Andrew Bramhill – Life-Changing Sayings of the Lord Jesus – Class 2 – The Call – Responding Over

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Thank you, Jake, and good
morning, everybody.

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Nice to see you all.
Yes, on Tuesday, the week’s fair

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flying by, isn’t it?
So we’re talking this morning

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about about responding to the
call and the point I’m going to

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make, which I make now so you
don’t miss it, is that it’s not

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a one off thing.
We’re going to be responding

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over and over and over.
And that’s what we’re going to

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see as we spend a little bit of
time together in our scriptures

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this morning.
Just want to finish off with a

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little point, though, from last
night, which we didn’t quite

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conclude because we were talking
about preparing for the Kingdom,

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and I was talking about the
vision coming and seeing through

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the judgement.
Because we are not in

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condemnation, but we stand
justified that God did not send

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His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save

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the world.
And and we’re we’re in hope of

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that.
I want to just start this

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morning in Second Chronicles 29
for a moment, if I may, which is

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an odd place to start.
Perhaps I want to think about

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the coming Kingdom as we set our
minds ready for responding to

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the call.
You see, it’s if you’re, if

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you’re expecting a Kingdom to
come, I wonder what you do for

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it whilst you’re waiting.
Right.

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Put, put, put yourselves in the
in the position of William and

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Kate.
OK.

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I don’t know William and Kate.
I’ve never met William and Kate.

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Ironically, the only time I’ve
ever seen them from a distance

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was on a beach in Australia of
all places.

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You, you Australians think we
see the royal family around and

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about all the time.
We never, ever see them in this

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country, but overseas you might.
And Sue and I happened to see

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them.
It was only William, Kate Sue me

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three and and 3000 others on the
beach, but we saw them as a

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distance.
Think about William OK, he is

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the next king of England.
If if the natural process works

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out, he knows that one day a
Kingdom is coming to him.

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He doesn’t know when, he doesn’t
know how soon, He might have to

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wait till he’s 74 like his
father did, but one day a

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Kingdom is coming to him.
So the most peculiar position to

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be in is now.
What do you do whilst you’re

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waiting for the Kingdom to come?
He knows it’s happening but he

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doesn’t know when.
And I wonder what you feel or I

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I can absolutely guarantee that
a Kingdom is coming to you.

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So, so So what?
What do we do?

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Did you just sit back and say,
well, it’s coming one day, I’ll

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just wait.
Like like you wait for the

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train, it’ll come soon.
I’ll just sit and wait.

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Or do you do something?
What’s William doing?

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Is he just sitting at home
waiting or is he active?

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Is he doing, is he preparing?
Does he have ideas what he will

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do when his Kingdom comes to
him?

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Interesting idea, isn’t it?
But we’ll take you to to Second

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Chronicles 29, because here we
meet Hezekiah at the time of his

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Kingdom coming to him.
And we’re not going to do a

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little study of Hezekiah, but I
just make the point that in

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verse one of Second Chronicles
29, Hezekiah began to reign when

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he was 5 and 20 years old.
OK.

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So his Kingdom came to him when
he was 25.

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You can all relate to that.
I can’t really, but you can.

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And he reigned 29 years in
Jerusalem.

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His mother’s name was Abijah,
the daughter of Zechariah, and

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he did that which was right in
the sight of the Lord, according

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to all that David, his father,
has done.

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So that’s our introduction to
him.

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It comes to the Kingdom.
He doesn’t know he’s going to

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get it when he’s 25, but at 25
years old, the Kingdom arrives

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and we’re told that he did the
right thing in verse 2.

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And verse 3 tells us why he did
the right thing, because in the

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first year of his reign, verse
three, in the first month, he

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opened the doors of the House of
the Lord and prepared and

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repaired them.
Now I find that quite

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interesting because this young
man, 25 is still young.

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This young man knew his Kingdom
was coming, knew that one day it

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would be his, and he had a plan
as to what he would do in that

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Kingdom.
And it was a thing for God,

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wasn’t it?
He was going to get the House of

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God, the temple repaired,
restored.

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He was going to make sure that
the worship in his Kingdom was

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properly centred on that
rightful place in Mount Zion.

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He’d got this plan in place.
So before the Kingdom came, he’d

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taken steps.
He’d make preparations.

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He didn’t get to the first month
of his reign and think, right,

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what am I going to do?
Let’s form a committee.

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Let’s get a working party
together.

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And in three years time he’s got
some plans and he starts his

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temple restoration doesn’t do
that.

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He’s ready to go on day on day
one.

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And I just take you down to
verse 17, because verse 17 tells

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us it wasn’t the first, the
first month of the first year,

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but it was the first day of the
first month of the first year.

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As soon as his Kingdom comes, he
knows what he’s going to do.

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Now that suggests to me that as
a young man he was making

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preparations for the Kingdom.
He’d got ideas.

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He knew the rightful things that
he ought to do when the Kingdom

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came to him, and he’d made plans
and preparations.

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So when the Kingdom comes, he’s
there, He knows, he presses the

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button and he starts his work.
That’s a marvellous thing.

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And, and I wonder then put
yourselves in the position of

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waiting for the Kingdom.
I guarantee you the Kingdom will

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come.
And I wonder what we’re doing

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that there is a fair probability
that a number of us are just

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thinking, well, I’ll wait.
I don’t know what I’ll do in the

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Kingdom.
I’ll wait till Jesus tells me

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what I’ll do in the Kingdom.
Well, Hezekiah wasn’t like that.

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He, he got this sorted out in
his own mind.

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He knew about the right things
and he had a plan to put them in

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place.
So, so as we progress this

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morning now where we’re thinking
about the call and the Lord

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Jesus Christ inviting us to
respond to him, just just think

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about this, you know, this
preparation for the Kingdom and

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what steps we might be taking
now.

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It’s the simple Bible principle
isn’t it, that if you are to be

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saved you need to be baptised?
OK, could anyone just mention a

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verse or two that you might take
someone to if they said, oh

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where does it say that in our
scriptures to be baptised, to be

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saved, we must be baptised.
Which verse would you quote

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someone or show to someone to
help them with that?

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Mark 16, just settle on Mark 16,
verse 16.

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That’ll do me very nicely.
Yes, he that believes and is

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baptized, the same shall be
saved.

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Yeah, very good.
You could go to lots of verses

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in the Acts.
Would you just indulge me a

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moment or two.
Look, look, look at how our

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first principles work.
Brothers and sisters sat with me

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in in Acts chapter 2 for a
moment, would you?

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These are how our key teachings
work in the Word of God.

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Acts chapter 2, verse 38.
Peter said unto them, Repent and

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be baptized, everyone of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the

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remission of sins.
That’s Peter speaking clearly

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there.
Look at chapter 4 and verse 12.

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You could underline all these
verses.

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Peter again, verse 12, chapter
4.

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Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none of

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the name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be

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saved.
Chapter 8, verse 12, another key

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verse.
You might have these all

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underlined already. 8 verse 12,
when they believed Philip

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preaching the good things
concerning the Kingdom of God

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and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized, both men and

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women.
Chapter 16, verse 31, we could

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go on.
You turn the page after page

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after page after page when
there’s a key teaching in

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Scripture.
The Bible is full of it.

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So when it’s about baptism and
we are called to be baptized,

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lots and lots of verses to
confirm it.

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When it’s the return of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the New Testament

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is just full of it.
When it’s the Trinity, oh boy,

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you have to scratch away at half
a verse here and try and make

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something of it or a phrase
which you might think is a bit

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ambiguous here and build
something on it.

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You know, if it’s a false
doctrine, you can’t really find

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it in Scripture at all.
But when it’s a strong first

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principle, it’s just there on
every page.

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So, so, so just bear that in
mind, you know, if, if someone’s

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quoting a 1/2 a verse and
they’re reading it a bit

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unusually and building a false
doctrine on it, well, see if you

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can find something else which
backs it up.

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Unless you can turn page after
page and say, Oh yeah, it’s

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here.
Oh, it’s here as well.

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Oh, it’s here as well.
That’s how you realise that

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these are the key teachings.
These are our first principles.

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And of course, the Lord Jesus
Christ knew about baptism.

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He himself submitted to the act
of baptism.

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He was committed to the baptism
of his death in order that the

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possible might be done, the
impossible might have been done

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for mankind.
And it’s his conversation with

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Nicodemus in John chapter 3
please, that I’d like to start

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this morning session with
please.

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Because the Lord Jesus Christ
taught baptism, but he didn’t

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actually baptise anybody.
I think that was probably quite

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wise.
It wasn’t that he didn’t agree

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with baptism or didn’t think it
right, but just imagine if you

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had been baptised in the time of
the Lord Jesus Christ and you

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personally had been baptised by
Jesus.

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Oh, wouldn’t that make you feel
special?

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Yet look at me, I Jesus baptise
me.

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You can imagine it can’t you,
That that there was to be no

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status amongst 1st century
believers.

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They were all one in the Lord
Jesus Christ.

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So his disciples did all the
baptising, not the Lord Jesus

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himself.
He wasn’t going to give anyone

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the opportunity to boast about
who had baptised them, but yet

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he believed it.
He succumbed to the ACT.

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He, he, he, he gave himself
through the waters of baptism to

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the will of his father.
And here he is having a

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conversation with Nicodemus,
this man who comes to him by

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night.
And and this this gives to us

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our next life changing saying
and it’s one of the most obvious

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ones when you think about it,
because here is the Lord Jesus

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Christ saying in verse 3, except
a man be born again, he cannot

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see the Kingdom of God.
It’s an obvious thing to say and

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you need to change your life by
succumbing to the waters of

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baptism and being born again.
So Jesus makes this this

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statement.
Just look at verse 2, the same

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that’s Nicodemus came to Jesus
by night and said to him, Rabbi,

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we know that thou art a teacher,
come from God, for no man can do

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these miracles that thou doest
accept God be with him.

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So, so Nicodemus is impressed by
Christ’s miracles that we’ve

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actually only read of 1 so far,
but we know that other signs

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were taking place.
The one that John has recorded

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so far is water into wine.
But Nicodemus, who is a teacher

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in Israel, a senior person in
Israel, he’s impressed by these

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miracles.
He knows that Christ must have

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come from God.
That’s what he says here.

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And so he comes secretly at
night to have a conversation

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with the Lord Jesus.
And he’s coming secretly at

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night because he’s hedging his
bets here, isn’t he?

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He’s he’s not wanting to damage
his reputation.

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He doesn’t want to be seen with
the Lord Jesus Christ yet.

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And he’s sort of in his own mind
getting persuaded, but he

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doesn’t want other men to know
yet.

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He doesn’t want to give up on
his former ways.

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So he comes with this idea that
he wants to talk to the Lord

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Jesus Christ.
And Jesus makes clear this

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00:13:09,680 –> 00:13:12,240
statement.
Except a man be born again, he

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00:13:12,240 –> 00:13:15,880
cannot see the Kingdom of God
born again.

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00:13:15,880 –> 00:13:20,520
Your, your translation, your
margin might say born anew or

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00:13:20,520 –> 00:13:24,520
born from above.
That’s the idea here, isn’t it?

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00:13:24,520 –> 00:13:26,160
So this isn’t your natural
birth.

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00:13:26,480 –> 00:13:31,160
It isn’t a second natural birth.
You know, it’s interesting,

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00:13:31,160 –> 00:13:34,120
isn’t it, that this intelligent
man says, what do I have to

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00:13:34,120 –> 00:13:36,560
enter back into my mother’s womb
and be born again?

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00:13:37,400 –> 00:13:38,880
You know, it’s a nonsense that
isn’t it.

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00:13:38,880 –> 00:13:41,000
That’s not what the Lord Jesus
Christ is talking about.

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00:13:41,000 –> 00:13:44,520
He’s talking about a baptism
from above.

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00:13:45,120 –> 00:13:47,520
And Nicodemus doesn’t quite get
it.

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00:13:48,920 –> 00:13:54,040
Jesus explains it again in verse
5, and there’s always something

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00:13:54,040 –> 00:13:57,200
about the explanations in the
Gospel of John.

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00:13:57,680 –> 00:14:02,240
When the explanation is given,
it’s always seems more difficult

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00:14:02,240 –> 00:14:05,960
than the original statement.
I don’t quite know why, but the

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00:14:05,960 –> 00:14:08,640
Lord Jesus Christ does this.
So he gives you a simple

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00:14:08,640 –> 00:14:12,760
statement and then when he
explains it, you think, wow,

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00:14:12,800 –> 00:14:16,680
that’s even more confusing now.
And never give up on the

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00:14:16,680 –> 00:14:19,880
explanation.
OK, when the Lord Jesus Christ

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00:14:19,880 –> 00:14:24,840
explains something and it seems
more confusing, don’t give up on

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00:14:24,840 –> 00:14:27,280
it.
Because when you work at it and

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00:14:27,280 –> 00:14:30,160
you see what the Lord Jesus
Christ is saying is in in his

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00:14:30,160 –> 00:14:36,760
explanation, it opens the
Scriptures far more, far more

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00:14:36,760 –> 00:14:42,280
greatly for us.
So Jesus in verse 5 says, verily

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00:14:42,280 –> 00:14:47,320
I say unto you, except a man be
born of water and the Spirit, he

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00:14:47,320 –> 00:14:50,160
cannot enter into the Kingdom of
God.

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00:14:50,160 –> 00:14:52,680
So he elaborates a little bit
now, now what?

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00:14:52,680 –> 00:14:54,400
What do you make of that verse
then?

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00:14:54,400 –> 00:14:59,000
How, how do you explain that we
have to be born of the water and

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00:14:59,000 –> 00:15:02,880
the spirit?
We kind of get the water that,

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00:15:02,880 –> 00:15:04,320
that that’s easy enough, isn’t
it?

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00:15:04,320 –> 00:15:06,400
We’re going to be baptized,
aren’t we?

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00:15:06,400 –> 00:15:08,960
That’s, that’s pretty simple,
isn’t it?

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00:15:08,960 –> 00:15:13,240
We go down into water and we are
born as new people.

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00:15:13,240 –> 00:15:16,240
But what do you think about
being born of the spirits?

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00:15:17,200 –> 00:15:19,160
Well, it just gets a little more
tricky, doesn’t it?

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00:15:19,160 –> 00:15:24,160
Because we of course don’t
accept the idea that the Holy

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00:15:24,160 –> 00:15:28,560
Spirit in in the terms of spirit
gifts is available today.

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00:15:29,040 –> 00:15:33,720
We don’t believe in the incoming
Holy Spirit, which gives us

255
00:15:33,720 –> 00:15:36,280
knowledge and understanding
which other churches would

256
00:15:36,280 –> 00:15:38,600
believe today.
We don’t accept that.

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00:15:39,800 –> 00:15:42,800
And yet we’re confused a little
bit because in my Bible, and

258
00:15:42,800 –> 00:15:46,440
maybe in your Bible, the
translators have put a capital S

259
00:15:46,800 –> 00:15:49,520
on Spirit.
And sometimes you read it and

260
00:15:49,520 –> 00:15:52,040
think, oh, it’s got a capital S.
There must be something really

261
00:15:52,040 –> 00:15:54,840
important here.
Don’t be fooled.

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00:15:54,840 –> 00:15:56,880
Don’t ever be fooled by
capitals.

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00:15:57,400 –> 00:16:00,040
When the New Testament was
written in Greek, it was written

264
00:16:00,040 –> 00:16:03,360
in block capitals.
All right, The the translators

265
00:16:03,360 –> 00:16:06,480
have no clue as to what should
be capital and what should be

266
00:16:06,480 –> 00:16:10,240
lower case because the Greek was
always in capitals.

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00:16:10,440 –> 00:16:14,880
So so it’s a translator who
stuck a capital S on there just

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00:16:15,040 –> 00:16:18,440
because he might have thought
the spirit was important here.

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00:16:18,680 –> 00:16:22,600
So, so how do you explain this
verse and brothers and sisters,

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00:16:22,600 –> 00:16:27,240
where we are told that there’s
something about water which we

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00:16:27,240 –> 00:16:32,200
understand and there’s something
about spirit which we don’t

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00:16:32,200 –> 00:16:35,480
quite understand?
Well, I think it’s ever so easy.

273
00:16:35,560 –> 00:16:38,560
I, I, I really do.
You see, when you read the word

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00:16:38,560 –> 00:16:43,760
Spirit in the New Testament,
it’s not just about the

275
00:16:43,760 –> 00:16:48,400
disciples or the apostles who
had the Holy Spirit and could

276
00:16:48,440 –> 00:16:53,520
perform miracles or could speak
in tongues or had perfect

277
00:16:53,520 –> 00:16:56,600
knowledge.
It wasn’t that at all.

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00:16:57,360 –> 00:17:00,760
In every case there was another
meaning of the word Spirit,

279
00:17:00,760 –> 00:17:06,520
which is you’ve got to adopt the
mind from above.

280
00:17:07,319 –> 00:17:11,359
So you’re going to be baptized
in water, but you’re going to

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00:17:11,599 –> 00:17:16,640
absorb the mind from above, the
mind of Christ.

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00:17:16,640 –> 00:17:19,680
That’s what you’re going to do.
You’re going to start to think

283
00:17:19,680 –> 00:17:21,760
like him.
You’re going to start to speak

284
00:17:21,760 –> 00:17:23,599
like him.
You’re going to start to behave

285
00:17:23,599 –> 00:17:25,720
like him.
You’re going to be doing things

286
00:17:25,720 –> 00:17:29,000
in the spirit of Christ.
That’s not a special Holy Spirit

287
00:17:29,000 –> 00:17:31,360
that gives you special powers.
That’s because you’re doing it

288
00:17:31,360 –> 00:17:34,600
in the spirit of the one who has
called you.

289
00:17:34,800 –> 00:17:37,840
That’s what the Lord Jesus
Christ is explaining to us here.

290
00:17:38,480 –> 00:17:40,760
Just keep a finger in John
chapter 3 and I’ll, I’ll, I’ll

291
00:17:40,760 –> 00:17:43,280
show you this if I may.
So turn over with me to Romans

292
00:17:43,280 –> 00:17:48,200
chapter 8.
We finished here last night I

293
00:17:48,200 –> 00:17:50,920
think, didn’t we?
With the with Paul beating

294
00:17:50,920 –> 00:17:54,640
himself up in Chapter 7 because
of his poor performance.

295
00:17:55,360 –> 00:18:00,280
And then it begins in chapter 8
having realised that he’s saved

296
00:18:00,280 –> 00:18:02,360
from all this by the Lord Jesus
Christ.

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00:18:02,360 –> 00:18:04,160
It begins in chapter 8 verse
one.

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00:18:04,520 –> 00:18:07,720
There is therefore now no
condition, condemnation for them

299
00:18:07,720 –> 00:18:11,720
which are in Christ Jesus.
My King James Version.

300
00:18:11,720 –> 00:18:13,080
Not all translations will have
this.

301
00:18:13,080 –> 00:18:16,520
My King James Version says who
walk not after the flesh, but

302
00:18:16,520 –> 00:18:19,840
after the Spirit.
So that’s the difference here.

303
00:18:20,160 –> 00:18:23,440
We’re stopping being people who
think worldly things and we’re

304
00:18:23,440 –> 00:18:25,080
going to try and think heavenly
things.

305
00:18:25,080 –> 00:18:28,280
We’re going to try and be
influenced by the things from

306
00:18:28,280 –> 00:18:30,640
above.
Verse 2 carries on for the law

307
00:18:30,720 –> 00:18:36,200
of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has made me free from the

308
00:18:36,200 –> 00:18:38,840
law of sin and death.
You see, there’s a law of sin

309
00:18:38,840 –> 00:18:42,040
and death, and there’s a law of
freedom in Christ, and a spirit

310
00:18:42,200 –> 00:18:44,560
of thinking like He does and
behaving like he does.

311
00:18:44,560 –> 00:18:49,680
This spirit which frees us from
the burden of the flesh.

312
00:18:50,520 –> 00:18:54,960
So the Lord Jesus Christ here
and his Spirit isn’t about his

313
00:18:54,960 –> 00:18:59,320
special powers or enabling us to
do certain things, but it’s the

314
00:18:59,320 –> 00:19:02,160
way he thinks and feels and
behaves.

315
00:19:02,720 –> 00:19:05,640
And I can just confirm that a
little bit further by taking you

316
00:19:05,680 –> 00:19:13,120
over to 1 Corinthians chapter 5,
please, where Paul encourages

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00:19:13,120 –> 00:19:21,000
the believers to behave in his
spirit, in Paul’s spirit, which

318
00:19:21,000 –> 00:19:26,120
is an odd thing, isn’t it?
Verse four of first Corinthians

319
00:19:26,120 –> 00:19:30,720
5, verse four, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye

320
00:19:30,720 –> 00:19:35,720
are gathered together and and my
spirit with the power of our

321
00:19:35,720 –> 00:19:38,880
Lord Jesus Christ.
Now Paul doesn’t have any

322
00:19:38,880 –> 00:19:41,880
special spirit, does he?
He doesn’t have a a special

323
00:19:41,880 –> 00:19:43,840
spirit that he can give to
others.

324
00:19:43,840 –> 00:19:49,480
He’s talking there about the way
he thinks when you come together

325
00:19:50,080 –> 00:19:53,800
and the Lord Jesus Christ is
with us and my spirit, I want

326
00:19:53,800 –> 00:19:56,480
you to think like I think here.
I want you to judge in the way I

327
00:19:56,480 –> 00:19:57,840
judge.
And it was a particular

328
00:19:57,840 –> 00:20:01,160
difficult case that he was
encouraging them to, to work

329
00:20:01,160 –> 00:20:04,560
through and encouraging them to
think like he thinks and think

330
00:20:04,560 –> 00:20:07,760
like Christ thinks.
So back to John chapter 3.

331
00:20:07,760 –> 00:20:10,240
Then you, you, you see the point
here?

332
00:20:10,360 –> 00:20:17,840
We are to be born of water and
there needs to be a change.

333
00:20:19,320 –> 00:20:23,120
And that helps us understand the
next verse, which is quite odd.

334
00:20:24,520 –> 00:20:29,120
Verse 7, Verse 8, Marvel not the
type. 72 you must be born again.

335
00:20:29,120 –> 00:20:32,400
Say Jesus, the wind blows where
it listeth, and thou hearest the

336
00:20:32,400 –> 00:20:35,120
sound thereof, but canst not
tell whence it cometh, and

337
00:20:35,120 –> 00:20:37,760
wither it goeth.
So is everyone that is born of

338
00:20:37,760 –> 00:20:38,400
the Spirit.
What?

339
00:20:38,400 –> 00:20:40,720
What’s that verse saying?
Here’s another explanation of

340
00:20:40,720 –> 00:20:42,440
the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you think, wow, this is

341
00:20:42,440 –> 00:20:46,760
getting even more complicated.
Well, well, again, when you

342
00:20:46,760 –> 00:20:48,880
think about it, it’s quite
straightforward.

343
00:20:49,760 –> 00:20:55,280
You see, you can’t see wind.
No one can see wind.

344
00:20:55,280 –> 00:20:58,480
But you can see what the wind
does, right?

345
00:20:58,480 –> 00:21:03,400
So it blows trees, it moves the
litter along the road.

346
00:21:03,440 –> 00:21:06,760
It’s it has some effect on
things.

347
00:21:06,760 –> 00:21:11,280
The curtains waft in the draft
because the wind blows.

348
00:21:11,280 –> 00:21:14,120
You can’t see the wind, but you
can see what it does.

349
00:21:15,280 –> 00:21:17,360
And that just concludes then
what the Lord Jesus is.

350
00:21:17,360 –> 00:21:19,360
Christ is saying.
He says yes, you need to be

351
00:21:19,360 –> 00:21:25,600
baptised, but you need to change
and that change needs to be

352
00:21:25,600 –> 00:21:28,080
evidence.
I can’t see standing here

353
00:21:28,320 –> 00:21:33,320
whether you are baptised or not.
There isn’t a big mark on your

354
00:21:33,320 –> 00:21:36,040
forehead here that says I’m
baptised.

355
00:21:36,760 –> 00:21:38,560
There’s no outward mark is
there?

356
00:21:38,680 –> 00:21:40,520
You, you, you wouldn’t know if
this was a room full of

357
00:21:40,520 –> 00:21:42,480
strangers.
You would not have a clue who’s

358
00:21:42,480 –> 00:21:46,160
baptised and who isn’t.
And the Lord Jesus Christ is

359
00:21:46,160 –> 00:21:51,360
saying you need to evidence it
by being a different person, a

360
00:21:51,360 –> 00:21:54,640
child of the Spirit.
Now the way you think, the way

361
00:21:54,680 –> 00:21:58,920
you talk, the way you behave, no
one can see this Spirit at work,

362
00:21:59,120 –> 00:22:02,240
but your minds need to change so
that you become different

363
00:22:02,240 –> 00:22:04,480
people.
And that’s what baptism is all

364
00:22:04,480 –> 00:22:06,680
about, isn’t it?
You know, it’s not a one off

365
00:22:06,680 –> 00:22:09,800
event where we get baptized and
think, great, that’s it sorted

366
00:22:09,800 –> 00:22:13,000
out now.
Now everyone says it’s the start

367
00:22:13,000 –> 00:22:16,560
of something and each day you
are going to try and become a

368
00:22:16,560 –> 00:22:20,640
child of the Spirit and you are
going to try and learn and grow

369
00:22:20,640 –> 00:22:24,360
and behave like him.
So there is some evidence that

370
00:22:24,360 –> 00:22:27,320
you are one who belongs to the
Lord Jesus Christ.

371
00:22:28,160 –> 00:22:31,880
Nicodemus really struggled with
this, you know, in verse 9, how

372
00:22:31,880 –> 00:22:35,400
can these things be?
He’s he’s really puzzled by what

373
00:22:35,400 –> 00:22:40,840
actually is a simple idea.
And Jesus says in verse 10, are

374
00:22:40,840 –> 00:22:45,880
you a master?
Are you the teacher in Israel?

375
00:22:46,400 –> 00:22:52,080
And know us not these things,
the teacher that that that must

376
00:22:52,080 –> 00:22:55,120
make him someone very senior
that must make him someone on

377
00:22:55,120 –> 00:22:57,520
the Sanhedrin.
That might make him a very

378
00:22:57,520 –> 00:23:02,520
senior person in the Sanhedrin.
He is the teacher in Israel.

379
00:23:02,560 –> 00:23:05,720
Jesus says you are the teacher
in Israel and you don’t get

380
00:23:05,720 –> 00:23:08,280
this.
And, and unfortunately, this was

381
00:23:08,280 –> 00:23:11,160
going to be an encounter where
Nicodemus is going to drift

382
00:23:11,160 –> 00:23:17,360
away, puzzled by it all.
Just turn over to chapter 12 of

383
00:23:17,360 –> 00:23:21,040
John, please, because we find
what happens to a number of

384
00:23:21,040 –> 00:23:26,920
these elders, not Nicodemus, but
look what happened to these

385
00:23:26,920 –> 00:23:34,040
chief rulers in verse 42.
Nevertheless, among the chief

386
00:23:34,040 –> 00:23:39,840
rulers, John 1242, many believed
on him.

387
00:23:40,360 –> 00:23:45,040
So many were like Nicodemus, but
because of the Pharisees, they

388
00:23:45,040 –> 00:23:49,760
did not confess him lest they
should be put out of the

389
00:23:49,760 –> 00:23:56,000
synagogue, for they loved the
glory of men more than the glory

390
00:23:56,000 –> 00:24:00,400
of God.
So So here are a group of men

391
00:24:00,400 –> 00:24:04,880
who came to a a logical
understanding of the things of

392
00:24:04,880 –> 00:24:09,960
Christ sufficient to believe in
him, and yet they could not make

393
00:24:09,960 –> 00:24:13,600
this change.
And there were two things there

394
00:24:13,600 –> 00:24:17,600
weren’t the one was they didn’t
want to suffer the consequences.

395
00:24:17,600 –> 00:24:20,240
So we we were looking at Moses
with brother Mark, weren’t we?

396
00:24:20,240 –> 00:24:26,240
Who was willing to take on the
reproach of Christ because he

397
00:24:26,240 –> 00:24:28,840
esteemed that better than all
the riches of Egypt?

398
00:24:29,200 –> 00:24:33,240
Well, these men didn’t want the
consequences of being cast out

399
00:24:33,240 –> 00:24:34,560
of the synagogues.
They didn’t want the

400
00:24:34,560 –> 00:24:40,160
consequences, but also they were
rather enjoying the praise of

401
00:24:40,160 –> 00:24:42,840
men.
And that that’s, that’s a good

402
00:24:42,840 –> 00:24:45,920
warm feeling when men pat you on
the back and say you’re doing

403
00:24:45,920 –> 00:24:49,600
good things.
That makes us feel good, doesn’t

404
00:24:49,600 –> 00:24:52,160
it?
And it would be praised,

405
00:24:52,160 –> 00:24:54,440
replaced by opprobrium, wouldn’t
it?

406
00:24:54,440 –> 00:24:56,600
And these men aren’t willing to
have that.

407
00:24:56,880 –> 00:25:00,240
They aren’t willing to give God
the glory.

408
00:25:00,400 –> 00:25:05,160
They want it for themselves.
So here’s a here’s a an

409
00:25:05,160 –> 00:25:11,160
interesting idea then, that we
have to be baptized in the Lord

410
00:25:11,160 –> 00:25:13,440
into the Lord Jesus Christ.
That’s step one.

411
00:25:13,440 –> 00:25:17,400
And you, you so far might be
sitting there thinking, well,

412
00:25:17,400 –> 00:25:21,280
this is a comment made to those
who are unbaptized that they

413
00:25:21,280 –> 00:25:24,960
need to respond to the call.
And I guess there is an element

414
00:25:24,960 –> 00:25:26,960
of that.
And if you are an unbaptized

415
00:25:26,960 –> 00:25:31,520
person, then at some stage you
need to start thinking seriously

416
00:25:31,520 –> 00:25:35,000
about whether or not you are
going to be born from above.

417
00:25:35,560 –> 00:25:37,760
You need to start thinking about
whether or not you’re going to

418
00:25:37,760 –> 00:25:40,520
respond to the call.
Plenty in this room have.

419
00:25:40,840 –> 00:25:43,960
Plenty haven’t.
Where do you stand on that?

420
00:25:44,520 –> 00:25:48,720
If the Kingdom comes and you
haven’t for some reason got

421
00:25:48,720 –> 00:25:51,400
around to making that decision,
where does that leave you?

422
00:25:51,960 –> 00:25:55,160
What, what, what, what
explanation would you give to

423
00:25:55,160 –> 00:25:58,600
yourself for not responding to
that call?

424
00:25:59,400 –> 00:26:02,840
But yeah, this isn’t just a
message for the unbaptised, this

425
00:26:02,840 –> 00:26:05,000
is a message for everyone, isn’t
it?

426
00:26:05,000 –> 00:26:09,680
Because we are all called here
to be changing.

427
00:26:10,680 –> 00:26:13,440
We are all called to be children
of the Spirit.

428
00:26:13,440 –> 00:26:16,400
What kind of evidence is there?
If men look at us, they can’t

429
00:26:16,400 –> 00:26:19,800
see that we belong to the Lord
Jesus Christ, but what evidence

430
00:26:19,800 –> 00:26:23,760
can they amass now?
Is the way you speak is the way

431
00:26:23,760 –> 00:26:30,160
you you, you act and react?
Is that sufficient for men to

432
00:26:30,160 –> 00:26:34,840
realize that you are different?
And one of the great challenges

433
00:26:34,840 –> 00:26:39,080
here I’ve put it in our title,
responding over.

434
00:26:40,000 –> 00:26:44,440
You have to keep responding.
Time and time and time again,

435
00:26:44,440 –> 00:26:47,720
Jeremiah tells us that the
mercies of God are new every

436
00:26:47,720 –> 00:26:51,680
morning and every morning when
you wake up and you find the

437
00:26:51,680 –> 00:26:53,920
mercies of God, you have to
choose.

438
00:26:54,440 –> 00:26:57,920
Am I going to take up my cross
and follow him today?

439
00:26:59,160 –> 00:27:03,000
Every day you have to make that
decision because every day when

440
00:27:03,000 –> 00:27:05,760
you get out of bed, you are not
carrying the cross.

441
00:27:05,760 –> 00:27:10,160
It’s lying there.
So you can walk away from it

442
00:27:10,160 –> 00:27:12,680
each morning if you want that,
that that’s the, that’s the

443
00:27:12,680 –> 00:27:15,640
default position.
Actually, you can walk away from

444
00:27:15,640 –> 00:27:18,840
it and leave it where it is.
You don’t have to pick it up.

445
00:27:19,040 –> 00:27:21,360
You have to make a conscious
decision to pick it up.

446
00:27:21,360 –> 00:27:26,360
So, so let me ask you, when you
woke this morning bleary eyed,

447
00:27:27,000 –> 00:27:30,560
full of events of last night,
you know, how many of you

448
00:27:30,600 –> 00:27:34,920
consciously thought today I’m
going to follow the Lord Jesus?

449
00:27:34,920 –> 00:27:36,840
How many of you consciously
thought that?

450
00:27:36,840 –> 00:27:40,800
I wonder, Please don’t put your
hands up, but but I wonder you

451
00:27:40,800 –> 00:27:44,360
when you got out of bed, how
many of you had that thought in

452
00:27:44,360 –> 00:27:47,520
your mind?
I, I rather think you didn’t.

453
00:27:47,520 –> 00:27:51,800
I might be judging you harshly,
but there’d be all sorts of

454
00:27:51,800 –> 00:27:53,840
other thoughts in your mind this
morning.

455
00:27:54,080 –> 00:27:56,600
Do do, do you ever think that,
you know, do you ever get out of

456
00:27:56,600 –> 00:28:00,480
bed and think today, this day,
I’m going to pick up my cross,

457
00:28:00,480 –> 00:28:02,160
I’m going to try and be like the
Lord Jesus.

458
00:28:02,160 –> 00:28:04,360
I am going to follow him.
Do you ever think that?

459
00:28:05,200 –> 00:28:07,080
Well, that’s what the Lord is
asking for.

460
00:28:07,080 –> 00:28:11,760
That’s the Lord that the Lord is
wanting not just today, but

461
00:28:11,840 –> 00:28:14,440
every day.
So the Lord is calling us now.

462
00:28:14,440 –> 00:28:20,760
Let me just take you to to our
next saying, if I might.

463
00:28:23,520 –> 00:28:26,360
This is a bizarre one, but I
want to spend a little bit of

464
00:28:26,360 –> 00:28:31,560
time with this idea of the call.
Come unto me.

465
00:28:32,640 –> 00:28:34,800
So let’s just start in Matthew,
can we?

466
00:28:34,800 –> 00:28:40,720
Matthew chapter 4, verse 18.
You’ll know the incident well

467
00:28:40,720 –> 00:28:46,720
here, disciples being called the
Lord starting his ministry.

468
00:28:49,720 –> 00:28:57,280
Interestingly, we read about
them fishing, verse 18 on the

469
00:28:57,280 –> 00:29:00,160
Sea of Galilee.
Jesus walking by the Sea of

470
00:29:00,160 –> 00:29:03,800
Galilee saw two brothers, Simon
called Peter, Andrew his

471
00:29:03,800 –> 00:29:06,880
brother, casting a net into the
sea, for they were fishers.

472
00:29:07,160 –> 00:29:10,000
And he saith unto them, follow
me.

473
00:29:10,000 –> 00:29:13,480
Now that’s the revised, sorry.
That’s the King James Version

474
00:29:13,480 –> 00:29:15,080
there.
If you’ve got anything other

475
00:29:15,080 –> 00:29:18,000
than the King James Version, it
will say something like come

476
00:29:18,320 –> 00:29:26,160
follow me, come after me and I
will make you fishers of men and

477
00:29:26,240 –> 00:29:30,480
notice that here is the Lord
Jesus Christ saying I’m if

478
00:29:30,480 –> 00:29:34,520
you’re willing, I’m going to
make something of you.

479
00:29:34,520 –> 00:29:36,920
Remember our comments on
Saturday night.

480
00:29:37,160 –> 00:29:39,600
This isn’t everything I’m going
to give you.

481
00:29:39,920 –> 00:29:42,560
We’re not in a take
relationship.

482
00:29:42,600 –> 00:29:47,560
Give me I want this is saying if
you’re willing to get involved

483
00:29:47,560 –> 00:29:50,880
here, I’m going to make
something of you.

484
00:29:50,880 –> 00:29:52,600
That’s where the prodigal ended
up, wasn’t it?

485
00:29:52,600 –> 00:29:55,000
Make me as one of your hired
servants.

486
00:29:55,000 –> 00:29:57,320
Well, here is the Lord Jesus
Christ saying that’s what I want

487
00:29:57,320 –> 00:29:59,920
to do.
I want to make you and in this

488
00:29:59,920 –> 00:30:02,840
particular case it was fishers
of men.

489
00:30:03,960 –> 00:30:08,800
So, so the disciples here have
the opportunity to allow Christ

490
00:30:08,800 –> 00:30:13,680
to make something of them.
And notice the encouragement to

491
00:30:13,680 –> 00:30:16,680
follow means that he’s going
first.

492
00:30:17,560 –> 00:30:21,200
And there’s no aspect of our
discipleship, there’s no aspect

493
00:30:21,200 –> 00:30:23,920
of our walking Christ that he
hasn’t done first.

494
00:30:24,120 –> 00:30:27,480
So he’s gone.
He’s he’s plowed the furrow, if

495
00:30:27,480 –> 00:30:29,120
you like.
He’s shown us the way.

496
00:30:29,360 –> 00:30:33,240
He’s not prepared to, to ask us
to do something if he’s not

497
00:30:33,240 –> 00:30:35,760
willing to do it himself.
He’s willing to do everything

498
00:30:35,760 –> 00:30:38,760
himself and he wants us to
follow.

499
00:30:38,760 –> 00:30:42,280
So he’s gone first.
He wants to make something of

500
00:30:42,280 –> 00:30:46,680
us, and I think he’s wanting to
use the talents that you’ve got,

501
00:30:46,680 –> 00:30:50,280
the skills that you’ve got.
In this case, he’s taking fishes

502
00:30:50,360 –> 00:30:53,840
of fish to become fishermen of
men.

503
00:30:54,480 –> 00:30:57,160
It was just changing their
skills somewhat, and he’s

504
00:30:57,160 –> 00:31:00,240
wanting to do the same with you.
I can take something from you,

505
00:31:00,440 –> 00:31:04,080
he says, and use it for my
purpose.

506
00:31:04,080 –> 00:31:06,640
Whatever it is you’ve got to
offer, I can do something and

507
00:31:06,640 –> 00:31:10,360
make it.
I can make something of it if

508
00:31:10,360 –> 00:31:12,960
you will allow me.
Now, if you, if you go to a

509
00:31:12,960 –> 00:31:16,040
concordance, if you go to a
search engine and put in the

510
00:31:16,040 –> 00:31:20,680
word, come and look at the
occurrences in the gospels, you

511
00:31:20,680 –> 00:31:22,760
get dozens and dozens and
dozens.

512
00:31:22,840 –> 00:31:27,360
OK, the word comes up frequently
and you think, ah, what analysis

513
00:31:27,360 –> 00:31:30,280
can I do on this?
I’ve got 312 entries.

514
00:31:30,280 –> 00:31:32,360
How do I work out what’s going
on here?

515
00:31:32,840 –> 00:31:38,800
But, but, but here actually,
it’s a very interesting word and

516
00:31:38,800 –> 00:31:43,400
it’s a very unusual word and
it’s a very strong word.

517
00:31:43,400 –> 00:31:47,480
It’s an imperative word.
Come here says the Lord Jesus

518
00:31:47,480 –> 00:31:50,080
Christ, come and follow me.
It’s very strong.

519
00:31:50,360 –> 00:31:54,280
And he’s directing it to his
disciples and he’s calling them

520
00:31:54,280 –> 00:31:58,400
to be with him.
And this word, it’s translated

521
00:31:58,400 –> 00:32:00,920
following my King James.
But all the other translations,

522
00:32:00,920 –> 00:32:06,520
it’s, it’s come, come after me.
It’s a very strong word, and it

523
00:32:06,520 –> 00:32:09,520
does not appear very often in
our Gospels.

524
00:32:10,720 –> 00:32:14,840
Now, what do you think?
The Lord Jesus Christ is eager

525
00:32:15,080 –> 00:32:18,240
for us to come to him For what?
What?

526
00:32:18,240 –> 00:32:23,080
What do you think the Lord Jesus
Christ would be calling us for

527
00:32:23,600 –> 00:32:26,680
when he implores us to be with
Him?

528
00:32:27,200 –> 00:32:29,240
You, you might think this is
going to be really hard.

529
00:32:29,240 –> 00:32:33,240
Actually, He’s calling me to be
a follower of the Lord Jesus.

530
00:32:33,240 –> 00:32:34,920
Look at the road he had to
travel.

531
00:32:35,080 –> 00:32:38,640
Look at the things he had to do.
Look at where he had to go and

532
00:32:38,640 –> 00:32:42,240
all the persecution and the
opposition he faced.

533
00:32:42,480 –> 00:32:46,280
Is that what I’m signing up for?
Well, this imperative word for

534
00:32:46,280 –> 00:32:50,720
come, just just look how it
plays out in the gospel.

535
00:32:50,720 –> 00:32:55,400
So we’ve seen it here.
He wants to make something of

536
00:32:55,880 –> 00:33:01,760
us.
He wants to give us rest.

537
00:33:01,760 –> 00:33:04,680
Take my yoke upon you.
Come follow me.

538
00:33:04,680 –> 00:33:08,360
Take my my burden is easy.
We’re going to look at this a

539
00:33:08,360 –> 00:33:10,800
little later this morning.
So we won’t dwell on it now.

540
00:33:10,800 –> 00:33:14,360
So he’s promising I will give
you rest.

541
00:33:14,360 –> 00:33:18,280
Come unto me and I’ll give you
rest.

542
00:33:19,080 –> 00:33:21,240
OK.
This is this is sounding OK

543
00:33:21,360 –> 00:33:28,920
actually come apart unto a
desert place and rest a while.

544
00:33:29,640 –> 00:33:32,080
The the disciples had all been
out preaching.

545
00:33:32,080 –> 00:33:35,480
They they toured the land.
He’d sent them out by twos in

546
00:33:35,480 –> 00:33:39,440
Mark chapter 6 and they’d all
come back and they’d told him

547
00:33:39,440 –> 00:33:42,720
the things that they’d been able
to achieve and they’d come back

548
00:33:42,720 –> 00:33:46,360
to him and he said come aside,
come into a desert place.

549
00:33:46,360 –> 00:33:52,000
Let’s go and rest a while.
That sounds attractive to me.

550
00:33:52,000 –> 00:33:57,440
That’s a caring master who wants
us to come and be with him.

551
00:33:58,920 –> 00:34:03,880
These are chronological.
This appears in a, in a, in a

552
00:34:03,880 –> 00:34:06,200
parable.
Let’s have a look at Matthew 22.

553
00:34:06,640 –> 00:34:12,679
Can we where this word comes and
it’s an invitation to the

554
00:34:12,679 –> 00:34:17,159
Kingdom because it’s a parable
of the marriage feast, isn’t it?

555
00:34:17,159 –> 00:34:22,679
Matthew chapter 22, we have the
story of a, a certain king,

556
00:34:22,719 –> 00:34:28,480
verse 2, which made a marriage
for his son and he sent forth

557
00:34:28,480 –> 00:34:31,679
his servants to call them that
were bidden to the wedding and

558
00:34:31,679 –> 00:34:34,400
they would not come again.
He sent forth other servants

559
00:34:34,400 –> 00:34:35,880
saying, tell them which are
bidden.

560
00:34:35,880 –> 00:34:39,480
Behold, I have prepared my
dinner, my oxen and my fatlings

561
00:34:39,520 –> 00:34:41,520
are killed.
All things are ready.

562
00:34:41,520 –> 00:34:44,360
Come unto the marriage.
That’s the word there.

563
00:34:44,360 –> 00:34:49,520
Come unto the marriage.
What a lovely picture this is of

564
00:34:49,600 –> 00:34:52,120
all the preparations have been
made by God.

565
00:34:52,120 –> 00:34:56,199
This Kingdom feast, this Kingdom
celebration is coming, this

566
00:34:56,199 –> 00:34:58,880
marriage for his Son and he
wants us to be there.

567
00:34:58,880 –> 00:35:05,440
Come, I implore you, I want you
to be here is the message, isn’t

568
00:35:05,440 –> 00:35:08,440
it?
And disappointingly, these,

569
00:35:08,920 –> 00:35:13,520
these individuals who have been
invited, these guests, that

570
00:35:13,520 –> 00:35:17,160
they’re not interested.
I find this little parable

571
00:35:17,160 –> 00:35:20,720
absolutely fascinating because
it just underlines the key

572
00:35:20,720 –> 00:35:24,440
teaching of the scriptures.
Here of God wants us to be in

573
00:35:24,440 –> 00:35:27,040
the Kingdom.
Here He is imploring us.

574
00:35:27,240 –> 00:35:31,400
The guests have been invited and
he sent 2 reminders.

575
00:35:32,440 –> 00:35:34,400
Come to the wedding.
Come to the wedding.

576
00:35:34,400 –> 00:35:36,400
Everything is prepared.
Come to the wedding.

577
00:35:36,680 –> 00:35:42,800
It says that in verse 5.
They made light of it.

578
00:35:42,800 –> 00:35:45,800
That’s how they responded.
They made light of it.

579
00:35:46,680 –> 00:35:48,040
Keep a finger in Matthew,
please.

580
00:35:48,040 –> 00:35:51,400
Would you just turn over with me
to to Hebrews chapter 2 for a

581
00:35:51,400 –> 00:36:13,360
moment?
Hebrews chapter 2 it’s talking

582
00:36:13,360 –> 00:36:19,840
about the word of God.
So the book in chapter 1 tells

583
00:36:19,840 –> 00:36:28,200
us that God at various times and
in various ways spoke in the

584
00:36:28,200 –> 00:36:31,440
times past to the fathers by the
prophets.

585
00:36:32,200 –> 00:36:36,760
But now verse 2, chapter 1, he’s
spoken unto us by his Son.

586
00:36:36,760 –> 00:36:42,400
God has spoken to us by his Son.
And chapter 2 picks this up,

587
00:36:42,520 –> 00:36:46,560
saying, you ought to listen more
carefully than if God has spoken

588
00:36:46,560 –> 00:36:50,040
unto his unto us by his Son.
Verse 1, chapter 2.

589
00:36:50,200 –> 00:36:54,680
Therefore we ought to give the
more earnest heed to that which

590
00:36:54,680 –> 00:36:56,920
have we have been, which which
we have heard.

591
00:36:56,920 –> 00:37:00,760
If God has spoken to us by his
Son, we ought to pay attention.

592
00:37:01,000 –> 00:37:06,080
Verse 2, Chapter 2.
For if the word spoken by angels

593
00:37:06,080 –> 00:37:09,320
was steadfast, and every
transgression and disobedience

594
00:37:09,320 –> 00:37:12,880
received a just recompense of
reward, how shall we escape if

595
00:37:12,880 –> 00:37:19,960
we neglect so great salvation?
So the things that have been

596
00:37:19,960 –> 00:37:22,480
spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ
are offered to us.

597
00:37:22,480 –> 00:37:26,840
And that phrase in verse three
there, how should we escape if

598
00:37:26,960 –> 00:37:34,400
we neglect that word?
Neglect is translated as made

599
00:37:34,480 –> 00:37:38,760
light of in Matthew 22.
It’s the same word.

600
00:37:38,840 –> 00:37:43,800
They neglected the great
salvation which at the first

601
00:37:43,920 –> 00:37:49,120
began to be spoken by the Lord,
and was confirmed unto us by His

602
00:37:49,120 –> 00:37:52,720
Son.
I was not astonishing then.

603
00:37:52,720 –> 00:37:57,960
So back in Matthew chapter 22,
they are neglecting making light

604
00:37:57,960 –> 00:38:01,640
of this offer of salvation, and
they’ve got better things to do.

605
00:38:01,880 –> 00:38:05,560
1 went to his farm, one went to
his merchandise, some took his

606
00:38:05,560 –> 00:38:10,680
servants and treated them badly
and killed them.

607
00:38:11,880 –> 00:38:14,040
So you know the parable, how it
works out.

608
00:38:14,480 –> 00:38:18,960
Those who were bidden verse 8 of
Matthew chapter 22 were not

609
00:38:18,960 –> 00:38:20,720
worthy.
Why were they not worthy?

610
00:38:20,920 –> 00:38:23,520
Because they rejected the idea
of the Kingdom.

611
00:38:24,600 –> 00:38:28,520
You see, I think our entry into
the Kingdom, you know, is under

612
00:38:28,600 –> 00:38:30,680
our control.
You might not think that.

613
00:38:30,680 –> 00:38:33,240
You might think Christ is the
judge.

614
00:38:33,240 –> 00:38:34,800
He’s going to make an
assessment.

615
00:38:34,800 –> 00:38:37,000
He’s going to say whether or not
we can go in.

616
00:38:37,320 –> 00:38:40,200
Yeah, I think he’s saying, no, I
want you there.

617
00:38:40,840 –> 00:38:44,920
Would you like to come?
And you have to decide.

618
00:38:45,160 –> 00:38:47,400
It’s as easy as that.
You can say, yeah, I’d like to

619
00:38:47,400 –> 00:38:48,920
be there.
What do I need to do?

620
00:38:48,920 –> 00:38:51,400
Oh, repent.
Believe baptized.

621
00:38:51,680 –> 00:38:54,240
Just try.
I know you’ll fail, but just

622
00:38:54,240 –> 00:38:56,360
try.
It’s not that difficult, is it?

623
00:38:56,360 –> 00:39:02,400
Come on in if you want it.
But some, and I fear the reality

624
00:39:02,400 –> 00:39:06,480
is that some perhaps in this
room will say, Nah, it’s not for

625
00:39:06,480 –> 00:39:09,320
me.
Even amongst us who are

626
00:39:09,320 –> 00:39:12,360
baptised, there’ll be some who
will say, Nah, it’s not for me.

627
00:39:13,680 –> 00:39:16,040
It’s not a tragedy.
If you’ve had an opportunity,

628
00:39:16,040 –> 00:39:19,320
the Lord Jesus Christ is saying,
come, I want you at the marriage

629
00:39:19,320 –> 00:39:22,440
feast.
The, the, the parable concludes

630
00:39:22,440 –> 00:39:23,880
in a most unusual way, doesn’t
it?

631
00:39:23,880 –> 00:39:27,640
Because if you, if you remember,
they gather in all these, you

632
00:39:27,640 –> 00:39:30,680
know, from the highways and the
byways and they fill the wedding

633
00:39:30,680 –> 00:39:32,840
feast, don’t they?
Verse 10.

634
00:39:32,840 –> 00:39:38,640
If you look at Matthew 22 verse
10, so those servants went out

635
00:39:38,640 –> 00:39:41,600
into the highways, gathered
together, all as many as they

636
00:39:41,600 –> 00:39:46,760
found both bad and good.
This marriage feast is filled

637
00:39:46,760 –> 00:39:50,440
with bad and good people.
Who’d have thought it that, that

638
00:39:50,440 –> 00:39:53,640
the Kingdom of God is filled
with good and bad people.

639
00:39:54,880 –> 00:39:57,880
So if you’re a bad person,
you’re not without hope here,

640
00:39:57,880 –> 00:39:59,520
because Christ wants us there.