358: Rob Oosthuizen – Exhortation: Our Abundant God

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Welcome to good Christophian
talks.

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I’m Levi.
I’m Chris.

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I’m Jason.
And I’m Brian, thank you for

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joining us this week.
On this podcast, we select one

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talk a week to help us get the
Bible in our Daily News feed.

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Each week we post a talk.
That we previewed from

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suggestions sent in by listeners
from around the world.

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Then we record a short intro
beforehand as a personalized

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recommendation to you on why we
are sharing the talk.

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And now let’s talk more about
this week’s talk.

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Hello and welcome back.
This is brother Chris.

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Back with another expectation to
share with you and a talk to

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encourage you on your week.
First of all, I want to

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apologize that we’ve missed the
last two weeks.

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We had our annual Idaho Bible
School and the schedule got away

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from me, so we’re posting two
talks here to catch up and get

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back on schedule.
And then for the month of

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August, we have something really
exciting planned that we’ll

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cover more on the first episode
for next week as we roll into

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the month of August.
But excited to share with you

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something kind of special we’re
doing for August.

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I know normally we do that in
July, but we ended up needing a

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little bit more coordination
time, so we’re going to do it in

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August instead.
But I hope that you enjoy what

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we have planned for our
exhortation and our talk this

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week.
We’re listening to one that was

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given just a few days ago at the
Verdugal Hills Ecclesia.

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We had brother Rob Ustaison from
New Zealand visiting and he gave

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a fantastic exhortation, which
was both a wonderful way to look

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at a week after a Bible school,
which I know for many of you

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there’s been youth camps and
Bible schools going over the

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summer.
So hopefully this can be an

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excellent capstone to a
fantastic week with a vision of

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the Kingdom.
And his exhortation is talking

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about our abundant God.
I found it to be super

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encouraging, just a reminder of
how amazing our God is and that

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he doesn’t hold back.
He wants to give us everything

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and just an encouraging of how
incredible our Father is and the

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hope that we share.
Brother Rob is super engaging

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and interesting to listen to.
I enjoy getting to know him

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better when he was at the Bible
school with a few of his kids.

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And I hope that you find this
expectation to be encouraging

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and uplifting to you and just a
reminder of how bountiful and

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abundant our Heavenly Father is.
So I hope this encourages you on

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your walk and uplifts you.
So with that, I’ll turn it over

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to our brother Rob Ustaizen for
his excitation entitled Our

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Abundant God.
Well, good morning everyone.

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We love coming to California
because we get to see our

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beloved brothers and sisters and
the Lord Jesus Christ and to

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grow together in our faith,
hope, and love in Him.

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And it’s such a joy.
It’s such a privilege, such a

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blessing to have family around
the world and throughout time

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that share our common faith in
the resurrected Lord Jesus

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Christ that we’ve just read
about.

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And because we come from so far
away, I gladly bring to you the

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loving greetings of your
brothers and sisters in the Lord

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Jesus Christ in Invercargill,
New Zealand.

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I do have a picture here of our
immediate family taken outside

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our ecclesial hall earlier this
year in January.

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And it was a very special day
for our ecclesial family because

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our youngest daughter Alexa,
who’s here with us today, was

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baptized and committed her life
to the Lord Jesus Christ.

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So our immediate family bring
their loving greetings to you if

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you have met them in the past.
We have a sample representative

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representation here today.
But more importantly, your

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ecclesial family who live in
Invercargill also gladly share

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their loving greetings to you
this morning.

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Then for a word of exhortation,
I’d like to really share with

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you something about a wonderful
God, his marvellous character,

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an aspect that Sister Rochelle
and I have spent the last couple

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of years, I guess you might say,
thinking a lot about, talking

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about, looking for in the
Scriptures as we read God’s Word

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and learning more of Him.
And I hope that you’ll find it

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encouraging for your own lives
as we not only think about an

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aspect of God’s character, but
appreciate its deep implications

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for our own lives in Christ
Jesus.

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And perhaps one way of receiving
an insight into this aspect is

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by thinking about the words that
we know well from Exodus 34,

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which outline the name of
Yahweh, God’s name in his

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glorious character.
So many wonderful attributes

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that we know and love about our
own Father in heaven, hallowed

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be his name.
But there’s one word that for

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me, I I confess that for many
years of my life I had very much

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overlooked, and it’s that little
word there abundant, that’s the

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Lord.
The Lord God is merciful and

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gracious.
He’s long-suffering and abundant

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in goodness and truth, keeping
mercy for thousands and

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forgiving iniquity,
transgression and sin.

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And the abundance here is an
abundance in goodness and the

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Hebrew there, I’m sure you have
perhaps heard others speak of

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the the covenant love of God,
the hesed love of God.

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That’s his goodness.
It is abundance is shown in many

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different ways.
It’s it’s certainly highlighted

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as we’ll see a little later on
in his covenant love and mercy,

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but he is a God who is very
generous and overwhelmingly good

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and a variety of different ways.
And I hope initially this

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morning just to quickly try to
let this give you some examples

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to try to highlight this out of
the record of Scripture.

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And then we will think about how
it flows through into the New

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Testament afterwards and to our
discipleship in Christ and what

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it means for that.
So good place to start is so

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often said is in the beginning.
And if you recall that from

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Genesis chapter 1, when God is
unfolding the marvels of his

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creation for us, that we find
when he has created the

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platforms, the stage for his
creative work in, in the heavens

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and the earth and the separation
of the, of the waters and the

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dry land appearing.
He then starts to fill the stage

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set of the skies and the heavens
and the earth which has

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appeared.
And you’ll recall that on day

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five and on day 6, God creates
abundance.

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In Genesis chapter 1 and verse
20, God said let the waters

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bring forth abundantly the
living creatures and let the

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birds fly in the earth.
Now it’s a different Hebrew word

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that used in Exodus 34, but it
conveys very much the same idea.

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The ESV says let the waters
swarm with living creatures and

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let the birds fly in the expanse
of heaven.

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Now for any of you who’ve put on
a pair of goggles or a snorkel

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and gone scuba diving or you
know, just looking at at a reef

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somewhere, your mind is just
completely blown away by the

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abundance and variety of amazing
things that God has created.

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It’s like another world opens up
to you and all its colour and

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beauty as you see the the ocean
teeming with fish.

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Wouldn’t it have been a creative
marvel if God had created two or

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three amazing fish, but teeming
with fish and abundance there in

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the oceans?
And the same with the flora and

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the fauna, all of the vegetation
and all its various beauty that

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God has created for us.
Not just one type of flower

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throughout the world, but
multitudinous varieties and

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colours and a diversity there
that is God glorifying when we

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see it and acknowledge it for
all its its beauty.

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And on days 5 and 6, God then
adds this beautiful blessing.

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It says God bless them and said
be fruitful and multiply and

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fill the earth that was for the
oceans filled with the fish,

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with the heavens, with the
birds, and with the animals and

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mankind upon it.
Be fruitful, multiply and fill.

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And here in Genesis, we’re
already seeing God’s intention

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for the new creation in Christ
Jesus.

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I, the Almighty God says, have
filled this earth with the

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abundance to show you that I
want you to have an abundant

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life, to be fruitful, to
multiply, to fill, because I am

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Yahweh, abundant in my goodness,
my covenant love towards those

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who love and fear me.
And we’ll come back to that in a

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moment, but let’s just move on
just with a couple of a few

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other examples to highlight this
marvellous character of our

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heavenly Father.
You’ll recall that when God

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filled the heavens, all that
Genesis record says is he made

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the stars also.
Well two or three, five stars

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again would have been very
impressive.

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But innumerable galaxies,
galaxies upon galaxies of stars,

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we as as mortals, we can’t even
comprehend the abundance that is

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there out in in space.
And interestingly, God then

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carries this over into the life
of Abraham to convey to him a

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very special meaning in the
promises which he gave to him.

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Because you remember, Abraham,
Abraham and Sarah were anything

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but abundant as far as be
fruitful, multiply and fill is

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concerned.
We know that they had no child.

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And in that situation, God puts
Abraham to the test when he’s

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worried about who will be his
heir.

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And in Genesis 15, he says to
him, come Abraham, step outside

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the tent, have a look up at the
night sky, look at those stars

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and all their majesty and see if
you can count them.

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That’s how many children you’re
going to have as descendants,

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Abraham.
And to Abraham’s credit, he

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believed, and it was counted to
him for righteousness.

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He believed in an abundant God
that could bless far more than

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he could ever imagine.
And we know that God did that

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for him.
And we know that that story

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unfolds through Scripture.
I’m just going to bounce forward

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to Exodus chapter 1 where we
find Abraham’s descendants in

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Egypt and the Genesis record,
sorry, the Exodus record starts

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in a very wonderful way when it
gives this little summary by

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saying in verse 6 that Joseph
died and his brothers and all

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that generation.
It’s like the passing away of

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the patriarchs there in the land
of Egypt.

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And we know that this chapter is
now going to introduce to us

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almost genocide towards the
people of Israel, an attempt on

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the part of the Egyptians, great
tribulation for them, whether

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we’re going to try to wipe out
the existence of God’s people or

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at least keep them severely
restricted in their numbers

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because of the potential
security threats that might pose

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for their country.
But the summary introduction to

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the chapter says that the people
of Israel were fruitful and

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increased greatly.
They multiplied and they grew

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exceedingly strong so that the
land was filled with them.

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There’s a beautiful echo back to
Genesis chapter 1.

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Be fruitful, multiply and fill.
And here God is showing that

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this is what He wants to do for
his people, and He is faithful

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to his covenant of promise that
he had made to Abraham and

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demonstrating it here for us.
Reminding us that whatever the

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circumstances of the lives of
God’s people, even when times

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are extremely difficult and
tough for us, should never doubt

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that God is faithful to His Word
and His promises towards us.

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Even down at verse 20, after all
of the terror and the

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persecution that they have
experienced at the hand of a

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cruel and mean overlord, A
pharaoh, king of Egypt, it says

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so God dealt well with the
midwives and the people

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multiplied and grew very strong.
So isn’t that encouraging for us

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that even in life’s darkest
hours, when things seem to be

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stacked against us and aren’t
going well at all, God’s

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character is unchanging and
there is abundance that can come

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out of even the most constrained
and overbearing circumstances of

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our lives so that by His grace
all things can work together for

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good.
That chastening may not seem to

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be joyous but grievous, but
afterwards it can yield the

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peaceable fruit of righteousness
to those who are exercised by it

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and by His grace, His hope is
that they will be abundance and

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fruitfulness that can come
through all circumstances of our

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lives.
Wonderfully encouraging reminder

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of God’s good character towards
His people in Genesis chapter 1.

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So I’m sorry, I thought I had
that up there to highlight that

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for you, but hopefully you were
listening.

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And there you have it.
So Deuteronomy chapter 8.

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Again, I won’t dwell on this
here because I’m just really

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trying to highlight a few lovely
examples.

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I invite you in your own time to
read through Deuteronomy chapter

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8, Where the land of promise is
explained and described by Moses

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to the people before they enter
in.

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And we know that God didn’t just
bring them out of Egypt and say,

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look, I’m going to rescue you
and then you’ll be away.

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And I hope that you find a good
place to live.

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He had in mind, remember, a
land, How was it described?

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A land, Something about milk and
land.

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It wasn’t just a land of milk
and honey, was it?

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It was a land flowing with milk
and honey, Yes.

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So God was trying to, in that
little description, help them to

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hold on to the hope that there
was going to be an abundance.

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It was going to flow in the land
of Israel.

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And in these verses here, he
says you’ll come into a land

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that you’ll find vineyards that
you haven’t planted and houses

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that you haven’t built, and
there’ll be waters flowing in

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the valleys and there’ll be
minerals that you’ll be able to

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access.
And there’s an amazing abundance

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00:17:24,599 –> 00:17:28,280
described for God’s people so
that they could look forward to

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00:17:28,280 –> 00:17:33,880
a vision where they would
experience this aspect of God’s

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character that he delights to be
good to his people and to fulfil

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and make good on his promises
beyond even human expectation.

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And that’s the next point that
I’d like to bring to you from

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this, this last little example
in the Old Testament.

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And, and, and I invite you
really during, during, during

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your daily readings that look
out for examples where you see

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God’s abundance and see it in
situations where people say God

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00:18:08,920 –> 00:18:12,400
has not only answered my prayer,
he’s answered it in perhaps a

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00:18:12,400 –> 00:18:15,800
way I didn’t expect.
And it’s way better than I could

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ever have imagined.
And you find that that say is is

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often a repeated theme in in the
Old Testament examples of God’s

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intervention and working in the
lives of his people.

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Think of Hezekiah pleading just
for their lives to be preserved.

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And then outside the city,
185,000 Syrians slain in one

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night by the Lord.
It was way beyond, I’m sure any

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of those who were pinned up in
Jerusalem could ever have

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imagined.
I’m getting distracted.

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00:18:51,400 –> 00:18:53,760
I’m sorry.
Second Kings, chapter 4.

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Second Kings chapter 4 in the
life of Elisha the prophet.

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And there was a widow woman who
came to Elisha because she was

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being threatened by somebody who
was owed a lot of money by this

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widow.
And you’ll recall that her

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00:19:16,600 –> 00:19:22,120
distress was that the that the
creditor wanted to come and and

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00:19:22,120 –> 00:19:27,280
take her two boys as partial
payment of some way of getting

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00:19:27,280 –> 00:19:30,200
compensation for the debt that
was owed to him.

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And so the poor widow comes to
Elijah and pleads for some mercy

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00:19:35,040 –> 00:19:38,520
and some help so that she can
hold on to her two boys.

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So Elijah, you’ll recall in the
story says, what do you have

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with you?
And she says, I just have a

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little cruise of oil, little
vessel with some oil in it.

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Eliza’s message and and advice
to her was to go and to collect

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00:19:57,200 –> 00:20:01,280
as many containers as she could,
as many vessels from neighbors

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and friends, and bring them into
her house and to start to fill

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them.
And God’s overflowing abundance

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became evident to that widow as
she poured and poured and poured

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and filled and filled and filled
vessel upon vessel, until she

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said, bring me another.
And they couldn’t find another,

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because God had been so abundant
to fill every vessel, every

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available vessel to them.
And then Elisha says to her

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something absolutely marvellous.
He helps her understand the

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abundance of God’s blessings for
her.

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Because her main hope, remember,
was that she would be able to

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hold on to her family.
Her surviving sons needed to be

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with her, to care for her.
And that prayer was answered,

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00:21:01,200 –> 00:21:06,080
but God blessed more, exceeding
abundantly above what she had

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00:21:06,080 –> 00:21:10,520
asked or thought her debt would
be cleared because she could

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00:21:10,520 –> 00:21:15,480
sell surplus oil.
And then Elijah says even more

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00:21:15,480 –> 00:21:18,920
than that.
He says you go and pay your

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00:21:18,920 –> 00:21:25,320
debts and you and your sons can
live on the rest.

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So there was going to be more
than settling the immediate

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00:21:29,200 –> 00:21:32,080
problem.
There was going to be a future

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00:21:32,080 –> 00:21:34,960
income stream for them from the
abundance of that oil.

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00:21:35,120 –> 00:21:39,320
Isn’t that a God who showered
his blessings upon them more

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00:21:39,320 –> 00:21:42,000
than they could have imagined in
that situation?

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00:21:43,560 –> 00:21:46,680
Again, evidence of the character
of our God.

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You and your sons can live on
the rest.

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00:21:51,320 –> 00:21:56,080
So one more little example, and
I hope that picture conveys to

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00:21:56,080 –> 00:22:01,880
you A a wonderful memory of
Second Kings 5 where Naaman is

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struggling with his leprosy.
And you’ll recall how when he

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00:22:05,560 –> 00:22:10,240
eventually submits and humility
to the will of God and he washes

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00:22:10,240 –> 00:22:14,880
himself seven times in the river
Jordan, the record doesn’t say

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00:22:15,600 –> 00:22:19,320
that he was healed and he got
his old skin back again.

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00:22:20,640 –> 00:22:24,120
It says that his skin became
like unto a little child.

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All of us will have held a
little child and know the beauty

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00:22:29,760 –> 00:22:35,560
and how wonderful it is that new
fresh skin that little babies

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00:22:35,560 –> 00:22:40,840
have.
And so for Naaman, he got the

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00:22:40,840 –> 00:22:44,080
best.
God wanted to give him the best

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00:22:44,080 –> 00:22:49,760
that he could in that situation
to help him appreciate that he

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00:22:49,760 –> 00:22:57,200
was now conscious of a God who
is abundant in his goodness

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00:22:57,560 –> 00:23:01,480
towards those who submit to His
will in his life.

305
00:23:02,880 –> 00:23:07,080
And Malachi 3 entices and
encourages the children of

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00:23:07,080 –> 00:23:12,240
Israel at a time when they were
really being self-centered and

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00:23:12,320 –> 00:23:16,600
denying the obligations that
they had under the law to honour

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00:23:16,600 –> 00:23:19,560
their gods through what Moses
had asked of them.

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00:23:19,920 –> 00:23:24,280
They weren’t showing any
appreciation for God’s ways.

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00:23:24,440 –> 00:23:28,280
And God says to them, bring your
whole tithes into the storehouse

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00:23:28,280 –> 00:23:32,600
and test me, Prove me, if I will
not open the windows of heaven

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00:23:33,080 –> 00:23:36,680
and shower down blessings upon
you, that you won’t even have

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00:23:36,680 –> 00:23:42,520
room enough to receive them.
He’s inviting them to experience

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00:23:43,000 –> 00:23:45,720
the abundance of God’s goodness
and grace.

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00:23:47,760 –> 00:23:51,880
Now please be assured that this
is not a message of the

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00:23:51,880 –> 00:23:56,840
prosperity gospel.
This is about understanding

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00:23:56,840 –> 00:24:01,880
God’s demonstration of his
characters that in ways that we

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00:24:01,880 –> 00:24:06,040
do not expect.
When, when, when, when we show

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under willing to show faith and
trust and confidence in our God.

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He is wanting us to be assured
that He has our best interests

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00:24:16,640 –> 00:24:20,640
at heart.
He really does want to go over

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00:24:20,640 –> 00:24:27,880
and above beyond what we might
expect or hope for, even through

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00:24:27,880 –> 00:24:33,080
to eternity, as we hope to be
able to highlight when we draw

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00:24:33,080 –> 00:24:37,440
our thoughts to a close.
God really does have an abundant

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00:24:37,440 –> 00:24:42,440
mindset and it was shown in the
life of His Son.

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00:24:43,080 –> 00:24:45,760
Look at the pictures on the
screen there and think about

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00:24:45,760 –> 00:24:48,760
what they remind you of and the
miracles and life of our Lord

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00:24:48,760 –> 00:24:53,800
Jesus Christ.
His healings that the multitudes

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00:24:53,800 –> 00:24:56,600
that came to Him and He healed
them all.

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00:24:57,120 –> 00:24:58,840
Imagine the joy and the
blessings.

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00:24:58,840 –> 00:25:02,440
There would have been so many
people who came who went away

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00:25:02,440 –> 00:25:07,440
thrilled that their vitality was
far better than they could ever

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00:25:07,440 –> 00:25:12,480
have expected.
Think of how that played out in

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00:25:12,480 –> 00:25:17,040
in Acts chapter 3 with the lame
man laid at the gate of the

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00:25:17,040 –> 00:25:20,720
temple and in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ when he rose

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00:25:20,720 –> 00:25:24,920
up and walked.
He then went leaping, walking

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00:25:24,920 –> 00:25:29,560
and leaping because the vitality
was so abundant and he was so

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00:25:29,560 –> 00:25:33,800
thrilled it wasn’t a staggering
around asking for a stick as he

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00:25:33,800 –> 00:25:37,440
tried to grapple with the new
found mobility.

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00:25:38,440 –> 00:25:43,920
The Lord Jesus Christ
demonstrated wonderful blessings

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00:25:44,080 –> 00:25:48,160
to those who came for healing.
But you’ll recall at Cana and

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00:25:48,160 –> 00:25:50,240
Galilee bottom right hand side
there.

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00:25:51,440 –> 00:25:55,440
It wasn’t just that there was a
top up to a little bit of wine

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00:25:55,440 –> 00:25:59,560
that was missing when the Lord
Jesus Christ converted the water

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00:25:59,560 –> 00:26:05,840
into wine.
There were six huge ceremonial,

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00:26:06,240 –> 00:26:11,120
a reservoirs that were filled
and then were changed into wine.

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00:26:11,560 –> 00:26:16,680
And was it any ordinary wine?
No, it was the best, wasn’t it?

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00:26:17,600 –> 00:26:21,080
And of course, there’s wonderful
spiritual teaching and meaning

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00:26:21,080 –> 00:26:24,520
in the new wine of the, the new
covenant and how we ought to be

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00:26:24,520 –> 00:26:27,720
filled.
And but this, this, this is also

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00:26:27,800 –> 00:26:32,920
evidence that as the Father
does, as Jesus said, so the Son

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00:26:32,920 –> 00:26:36,880
does likewise.
He wanted God’s people to

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00:26:36,880 –> 00:26:41,080
appreciate that he was living
with the same spirit that his

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00:26:41,080 –> 00:26:47,640
Father had shown in the past.
And yeah, we have there the, the

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00:26:47,640 –> 00:26:52,440
multitude of fish, the disciples
who had hoped that, yeah, they

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00:26:52,440 –> 00:26:56,040
might just pull up a few fish
from all their hard labours all

357
00:26:56,040 –> 00:27:00,960
night, Nets that are overflowing
on 2 occasions.

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00:27:00,960 –> 00:27:04,880
This has demonstrated to us in
the Gospel records that when God

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00:27:04,880 –> 00:27:10,440
is at work, there can be an
abundant harvest for his name if

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00:27:10,440 –> 00:27:12,600
we are willing to work in his
service.

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00:27:13,040 –> 00:27:16,280
And the young lad, of course, 5
loaves and two fishers.

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00:27:16,560 –> 00:27:21,480
And how the Lord Jesus fed a
multitude through the power of

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00:27:21,480 –> 00:27:27,400
God.
Well, I hope that that briefs

364
00:27:29,920 –> 00:27:33,480
potted gathering of some
examples through the scriptures

365
00:27:33,480 –> 00:27:37,800
will not only encourage you to
look for them yourselves to see

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00:27:37,800 –> 00:27:43,480
this aspect of our Father, but
also to really understand that

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00:27:43,480 –> 00:27:47,000
he is a God abundant in his
goodness and truth.

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00:27:47,840 –> 00:27:52,120
And now to really focus in on
the implications of this for our

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00:27:52,120 –> 00:27:53,720
lives.
We’ve hinted at that from

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00:27:53,720 –> 00:27:59,320
Genesis chapter one that God
says be fruitful says this to

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00:27:59,320 –> 00:28:03,440
his creation to us as the new
creation in Christ be fruitful,

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00:28:03,440 –> 00:28:08,560
multiply and fill.
And the Lord Jesus Christ in

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00:28:08,560 –> 00:28:13,480
John 10 said this wonderful gave
this a wonderful message of

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00:28:13,480 –> 00:28:18,960
encouragement to his disciples.
Speaking of his sheep, he says I

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00:28:18,960 –> 00:28:26,600
am come that they might have
life and that they might have it

376
00:28:26,600 –> 00:28:34,200
more abundantly and yes, we do
live in hope of life

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00:28:34,240 –> 00:28:36,920
everlasting.
That will be an abundant life.

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00:28:38,280 –> 00:28:41,720
But I truly believe that the
Lord Jesus Christ was wanting

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00:28:42,040 –> 00:28:49,120
his disciples now to experience
life abundantly in a way in

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00:28:49,120 –> 00:28:55,560
which we then start to reflect
his character in our lives, in

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00:28:55,560 –> 00:28:58,840
our service, and in our love for
one another.

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00:28:59,840 –> 00:29:03,960
The apostle Paul encouraged the
believers of the 1st century to

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00:29:04,160 –> 00:29:07,400
understand this about God and
says, and the Lord make you to

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00:29:07,400 –> 00:29:12,480
increase and abound in love one
toward another.

385
00:29:13,840 –> 00:29:19,360
Understand God’s character, be
filled with awe and amazement

386
00:29:19,560 –> 00:29:24,280
for his abundant love towards
us, and show it then towards

387
00:29:24,280 –> 00:29:26,960
others.
Let it flow through you in the

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00:29:26,960 –> 00:29:29,640
way in which you treat and care
for each other.

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00:29:30,440 –> 00:29:34,920
And this I pray that your love
may abound yet more and more in

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00:29:34,920 –> 00:29:38,800
knowledge and in all judgement.
For if these things be in use,

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00:29:38,800 –> 00:29:44,240
says Peter, and abound they make
you that you shall be neither

392
00:29:44,240 –> 00:29:47,960
barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus

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00:29:47,960 –> 00:29:50,560
Christ.
Again, it goes back to the

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00:29:50,560 –> 00:29:54,440
Genesis record to the for the
new creation in Christ Jesus,

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00:29:54,720 –> 00:30:00,000
don’t be unfruitful, but let’s
be a fruitful bear fruit and a

396
00:30:00,000 –> 00:30:04,640
bound so that it brings
blessings to the lives of our

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00:30:04,640 –> 00:30:08,960
family and the Lord Jesus Christ
around us and those that we

398
00:30:08,960 –> 00:30:12,360
share our faith with in the
world around us.

399
00:30:12,520 –> 00:30:17,800
That they may come to know our
heavenly Father and to know his

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00:30:17,800 –> 00:30:23,080
Son, which is life eternal and
abundant life and deed through

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00:30:23,080 –> 00:30:27,240
eternity.
I invite you to come to 2nd

402
00:30:27,240 –> 00:30:31,960
Corinthians chapter 8, where the
apostle Paul, I guess you might

403
00:30:31,960 –> 00:30:38,960
say, works the conscience of the
Corinthian believers by letting

404
00:30:38,960 –> 00:30:41,640
them know a bit about the
character and the love of their

405
00:30:41,640 –> 00:30:45,720
fellow believers in Macedonia.
And he says something to them

406
00:30:45,720 –> 00:30:51,640
here which conveys to us that
they understood the implications

407
00:30:51,640 –> 00:31:01,400
of believing in an abundant God.
Chapter 8 starts with a

408
00:31:01,720 –> 00:31:07,560
description of the generosity
that the Macedonian believers

409
00:31:07,560 –> 00:31:12,720
had shown, and their generosity
had been described as the grace

410
00:31:12,720 –> 00:31:14,360
of God.
Look at this one.

411
00:31:14,960 –> 00:31:17,680
We want you to know.
This is the English standard

412
00:31:17,680 –> 00:31:19,920
version here.
Want you to know, brothers,

413
00:31:19,920 –> 00:31:26,360
about the grace of God that has
been given among the eccleses of

414
00:31:26,360 –> 00:31:30,640
Macedonia.
You might say, well, maybe

415
00:31:30,640 –> 00:31:35,280
that’s just a reference to the
conversion of believers and that

416
00:31:35,280 –> 00:31:39,400
they had accepted God’s grace.
But in the context here, the

417
00:31:39,400 –> 00:31:46,000
grace of God is actually God’s
grace appreciated and

418
00:31:46,000 –> 00:31:51,000
reciprocated in generous giving
by the believers in Macedonia.

419
00:31:51,400 –> 00:31:54,120
It’s read on and you’ll you’ll
see that this is what Paul is

420
00:31:54,120 –> 00:31:57,320
trying to say.
He says Corinthian brothers and

421
00:31:57,320 –> 00:32:02,160
sisters know about this, that
the believers in Macedonia about

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00:32:02,160 –> 00:32:03,520
them.
Verse 2.

423
00:32:03,760 –> 00:32:08,280
In a severe test of affliction,
the Macedonian believers

424
00:32:08,320 –> 00:32:15,560
abundance of joy and their
extreme poverty have overflowed

425
00:32:15,800 –> 00:32:18,880
in a wealth of generosity on
their part.

426
00:32:19,520 –> 00:32:24,560
For they gave according to their
means, yes, as I can testify,

427
00:32:24,760 –> 00:32:30,000
and beyond their means of their
own free will, begging us

428
00:32:30,000 –> 00:32:32,960
earnestly for the favour of
taking part in the relief of the

429
00:32:32,960 –> 00:32:36,600
Saints.
And this not as we expected, but

430
00:32:36,600 –> 00:32:41,720
they gave themselves first to
the Lord, and then by the will

431
00:32:41,720 –> 00:32:46,680
of God, to us.
Accordingly, we urge Titus that

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00:32:46,680 –> 00:32:50,840
as he had started, so he should
complete among you this act of

433
00:32:50,840 –> 00:32:55,120
grace.
These believers in in Macedonia

434
00:32:55,120 –> 00:33:00,120
were an amazing example, Paul
says, of those who responded to

435
00:33:00,120 –> 00:33:02,240
the abundance of God in their
lives.

436
00:33:03,040 –> 00:33:06,640
They gave themselves first to
the Lord and then they wanted to

437
00:33:06,640 –> 00:33:09,320
give themselves to other
believers.

438
00:33:10,040 –> 00:33:14,920
And they responded with
overflowing wealth of generosity

439
00:33:16,360 –> 00:33:19,880
in wanting to care for the
believers who were in need.

440
00:33:20,160 –> 00:33:22,920
And so he’s trying to provoke
the conscience of the 1st

441
00:33:22,920 –> 00:33:28,080
century believers in Corinth.
And so verse 7, the King James

442
00:33:28,080 –> 00:33:32,720
Version actually brings us out
really nicely says, But as you

443
00:33:32,720 –> 00:33:37,760
are bound in everything, in
faith, in speech or utterance

444
00:33:37,760 –> 00:33:41,800
and knowledge, in all
earnestness and in your love

445
00:33:41,800 –> 00:33:48,160
toward us, King James, see that
ye abound in this grace also.

446
00:33:49,640 –> 00:33:54,680
So yes, we want to be abundant
in our own conviction and our

447
00:33:54,680 –> 00:33:58,880
discipleships, abundant in the
growing of our grace and our

448
00:33:58,880 –> 00:34:02,320
love and appreciation of all
that God has done for us.

449
00:34:03,280 –> 00:34:10,440
But God wants us to overflow as
well in that in the love and the

450
00:34:10,440 –> 00:34:14,840
care and the blessings that we
bring to the lives of those

451
00:34:14,840 –> 00:34:17,360
around us.
And the Corinthian believers

452
00:34:17,840 –> 00:34:21,159
will be encouraged to follow the
example of their Macedonian

453
00:34:22,480 –> 00:34:26,360
family in Christ just for a few
more verses over in Chapter 9

454
00:34:26,360 –> 00:34:29,520
here as we look at this
wonderful message of Paul.

455
00:34:29,880 –> 00:34:34,400
The point is this Chapter 9,
verse 6, Whoever sows sparingly

456
00:34:35,000 –> 00:34:40,199
will also reap sparingly.
Whoever says bountifully will

457
00:34:40,199 –> 00:34:46,880
also reap bountifully.
So be bountiful.

458
00:34:47,520 –> 00:34:55,040
Paul is saying human nature is
not by default bountiful.

459
00:34:55,040 –> 00:34:59,040
I believe I, I, I, I hope that
that’s not an unfair assessment.

460
00:35:00,880 –> 00:35:05,160
I’ll speak for myself anyway,
gladly, but my default position

461
00:35:05,920 –> 00:35:10,760
would tend towards laziness more
so than energy and and bounty.

462
00:35:11,600 –> 00:35:16,200
I know that if my father when I
was young asked me if I would

463
00:35:16,200 –> 00:35:22,160
please mow the lawn, I would
grudgingly do that and then

464
00:35:22,320 –> 00:35:25,000
sneak off in the hope that he
wouldn’t find me for another

465
00:35:25,000 –> 00:35:27,960
job.
A bountiful son would have said,

466
00:35:27,960 –> 00:35:30,840
Dad, I’ve mowed the lawn, can I
cut the hedge as well?

467
00:35:31,280 –> 00:35:36,200
Could I also wash your car?
That’s abundance of service

468
00:35:36,200 –> 00:35:39,320
going over and beyond
expectations because that’s the

469
00:35:39,320 –> 00:35:41,560
character of our Heavenly
Father.

470
00:35:42,600 –> 00:35:47,960
He delights in wowing his
children and you’ll know you

471
00:35:47,960 –> 00:35:51,320
will all, I’m sure, have
experienced somebody doing

472
00:35:51,320 –> 00:35:54,040
something for you much more than
what you expected.

473
00:35:54,520 –> 00:35:59,560
And it really does bring a
warmth of love that’s shown

474
00:35:59,560 –> 00:36:03,400
because you know, there’s a free
will offering that’s been put in

475
00:36:03,400 –> 00:36:07,720
there that you have received so
generously.

476
00:36:08,880 –> 00:36:14,440
So verse 7, each one of us, this
is Chapter 9, Verse 7, each one

477
00:36:14,440 –> 00:36:16,240
of us give as he’s made-up his
mind.

478
00:36:16,240 –> 00:36:20,400
And of course, the context here
is he’s trying to raise funds

479
00:36:20,400 –> 00:36:25,280
for the Saints in Jerusalem.
This has marvellous application

480
00:36:25,280 –> 00:36:28,440
for ourselves when we are trying
to raise funds for particular

481
00:36:28,440 –> 00:36:32,680
causes, but I hope you’ll
appreciate this is far bigger

482
00:36:33,000 –> 00:36:37,240
than just raising funds.
This is about a life of

483
00:36:37,240 –> 00:36:40,720
abundance and a character that
is abundance and service.

484
00:36:40,720 –> 00:36:45,000
That’s abundance.
God loves a cheerful giver, the

485
00:36:45,000 –> 00:36:49,440
right spirit behind it.
God is able to make all grace

486
00:36:49,440 –> 00:36:55,600
abound towards you, so that
having all sufficiency of all

487
00:36:55,600 –> 00:37:01,760
things at all times, you may
abound in every good work.

488
00:37:01,840 –> 00:37:05,480
What a beautiful verse to
summarize so much of what we’ve

489
00:37:05,480 –> 00:37:09,360
been saying here.
God is so good in its abundance,

490
00:37:09,600 –> 00:37:14,320
so how about responding to that?
Rise to the example of your

491
00:37:14,320 –> 00:37:19,000
Father as much as you can and
you will know this beautiful

492
00:37:19,000 –> 00:37:22,960
verse in First Corinthians that
he wrote to the believers.

493
00:37:23,280 –> 00:37:28,320
My beloved brethren, be
steadfast, unmovable, always

494
00:37:28,400 –> 00:37:33,920
abounding in the work of the
Lord because it’s never going to

495
00:37:33,920 –> 00:37:37,120
be futile.
It’s always going to add value

496
00:37:37,120 –> 00:37:40,680
because it’s manifesting the
character of our heavenly

497
00:37:40,680 –> 00:37:44,000
Father.
It won’t be in vain in the Lord.

498
00:37:45,800 –> 00:37:51,720
So as we come now this morning
and we here on this gift of an

499
00:37:51,720 –> 00:37:55,680
occasion to remember our Lord
Jesus Christ and the way in

500
00:37:55,680 –> 00:38:00,480
which he appointed, I’d like you
to turn to Ephesians chapter 2.

501
00:38:01,360 –> 00:38:06,720
Because if there is any time in
which we are in need of

502
00:38:06,720 –> 00:38:11,040
experiencing God’s abundance of
His grace, brothers and sisters,

503
00:38:11,040 –> 00:38:18,920
it’s it’s when we recognize and
we own and we know our own need

504
00:38:19,400 –> 00:38:27,080
for His grace.
If He weren’t abundant and

505
00:38:27,160 –> 00:38:31,840
overflowing in His willingness
to forgive iniquity,

506
00:38:31,840 –> 00:38:37,680
transgression and sin and keep
mercy for thousands, we would

507
00:38:37,680 –> 00:38:42,840
not be here today rejoicing in
the gift of grace and the hope

508
00:38:42,840 –> 00:38:48,080
of life everlasting.
This aspect of God’s character

509
00:38:48,080 –> 00:38:54,600
we’re looking at today finds its
greatest impact and meaning in

510
00:38:54,600 –> 00:38:59,800
the table of our Lord Jesus
Christ, when God’s his head, his

511
00:38:59,800 –> 00:39:03,600
covenant love and mercy is shown
towards us.

512
00:39:04,080 –> 00:39:08,600
And the apostle Paul, who
understood that perhaps more

513
00:39:08,600 –> 00:39:12,080
than any of us might begin to
appreciate in our own lives

514
00:39:13,160 –> 00:39:18,240
because of his own life and
experience and what he had been

515
00:39:18,240 –> 00:39:24,000
through and his persecution of
the very household of faith, and

516
00:39:24,000 –> 00:39:32,240
had come to know that as the
chief of sinners, he had been

517
00:39:32,240 –> 00:39:36,120
forgiven.
And he wanted to convey that

518
00:39:36,120 –> 00:39:41,280
grace towards others in his life
of service and love.

519
00:39:41,800 –> 00:39:45,320
And so he reminds the Ephesians
here in chapter 2 and verse

520
00:39:45,320 –> 00:39:52,080
four, he says, but God being
rich in mercy, rich is

521
00:39:52,080 –> 00:39:56,160
plenteous.
It means an abundance, A wealth,

522
00:39:56,520 –> 00:40:02,120
an overflowing of His mercy
because of the not just the

523
00:40:02,120 –> 00:40:07,560
love, but because of the great
love wherewith He has loved us.

524
00:40:08,040 –> 00:40:12,680
Even when we were dead and in in
our trespasses, He’s made us

525
00:40:12,680 –> 00:40:17,080
alive with Christ.
By grace you have been saved.

526
00:40:17,560 –> 00:40:21,160
He’s raised us up with Him,
seated us with him in the

527
00:40:21,160 –> 00:40:27,720
heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
As we share bread and we drink

528
00:40:27,720 –> 00:40:34,480
wine together today we will have
opportunity to reflect on so

529
00:40:34,480 –> 00:40:38,440
much of God’s abundant goodness
shown towards us.

530
00:40:39,560 –> 00:40:45,600
I I counted a blessing beyond
description just to be with you

531
00:40:45,600 –> 00:40:50,360
here together as family in
Christ, sharing in this precious

532
00:40:50,360 –> 00:40:54,280
hope, knowing that we have
exceeding great and precious

533
00:40:54,280 –> 00:40:58,200
promises that have been given to
us by our loving Father.

534
00:40:59,240 –> 00:41:05,400
We live in earnest expectation
of a marvellous, a revelation of

535
00:41:05,400 –> 00:41:10,400
God’s abundant goodness again in
the earth, and we can live in

536
00:41:10,400 –> 00:41:14,800
that abundance now when we
experience His grace and then

537
00:41:14,800 –> 00:41:22,360
enter into service abundantly.
But Paul is saying here, yes, we

538
00:41:22,360 –> 00:41:26,320
receive abundance now, but the
best is yet to come.

539
00:41:27,120 –> 00:41:31,240
You see all of that that he has
said from verses 4 to verse 7,

540
00:41:31,920 –> 00:41:36,600
sorry to verse 6.
He then brings to this great

541
00:41:36,600 –> 00:41:41,160
climax because he says God’s
done all of this, verse 7, so

542
00:41:41,160 –> 00:41:48,320
that in the age to come he might
show the immeasurable riches of

543
00:41:48,320 –> 00:41:53,560
his grace in kindness towards us
in Christ Jesus.

544
00:41:54,640 –> 00:42:00,320
Isn’t that wonderful, the
immeasurable riches of His grace

545
00:42:00,320 –> 00:42:03,280
and kindness towards us in the
age to come?

546
00:42:03,280 –> 00:42:07,480
Or have we got something to look
forward to?

547
00:42:09,200 –> 00:42:13,400
We need to hold on to that hope
and enter into the spirit of

548
00:42:13,400 –> 00:42:16,600
living that abundant life.
Because when we think of the

549
00:42:16,600 –> 00:42:20,400
future, we know these words.
That eye has not seen, ear

550
00:42:20,400 –> 00:42:22,640
hasn’t heard.
It hasn’t entered into the heart

551
00:42:22,640 –> 00:42:26,360
of man the things that God has
prepared for those that love

552
00:42:26,360 –> 00:42:31,120
Him.
Yes, He’s revealed to us so much

553
00:42:31,120 –> 00:42:36,400
in His Word, but there will be
an experience that will wow us

554
00:42:36,400 –> 00:42:41,080
in the Kingdom age, of that we
can be sure, when the fullness

555
00:42:41,080 –> 00:42:45,680
of God’s abundant character is
made known to us in life

556
00:42:45,800 –> 00:42:50,480
everlasting.
So May God bless you all,

557
00:42:50,480 –> 00:42:54,360
brothers and sisters here and
Veduga Hills and all other

558
00:42:54,360 –> 00:43:00,080
represented ecclesias to help
you live that life more

559
00:43:00,080 –> 00:43:03,560
abundantly now and in the age to
come.

560
00:43:04,640 –> 00:43:10,000
And I leave you with a beautiful
prayer that the Apostle Paul had

561
00:43:10,000 –> 00:43:14,320
for his fellow believers that I
have for you, and I trust that

562
00:43:14,320 –> 00:43:27,200
you have for one another.
We lift our hearts in prayer to

563
00:43:27,200 –> 00:43:37,360
Him who is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we

564
00:43:37,360 –> 00:43:42,120
could ask or think, according to
the power that works in us.

565
00:43:43,000 –> 00:43:49,040
To Him be glory in the ecclesia
by Christ Jesus to all

566
00:43:49,040 –> 00:43:54,120
generations, forever and ever.
Amen.

567
00:44:09,590 –> 00:44:11,710
Thank you for listening to the
good Chris Adelphian Talks

568
00:44:11,710 –> 00:44:14,310
podcast.
We hope this talk helped you in

569
00:44:14,310 –> 00:44:15,830
your walk and brightened your
day.

570
00:44:16,990 –> 00:44:19,030
If you would like to hear more,
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571
00:44:19,030 –> 00:44:21,550
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572
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00:44:25,670 –> 00:44:28,150
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00:44:28,150 –> 00:44:30,910
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575
00:44:30,910 –> 00:44:35,000
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576
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577
00:44:39,040 –> 00:44:41,520
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579
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581
00:44:49,480 –> 00:44:52,080
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582
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585
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God bless and talk to you next

586
00:45:04,440 –> 00:45:04,640
week.