The Joy of Knowing Jesus | Pastor Grant Ethridge | Liberty Live Church

And when you do that, he's got it. And I'm telling you, this is a this will change your life. It it's kinda like a thermostat versus a thermometer. A thermometer reflects or records the temperature. A thermostat sets the temperature. And I want you to know, rejoicing is setting your spiritual thermostat. [00:10:19] (23 seconds)  #SpiritualThermostat

Now you laugh, but it's the truth. When your life becomes his life, then your problems become his problems. And so I pray that way all the time. I say, oh, lord, your washing machine's broken. Lord, your car needs tires. Your car, God, is broken down. Because I'm telling you, if you understand everything is from him and for him, then you can just praise him. [00:09:51] (29 seconds)  #GiveGodYourBurdens

Write this down. Morality can keep you out of jail, but it can't keep you out of hell. Where's your identity? It's not in being single or married. It's not in your degrees. It's not in title. It's not in how much you have or how little you have. I tell you, our joy, our identity is in Jesus alone. [00:23:34] (22 seconds)  #IdentityInChrist

Paul gives us here his resume and it's pretty impressive. It's his pedigree and his performance. But hear me, if you say that salvation is anything plus Jesus, it ruins everything. It's not Jesus plus anything. Anytime you start Jesus plus, then you're saying the cross was not enough. And salvation is not Jesus plus confession or Jesus plus confirmation or Jesus plus baptism or Jesus plus liturgy or knowledge. [00:18:30] (41 seconds)  #JesusOnly

Now watch this. Paul said, no. It's we who are the circumcision. Why? We serve God by the spirit. We boast in Christ Jesus and we put no confidence in the flesh. How do you know a genuine Christian from a false believer? Right there it is. First of all, we serve God by the spirit. You God is a spirit. You gotta worship him in spirit and in truth. [00:16:48] (22 seconds)  #ServeByTheSpirit

He said they're they're going from church to church causing trouble, fracturing the fellowship, causing people to doubt and question what Paul was teaching. Hear me. Some of the meanest people you've ever met go to church every Sunday. Beware of the dogs. Beware of the legalist, the pharisees, and you gotta make sure you're not one. Hello? Is my mic on? It's the religious crowd that killed Jesus. [00:16:16] (32 seconds)  #BewareReligiousHypocrisy

But get this, what he thought was assets were really liabilities. What he should have been a spiritual advantage to him became a disadvantage. And if you're not careful, you can be raised in church, live a moral life. And thank God if that's your testimony, but that better not be where your confidence is. I'm saying to you what is a blessing can become a barrier. Paul went so far down the road of self righteousness, he found out it's a dead end street. [00:22:56] (37 seconds)  #BlessingCanBeBarrier

And the listen. The longer you live, the longer you're saved, the greater the temptation to put confidence in good works and in the flesh. We we gotta guard against that. The bible says that our flesh dwells no good thing. Well, number two, write this down. Rejoice in everything. Why? Because of Christ. Now, number two, reject everything that's not Christ. Reject everything that's not Christ. [00:17:33] (30 seconds)  #RejoiceBecauseOfChrist