177: Nathan Luke – Exhortation: Arete (Excellence in Everything)

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Welcome to Good Burger selfie
and talks.

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I’m Levi and I’m Chris and I’m
Brian, thank you for joining us

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this week.
On this podcast, we select one

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taco week to help us get the
Bible in our daily news feed.

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We post a new episode of the
start of each week with a short

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intro before.
Hand to kind of set the stage

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for the talk.
You’re about to listen to and

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

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Welcome to the good
christadelphians talks podcast.

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This is brother Brian.
This week’s talk is an

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excitation by brother Nathan,
Luke which was given in May of

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2020 at the Enfield, Ecclesia,
and South Australia.

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His excitation is entitled,
excellence in everything and it

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comes from the list of
attributes that are laid out in

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second Peter chapter 1, verses 5
to 8.

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Where Peter exhorts us to add
onto or supplement our faith,

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with this list of
characteristics, which should

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become a natural outworking of
our faith.

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As we confirm our high calling.
And the first one that comes up,

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is this term virtue at on to
your faith virtue or in some

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versions.
It’s termed excellence.

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So the Greek word for this is
arat, a get used to it, you’re

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going to hear that word a lot,
it’s best to find as moral

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excellence.
And brother, Nathan takes us

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through the four places where
the word Erte appears and then

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the lessons that we can draw
from this passage the main

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takeaway that I appreciated was
not being intimidated by what

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the word implies, which is like
the highest level of Excellence.

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Since we know that all fall
short of God’s glory, and we

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often fail to live up to even
just a modest moral or spiritual

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standard, let alone, the
righteousness, that our God

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should require But that it’s a
process by which we devote

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ourselves.
In striving for this incredibly

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High expectation, more out of
gratitude than anything else at

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a gratitude for the grace that
has been shown towards us.

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So, like, rather than being
discouraged in wondering why a

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man, like, how will I ever live
up to what is being asked of me,

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brother?
Nathan implies, we should

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instead.
Ed gear.

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Our minds to think of pursuing
are attacking as a means of

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simply giving back to what is
reasonably deserved by our

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gracious master.
Tons of Little Gems like that in

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this one so I will leave it at
that for now.

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But as always, we hope this
strengthens your faith and

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brightens your day brother
Nathan.

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Luke arat a excellence in
everything, Thanks brother,

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Elliot and good morning.
Dear brothers and sisters in the

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Lord.
Jesus Christ and good morning.

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All those young people and
children who are also watching

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this stream this morning.
Well this is my first taste of

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speaking to a gathering that I
can’t actually see what I want

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to convey to all of you this
morning.

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The warm love that I have for
you in Christ Jesus, our lord

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and to share with you a word of
exhortation and encouragement

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that will be spiritually helpful
as we come to remember our Lord.

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Trip.
You’re taking your bread and

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wine this morning.
I must say strangers.

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The past few weeks have been as
at home in our family.

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We’ve said around just the five
of us at home.

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We found that the meetings
during that period of time have

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been very personal, very moving
and searching and somewhat

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paradoxically very real It’s
been a lot of thinking time

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hasn’t there.
I’m sure you found the same.

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Time to reflect on what is the
core of life, when so much of

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the usual busyness, so much of
the usual activity has been

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Stripped Away.
And you’ll see that they’re as

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you are perhaps this morning in
the quiet of your house.

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They’re quite a small be
relative to how many children

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you have and what sort of I say
are you sitting there in the

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quiet of your house on a Sunday
morning?

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Well, some other time and up on
the screen, comes the face and

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the voice of brothers and
sisters, who from whom, we

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currently socially isolated, but
whose faith and values, we

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deeply Sher and prayer is
offered.

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And the word of God is opened
and shared as always.

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Assign beautiful trees, convey
to us. and we know, as we sit

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there, we know, and we feel that
God and his son with us The Lord

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is guiding us and our children
through these somewhat strange

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and difficult times.
God’s good Purpose with us

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remains on course, be confident
about that.

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And the dawn of the new day, the
dawn of that new age, which we

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so desire seems to be upon us.
So I trust that again, this

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morning as we conduct our
meeting in the same format, you

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will find encouragement in this
time of remembrance and the, you

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will sense a presence in the
blessing of our heavenly father,

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one of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jesus, of course, who told us,

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he told us I am with you.
I Am With You Always even unto

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the end of the world, which is
where we find ourselves in in

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history.
So I want to begin this morning

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brothers and sisters and young
people with a question.

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I want you to consider what
would be the best thing that

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you’ve ever heard with your
ears.

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What’s the best thing you’ve
ever heard with your ears?

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Think about that for a long
time, you know, possibly the

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answer is that we’re still yet
to hear the best words that we

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will hear the words, which we
might hear from the Lord’s

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mouth.
God willing, listen to what he

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says.
You know, the work, the word,

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the words.
Well, well done thou good and

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faithful servant thou Hast been
Faithful over.

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A few things.
I will make thee ruler over many

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things.
Enter thou into the joy of thy

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Lord.
Now, when we hear these words,

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once we’re there, kneeling in
the awesome presence.

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Of the judge of the whole earth,
our beloved master and Lord, you

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will be an Indescribable moment
We will experience Grace or

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favor too deep to fully
comprehend.

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To think that he’s speaking to
me.

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He says of me.
You are a good servant.

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You are a faithful servant.
This is me in Christ’s

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estimation will be an incredible
moment for each.

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One of us won’t, it will be
speechless.

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Absolutely speechless with
gratitude and wonder overwhelmed

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with humility and Thanksgiving.
He says not been faithful.

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We’ve been trustworthy loyal
persistent Servants of his

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through the highs and the lows
of are mortal days.

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He says that we’ve been good
good in character beneficial in

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our effects on others.
We want to pick up our theme

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which brother Elliot has alluded
to this morning from The Second

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Epistle of Peter, if your turn
across there.

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Peter Second Epistle, we know
that Peter was a chosen disciple

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who saw tremendous spiritual
growth through the course of his

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life as a disciple, when we come
to his first chapter of The

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Second Epistle and in verse 5,
he says this and beside this

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giving all diligence add to your
faith virtue.

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And to Virtue knowledge.
And he goes on as we know to to

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list, seven things doesn’t need
to to add to or to supplement

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our faith with these are things,
which arise from our faith.

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These are what we bring, what
these are these are our

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offerings to God in response to
the great salvation that we’ve

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received.
Suppose in a sense, it’s another

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way of teaching that same truth
that faith without works is dead

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as James takes up in Chapter 2
of his epistle.

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God is looking for evidence that
our faith is alive.

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Our faith is vibrant.
It’s on fire.

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It’s a force and energy in our
lives.

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That’s your faith virtue and to
Virtue knowledge to knowledge

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Temperance.
Verse 6, patience, godliness to

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Godliness verse 7, brotherly,
kindness, and to brotherly.

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Kindness, charity or love.
It goes on in verse 89.

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I’ll read these words.
These verses from the ESV for if

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these qualities are yours in are
increasing.

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They keep you from being
ineffective or unfruitful in the

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knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.

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For Whoever likes these
qualities is so nearsighted that

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he’s blind having forgotten that
he was cleansed from his former

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sins.
Verse 8 speaks of increasing.

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Doesn’t it moving forward?
He speaks of positive

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progression in our lives of
faith building, good character

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being effective active and
fruitful for God, which of

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course, is the outworking of and
knowledge of the Lord.

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Jesus Christ is the end of that
first verse 8 says and he warns

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us about being short-sighted,
not literally, of course, he’s

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speaking figuratively here.
Possibly even blind.

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He says, because we’re focused
on the here and now we’re

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Focused on the will, what is it?
Now is preoccupied with a world

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that’s under the under the
Dominion of sin.

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And so in a sense, we’re
standing still from a spiritual

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perspective.
We’ve gone back, perhaps we’ve

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even reverted to former ways,
we’re not focused on the things

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which are in front the things
which are ahead of us.

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Focus on the Great and the
precious promises which will

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find their fulfillment in the
Kingdom to come because we don’t

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want to be found in that state,
do we?

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There’s a wonderful warning, a
timely warning for us there in

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verse 9, we don’t want to be
found in that state.

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We need to keep our eyes up,
looking for the coming of Our

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Lord, anticipating the times of
refreshing that God has promised

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I find it interesting really
that of light, in this, this

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period of covid-19, really the
world doesn’t seem such an

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attractive, exciting proposition
that a perhaps did three or four

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months ago, things have really
changed in our world and people

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are looking for answers, other
than from the world in which

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they live.
We look to the kingdom of God.

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So the first thing that Peter
lists there is you notice there

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in verse 5 is virtue, and that’s
what you want to dwell on this

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morning.
As we stare our minds and our

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hearts, to remember our Lord
Jesus Christ.

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This three picks up the same
word at the end, and this first

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reminds us just how Central this
is in our lives.

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He says, according as his divine
power has given unto us all

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things that pertain unto life
and godliness through the

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knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue.

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The ESV speaks of him calling us
to his own glory and virtue, the

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glory of God, the character of
God.

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Well what a benchmark is?
Setting us And at least is up,

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doesn’t it whereby this for a
given unto us exceeding?

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Great and precious promises that
by these ye might be partakers

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of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is

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in the world through lust.
This is no ordinary calling that

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we call two hours is no ordinary
existence, these things really

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lift us up, don’t they to a
different plane?

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As Paul says, in Philippians 2
verse 14.

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I press toward the goal for the
prize of the upward call of God

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in Christ Jesus.
These things Lift us up.

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It is indeed a high calling
their call to God’s Own glory

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and virtue.
And so, we set our hearts.

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Don’t we set our hearts on the
great and precious promises and

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we set out with purpose, we set
out with energy with diligence

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in the pursuit of great things.
Run a course to leave sin and

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Corruption behind and live.
Fruitful glorifying lies before

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God now and indeed for eternity.
So he speaks of virtue in verse

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5 virtue.
It’s a Greek word are at a

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disused just four times in the
New Testament twice.

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Here in second Peter chapter 1,
you’ll find it in his first

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epistle in Chapter 2 and verse
9.

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And in Philippians 4, where we
will end later on this morning.

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You’ll find some versions
translated as Excellence.

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The New American Standard Bible
case in point, says in your

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faith Supply moral Excellence,
moral Excellence, doctor

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Strong’s in his concordance,
tells us that properly refers to

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manliness or Valor.
And if we go back to the early

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derivation of the word we find
that there’s a there’s a real

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concentration or Focus that this
apply to a soldier who was

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strong and able like a physical
excellence in time and through

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history has become perhaps more
to to speak of things, which are

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intrinsic to us the state of
mind and the type of moral life

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00:14:10,400 –> 00:14:14,500
that we live But initially, he
says it probably means man in

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00:14:14,500 –> 00:14:18,900
this or Valor, that is
Excellence, intrinsic or

220
00:14:18,900 –> 00:14:22,100
attributed.
Wikipedia, of course, the font

221
00:14:22,100 –> 00:14:25,700
of all knowledge tells us that
the ancient Greek word in its

222
00:14:25,700 –> 00:14:28,800
basic sense.
Means Excellence of any kind.

223
00:14:29,700 –> 00:14:34,100
The term may also mean moral
virtue Goes on to say in its

224
00:14:34,100 –> 00:14:37,700
earliest appearance in Greek,
this notion of Excellence was

225
00:14:37,700 –> 00:14:40,900
ultimately bound up with the
notion of the Fulfillment of

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00:14:40,900 –> 00:14:45,000
purpose or function, the active
living up to one’s full

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00:14:45,000 –> 00:14:49,500
potential.
Another commentator speaking

228
00:14:49,500 –> 00:14:54,300
about arat a sincerity, a is an
ancient word meaning Excellence

229
00:14:54,500 –> 00:14:57,600
or virtue the erat.
A of something is the highest

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00:14:57,600 –> 00:15:02,500
quality state it can reach.
Using our tail are retired as a

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00:15:02,500 –> 00:15:05,100
principal for living.
Life means that you are focused

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00:15:05,100 –> 00:15:10,300
on the quality of everything you
do and experience. when most

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00:15:10,300 –> 00:15:16,400
people think of it, she says,
they look at moral virtue, I’ll

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00:15:16,400 –> 00:15:20,800
people in the workplace today.
Students are school, will be

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00:15:20,800 –> 00:15:24,400
familiar with this concept.
In our world, there are

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00:15:24,408 –> 00:15:28,100
businesses and corporations that
strive for excellence from their

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00:15:28,100 –> 00:15:32,400
Workforce Excellence, covering a
range of desirable attributes in

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00:15:32,400 –> 00:15:36,700
can find a list of these things.
For example, a strong work

239
00:15:36,700 –> 00:15:41,000
ethic, People that are
Dependable, they consistently

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00:15:41,000 –> 00:15:45,600
follow through people that show
positive attitude, creating a

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00:15:45,600 –> 00:15:49,700
good environment.
People are self-motivated, they

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00:15:49,700 –> 00:15:51,800
work, effectively with little
Direction.

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00:15:53,300 –> 00:15:55,600
And employees.
And many of you watching this

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00:15:55,600 –> 00:16:00,000
morning will be amongst those
who are employees, employees

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00:16:00,000 –> 00:16:03,500
will be familiar with reviews at
work, where your performance and

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00:16:03,500 –> 00:16:07,200
your abilities and your efforts
to meet the desirable attributes

247
00:16:07,500 –> 00:16:11,200
are assessed.
And your employer or your

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00:16:11,200 –> 00:16:14,500
manager, gives you feedback on
what how where you’re going.

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00:16:14,500 –> 00:16:19,100
Well and also where you need to
improve and you’re encouraged by

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00:16:19,100 –> 00:16:23,500
your employer to, to be the best
employee that you can be to

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00:16:23,500 –> 00:16:26,400
contribute to the Excellence of
the business.

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00:16:28,000 –> 00:16:31,400
For those students that are
watching this morning, this

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00:16:31,500 –> 00:16:32,900
students are recognized in
school.

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00:16:32,900 –> 00:16:35,900
Aren’t they for recognizing,
sorry Phil fulfilling their

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00:16:35,900 –> 00:16:40,000
potential at school.
I’m sure all of our school-aged

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00:16:40,000 –> 00:16:43,500
children will have received
excellence in learning Awards or

257
00:16:43,500 –> 00:16:46,100
excellence in Service Awards and
these types of things.

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00:16:47,200 –> 00:16:50,000
You know, all of us.
Pursue excellence in fields that

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00:16:50,300 –> 00:16:54,100
interest or profit us.
There’s many that have a bit of

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00:16:54,100 –> 00:16:57,600
a sporting event.
And so we try and we discipline

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00:16:57,600 –> 00:17:01,500
ourselves in diet and other ways
we learn ways to improve.

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00:17:02,500 –> 00:17:04,599
We learn ways to better execute
a skill.

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00:17:05,400 –> 00:17:08,900
We commit time and energy, and
plug Blood, Sweat, and Tears to

264
00:17:09,099 –> 00:17:11,099
pursuing excellence in our
field.

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00:17:12,800 –> 00:17:17,300
Pursuing might be team success,
or PBS or pris.

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00:17:18,300 –> 00:17:22,200
And epic Barrel that York’s or
perhaps a lower handicap on the

267
00:17:22,208 –> 00:17:25,099
golf course.
Well, you might be pursuing

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00:17:25,099 –> 00:17:28,600
excellence in your hobby.
There’s many that love gardening

269
00:17:28,600 –> 00:17:32,500
such as myself.
So The Lawns are manicured and

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00:17:32,500 –> 00:17:36,400
every stray Leaf is removed.
The perennials are trim back,

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00:17:37,300 –> 00:17:40,700
the roses are dead, headed.
The hedges are crisply shaped.

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00:17:41,900 –> 00:17:45,900
Or might be in the ass.
Or in Food & Wine, whatever your

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00:17:45,900 –> 00:17:49,300
hobby, your interest is
renovating old cars, or an

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00:17:49,300 –> 00:17:51,300
education and learning,
whatever.

275
00:17:52,200 –> 00:17:57,100
We give a whole lot of thought,
time and energy and resources to

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00:17:57,100 –> 00:18:00,300
the pursuit of Excellence,
getting the most satisfaction

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00:18:00,300 –> 00:18:04,600
that we can fulfilling our
potential being the best that we

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00:18:04,600 –> 00:18:08,100
can in fields that interest us
or profit us.

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00:18:10,300 –> 00:18:13,300
Well.
When they are in the midst of an

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00:18:13,300 –> 00:18:17,400
unexpected Lull in the Frantic
pace of life, and we’ve had

281
00:18:17,400 –> 00:18:21,300
opportunity, perhaps to look at
ourselves to have a real good.

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00:18:21,300 –> 00:18:25,100
Look at ourselves in the absence
of all the usual props and

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00:18:25,100 –> 00:18:28,500
supports, that usually, at we
lean on, from day to day.

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00:18:30,200 –> 00:18:34,200
We’ve had time and opportunity
to examine our faith and

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00:18:34,200 –> 00:18:37,500
consider just how vibrant how
alive my faith is.

286
00:18:39,100 –> 00:18:41,200
But are we moving forward?
I’ll be progressing.

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00:18:41,900 –> 00:18:44,700
Well, we add our art a to our
faith.

288
00:18:46,500 –> 00:18:49,900
And now as we Face a gradual
easing in restrictions from in

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00:18:50,100 –> 00:18:53,700
among Society, what will be the
quality of the sacrifices that

290
00:18:53,700 –> 00:18:56,900
we bring to God?
What will be the quality of the

291
00:18:56,900 –> 00:18:58,400
offerings that we bring to the
enclosure?

292
00:18:59,600 –> 00:19:02,700
What type of culture do we want
to build here and encourage

293
00:19:02,700 –> 00:19:05,900
here?
At Enfield all myself in my home

294
00:19:05,900 –> 00:19:07,600
enclosure?
And how are you?

295
00:19:07,600 –> 00:19:12,500
And I going to contribute to it.
I think carrot a is Peter speaks

296
00:19:12,500 –> 00:19:14,600
about it here in verse 5 is a
great motto.

297
00:19:15,200 –> 00:19:20,100
It’s a great ethic to pursue
Excellence, moral virtue aiming

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00:19:20,100 –> 00:19:23,700
to give our best in the service
of Christ and for each other

299
00:19:24,500 –> 00:19:28,700
striving to use the gifts that
we have to the glory and praise

300
00:19:28,700 –> 00:19:32,500
of God to fulfill the potential
God has created us with.

301
00:19:34,500 –> 00:19:35,800
And this excludes.
No one.

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00:19:36,200 –> 00:19:40,600
No one at all.
Young and the truth old in the

303
00:19:40,600 –> 00:19:44,500
truth.
And anything in between all can

304
00:19:44,500 –> 00:19:49,300
add Excellence to Faith.
All have been given talents.

305
00:19:50,400 –> 00:19:52,200
Recall.
The parable in Matthew 25 that

306
00:19:52,200 –> 00:19:54,800
we cited earlier, he speaks
there in that parable of

307
00:19:54,800 –> 00:19:58,100
receiving talents, five or two
or one.

308
00:19:58,400 –> 00:20:01,000
According to his, several
abilities, is the way Matthew

309
00:20:01,000 –> 00:20:05,400
puts it in chapter 25, and verse
15, they receive according to

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00:20:05,400 –> 00:20:08,000
his, several abilities.
We are not all the same

311
00:20:10,400 –> 00:20:14,300
Sometimes amongst all of life’s
uncertainties and life’s

312
00:20:14,300 –> 00:20:18,300
disappointments.
And life’s difficulties, we lose

313
00:20:18,300 –> 00:20:20,800
sight of this.
And we think that we have

314
00:20:20,800 –> 00:20:26,200
nothing to offer, we think that
we can’t shine, our talent is

315
00:20:26,200 –> 00:20:28,700
worthless.
It’s not true.

316
00:20:30,100 –> 00:20:32,900
Every one of you was created in
the image and the likeness of

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00:20:32,900 –> 00:20:35,700
God.
We were all called to God’s

318
00:20:35,700 –> 00:20:40,300
glory and virtue was God,
overestimating us when he

319
00:20:40,300 –> 00:20:44,300
offered us that Talent, did he
get it wrong when he called you

320
00:20:45,200 –> 00:20:46,100
by?
No means.

321
00:20:47,200 –> 00:20:50,600
Everyone of us has the ability
to reflect the light, the glory,

322
00:20:50,600 –> 00:20:54,000
and the moral Excellence of God
and Christ in our small way,

323
00:20:54,600 –> 00:20:59,100
every one of us.
A struggle with sin doesn’t

324
00:20:59,100 –> 00:21:03,000
annul that truth.
God has every intention to

325
00:21:03,000 –> 00:21:06,900
fulfill his purpose with us and
he’s given his only beloved Son.

326
00:21:06,900 –> 00:21:14,100
No less to accomplish this So we
called every one of us to moral

327
00:21:14,100 –> 00:21:17,800
virtue to Excellence.
And you might consider.

328
00:21:18,400 –> 00:21:21,000
What would our motivation be?
What was your motivation?

329
00:21:21,000 –> 00:21:26,000
Be to strive for excellence.
Let’s come across to Romans

330
00:21:26,000 –> 00:21:38,500
chapter 12.
So it’s a great place to go.

331
00:21:38,500 –> 00:21:43,000
When we think about what our
motivation for is to to to give

332
00:21:43,000 –> 00:21:47,000
us energy to give us.
Give us a urge to do something

333
00:21:47,800 –> 00:21:52,400
to respond to God.
Romans chapter 12, and verse 1.

334
00:21:52,400 –> 00:21:55,600
We he paints for us that the
basis of his appeal.

335
00:21:55,800 –> 00:21:59,400
I beseech you, therefore,
Brethren by the mercies of God,

336
00:21:59,400 –> 00:22:02,900
that’s the basis of his appeal.
By the mercies of God, that ye

337
00:22:02,900 –> 00:22:07,300
present your bodies, a Living
Sacrifice, holy acceptable, To

338
00:22:07,308 –> 00:22:10,100
belong to God, which is your
reasonable service.

339
00:22:10,800 –> 00:22:14,000
What’s the basis of appeal?
It’s the mercies of God that

340
00:22:14,000 –> 00:22:17,900
you’ve received.
God, sent his only son into the

341
00:22:17,900 –> 00:22:22,700
world to save Sinners Like You.
And I That’s an extraordinary

342
00:22:22,700 –> 00:22:25,700
truth.
You might have heard that a

343
00:22:25,700 –> 00:22:30,100
thousand times in your lifetime
or many times over that, but it

344
00:22:30,108 –> 00:22:33,300
remains an unassailable,
extraordinary truth.

345
00:22:34,400 –> 00:22:38,800
God, sent his only son into the
world to save Sinners Like You.

346
00:22:38,800 –> 00:22:44,500
And I So to present your bodies,
a Living Sacrifice is our

347
00:22:44,500 –> 00:22:47,600
reasonable service.
He says it’s a rational service

348
00:22:47,700 –> 00:22:49,800
something that’s fitting and
appropriate.

349
00:22:49,800 –> 00:22:53,400
So what we’ve received, nothing
less will be reasonable.

350
00:22:56,200 –> 00:23:00,400
As Paul puts it elsewhere in 2nd
Corinthians chapter 5, The Love

351
00:23:00,400 –> 00:23:03,900
Of Christ.
Constrains us the love of Christ

352
00:23:04,000 –> 00:23:07,700
constrains us.
It compels us when we remember

353
00:23:07,700 –> 00:23:11,200
the love and compassion that has
been shown to us the weight of

354
00:23:11,200 –> 00:23:14,200
sacrifice that our lord Jesus
has made for our sakes.

355
00:23:15,000 –> 00:23:16,400
What else can we offer in
return?

356
00:23:16,400 –> 00:23:20,800
But excellence in service to him
the best that we can offer in

357
00:23:20,800 –> 00:23:26,200
gratitude in thankfulness We
want to offer something this

358
00:23:26,200 –> 00:23:31,300
acceptable to God.
Malachi comments on that doesn.

359
00:23:31,300 –> 00:23:34,500
T really, let’s go back to that
chapter, that brother.

360
00:23:34,500 –> 00:23:42,900
Elliot read for us, the first
chapter of Malachi, Malachi the

361
00:23:43,700 –> 00:23:48,200
last of the prophets speaks of a
time when Yahweh, the god of

362
00:23:48,200 –> 00:23:50,600
Israel.
Our God was not receiving

363
00:23:50,600 –> 00:23:53,800
acceptable service.
He was not receiving reasonable

364
00:23:53,800 –> 00:23:56,000
service and the people couldn’t
see it.

365
00:23:56,600 –> 00:23:59,000
Even the spiritual leaders of
the nation, the priests.

366
00:23:59,100 –> 00:24:02,200
They didn’t get it picking up in
verse 6.

367
00:24:02,400 –> 00:24:06,400
Malachi says a son honors, his
father and a servant his master.

368
00:24:07,300 –> 00:24:09,900
Ethan or be a father.
Where is my honor?

369
00:24:11,000 –> 00:24:16,400
and if I be a master, whereas my
fear, so if Yahweh of hosts unto

370
00:24:16,400 –> 00:24:22,200
you o priests that despise my
name and ye say, wherein have we

371
00:24:22,200 –> 00:24:27,400
despised thy name There’s seven,
he offer, polluted bread, upon

372
00:24:27,400 –> 00:24:31,400
mine, Altar, and ye say, wherein
have we polluted thee in that.

373
00:24:31,400 –> 00:24:36,300
You say the table of Yahweh is
contemptible see that they query

374
00:24:36,300 –> 00:24:38,400
guys, complaint.
Don’t they they take issue with

375
00:24:38,400 –> 00:24:41,900
God.
Almost as if God is unjustified

376
00:24:41,900 –> 00:24:45,600
in saying, what are you saying?
Wherein they say in verse 6 and

377
00:24:45,600 –> 00:24:50,000
again in verse 7, where’s the
evidence will get God says at

378
00:24:50,000 –> 00:24:53,800
the end of verse 7, the evidence
is in the East, say the table of

379
00:24:53,800 –> 00:24:57,700
Yahweh is People by saying that
the Lord’s table may be

380
00:24:57,700 –> 00:24:59,900
despised.
The SP puts it.

381
00:25:00,400 –> 00:25:03,700
It gives an example in verse 8
and if you offer the blind for

382
00:25:03,700 –> 00:25:08,100
sacrifice, is it not evil?
And if you offer the lame and

383
00:25:08,100 –> 00:25:13,000
sick, is it not able offer it?
Now into the governor will he be

384
00:25:13,000 –> 00:25:15,100
pleased with thee or except I
persons?

385
00:25:15,600 –> 00:25:20,300
So Theo of hosts.
We wouldn’t think to offer to

386
00:25:20,300 –> 00:25:24,000
the governor and we got to think
in our case, what the, or the

387
00:25:24,000 –> 00:25:26,900
equivalent would be, we wouldn’t
think to offer to the governor

388
00:25:26,900 –> 00:25:29,900
in our time, such a poor
insufficient offering.

389
00:25:31,900 –> 00:25:34,900
I’ll beat your boss.
Or your wife.

390
00:25:36,000 –> 00:25:39,000
Your father or mother?
Where your fellow brother and

391
00:25:39,000 –> 00:25:43,600
sister in Christ will be offer
such a sacrifice to any of them

392
00:25:43,600 –> 00:25:47,300
know out of love and respect
which seek to give our best for

393
00:25:47,300 –> 00:25:50,400
them.
To show our respect and honor to

394
00:25:50,400 –> 00:25:56,100
show excellence in giving.
So then what are the god of

395
00:25:56,100 –> 00:26:01,200
Heaven and Earth verse 9?
And now I pray, you, I pray

396
00:26:01,200 –> 00:26:04,200
beseech God that he will be
gracious unto us.

397
00:26:04,800 –> 00:26:06,400
This has been by your means,
will he?

398
00:26:06,400 –> 00:26:09,800
Regard your persons?
So yeah, saith Yahweh of hosts.

399
00:26:10,700 –> 00:26:13,300
Who is that even among you?
That would shut the that would

400
00:26:13,300 –> 00:26:17,300
shut the doors for naught.
Neither do your Kindle Fire or

401
00:26:17,300 –> 00:26:19,800
mine Altar for naught?
I have no pleasure in you.

402
00:26:20,200 –> 00:26:23,800
So if Yahweh of hosts neither
will I accept an offering at

403
00:26:23,800 –> 00:26:27,000
your hand, other versions are
perhaps paint that verse a

404
00:26:27,008 –> 00:26:28,700
little bit better but God will
be pleased.

405
00:26:28,800 –> 00:26:31,800
My mom would take it upon
themselves to shut the temple

406
00:26:31,800 –> 00:26:35,100
doors, so that the offerings was
would no longer be offered in

407
00:26:35,100 –> 00:26:36,900
vain.
As they were though, we’re not

408
00:26:36,900 –> 00:26:41,500
acceptable to God for from the
rising of the sun, even unto the

409
00:26:41,500 –> 00:26:45,500
going down of the same.
My name shall be great among the

410
00:26:45,500 –> 00:26:49,700
Gentiles and in every place in
sin shall be offered unto my

411
00:26:49,700 –> 00:26:53,200
name.
For my name shall be great among

412
00:26:53,200 –> 00:26:58,300
the Heathen saith.
Yahweh of hosts The great king,

413
00:26:58,300 –> 00:27:02,000
he goes on to speak of later in
that chapter God, is the great

414
00:27:02,000 –> 00:27:04,800
king.
The great God Of Heaven and

415
00:27:04,800 –> 00:27:07,000
Earth.
All Nations, will recognize him

416
00:27:07,400 –> 00:27:12,300
his name, his reputation will be
known and respected in sense.

417
00:27:12,600 –> 00:27:15,000
That is prayer will be offered
in every place.

418
00:27:15,800 –> 00:27:21,300
Pure offerings will be given One
of us brothers and sisters.

419
00:27:21,300 –> 00:27:25,800
We were in the service of the
same God He’s given us every

420
00:27:25,800 –> 00:27:30,400
good and every perfect gift.
Will be, will we be satisfied to

421
00:27:30,400 –> 00:27:33,400
offer to him?
Anything less and arat a

422
00:27:33,600 –> 00:27:37,500
Excellence, our best How could
we?

423
00:27:39,400 –> 00:27:41,600
And so we need to reflect
deeply, don’t we?

424
00:27:41,600 –> 00:27:45,900
We always need to reflect deeply
on the mercies of God that we

425
00:27:45,900 –> 00:27:49,800
have received is Paul said in
Romans chapter 1, the mercies of

426
00:27:49,800 –> 00:27:54,600
God that you and I have received
as we do again this morning and

427
00:27:54,600 –> 00:27:58,600
be inspired by this be compelled
to offered back to God and

428
00:27:58,600 –> 00:28:01,600
acceptable, service, something
fitting for the great king.

429
00:28:02,600 –> 00:28:06,200
To give him Excellence our best,
our full potential.

430
00:28:07,900 –> 00:28:11,700
Do we need further motivation?
or think brothers and sisters

431
00:28:12,000 –> 00:28:15,600
about those things, which lie
just ahead of us and the in our

432
00:28:15,600 –> 00:28:19,200
near future think about
ourselves and us being in this

433
00:28:19,200 –> 00:28:23,800
future age, Paul tells us that
the Saints will judge the world

434
00:28:24,900 –> 00:28:28,000
And by the grace of God, we will
take our place in the greatest

435
00:28:28,000 –> 00:28:31,800
administration of all time.
You can speak at the White

436
00:28:31,800 –> 00:28:34,200
House, you can speak of
Buckingham Palace and other

437
00:28:34,200 –> 00:28:37,700
seats of power in our world.
They are nothing by comparison

438
00:28:37,700 –> 00:28:39,600
to what is coming upon this
Earth.

439
00:28:39,900 –> 00:28:43,100
The administration that will
rule from Jerusalem under the

440
00:28:43,100 –> 00:28:46,800
great king, our Lord Jesus
Christ, And we are told in

441
00:28:46,800 –> 00:28:50,000
Revelation 5 and verse 10, that
will be there as Kings and

442
00:28:50,000 –> 00:28:53,700
Priests in the in that day we
will be Kings and Priests we

443
00:28:53,700 –> 00:28:57,300
shall reign on the Earth.
He’s going to be an Epoch of

444
00:28:57,300 –> 00:29:00,500
time without parallel in the
vast history of the world and

445
00:29:00,500 –> 00:29:04,800
you and I will be in the thick
of it, with our lord Jesus, the

446
00:29:04,800 –> 00:29:06,700
King of Kings, the Lord of
lords.

447
00:29:07,900 –> 00:29:11,200
Our lives are now our lives
today are in preparation for

448
00:29:11,208 –> 00:29:15,000
that great day.
Remember how Jesus said in that,

449
00:29:15,000 –> 00:29:19,600
Parable in Matthew 25, you have
been Faithful over a few things

450
00:29:20,200 –> 00:29:22,400
and he’s speaking about today.
This is us today.

451
00:29:22,800 –> 00:29:27,700
You’ve been Faithful over a few
things today now, I will make

452
00:29:27,700 –> 00:29:30,700
thee ruler over many things, and
he’s looking forward.

453
00:29:31,700 –> 00:29:35,500
For us as a coming Kingdom, Arch
near future.

454
00:29:36,700 –> 00:29:40,100
I want you to turn back to First
of Kings chapter 10.

455
00:29:43,500 –> 00:29:46,300
The early chapters chapters of
first of Kings.

456
00:29:47,500 –> 00:29:51,100
Paint a picture of Solomon’s
Reign from the, the building of

457
00:29:51,700 –> 00:29:55,100
yahweh’s house to the building
of his own house, the dedication

458
00:29:55,100 –> 00:29:59,000
of the Temple and so forth.
And it really comes to a

459
00:29:59,000 –> 00:30:03,800
crescendo here in chapter 10,
with the arrival of the Queen of

460
00:30:03,800 –> 00:30:06,500
Sheba.
Now, the prophets, many of them,

461
00:30:06,500 –> 00:30:09,700
give us a taste and a feel for
what is to come in the Kingdom

462
00:30:09,700 –> 00:30:11,800
age.
But these early chapters in

463
00:30:11,800 –> 00:30:15,600
First Kings, provide a little
insight into what we can expect

464
00:30:15,600 –> 00:30:18,900
in the future, you know.
Really exudes Excellence.

465
00:30:18,900 –> 00:30:23,400
Doesn’t it exudes virtue?
The Lesser son of David Solomon

466
00:30:24,400 –> 00:30:27,100
is, but a shadow of things to
come with the greater son of

467
00:30:27,100 –> 00:30:28,800
David.
Our lord Jesus.

468
00:30:29,100 –> 00:30:30,200
But look what it says of
Solomon.

469
00:30:30,200 –> 00:30:34,500
The Lesser So it builds to a
crescendo these chapters do

470
00:30:34,800 –> 00:30:39,300
through to 10:1 when the Queen
of Sheba arrives, when the Queen

471
00:30:39,300 –> 00:30:42,200
of Sheba, heard of the fame of
Solomon, concerning the name of

472
00:30:42,200 –> 00:30:45,400
Yahweh, she came to prove him
with hard questions.

473
00:30:46,700 –> 00:30:51,100
And she came to Jerusalem with a
very great train with camels at

474
00:30:51,100 –> 00:30:54,700
Bear spices and very much gold
and precious stones.

475
00:30:55,600 –> 00:30:58,200
And when she was come to
Solomon, she commune with him of

476
00:30:58,200 –> 00:31:01,400
all that was in her heart.
And Solomon told her all her

477
00:31:01,400 –> 00:31:03,600
questions.
There was not anything hit from

478
00:31:03,600 –> 00:31:08,900
the King, which he told her not.
And she’s completely blown away.

479
00:31:08,900 –> 00:31:12,700
Isn’t he isn’t she Boy by the
Excellence, by the glory of

480
00:31:12,700 –> 00:31:15,800
every aspect of Solomon’s core
verse 4?

481
00:31:15,800 –> 00:31:19,500
And when the Queen of Sheba had
seen all Solomon’s wisdom and

482
00:31:19,500 –> 00:31:23,700
the house that he had built and
the meat of his table and the

483
00:31:23,708 –> 00:31:27,700
sitting of his servants and the
attendance of his ministers and

484
00:31:27,700 –> 00:31:31,800
their apparel and his cupbearers
and his Ascent by which he went

485
00:31:31,800 –> 00:31:35,000
up unto the house of Yahweh.
There was no more spirit in her,

486
00:31:35,000 –> 00:31:38,900
she was completely speechless,
it took a breath. there was no

487
00:31:38,900 –> 00:31:43,600
more spirit in her and she said
to the king, it is a true report

488
00:31:43,600 –> 00:31:47,300
that I have heard in my own land
of like acts and thy wisdom.

489
00:31:48,100 –> 00:31:51,500
How bad I believe, not the words
until I came in my iron hat, my

490
00:31:51,500 –> 00:31:55,800
eyes have seen it, and behold
the half was not told me thy

491
00:31:55,800 –> 00:32:00,900
wisdom and prosperity exceeded.
The find that I heard happy

492
00:32:00,900 –> 00:32:03,400
other.
I mean, happy are these thy

493
00:32:03,400 –> 00:32:06,500
servants, which stand
continually before thee, and

494
00:32:06,500 –> 00:32:12,000
that hear thy wisdom, I mean I
just it results in praise to God

495
00:32:12,000 –> 00:32:15,300
that’s not listed.
Be Yahweh, thy God, which

496
00:32:15,300 –> 00:32:18,700
delighted ND to set the on the
throne of Israel?

497
00:32:19,700 –> 00:32:22,800
Now, that’s an amazing picture.
That’s painted of Solomon’s

498
00:32:22,800 –> 00:32:24,300
Reign.
What an incredible time.

499
00:32:24,300 –> 00:32:28,100
That was the Solomons court is
only a shadow.

500
00:32:28,100 –> 00:32:32,200
Is it’s only a cameo of things
which are coming the kingdom of

501
00:32:32,200 –> 00:32:33,500
our Lord.
Jesus Christ.

502
00:32:34,200 –> 00:32:37,100
Where it’s not Solomon 7.
It’s us brothers and sisters,

503
00:32:37,100 –> 00:32:39,800
it’s a Saints.
Who will be Tenant in that

504
00:32:39,800 –> 00:32:42,500
Court.
All things in that Court will

505
00:32:42,500 –> 00:32:45,700
reflect the virtue of the
Excellence of God, the glory of

506
00:32:45,700 –> 00:32:48,200
God, and we’re in training for
that day.

507
00:32:48,900 –> 00:32:50,900
We’re in training.
Now, we’re in training today

508
00:32:51,000 –> 00:32:55,500
this year of 2020 2020.
What a prospect lies before us,

509
00:32:56,000 –> 00:33:01,000
this is what lies just ahead of
you and I are we motivated to

510
00:33:01,000 –> 00:33:09,400
add virtue to Faith.
I want to make a few caveats on

511
00:33:09,900 –> 00:33:12,700
what we’re saying here about
this, this idea of Excellence.

512
00:33:14,000 –> 00:33:16,900
Well sweetie of course
encouraging virtue and

513
00:33:16,900 –> 00:33:19,500
Excellence.
We’re not saying that we have to

514
00:33:19,500 –> 00:33:23,900
be the best or the greatest.
We’re not in some form of

515
00:33:23,908 –> 00:33:27,200
competition with each other.
Neither are we seeking the

516
00:33:27,200 –> 00:33:30,600
praise the cutest of men, as we
practice era, toe.

517
00:33:31,200 –> 00:33:35,700
Let’s be clear about that.
Our motivation in no way relates

518
00:33:35,700 –> 00:33:39,000
to a desire to be seen to be
better than our fellow servants,

519
00:33:39,300 –> 00:33:43,200
the best amongst men or among
their brothers and sisters and

520
00:33:43,200 –> 00:33:45,600
young people.
We know it’s got that sees her

521
00:33:45,600 –> 00:33:48,800
actions.
It’s a god of Heaven who sees

522
00:33:48,800 –> 00:33:51,500
our actions.
He knows our hearts, it’s his

523
00:33:51,500 –> 00:33:55,300
estimation that counts and it’s
his praise that we seek through

524
00:33:55,300 –> 00:33:59,500
moral virtue.
Secondly, we’re not saying that

525
00:33:59,500 –> 00:34:01,000
we have to have the greatest
Talent.

526
00:34:01,000 –> 00:34:06,200
They, the greatest resources to
be acceptable to God beat

527
00:34:06,200 –> 00:34:10,199
intellect or ability or wealth
and so forth are atay.

528
00:34:10,199 –> 00:34:12,900
Doesn’t accept doesn’t depend on
that.

529
00:34:14,300 –> 00:34:18,400
You recall the Widow you recall,
the The Widow’s two mice in Luke

530
00:34:18,400 –> 00:34:23,100
chapter, 21, But she only
contributed two copper coins to

531
00:34:23,100 –> 00:34:25,900
the temple.
Treasury in Jesus estimation.

532
00:34:26,300 –> 00:34:30,000
She had shown excellence in
giving There was greater virtue

533
00:34:30,000 –> 00:34:33,300
in her giving than all the
others who had in effect offered

534
00:34:33,300 –> 00:34:39,400
up, just their spare change. as
he says, in Luke 21 verse 4, she

535
00:34:39,400 –> 00:34:45,300
out of her poverty, put in all
that she had to live on So Jesus

536
00:34:45,300 –> 00:34:48,100
highlights her example to his
disciples of all time.

537
00:34:48,900 –> 00:34:53,600
He saw a virtue he saw
excellence in her offering It’s

538
00:34:53,600 –> 00:34:56,300
not a matter of having
blindingly good talent or the

539
00:34:56,308 –> 00:35:01,100
deepest pockets.
Thirdly, might we point out that

540
00:35:01,100 –> 00:35:05,300
making an effort, giving our
best striving for excellence is

541
00:35:05,300 –> 00:35:09,200
not works based religion, or per
film or performance religion.

542
00:35:10,600 –> 00:35:14,300
Sometimes it seems trendy to
downplay if it in today’s world

543
00:35:14,900 –> 00:35:19,900
because as we know our efforts
are pitiless, they’re useless

544
00:35:20,100 –> 00:35:23,700
their feeble.
It’s all about Grace and Faith.

545
00:35:25,100 –> 00:35:27,400
We can’t earn our salvation by
trying good.

546
00:35:27,500 –> 00:35:29,700
Trying hard to do.
Good works.

547
00:35:31,500 –> 00:35:34,200
Well, if we were operating
alone, this might be true.

548
00:35:35,200 –> 00:35:38,100
But with Christ in our lives and
in our hearts and with God’s

549
00:35:38,100 –> 00:35:42,100
hand in our private lives, our
effort and our striving is not

550
00:35:42,100 –> 00:35:44,000
unfruitful, is it is not
worthless.

551
00:35:44,500 –> 00:35:48,900
It is fruitful, it is Worthy.
The Bible uses many terms, that

552
00:35:48,900 –> 00:35:53,600
imply our effort, and God works
with that effort by his spirit

553
00:35:53,600 –> 00:35:54,900
in ways that we could never
know.

554
00:35:56,800 –> 00:35:59,700
Take these scriptures.
That, you know, first, first

555
00:35:59,700 –> 00:36:03,300
Timothy chapter 6, fight the
good fight of Faith.

556
00:36:03,400 –> 00:36:05,400
This there’s action.
There’s Endeavor there.

557
00:36:06,300 –> 00:36:11,200
Luke 13 verse 24 strive to enter
in at the strait gate.

558
00:36:12,100 –> 00:36:15,900
Do your best to present yourself
to God as one approved, second,

559
00:36:15,900 –> 00:36:19,700
Timothy 2.
Seek ye first the kingdom of

560
00:36:19,700 –> 00:36:24,600
God, Matthew 6:33.
Work out your own salvation with

561
00:36:24,600 –> 00:36:29,100
fear and trembling Philippians 2
and verse 12 earnestly contend

562
00:36:29,200 –> 00:36:31,800
for the faith.
Once delivered to the Saints

563
00:36:32,000 –> 00:36:37,500
Jude 3, pursue righteousness,
Faith, love and peace.

564
00:36:38,100 –> 00:36:41,700
Second Timothy to know all these
verses brothers and sisters.

565
00:36:42,000 –> 00:36:45,300
All of these verses and many
besides point to effort, they

566
00:36:45,300 –> 00:36:48,200
point to Endeavor, to energy to
action.

567
00:36:49,600 –> 00:36:52,900
Jesus, good and Faithful
Servants, active and diligent

568
00:36:53,200 –> 00:36:58,000
full of endeavor.
Not passive, not casual, not

569
00:36:58,000 –> 00:37:01,200
half-hearted in their service to
Christ within or without the

570
00:37:01,200 –> 00:37:04,000
occlusion.
So let’s not shy away from the

571
00:37:04,000 –> 00:37:06,700
pursuit of moral virtue, or, or
excellence.

572
00:37:06,700 –> 00:37:10,300
In all that we offer to God in
their closure here, or in our

573
00:37:10,300 –> 00:37:14,700
homes or in our workplaces.
As Paul puts it.

574
00:37:14,700 –> 00:37:18,200
So beautifully in Colossians 3
verse 23 and whatsoever.

575
00:37:18,200 –> 00:37:23,100
You do whatsoever you do.
Do it heartily as to the Lord

576
00:37:23,600 –> 00:37:27,300
and not unto men.
JB Phillips says put your whole

577
00:37:27,300 –> 00:37:31,200
heart and soul into it, your
whole heart and soul.

578
00:37:32,400 –> 00:37:36,000
Which of course, is what we
learn from Christ and his

579
00:37:36,000 –> 00:37:39,600
father.
And every day when we get out of

580
00:37:39,607 –> 00:37:44,300
bed and move around the world in
which we live, every single day,

581
00:37:44,700 –> 00:37:47,700
we are confronted with the glory
and the Excellence of God.

582
00:37:49,700 –> 00:37:53,500
A Yahweh, our Lord.
How excellent is your name in

583
00:37:53,500 –> 00:37:57,700
all the Earth says some item
verse one, who has set thy Glory

584
00:37:58,000 –> 00:38:01,500
above the heavens.
You know, many people are later

585
00:38:01,500 –> 00:38:04,500
been commenting on the beauty of
the Starry Sky.

586
00:38:05,700 –> 00:38:08,700
The incredible colors of Sunrise
and so forth.

587
00:38:10,200 –> 00:38:13,200
Have we noticed the incredible
shades of autumn in recent

588
00:38:13,200 –> 00:38:17,000
weeks?
Have you seen the new life?

589
00:38:17,400 –> 00:38:20,100
The green shoots bursting
through charred bark and chart

590
00:38:20,100 –> 00:38:23,800
Earth following, the tremendous
reins of the past month, it’s

591
00:38:23,800 –> 00:38:25,300
completely transformed the
heels.

592
00:38:25,300 –> 00:38:27,200
If you happen to have been
through that area, that was

593
00:38:27,207 –> 00:38:29,300
burned out just a month or two
ago.

594
00:38:31,500 –> 00:38:35,100
We are surrounded by The Glory
by the Excellence of God,

595
00:38:35,600 –> 00:38:38,600
despite man’s abuse and
thrashing at the environment.

596
00:38:40,300 –> 00:38:42,700
And every week, brothers and
sisters, we are reminded of the

597
00:38:42,700 –> 00:38:45,400
Excellence and the moral virtue
of Christ.

598
00:38:46,500 –> 00:38:50,800
Who Loved with all his heart
with all his soul with all his

599
00:38:50,800 –> 00:38:56,300
mind. who gave his all he gave
his best to save Sinners such as

600
00:38:56,300 –> 00:39:00,300
you and I who is never
half-hearted never kill us.

601
00:39:01,200 –> 00:39:03,500
Who never quit.
No matter the opposition and the

602
00:39:03,500 –> 00:39:09,400
enormous pressure that he faced
To both men and women to both

603
00:39:09,400 –> 00:39:15,000
Jew and Gentile to the old and
to the young to those marriage,

604
00:39:15,000 –> 00:39:18,600
to those unmarried to those sick
or healthy.

605
00:39:19,000 –> 00:39:22,400
He gave his best.
He imparted Grace and Truth.

606
00:39:23,300 –> 00:39:26,800
The fullness of God We want to
reflect this more about, you

607
00:39:26,800 –> 00:39:30,700
don’t we we wonder if we want to
offer Excellence to our loving

608
00:39:30,700 –> 00:39:34,300
heavenly father and to our
Savior Jesus Christ.

609
00:39:36,300 –> 00:39:38,900
So, we return to what we said
earlier on.

610
00:39:40,300 –> 00:39:43,300
After an extended slowdown in
the Frantic pace of life.

611
00:39:44,500 –> 00:39:46,900
Having been given an unforeseen
opportunity to slow down,

612
00:39:46,900 –> 00:39:50,900
perhaps to stop and examine.
Our faith, that to examine our

613
00:39:50,900 –> 00:39:54,400
core values.
We’re now facing an easing of

614
00:39:54,400 –> 00:39:59,100
restrictions, may be a gradual
return to normal life.

615
00:40:00,400 –> 00:40:01,900
The New Normal, whatever that
might be.

616
00:40:03,400 –> 00:40:06,500
Coming back to some form of
normal activity.

617
00:40:08,000 –> 00:40:13,200
Will we add eret a to our faith?
What will be the quality of the

618
00:40:13,207 –> 00:40:14,900
sacrifices?
We bring to God.

619
00:40:17,000 –> 00:40:18,800
What will be the quality of the
offerings?

620
00:40:19,000 –> 00:40:23,500
We bring to the occlusion.
What type of culture do we want

621
00:40:23,500 –> 00:40:26,300
to build and encourage here at
Enfield?

622
00:40:27,000 –> 00:40:28,700
And how are you going to
contribute to it?

623
00:40:32,000 –> 00:40:36,200
I believe that moral virtue and
Excellence is Alive and Well in

624
00:40:36,200 –> 00:40:39,700
our community.
Constantly saying songs of it

625
00:40:40,300 –> 00:40:42,900
and I’ll find this inspiring, I
find it very inspiring and very

626
00:40:42,900 –> 00:40:45,400
encouraging and it depends my
love for God.

627
00:40:45,900 –> 00:40:49,500
And for you, my brothers and
sisters here, and inclusion is

628
00:40:49,500 –> 00:40:54,500
near and far.
I think of our tail think of

629
00:40:54,600 –> 00:40:58,600
Excellence, when I see, That’s
in former times.

630
00:40:58,600 –> 00:41:00,300
I’m thinking for just prior to
covid-19.

631
00:41:02,400 –> 00:41:06,200
You see the enthusiastic
Brothers at the door 15 or 20

632
00:41:06,200 –> 00:41:09,900
minutes before the meeting
starts, and they’re there with a

633
00:41:09,908 –> 00:41:12,900
warm smile, they’re enthusiastic
about what they’re doing.

634
00:41:14,900 –> 00:41:18,400
I think about what I wear when I
walked into the hall and I see a

635
00:41:18,400 –> 00:41:22,000
beautiful show of flowers in a
vows on the table.

636
00:41:23,900 –> 00:41:28,300
I think Vera tail Excellence
when the chairman shows us.

637
00:41:28,300 –> 00:41:32,000
So clearly how much thought and
feeling he’s put into a deep and

638
00:41:32,000 –> 00:41:37,400
a moving prayer.
I think, if I retire, where

639
00:41:39,200 –> 00:41:42,600
There’s so many new initiatives
in this covid-19.

640
00:41:42,600 –> 00:41:45,000
So many new initiatives you
would have heard of many

641
00:41:45,000 –> 00:41:49,300
probably involved in many.
New initiatives to reach out

642
00:41:49,300 –> 00:41:53,500
with love and care to support
the lonely, the needy during

643
00:41:53,500 –> 00:41:55,700
this, this trouble period for
our community.

644
00:41:55,700 –> 00:41:59,000
And for the world.
I think of Iris, hey, when at

645
00:41:59,000 –> 00:42:02,300
times, I open up the magazines
of our community and your

646
00:42:02,300 –> 00:42:04,900
leafing through the pages and
you see the wonderful and the

647
00:42:04,900 –> 00:42:09,100
very edifying content that’s
been included amongst their

648
00:42:09,100 –> 00:42:14,100
pages.
I think veritate where there’s

649
00:42:14,100 –> 00:42:17,500
new initiatives, that I pursue
to improve the quality of our

650
00:42:17,500 –> 00:42:20,900
praise and our worship in our
closures and in our youth

651
00:42:20,900 –> 00:42:26,000
groups, I think that art I win a
group of brothers, go the extra

652
00:42:26,000 –> 00:42:29,200
mile in their planning for the
welfare of the occlusion and

653
00:42:29,200 –> 00:42:31,300
they come up with a wonderful
theme for the year and they

654
00:42:31,300 –> 00:42:34,400
program all the years activities
around that it takes some extra

655
00:42:34,400 –> 00:42:38,000
effort, some extra thought but
they do it for our benefit.

656
00:42:40,300 –> 00:42:43,700
I think of Excellence or era
today when a group within the

657
00:42:43,700 –> 00:42:47,300
enclosure, Champions are
preaching initiative and they

658
00:42:47,300 –> 00:42:50,900
develop fresh and new programs
to support the influx of

659
00:42:50,900 –> 00:42:52,500
interested.
Unbelievers, who are Keen to

660
00:42:52,500 –> 00:42:54,600
learn more.
It takes effort.

661
00:42:57,400 –> 00:43:00,900
I think you’ve ever tie.
When we had the Widow.

662
00:43:02,200 –> 00:43:03,800
All that those who are
downhearted.

663
00:43:03,800 –> 00:43:08,100
All those, who are sick, who are
singled out for special care.

664
00:43:09,400 –> 00:43:11,600
I know that happens within this
a closure.

665
00:43:14,100 –> 00:43:15,900
I think of our Tape Brothers and
Sisters.

666
00:43:16,700 –> 00:43:21,500
When there’s always those people
who volunteer to help out with

667
00:43:21,500 –> 00:43:25,400
the dishes at the occlusal lunch
at our boat, our closures is a

668
00:43:26,000 –> 00:43:27,900
bunch of older, brother and
sisters who are always, there

669
00:43:27,900 –> 00:43:31,700
volunteering for that duty to
help out with the dishes at the

670
00:43:31,700 –> 00:43:34,500
occlusal lunch, whether their
team is on or not.

671
00:43:34,600 –> 00:43:36,800
And they always persist till the
job is finished.

672
00:43:36,900 –> 00:43:39,400
That’s Excellence.
That’s moral virtue.

673
00:43:41,900 –> 00:43:45,000
I think of avert a when there’s
volunteers, always seemed

674
00:43:45,000 –> 00:43:47,300
willing and able to step in and
to help.

675
00:43:50,400 –> 00:43:53,600
I think about art a, when
there’s brothers and sisters who

676
00:43:53,600 –> 00:43:55,500
come and support The Fellowship
of the meeting.

677
00:43:55,800 –> 00:43:58,700
Rain, hail or shine, no matter
the, intensity of annuities,

678
00:43:58,700 –> 00:44:01,900
they faced daily in their
personal loss.

679
00:44:03,700 –> 00:44:07,800
The, their rain hail or Sean,
and I’ll be back.

680
00:44:07,800 –> 00:44:09,900
God willing, post covid-19 will
see them again.

681
00:44:09,900 –> 00:44:13,000
In our Hall, supporting through
thick and through thin.

682
00:44:15,000 –> 00:44:19,700
I think of Excellence or wrote,
I hear of a young couple who

683
00:44:19,700 –> 00:44:23,600
willingly put up their hands to
take on the responsibility to

684
00:44:23,600 –> 00:44:26,300
organize, the occlusion of youth
group, you know, I could go on

685
00:44:26,400 –> 00:44:28,600
and on Brothers & Sisters.
I see it.

686
00:44:28,600 –> 00:44:32,100
I hear reports of it.
I’m sure we all see it and we’ll

687
00:44:32,100 –> 00:44:35,700
notice different things we want
to continue in this phone.

688
00:44:35,700 –> 00:44:37,900
Don’t we?
We all want to invest in this

689
00:44:37,900 –> 00:44:41,200
culture of excellence and virtue
to the praise and the glory of

690
00:44:41,200 –> 00:44:45,400
God and our Lord Jesus Christ in
response to the mercies.

691
00:44:45,700 –> 00:44:49,900
We’ve abundantly received in
preparation for the great days

692
00:44:50,000 –> 00:44:54,900
to come.
And what I suggest today that we

693
00:44:54,900 –> 00:44:58,100
all do something specific to
keep this thought this little

694
00:44:58,100 –> 00:45:02,600
thought which was spoken about
today before our minds. maybe

695
00:45:02,600 –> 00:45:06,200
take a moment after we finished
here today and write down, that

696
00:45:06,200 –> 00:45:11,500
Greek word are attained Write it
down on fire stick at notes and

697
00:45:11,500 –> 00:45:13,700
stick the notes in five
different places that will draw

698
00:45:13,700 –> 00:45:16,100
your attention in the next few
days.

699
00:45:17,300 –> 00:45:19,800
Maybe stick one on the front of
your Bible cover.

700
00:45:20,900 –> 00:45:25,000
It’s a reminder to you to pursue
excellence in reading or reading

701
00:45:25,000 –> 00:45:28,500
with the children.
Maybe stick one on the bedside

702
00:45:28,500 –> 00:45:32,700
table, to remind you about
excellence in prayer prayer.

703
00:45:32,700 –> 00:45:38,200
That is Meaningful and relevant.
Maybe pop one up there on your

704
00:45:38,200 –> 00:45:44,300
PC screen or your smart screen.
To remind you to show Excellence

705
00:45:44,300 –> 00:45:47,900
to show moral virtue in the
things that we watch and view.

706
00:45:48,800 –> 00:45:52,400
Maybe take one and put it on the
desk at work, put on the front

707
00:45:52,400 –> 00:45:56,900
cover of the occlusal syllabus
wherever rather, the sisters You

708
00:45:56,908 –> 00:46:01,200
might seem at a key thing to do
to give using stick at notes,

709
00:46:01,300 –> 00:46:05,100
but why not?
Promote the concept of eret, a

710
00:46:05,600 –> 00:46:11,400
in every aspect of Our Lives.
And so, we turn to partake of

711
00:46:11,600 –> 00:46:15,500
the bread and the wine.
And reflect on all that God has

712
00:46:15,500 –> 00:46:19,200
given to us.
Reflect on the mercies that

713
00:46:19,200 –> 00:46:23,600
we’ve received reflect on the
high calling that we drawn to

714
00:46:23,600 –> 00:46:27,100
you.
The Excellence, The Virtue, the

715
00:46:27,100 –> 00:46:29,700
beauty of his son.
Our lord Jesus.

716
00:46:30,600 –> 00:46:34,100
Although he was and all that he
is today.

717
00:46:36,000 –> 00:46:38,800
I found a thought comes from
Philippians chapter 4.

718
00:46:50,400 –> 00:46:53,400
We mentioned, this is the fourth
place where this little word are

719
00:46:53,400 –> 00:46:56,300
at a is used in New Testament,
scripture.

720
00:46:57,300 –> 00:47:00,800
Finally Brethren verse 8.
Whatsoever.

721
00:47:00,800 –> 00:47:04,600
Things are true whatsoever.
Things are honest.

722
00:47:05,700 –> 00:47:08,600
Whatsoever.
Things are just whatsoever,

723
00:47:08,600 –> 00:47:11,300
things are pure.
Whatsoever.

724
00:47:11,300 –> 00:47:16,900
Things are lovely whatsoever,
things are of good report. if

725
00:47:16,900 –> 00:47:21,400
there be any are attained, If
there be any virtue or

726
00:47:21,400 –> 00:47:24,000
Excellence, if there be any
price.

727
00:47:25,000 –> 00:47:42,600
Think on these things.
Thank you for listening to the

728
00:47:42,607 –> 00:47:44,400
good christadelphians talks
podcast.

729
00:47:45,200 –> 00:47:47,200
We hope this talk helped you in
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730
00:47:47,600 –> 00:47:50,000
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731
00:47:50,000 –> 00:47:52,800
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732
00:47:52,800 –> 00:47:55,500
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00:47:55,500 –> 00:47:58,200
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00:47:58,200 –> 00:48:00,800
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00:48:00,800 –> 00:48:03,400
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736
00:48:03,400 –> 00:48:06,800
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00:48:06,800 –> 00:48:10,400
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738
00:48:11,500 –> 00:48:13,900
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00:48:13,900 –> 00:48:16,700
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00:48:21,100 –> 00:48:24,400
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743
00:48:26,400 –> 00:48:28,500
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747
00:48:37,800 –> 00:48:39,900
God bless and talk to you next
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