Sermon
Serving One Another In Love
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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I've been going through a series here talking a little bit about family and the household
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! And just even those principles that we've been looking at, you need to understand also apply
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! in other areas of our lives. But we need to understand the importance of marriage, the
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importance of family. In that we've been understanding this through the context of Psalm 127 where
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it says, except the Lord build the house. The Lord needs to be centerpiece in the home. And from the
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very beginning, when the Lord joined Adam and Eve together in the garden, He established something
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not only for their good and protection, but something that was a benefit for us even today,
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for our benefit and for our protection. And it's a bond worthy of our devotion and worth guarding
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with our heart. And that's what marriage is, a covenant that asks each of us to lay aside what's
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best for ourselves and consider the other instead. You know, because as we think about this idea,
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we're going to talk this morning about serving one another in love. Now here's another principle that
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applies to anybody when it comes to serving. But this morning we're going to look specifically within
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marriage and the dynamics of that applying to us because what does it mean to serve your spouse?
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You know, have you really stopped to consider that in your relationship? What does it mean to serve
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your spouse? Have you ever noticed that serving another seems to come unnaturally to us? Because
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naturally instead of having a heart for service, we have a heart of selfishness, don't we?
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You know, we desire to protect ourselves what's best for us? Because I want you to understand and just think
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for a moment, could it be that the problem is not the serving but the source from what you're trying to serve?
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Because if we try to serve out of our own selves, our heart is always selfish of what benefit am I getting
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from this? What am I going to gain by this? In a marriage, I want you to understand, it's kind of like a
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two-person team. You know, there's a lot of two-person team activities out there. But one thing you'll
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notice that whether it's, if you've ever played ping pong with two people or tennis or other games,
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you know, when you see that, what happens if both of them try to fight for the ball every time?
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How successful are they? It fails pretty quick, doesn't it? You know, oftentimes, you know, we've been,
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our grandkids are getting a little older now and we're going back to watching youth sports again.
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And the one thing about youth sports that I found out is I don't even call it a game, I just call it
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bunch ball. Because you throw a ball on the field and they all bunch to it. Doesn't matter what it is,
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they all grab together and bunch together on it. But what are you trying to teach them? That they have
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to do what? They have to serve one another by being where they're supposed to be doing what they're
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supposed to do. Because if we all try to compete with one another, your team is going to do what?
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It'll lose. It'll be the loss. In a relationship, the same is true. If you're both trying to compete,
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compete, it's going to be a losing proposition. Because I want you to understand, God did not
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design marriage as a competition. But oftentimes, people enter into it with that mindset. You know,
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when we see that is in that dynamic is very important because when both are willing to set
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the other up for success, you know what? The team wins. A marriage wins when once, when they serve one
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another for each other's benefits. And we understand that, that's that championship mindset of saying, I
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want a team that's going to win. That means we need to serve correctly. To be in our place doing what we're
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supposed to do in the relationship. And to understand the importance of it because, but I want you to know that
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teamwork alone is not enough. Because the question is not only whether we are serving, but the source from which
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we serve. Because as a servant in marriage, a servant-based marriage draws its strength, not from yourself, but from
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Christ. Because if your relationship with Christ isn't right, you know what? You're going to have a hard time having a
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relationship in a marriage that's right. There's going to be a conflict that's going on always behind the background.
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And that dynamic is important this morning as we look together in this, as we take a look over here.
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Look over to Galatians chapter 5. Let's stand together this morning. As we look here, Galatians chapter 5
Galatians 5 chapter mention Galatians 5 chapter mention
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in verse 13 tells us this. It says,
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Let's pray.
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Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father, as we come before you this morning, Lord, as we take a look a few moments in this
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reality of service and the opportunity that we have, Lord, we pray to you with the work and hearts
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here this morning, Lord, that we might consider, are we serving, are we doing what we ought to do for the
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right reasons? Lord, it is not selfish motivated, but out of love motivated. Lord, to love others just as
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you loved us. And Lord, as we look at this reality here this morning, Lord, you might just stir our hearts
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and our minds here this morning to contemplate the reality of it and where we stand with you.
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And Lord, that we might not just think about it, but Lord, we might respond to it. Lord, to understand
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the need that is involved in actually doing what you would want us to do. And Lord, we ask these things
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here this morning in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. You know, we find here in our text, Paul,
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the Apostles, he's writing to a church at Galatia that's in an argument and a discussion about things,
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and he's beginning looking here because they're talking about salvation in Galatians, the argument
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of how is one saved. But I want you to understand is he says that we've been called to liberty.
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When you're saved, you are set free from the bondage of sin. You're at liberty. Now, this liberty,
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he points out very quickly, and he warns this just a little later, that freedom can turn towards the
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flesh. Because a little later in Galatians, he talks about those things of being self-seeking and
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strife and envy. I want you to understand, God doesn't set us free so we can go to those things.
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He sets us free that we might be apart from them. And when we understand this principle that he's
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pointed out here, we're called to liberty and to use that liberty to serve one another in love.
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That liberty is not, what is it in it for me? You know, that's a modern concept of liberty.
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Liberty, how do I gain from this? Where a biblical concept of liberty is how do I use my freedom
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for the benefit of others? How do I use what Christ has given to me for somebody else?
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Because just as he purchased us on the cross, as we'll look a little later, is the reality,
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he set us free. And he did that not out of self-seeking for himself, but for our benefit.
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He set us free. And we see here this morning that proper use of liberty to serve one another in love
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is something that transforms a marriage. It transforms a marriage. The same liberty purchased
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that Christ purchased for us at the cross is the liberty that he calls us to spend loving one another.
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And it begins in your own home. You know, it begins right where you're at. You know, oftentimes people
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take a lot of time to look outside. What can I do? How can I do this someplace else? But you know where
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it begins? It begins at home. Because what you're not willing to do at home, you're not willing to do
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truly someplace else. Because home is actually the hardest part, isn't it? You know, sometimes it's
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easier to serve strangers than to somebody that you're living with. It becomes a problem because
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as we notice here, service is the proper use of our freedom in Christ. You know, look again there at
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verse 13. Notice what he tells us here. And he says this, and for brethren, ye have been called unto
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liberty, only use not liberty for the occasion to the flesh. You know, the liberty Paul speaks about
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here is freedom from the law's condemnation. But he immediately turns that freedom of what's been
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given inwardly to an outward expression of it, to understand what's been transformed. Because true
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Christian liberty doesn't curve inward towards self, it curves outwards towards others. And in marriage,
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that's an important thing. This means using the freedom he's given you not to demand your rights.
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You know, that's a concept we use quite a bit, isn't it? I am free, so therefore you must.
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God says you've been set free, now lay them down for the benefit of others. You have now the freedom
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of how you're going to use that liberty, of how you're going to employ that in the life. Because
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today we face with radical individualism. You know, that's our concept. Especially in America,
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we have a very radical idea of individualism. You know, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps. I did this,
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I did that. You know, we have an eye problem. Because it's all about me. We live a generation,
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it's a me generation. You know, the cultural script says you need to come first, your identity is your own,
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and sacrificing for another person is optional or situational depending on how it benefits you.
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You know, oftentimes we carry those same concepts into a relationship and then wonder why it
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struggles. Somebody that you said you want to love and to honor and to cherish and want to be with
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becomes instead of mutual benefit, becomes how does this relationship benefit me? And that's the
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reason we see a high divorce rate. Because it's not about the other person, it's about self. As soon
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as it becomes uncomfortable for self, it's time to go. And you'll see that a lot in relationships today.
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And this assumption is not neutral. It's a direct antithesis of Galatians chapter 5 here when Paul
Galatians 5 chapter mention
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says use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh. He's describing to us precisely what
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individualism does. It takes freedom and turns it inward. You know, we understand that self-gratification,
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self-preservation. But here he tells us to do what to love one another. To understand the importance
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of this picture, he says, notice in verse 13, but by love serve one another. By love serve one another.
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In other words, he says the liberty you have ought to be used for the benefit of others also.
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Liberty is not something that's designed to be consumed upon yourself.
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Because that leads you into places that you're going to get in trouble. You know, think about even
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Jesus here this morning. You know, over in John chapter 13, here we find Jesus does something
John 13 chapter mention
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for his disciples that's outside their mindset of how it works. It's contrary to how they think.
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Because what takes place is as they sit around getting ready for a meal.
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As the meal gets done, what happens? Jesus gets up and he puts a towel about himself and he kneels down
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and he washes their feet. Now, culturally, that doesn't mean much to us today. You know,
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there's some people that take that and they want it. Well, in church, you ought to wash one another's
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feet. And I'm like, nah.
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But I want you to understand the cultural picture. Because what was custom in the day was that when
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you had guests in your home, the lowest servant, that was their job, was to wash the guests' feet
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when they came in. It was considered the lowest position. I think we can all agree that's a pretty
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low position of servanthood. But here's the one who created the universe, gets up, and he puts
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himself voluntarily in this position to do something as a servant to his disciples.
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And we see that picture. And if you look there in John chapter 13, it tells us this in verse 14. It
John 13 chapter mention
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says, if I then also, notice this, your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash
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one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Now,
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notice the context here. He says, this is, verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater
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than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things,
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happy are ye if you do them. Now, I want you to understand here, Jesus isn't saying you ought to
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wash people's feet. He's used that as a picture, an illustration to say, you ought to be able to
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serve whatever it takes for the benefit of another. Even if you think it's below you.
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Does America have a problem with that concept?
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I can't do that.
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When you think about the one who is Lord and Master, I'm going to say, I'm going to give
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you an example of serving one another. And knelt down and washed those who were following
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him. He displayed exactly what it means to love somebody else. To say, I don't care what the level
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or what the dynamic is. You know, when we consider that question, are you using the freedom God has
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given you, your time, your energy, and your gifts to serve the one that you're married to? Or serve
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others? You know? Or are they quietly being consumed by your own comfort and preference?
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You know, today we have a lot of people who are even believers who say, I'll serve God as long as
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it's convenient. I'll serve God as long as it promotes me. As long as it shows for something that I'm going
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to benefit. You know what? Jesus said, the best servants are those who aren't self-seeking in glory.
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But by love, serve one another. Service isn't self-promotion. You know, have you noticed today
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there's a lot of people who do things to try to promote, well, look how much I can put on my resume.
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I served here. I did this. I did that.
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All, they serve not for the benefit of what they're serving. They serve for the benefit of
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themselves to say, hey, look what I did. Look what I'm a part of. That's not in love, by love,
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serving one another. That's an application that we need to understand. Now, number two here this morning
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is simply this, service fulfills God's law of love. You know, to serve one another is not a self-focus,
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but it's serving is that display of God's love. It fulfills God's law of love.
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You think about it, what did Jesus tell us? What does the apostle write here? You'll find this theme
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throughout scripture. This concept is not a New Testament concept. Because take a look here,
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look at our text first, and then we'll look in the Old Testament for a moment. But notice what verse
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14 says, for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
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Now, Paul's telling them that in this context of liberty. To understand that picture he's quoting
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here from the Old Testament. You know, he's quoting the Old Testament back in Leviticus chapter 19.
Leviticus 19 chapter mention
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Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 18 tells us this. God's commanding his people.
Leviticus 19 chapter mention
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And he says this, thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people.
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Think about the context of what he's saying this. He's saying even if somebody else isn't doing what
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they're supposed to do. Because isn't that a concept we talked about a few weeks ago?
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The reality, oftentimes people enter into marriage to say, I will do this as long as it benefits me.
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What's my benefit? And he says, thou shalt not avenge or bear any grudge against the people,
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the children of thy people, but thou shalt what? Shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
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Paul's context here is from an Old Testament context. It says, liberty allows you to love and to serve
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despite what somebody else does. Today, our basis of love often is what is my benefit instead of how
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can I use what I have in Christ for the benefit of others? To serve one another. You know,
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let me ask you a question. When it comes to this context, in marriage, who's your closest neighbor?
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Very simply, it's the one that you lay down to by each night, isn't it?
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You don't get much closer than that.
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You know, we don't often think or talk our concept that in that reality, but that's the application,
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the first application of the principle. Because you know what? Oftentimes, there's problems within
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a marriage. And there's going to, when you have two people together, you're going to have problems.
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Liberty allows you to work through them properly.
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To not be hindered by a grudge or try to avenge. You know, that's trying to get even.
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That's a contest. And you know what? The people I've seen and I've counseled and I've talked to in
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life about when they're having trouble in marriage, you know what one of the biggest things is?
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Is, well, they did that. You know what? If you lived with somebody, you know, if you lived it yourself,
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you'd be upset pretty soon. Because trust me, you're not the perfect part of the
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relationship.
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The point isn't being perfect. The point is saying, Christ has set me free.
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I'm at liberty to love
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them properly.
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That's a choice of what you're going to do
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with that. Because when you think about our culture today,
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people enter into a marriage
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marriage as this 50-50 model.
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You know, that's one of those things people got to get rid of is this 50-50 mindset.
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Well, we're entering to a 50-50, we're going to make 100.
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I want you to understand that starts things off on the wrong dynamic.
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Because what it says, as long as each of you contributes equally and have the rights and
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responsibilities are balanced and the relationship is evaluated by whether both parties are getting
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what they deserve.
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Now, in your mind, in contract, that sounds reasonable.
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The reality, we already talked about that, marriage is not a contract.
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You're not dealing in contract law.
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Contract law says, I said, I agree to this if you do this.
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Covenant says, I'm all in no matter what you do.
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That's a thought process difference.
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And that's where the devil loves to twist
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because even though it sounds reasonable,
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but what a 50-50 relationship does,
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it produces a scorecard.
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It starts keeping track and tally.
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You know, when you sit down with a couple
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that's having a marriage, it's amazing.
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They pull out their scorecard.
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It might not be a physical scorecard,
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but you know what?
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As soon as they start talking, it's a scorecard.
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They didn't do this.
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They didn't do this.
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Or they did that.
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They did this over here.
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It's like,
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you're focusing on the wrong elements here.
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You're saying,
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they didn't fulfill their end of the contract.
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But remember,
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when you got married,
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you didn't enter into contract.
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You entered into a covenant.
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Two totally different things.
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And when we understand the picture here,
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because a servant-type marriage
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that Paul describes here is not doing math.
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It's asking,
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what more can I give?
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You know,
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take a look over in the book of Philippians
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for a moment.
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Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians 2 chapter mention
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You know,
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Philippians chapter 2
Philippians 2 chapter mention
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tells us here something very important.
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Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians 2 chapter mention
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Look down at verses 3 and 4.
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Notice what he tells us.
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let nothing be done through strife or vainglory,
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but in lowliness of mind,
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let each do what?
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Esteem the other better than themselves.
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Look not every man on his own things,
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but let every man also on the things of others.
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To esteem the other better than themselves.
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Marriage is never meant to be a partnership of halves.
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It's not a 50 from you and 50 from the other.
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It's a covenant that calls one to 100%.
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Because if you enter in with a balance sheet,
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you know what follows a balance sheet in marriage?
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Resentment.
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You know what else follows it?
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You have resentment,
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then you have bitterness.
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Then what do you have?
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You have anger.
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Are any of those beneficial for you?
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Are any of those beneficial?
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When we understand what Christ is,
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when loving us like Christ loved us,
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it's important.
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Because when we consider that dynamic,
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you know,
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and understand the picture,
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what is the one need your spouse has
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that you've stopped noticing?
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You know,
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sometimes it's easy when you hang out with somebody all the time
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to start missing things.
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You know,
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one thing I want to encourage you today,
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if you're married,
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find out what you can do for your spouse this week.
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Something that you may have forgotten about.
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You say,
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preacher,
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now you're getting uncomfortable.
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You've got to remember,
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I've got to go home too.
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It's not any more uncomfortable for me
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than it is for you.
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But you know,
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it makes a difference
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because I want you to understand
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when you do something out of love,
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it doesn't go unnoticed,
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even if the other person doesn't take note,
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God still takes note.
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God recognizes what you're doing.
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So understand here next,
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the mutual service
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builds a strong,
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wholehearted marriage.
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You know,
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builds a strong,
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wholehearted marriage.
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You know,
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as we look here this morning,
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I want you to understand,
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look back at verse 13 again.
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And it tells us this,
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it says,
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for brethren,
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you have been called unto liberty,
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but only use not liberty
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for an occasion to the flesh.
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You know,
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that's just like we read here
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a few moments ago
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in Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians 2 chapter mention
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Let nothing be done
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through strife or what?
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Vainglory.
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What's vainglory?
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That's a good question.
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Empty glory.
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glory.
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What's empty when we spend it
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on ourselves?
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Whether that's in marriage,
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whether that's a personal,
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any dynamic,
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vainglory,
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empty glory is saying,
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I want to be magnified
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or lifted up.
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When Christ set us free,
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what does that do for us?
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It says,
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for His glory,
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Him to be glorified
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in us.
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And when we understand
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that picture
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and get the right perspective,
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it makes a difference.
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When both the husband
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and wife are competing
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to out-serve the other,
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it changes something.
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You know,
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the conflict deflates,
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the intimacy deepens.
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You know,
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when we understand,
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it helps you serve together.
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Because mutual service
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builds a strong,
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wholehearted marriage.
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Serving together.
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Loving together.
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Doing together.
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It makes a difference
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when people invest
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in that.
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You know,
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we have a great model of this
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within the Scripture.
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You have a couple
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by the name of Aquila and Priscilla.
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They're the only couple
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in the Bible
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that's always mentioned together.
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Where you find one,
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you always find the other.
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Interesting.
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But you know what they did?
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They served the Lord together.
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They were there together.
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It wasn't,
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well,
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one does this
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and the other does that.
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It said they were serving together.
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together.
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To understand
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that picture
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of working together.
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They never,
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it's never recorded
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that they were competing
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for credit.
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You know,
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of how one was serving.
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It was just,
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there was a mutual dynamic.
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But I want you
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to understand today
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that many times
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I believe people
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are genuinely
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trying to serve.
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but the problem is
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oftentimes
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we run on empty.
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We feel exhausted.
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You know,
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you think about today,
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you have two income households,
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youth sports
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that want to run
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seven days a week,
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a smartphone
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that demands
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your attention,
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a general exhaustion
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of modern life
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means that patience
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and generosity
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are the first casualties
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of a tired evening
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at home.
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You're so done
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before you get there
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you don't even realize
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what's happening.
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You're exhausted
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and when somebody,
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when the mindset is
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and the reality sets in
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that I still have
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a responsibility
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to love,
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it's difficult.
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I want you to understand
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this isn't necessarily
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a character problem
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but it's a depletion problem.
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when you run
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your life
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on empty.
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The answer
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is not
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to try harder
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but the answer
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is to draw
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more deeply
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from the one
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who sets you free.
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He is the one
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that says
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I will have
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the ability
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to give you
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what you need
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to do
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what you ought to do.
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You know,
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when we look
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at the right picture,
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the right dynamic,
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the answer
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is not trying harder,
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it's drawing deeper
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from Christ,
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the one
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who has set you free.
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You know,
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I spoke a little bit ago
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about Aquila and Priscilla.
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You know,
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Acts chapter 18,
Acts 18 chapter mention
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you find here
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that they pull
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Apollos aside together
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and instruct him together
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and to build
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those things together.
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Their marriage
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was a shared ministry.
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The two lives
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wholly given
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to one work.
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You know,
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think about this.
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Look here in verse 24.
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It says,
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And a certain Jew
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named Apollos,
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born of Alexandria,
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an eloquent man
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and a mighty
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in the scripture,
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came to Ephesus.
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The man was instructed
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in the way of the Lord
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and being fervent in spirit,
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he spake and taught
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diligently
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that things are knowing
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only the baptism
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of John.
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And we see here
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that as he comes,
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we find here
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that they pull him aside,
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Aquila and Priscilla,
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and give him
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what is needed.
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We find here
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that they taught him
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diligently.
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You know,
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being fervent
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in spirit and spake
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and taught diligently
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the things of the Lord.
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And we want to see
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Aquila and Priscilla
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pull him out.
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Is the next verse
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on the slide?
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Okay,
-
let's get this continued.
-
Because it's the one
-
I want to get to.
-
I'm like,
-
did that get put in there?
-
Notice this.
-
And he began to speak
-
boldly in the synagogue
-
when Aquila and Priscilla
-
heard.
-
They took him
-
unto them
-
and expounded unto him
-
the way of God
-
more perfectly.
-
Now I want you to understand
-
there's a lot in that verse.
-
We could spend a lot
-
of time right there.
-
Because there's a theological
-
point they're making here too.
-
But I want you to see
-
what they do.
-
They served
-
the Lord
-
together.
-
It was a togetherness
-
that made
-
a difference.
-
To understand
-
the importance
-
of it.
-
You know,
-
have you thought together
-
for a moment
-
of how
-
the local church
-
is enriched
-
when marriages
-
are built on
-
mutual,
-
wholehearted service
-
and not rivalry?
-
You know,
-
serving one another
-
is something
-
that God
-
has designed
-
for us
-
and for the benefit
-
of everybody.
-
To understand
-
the reality
-
of it,
-
what would your
-
marriage look like
-
if both of you
-
were more committed
-
to serving
-
than being served?
-
Would that concept
-
change a relationship?
-
I guarantee you
-
it would,
-
doesn't it?
-
It would alter
-
a lot of things
-
because you know
-
what it does?
-
It throws
-
the scorecard
-
out.
-
it's no longer
-
a contest
-
or a competition
-
because it's not
-
about what you're
-
getting,
-
it's about
-
your opportunity
-
to love
-
another.
-
To understand
-
that picture,
-
that dynamic,
-
you know,
-
when we serve,
-
I want you to
-
understand,
-
I want you to
-
challenge you
-
to try to do
-
one thing
-
this week
-
of unexpected
-
service
-
for another
-
with no
-
strings attached.
-
Zero
-
expectation
-
attached
-
to yourself.
-
You know,
-
oftentimes,
-
we do do
-
a lot of service,
-
but sometimes
-
there's always
-
a string
-
attached.
-
But we
-
ought to
-
serve not
-
for what
-
it benefits
-
us,
-
but for
-
the well-being
-
of the
-
other.
-
To understand
-
that picture
-
clearly.
-
You know,
-
this idea
-
of service,
-
we've been
-
set free
-
in Christ
-
because even
-
Jesus,
-
you know,
-
Jesus when
-
he came,
-
Jesus came
-
not to be
-
ministered unto,
-
but to
-
minister.
-
You know,
-
in Mark
-
chapter 10
-
verse 45,
-
the word of
-
God makes
-
it very clear,
-
for even the
-
Son of Man
-
came not
-
to be
-
ministered unto.
-
In other
-
words,
-
God didn't
-
come for
-
his benefit.
-
And it
-
tells us
-
exactly why
-
he came.
-
but to
-
minister,
-
to serve,
-
and to
-
give his
-
life a
-
ransom for
-
many.
-
Have you
-
stopped to
-
think that
-
when Jesus
-
went to the
-
cross,
-
it was a
-
service for
-
your benefit?
-
He was
-
ministering
-
for your
-
benefit.
-
benefit.
-
That benefit
-
of being
-
able to
-
offer
-
salvation
-
full and
-
free for
-
you.
-
He shed
-
his own
-
blood as
-
the ransom
-
for your
-
sin.
-
The price
-
that sin
-
demanded.
-
He
-
He
-
He
-
He
-
Why did
-
he do
-
that?
-
Because
-
he understood
-
this principle,
-
this reality,
-
that you're
-
a sinner
-
who needs
-
a Savior.
-
He died
-
in your
-
place.
-
The Bible
-
says the
-
wages of
-
sin is
-
death.
-
He died
-
in your
-
place and
-
rose again
-
so that you
-
might be
-
forgiven,
-
that you
-
might be
-
able to
-
call upon
-
him,
-
accept the
-
free gift
-
of salvation.
-
You know,
-
the reality
-
is oftentimes
-
people are
-
self-seeking,
-
but salvation
-
isn't about
-
self-seeking on
-
anybody's part
-
because salvation
-
is recognizing
-
that yes,
-
he is right,
-
I am a
-
sinner.
-
I have
-
broken the
-
law.
-
I have
-
done that
-
which is
-
contrary to
-
the things
-
of God.
-
It's
-
recognizing
-
who you
-
are,
-
your need.
-
When you
-
recognize your
-
need, he
-
says you need
-
to do
-
something and
-
that's to
-
recognize it
-
to him.
-
That's called
-
repentance.
-
It's
-
recognizing
-
you're a
-
sinner and
-
he's the
-
perfect one,
-
he's the
-
savior.
-
Turning from
-
your sin
-
to the
-
savior.
-
To say,
-
I want what
-
he has
-
provided,
-
the liberty
-
to set me
-
free.
-
To understand
-
the reality
-
of it,
-
your need
-
to repent
-
and to
-
recognize you're
-
a sinner that
-
needs to turn
-
to him and
-
call upon him
-
because you
-
know what,
-
it's not
-
enough to
-
recognize you're
-
a sinner.
-
today we
-
have call
-
in therapy.
-
You know
-
what most
-
of the
-
problem is?
-
It's sin.
-
And they
-
expect a
-
therapist to
-
solve it
-
who's charging
-
you by the
-
minute.
-
And Christ
-
said, I
-
have the
-
solution for
-
sin and I
-
picked up the
-
check.
-
what greater
-
thing is
-
that?
-
By love
-
serving you.
-
To understand
-
that ransom
-
that he
-
paid is
-
counted as
-
yours.
-
The ultimate
-
example of
-
serving one
-
another.
-
Your very
-
salvation is a
-
picture of
-
God's love
-
for you.
-
to call
-
upon him.
-
You know,
-
maybe you
-
can understand
-
the reality
-
of a time
-
when you
-
called upon
-
him.
-
But you
-
know,
-
if you're
-
saved,
-
it still
-
can sometimes
-
be draining.
-
but I
-
want you
-
to let
-
the love
-
of Christ
-
be the
-
fuel for
-
your
-
service.
-
Because
-
that empty
-
tank of
-
life gets
-
refilled and
-
refreshed
-
when we
-
refocus and
-
draw from
-
the well
-
that's
-
endless.
-
Of what we
-
have in
-
Christ.
-
From the
-
resources of
-
his grace,
-
you know,
-
to serve
-
another,
-
to serve
-
your spouse
-
today.
-
But let
-
it be an
-
act of
-
worship.
-
You know,
-
we don't
-
do it for
-
ourselves.
-
Colossians
-
3.23
-
says,
-
and whatsoever
-
you do,
-
do it
-
heartily as
-
unto the
-
Lord and
-
not unto
-
men.
-
Have you
-
ever thought
-
about by
-
serving your
-
spouse,
-
you're honoring
-
the Lord?
-
Do it
-
heartily as
-
as to the
-
Lord and
-
not unto
-
men.
-
You know,
-
that attitude
-
alone will
-
get rid of
-
the score
-
card.
-
Because what
-
Christ did on
-
Calvary was
-
remove the
-
score card.
-
Your sin
-
is gone.
-
Now I want
-
you to consider
-
something else,
-
and we're going
-
to get into
-
this a little
-
more next
-
week.
-
to be a
-
week.
-
But when
-
you serve
-
your spouse,
-
it's the
-
first sermon
-
your kids
-
see and
-
hear about
-
loving one
-
another.
-
The first
-
message your
-
kids see is
-
how you
-
parents love
-
and serve
-
one another.
-
We're going
-
to look at
-
that next
-
week, so
-
make sure to
-
be back.
-
But I want
-
you to
-
understand,
-
how are you
-
serving in
-
love one
-
another today?
-
Have you
-
loved your
-
neighbor as
-
yourself?
-
Because our
-
well is not
-
us, it's
-
him.
-
As heads
-
are bowed
-
and eyes are
-
closed this
-
morning,
-
what about
-
you today?
-
Are you
-
willing to
-
say,
-
Lord,
-
I need
-
to use
-
the liberty
-
that I
-
have in
-
you because
-
of your
-
salvation
-
to serve
-
the one
-
that I'm
-
married to
-
or to
-
serve somebody
-
else because
-
the application
-
goes far
-
beyond just
-
marriage.
-
It applies
-
to everybody
-
but directly
-
in a
-
relationship
-
together.
-
What are you
-
doing?
-
Is it
-
selfish
-
or is it
-
serving?
-
away may
-
may
-
may
-
may
-
may