That he would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. (Luke 1:74-75).

INTRODUCTION

A.    It is a great and cruel fallacy toward God and man to believe that we are saved merely to be satisfied. Such a debased thought is not worthy of the grace of God. It is true that he does satisfy, but that is not the purpose of his salvation or his Coming to save men.  The man who eats only to be satisfied is a selfish glutton and a worshipper of his stomach.  We eat to live, and love and labor. The provision of God made for us is to enable us to live before Him, To Love our fellowman, and labor for Christ and His cause.

B.   The one central purpose of His coming was to deliver us to serve.  Let us note two things in that deliverance. I. We are delivered from our enemies II. We are Delivered To Serve.

I.    We are delivered from our enemies "We being delivered out of the hand or our enemies."  We are reminded that this deliverance is

A.    All of Grace.  "That he would grant us"

1.    It is in reality a divine grant.( Grace is the desire and power to do the will of God.

2.    It is because of His mercy that we are not consumer.

3.    When I pastored in Morrisonville, IL we had a Scholarship fund that had requirement in order to qualify.  But occasionally we granted a scholarship grant to those who could not meet the requirements.  This was a grant but was based on some merit.

4.    But when God granted to us deliverance it was not based on merit, for we were already condemned and we were his enemies.If by merit  then Salvation is not of grace but of works.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God  not by works, lest any man should boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9).

B.    The Deliverance is from the enemy--Sin

1.    Sin is one of the enemies out of whose hand we need deliverance

2.    In giving us His Son, God has also given us a grant of freedom from Sin.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:18 KJV)

3.    Being made free from sin we should not allow it to have dominion over us.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14 KJV)

4.    Many of us are still in bondage to sin because we have not claimed the grace of God.

C.    The Deliverance is from the enemy--Self.

1.    If sin is not to be allowed to lord it over us, the self seeking “I” must be put in the place of death.

2.    Paul’s problem in Romans 7 was and "I" problem. At least 31 times he uses the pronoun I.  His conclusion is found in Verse 24.

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:24 KJV)

3.    As long as the carnal "I" lives it will be the servant of sin.

4.    Therefore, we should daily put it to death by the blood of Christ.

D.    The Deliverance is from the enemy--Satan The great accuser is always ready to bring some railing accusation against the Lord, against his Gospel, and against his servants

1.    We are to not to be ignorant of his devises.

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11).

2.    We are to resist the Devil, and we are to flee temptation.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7).

Flee fornication . Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18 KJV)

Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. (1 Corinthians 10:14).

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some have coveted, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. {erred: or, been seduced} But thou, O man of God, flee from these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. (1 Timothy 6:9-11).

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22).

3.    "Flee" means "to run away, to shun, to vanish from the place."  When we resist Satan he flees, when we see temptation we are to flee.

4.    We are to put on the whole armor of God. Eph. 6:11

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Eph 6:11 KJV)

II.    We are Delivered To Serve.

A.    “that we, being delivered out of the hand or our enemies, might serve him with out fear."

B.    We are saved to serve, We have been freed from sin that we might become the servants of God.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:18).

C.    It is good to say "Thank God I am saved,"  But it is better to say "Thank God I am a bondslave of Jesus Christ.” The purpose of His coming is that we might. . .

D.    Serve Him

1.    One is your Master, even Christ

“Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” (Mt 23:10 KJV)

2.    Lord, What wilt Thou have me to do

“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” (Ac 9:6 KJV)

3.    Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth

“And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.” (1Sa 3:10 KJV)

4.    Serve Him, God First. Matt. 6:33

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mt 6:33 KJV)

a)    Not the church--in serving Him He will give you a place of service within the a local Church.

b)    Not a cause

c)    Not a good principle

5.    But the living Christ.  our ever present gracious Lord, to whom we belong.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

E.    Serve Him without fear.  If we love the Lord with all our hearts this will be the character of our service, for there is no fear in love;

1.    There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18 KJV)

2.    Having received the Spirit  of adoption we are saved from slavish fear and serve in the love of a son.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father.(Romans 8:15).

F.    Serve Him in Holiness.

1.    We are called with a holy calling.

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (2 Timothy 1:9).

2.    Called into the holy priesthood, having been washed and clothed with holy robes that we might minister in holy things as we eat the holy meat.

3.   They must be clean who bear vessels of the Lord.

If a man therefore will cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel to h onour, sanctified, and fit for the master's use, and prepared to every good work. (2 Timothy 2:21).

4.    He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy.

But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all your behaviour; (1 Peter 1:15).

G.    Serve Him in Righteousness. Our new man is created after God in righteousness and true holiness.

1.    And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. {true...: or, holiness of truth} (Ephesians 4:24).

“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Eph 4:24 KJV)

2.    So the new man is expected to serve God in righteousness as well as holiness.

a)    In holiness, may refer to the nature of God  and the word of God in us.

b)    In righteousness may refer to the Nature of God and the Word of God before us as a standard.

(a)    His holy nature imparted to us gives us fitness for his service.

(b)    His Holy Word gives us righteous principles for guidance in service.

H.    Service before Him. Sweet is the service that is rendered in the consciousness of His presence and done as standing before Him.

1.    Elijah could speak of " the Lord God of Israel before whom I stand. " I King 17:1

2.    Abraham walked before God.

3.    Enoch walked with God.

4.    Serving before Him is

a)    the remedy of the fear of men,

b)    the secret of deliverance from dishonoring God by presenting eloquent prayers to great audiences.

C)    the motivation to live a pure life.

I.    Serve Him All the Day of our Life.

1.    There is no discharge from the army of the Lord.

2.    The Levite could retire after a limited number of years of service

3.    But those who are delivered  from sin and wrath by the agony and the blood of God's beloved Son are to serve Him all the day of there life.

a)    All the days of that life which is divine and eternal

b)    Now we serve in bodies of infirmity, but we must look to the Lord for strength.

God's Simple Plan of Salvation

This Was Your Life

Rodeo Cowboy's Prayer