. Their faith was full of

testimony and it was credited to them as righteousness.

So, so how can I be known as a friend of God?

How can we display our faith this way?

We sit in the midst of an incredibly ripe harvest field of

real need and and a church full of ministry, real need because

of our growth. What are we going to do?

Please serve with generosity. Please serve with that level of

compassion. In English history, back years

ago in the 1600s, there was a person named Oliver Cromwell who

ran the government for a while. Controversial figure, he doesn't

matter. But they ran out of silver to

make coins. At that point, it's a hard time

in British history. So he sent men out to all the

cathedrals to see if they could find silver.

And they came back and said, the only silver we can find are the

statues of the Saints that stand in the corners.

And Cromwell says, good, we'll meltdown the Saints and put them

into circulation. It's time.

It's time to step up, decide who you're going to be and go wood

that next level, that next step. See, we got to serve in this

way. Those of us who are here have to

do this. We've got to go and find out how

to do this, Jesus said in Mark 10:45.

Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and

to give us life as a ransom for many.

Someone associated with a ministry that I love dearly

likely died in the last few days because of his faith in the

Middle East or Central Asia. We have dear friends here

sitting in a jail cell because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

I've been sharing back and forth with members of that family, and

this is a verse that was sent to me from them.

Second Timothy 28 through 10. Remember Jesus Christ risen from

the dead. The offspring of David has

preached in my gospel for which I am suffering, bound with

chains as a criminal. But the Word of God is not

bound. I started off this morning by

reading out of Galatians 5. For you were called to freedom,

brothers only. Do not use your freedom as an

opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Surely, surely you could serve right here at good old Englewood

to help the core, to build us up, to make sure that we're

staying strong as we grow. Surely you could do that as you

are disciples of Jesus Christ. Surely, Father, thank you.

Thank you for opportunity. Thank you, Father, that we have

the privilege of free opportunity, of comfortable free

opportunity. Father, forgive us when we say

we don't have time. Forgive us, Father, when we

think we have other things that we ought to be doing.

Help us. Just to be sure, Father, that

that list is absolutely prioritized by Your word and

will and not our own desires. Father, we lift up those around

the world who right now are suffering because they love you

dearly and they're taking a stand because they love you

dearly. And Father, forgive us when we

don't take a stand. Forgive us when we don't serve

you as we should. Father, I thank you so much for

the people who've signed the dotted line and become members

of this church. They want to work.

They want to serve. Thank you for baptisms, Father.

As more and more people come every week, Father and Father, I

pray that the rest of us, Lord, will recognize our

responsibilities. Some here are serving so hard.

They have for so long. Thank you for them.

Thank you for these dear warrior servants who have been holding

the ropes and serving so many here.

And Father, we just have some more spots we need filled.

So, Father, as we pray to you, as we surrender to you this

morning, for some it ought to be a commitment to service.

Others recognize they they need to join this church also.

They want to be a part of a church that's going to take it

seriously. And so, Father, for some that

step is salvation. For others it's baptism.

For other, it's walking through the process of membership.

So I pray, Father, that they would come, that we might share

together and talk together and pray together.

Father, when we begin to sing in a moment, I pray that people

would just come, some to talk to us pastor, some to just pray,

maybe just to intercede for our friends at these steps as a

sign, as an altar of prayer, of intercession, of supplication.

Some need to go to our Next steps room and talk to our

loving counselors over there who just love to pray with them

privately. Help us to surrender.

Thank you for the freedom to do that in Christ's name, Amen.

Well, I ask you to stand. We're going to sing together.

Some of us will be here. You want to talk to us?

Many of you just ought to come and pray.

Some of you need to go to the Next Steps Room and talk to

those folks in there. They would just love to visit

with you. So whatever you need to do, you

come as soon as we begin to sing.

Thank you so much for listening today.

And I also hope that you'll go to

[email protected] as well as our app and find many

other resources that will bless you and your families.

Thank you once again.