Galatians: Starting Over {Yet Again} gods

The Exorcist

The Devil Demons Fallen Angels

"I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" - Jesus

…so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs - 2 Cor. 2:11 Context: forgiving

The Exorcist I'd run…fast

More like… A beautiful, spiritual person Who invites you to reject Truth And find your own path

Or someone who agrees With your anger and victimhood And helps magnify Your bitterness

"Trust me- I'll give you control of your life" In order enslave

If the enemy comes Dressed as the enemy We run If he comes dressed as a friend We may welcome him

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit… Gnosticism

…according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ - Colossians 2:8

Where you place your trust Determines how you Experience life Jesus came to set you free

The Enemy promises control In order to enslave Jesus promises Life And gives freedom

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed - Luke 4:18

Anything I place my ultimate Faith in- other than Jesus - Opens me up to the influence Of the enemy in my life And enslaves me

In a very Jewish culture To a very Jewish audience Bound by very Religious Rules: There's no pleasing you guys!

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” - Jesus, Matthew 11

Captive to Jewish Traditions And Laws And the approval of men "Reject it all and follow me"

Where you place your trust Determines how you experience life Jesus came to set you free

The Enemy promises control In order to enslave Jesus promises Life And gives freedom

If you experience anything Other than freedom Of heart and mind That's the warning sign To go back and follow Jesus

Satan enslaves with Beautiful lies and half-truths Jesus sets free With a simple command: Take up your cross & follow me

Christ calls us to Create relationships That mirror his grace Which sets people…free

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything

…but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father

In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world

Gods work through Fire, Water, Air, Earth To control lives and destinies And they must be appeased

1. False gods- idols- Must continually be served Or else bad things happen

Money Physical Appearance Future-telling Work Relationship

What's the harm? Hedging my bets… Checking my start charts… On the safe side…

I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons - 1 Cor. 10

It's not harmless It's not hedging the bet It's not that God looks away It has a spiritual component and Causes spiritual enslavement

Where you place your trust Determines how you Experience life The enemy always enslaves

The Enemy promises control In order to enslave Jesus promises Life And gives freedom

You were children You were doing those things You were enslaved …until the date set by his Father

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Papa! Daddy!

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God The power of the enemy Crushed by the cross of Jesus

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God

1. False gods must be continually served 2. Cause a loss of wonder And gratitude toward God

…how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

3. False gods- idols- go against All sense of logic

Warning against idolatry Serving false gods Empowering the Enemy By…?

Warning against idolatry Serving false gods Empowering the Enemy By trusting OT Law rather than The cross of Jesus Christ

You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain

Ultimate faith in anything Other than Jesus - Even a very religious thing- Is an idol that enslaves

The Enemy promises control In order to enslave Jesus promises Life And gives freedom

Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are

So zealous for his religion Murdered in the name Of his God, kept all the rules Got set free from all of it And walks in freedom

Look at me…am I free? Then follow that!

When taking advice Check to see how truly free That person is

You did me no wrong. You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first

…and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus

What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me

Delay and Detour Thorn in the flesh Eye problems That apparently looked bad

When you follow Jesus There is no such thing as a Detour or a Delay That he can't use for his glory

Key? Surrender of my plans To God's Greater Purposes

Where you place your trust Determines how you Experience life "My trust is in Jesus Rather than my plans, so…"

"Received with honor Given friendship and help And love" As he set hearts free By the Gospel of Jesus

If you follow Jesus Expect to do ministry But don't expect to do ministry Without getting hurt It's impossible

Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?

4. Can't hear Truth And turn on those who Threaten your idols

We trust them…so we can't Listen to you anymore

They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them

Ego games and manipulation What does that tell you About what they preach?

Put your trust in us We know what's best! Where you place your trust Determines how you Experience life= enslavement

It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you

…my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you

Father Abraham Had many sons…

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman

But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise

Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar

Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children

Where you place your trust Determines how you Experience life The Mosaic Law leads to the same slavery as false gods

The Enemy promises control In order to enslave Jesus promises Life And gives freedom

But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written… But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written…

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband”

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise

But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now And now…

But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman” (Genesis 21)

So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery - Galatians 4:1-5:1

The enemy probably won't Look like the Exorcist

But he'll do his best to affirm The things that will enslave you And will question/redefine the Christ who sets you free

Idols= anything I place my Ultimate trust in Other than Jesus

Relationship Smarts Physical appearance/abilities Money Metaphysical Pet Sin

Warning Signs: 1. Never appeased 2. Loss of gratitude for God 3. Follow when makes no sense 4. Turn on friends…speak truth 5. Relationships of manipulation

Jesus sets us free The cross crushes the power Of the enemy You are free…if you want to be

Let's Pray…

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