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Bro. Otis Fisher
To Galatians the fourth chapter in the seventh verse. Wherefore thou art no more a servant. Paul's been explaining our status as A child we were Under the servants tutorship, but we've grown beyond that now.
We're no longer a servant. But a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ. Everything is in and through Christ traveling in both directions. I'd like for you to turn to the book of Matthew, please to the 20th chapter and the 28th verse.
Follow along as I read Matthew 20 28. Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto. But to minister and to give his life a ransom for all. Said many didn't it? If it had meant all he'd have said all.
So he did not come to save all people he came just came to save many people. Then go over to the book of Luke to the 19th chapter and the 10th verse, please. For the Son of Man is Come to seek and to save That which was lost.
The Son of Man refers to who? Jesus. Jesus the Christ. He came Fred he came where he came to what? He came where to the earth, thank you. He came to the earth. He left heaven his former abode. He left all of his heavenly privileges in That office in heaven.
He used none of his own when he was here. He had the Holy Spirit without measure. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Now he came to save from what sin that which was lost. Was is very important.
The word that is very important. Was indicates that it has already happened sometime in the past and we know it happened. That's the sin of Adam. The word that is Used here is a pronoun and I didn't indicate indicates not just a single item.
If it had been to show just one thing a different word would have been used. But he came to save that. Then in Colossians 120 go over to their place. Yes, that's right. That's exactly right. That's right.
Some the many that he came to save were at one time. Saved they were righteous. But then there was a time come in which they were lost. Was is very appropriate. Yes, never listen to anybody read it is lost we is alright or we were.
But it's not the beginning of our lostness. Another good word. We were lost when Adam sinned. So that makes it was to everybody since Adam. Very very important the word that and the word was. For those of you that just came in we're ready to start Colossians 120 follow along as I read and Having made peace through the blood of his cross.
Now Let's stop here. Just a moment Dennis to to make something. Does it mean you're in the process of doing it or does it mean it's already done? No. To make it. Well, it could be used either way. He did make something That'd be all right and Having made is what it means having already made peace.
David the word peace refers to what? Well put it in layman's terms. Having made it's already finished. Made this peace which reconciled us to God through means it has to pass through something. There is a Conduit there is a mediator.
There is something That it passes through before it gets to the Heavenly Father. In this case, it was the blood of Christ and Having made peace through the blood of his cross. He was crucified on the cross.
He shed his blood on the cross. It was by his blood literally by his life. The life is in the blood. He did it By him to reconcile what all things you see that. Not just things but all things. Now Greg all things.
Means what? Nothing left out. Does it include the train on the track? The blade of grass in the yard and the planet Jupiter. All right, he came to reconcile. Let's be sure we understand reconcile Dennis.
What does reconcile mean to you? Okay Bill what's reconcile mean to you and it means it was once there. Okay. You See how the word reconcile teaches predestination and sovereignty of God. Yes Colossians 1 20 is where we are All right.
He by him by the blood of Jesus Christ Jesus the Christ. He reconciled all things unto himself by Him. I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. Well now Birds that would not leave out very much would it?
The only thing it leaves out is one thing. Who can name that? Left out sin Satan and hell. So again, we see Jesus the Christ did come to buy back all things that belong to the father. I want you to get that this morning.
Get it fixed in your computer now. Why is the Bible oriented toward us When we were sinners. If he came back to reconcile all things. Why pick out? The many great All right. We've heard all of our life.
He came to save me and that's true, but it's much more than that. He came to reconcile all things Including me. Why is the Bible? Seemingly written just to me instead of all things All right that we would understand but there's one other big point.
I'm not saying it right then. All right, but but what I'm really after is. Well, I Know but let me see if I can get it into the proper words all of our life. We have been Exposed to the Holy Word and I would dare say 99 .9 of the time it is taught to us or preached to us that Jesus came to save you.
Now Did he? All right. Is that all what do you want to say Debbie? Well, that's that's the saving of us. But is that all for which he came who said no All right. Tell me what else I didn't tell you that All right now.
All right, David, you're all All right All right. We still have not answered the question. Why is the Bible written to his people? Since he came to reconcile everything all of the creation everything.
Why is it written just to his people? Well, that's true but. Yes, but you're missing the point somehow. Let me see if I can rephrase it. Why did he talk just to humans? Well, I tell you I hope all of this comes out on recording.
Because there's lots of good answers but why. Why did he just speak to people that's all good. Why just to people? That's it. He had to direct his saving power to the one that sinned. At the same time his saving power is for the whole creation.
But the reason it talks to man is because man sinned. But don't let that trap you into thinking that was the only reason he came. What I'm trying to do is erase that that you've had heard all of your life that he came to save me just me.
Well, don't ever say that because that's putting you at the center. Don't ever put yourself at the center of God's power. It's him. Now, would you not agree that you have heard all your life? He came to save me.
Yes, just for me. If I'd have been the only one he'd have died just for me. Let me tell you that's putting too much emphasis on me. That's right. That's right, because we are the ones that sin. The human race is the one it affected everything else.
So he came to reconcile everything back to himself. Including us because we were the ones that sinned. Everybody almost understand. Okay now come back to. Where are we now. Colossians go to Romans? The eighth chapter.
So. Through what we have just discussed and read we see that Jesus Christ Did come to buy back all things that belong to God and everything? Does and did did and does. Except Satan and his crew his imps right.
There's no Redemption plan for him or for the angels. Just for people his people. Romans 8 19 for the earnest Expectation of the creature and it should be creation. Waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Now Greg, what does the word manifestation mean? All right the revealing so we could say the creation. Earnest expectation of the creation waited for the revealing of the sons of God now. Has that occurred the revealing of his people?
No. When will it occur at the rapture? So the entire creation is waiting on the rapture. Are you waiting on the rapture? Well, don't think you're the only being the creations doing the same thing. Do you ever think about a rock groaning.
Or a tree sighing. The music through the limbs, I wonder what it to be like when it is reading for the creature. Was made subject to vanity. Made subject to vanity if you're made subject to something.
What does it mean? But you serve it you're put under the Domination of it, whatever it is. So the creation was made to be subject to vanity. What's vanity? Worthlessness. And In essence, it means Everything not God.
All right, but the entire creation was made to be that against its own will not willingly. But by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope. Who is it that subjected this creation to the curse?
God. Lots of times I get the answer Adam. Because he's the one that did it. But it was not Adam. It was God and he has a right to do that which he wants with his creation. Because the creature Creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Now the Creation shall be delivered. Great what's that mean will be delivered? It means it's going to move it's going to change. Okay. Shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption meaning they cannot get out of it.
It's there. It was not put there John by its own will it was made to be that way by God and It will be put into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Again, it refers to the children of God because we're the main character.
We're the ones that sin. We're the ones that have the glorious liberty in God. Paul talks a lot about don't try to return To the prison of the law. You're now free in Christ meaning free from the law.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Now the whole Creation Bill tell me what is included in the whole creation and don't just say everything. Do you think man will ever explore all of space?
You think it would be possible? Is there a limit to space? What I? Thought you'd made the trip. What did Einstein think. Did you all get that? We know that all of it is groaning. Travailing together until now and having back to Colossians 120 now and having made peace Through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him.
I say whether they be things in earth of things in heaven, so we come right back to where we were. He came to seek and to save everything Virgil that belonged to God. That came out of God. He came to redeem us to adopt us as his own.
He also came to redeem everything that belonged to the father. And it was all lost because of man's sin. Romans 8 23 and not only they. But ourselves also. Which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we ourselves Grown within ourselves waiting for the adoption to which the redemption of our body the resurrection.
Now we come back to our lesson in Galatians. The fourth chapter in the eighth verse. How be it then? When you knew not God. You did service unto them which by nature are no gods. When you didn't know any better you were sir serving everything except the God.
The Gentiles especially they did not have the law they bowed down before whatever they could make or what some artist could make and Convince them that that had more power than they can you imagine? Clarence.
You've worked with wood. Can you imagine making the most beautiful ornament out of? Polished Bodak. It looks like glass and it's very ornate and most Wonderful, you just like to see it. You like to feel of it rub your hand over it, but you made it now.
Can you imagine setting that up on a shelf? And Seeking advice from it for what you should do tomorrow. Now we say that every time is it's what a lot of us do. Give me an example. Well, all right, then is it wrong to devote our attention to anything other than God?
But I know when you were back in the work world you devoted your attention to the office that you held. But never did you devote All of your attention to that at the exclusion of God anything. Yes. Any yes.
No. Yes, and you you look. Yes, yes. That's right. Next time your minds not busy. Pay attention to where it goes. What do you think about when you're not thinking about anything? Go back and look at it and see.
Because it'll go to that that's most important in your life at that moment can Coming to church be an idol. Can study in the Bible be an idol? Can the revelation of the truth be an idol? It it cannot.
If it is the truth because the Holy Spirit doesn't make any mistakes. Now you may gain knowledge. You may gain knowledge here this morning by listening. You may gain you may gain you may gain knowledge by study.
But if the Holy Spirit reveals a truth to you that come from God. It didn't come from an idol. It didn't even come from your idol of the Bible if he reveals the truth to you and I say if because I doubt if he would if you're not worshiping God.
Oh, that's true. Yes. That's certainly possible. Well. If you're submitted to the Holy Spirit, you don't have to bring him. He's there. All right, let's go on a little further. Excuse me. So we see that we were serving the devil even though we didn't know it.
Before salvation now remember this there is the seed of Satan in the world. There are those that are servants of Satan and There's a vast difference. We were all a servant of Satan until God notified us that we belong to him.
We were never a seed of Satan. The seed of Satan will never be saved. They're put here for their particular purpose and They're ordained to do what they're doing. If predestination applies to the saved it also applies to the seed of Satan.
The servant of Satan is a potential Christian. He just doesn't know it yet. You understand the difference. But that's what we were. If you're saved today you were a servant of Satan not the seed. Yes.
Oh everything is serving to God. Yeah. Hey. Sure. No, that's when you thought to do it. Because Anytime you think evil you're serving Satan. It's got to be one or the other. There's no in-between. Good question.
But now after that you have known God and then he corrects himself or rather are known of God. Now it's not that God did not know you understand that. But he now knows us how? In Christ. He knows us in Christ.
He does not know us outside of Christ as one is. He knows us in Christ. Paul says how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto you desire again to go into bondage. Why are you running back under the law?
You're listening to the wrong people and They're persuading you. You have no conviction of your own. All of us have known people in our lifetime that were under the influence of the last person to whom they spoke.
A lot of politicians are like that because they'll say whatever you want to hear and You've convinced them. Then they go someplace else and they may change 180 degrees. Why would you want to return to the old way anyhow any of you want to go back to where you were.
You sure. Why do you once in a while then. That's right. So we all do return to the old bondage when we sin. It must be because you don't believe. I believe the new way if you want to go back to the old way.
You're still thinking only of yourself. You are when you sin. You have not yet learned who you are or what position you have in Christ. I Think that if you hang around this church very long, you'll hear that.
That your position is in Christ. Was it a voluntary position. Who said no? You mean you were saved against your will. Even when you saved is against your will when did it change? Anybody else feel the same.
Then none of you were saved against your will. All of you were saved against your will. Well. It was the answer will until you were saved by the time you knew it. You were already saved and He gave you the belief.
So up to that time it was against your will. But before you knew it you were willing. Ephesians 2 12 That at that time you were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, in other words, you were not a Jew you were Gentile and Strangers from the covenant of promise because you had no covenant.
Having no hope and without God in the world now, that's the state of the Gentile sinner state today of any sinner 13 but now in Christ Jesus. Ye who sometimes were far off off are made nigh by The blood of Christ not in the blood but by that blood it was applied to you.
You didn't go jump into it. Galatians 4 10 ye observed days now. He's still he's still getting on them because they act like they want to go back to the old way. He Observed days and months and times and years.
Says I'm afraid of you lest I've bestowed upon you my labor in vain. Now by months he means the time of the new moon. They had a big celebration. First day of each month when the new moon appeared was a festival among the Hebrews.
They were quick to observe all of the carnal holidays. But not so with the Bible knowledge. The carnal still appeals to a Christian. Unless you've really really submitted yourself to him. Brethren, I beseech you.
Be as I am. For I am as you are you have not injured me at all. We're going to quit here, but I want to point out something. He says be it. I am be as I am. How am he? Who said free of the law? Be as I am free of the law.
I Have liberty in Christ. Because I was once like you but not so. You have not injured me at all. You don't hurt me. You don't sin against me. You cannot sin against each other. You can wrong and hurt and defame each other, but the sin is always against God.
All right, we have four minutes. Is there anything from anybody? Well, then Greg, would you go kill the? Mike because I have something else. I want to say.