283: Ben McKay – Exhoration: A People Who Are Truly His

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Welcome to Good Chris Selfie and
talks.

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I’m Levi.
And I’m Chris.

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And I’m Brian.
Thank you for joining us this

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week.
On this podcast, we select one

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

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

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short intro beforehand to kind
of set the stage for the talk

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you’re about to listen to.
And now, let’s talk more about

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this week’s talk.
This week’s talk is an

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exhortation by Brother Ben McKay
that he gave at the Cambridge

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Collegia in Ontario, Canada on
January 7th.

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His title was a People Who are
truly His.

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This exhortation was one of
those rare treats for me where

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we I actually got two
suggestions.

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One came in to our e-mail and
then another one came to me

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personally and this was a really
great exhortation by Brother

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Ben.
He has a really clear and easy

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to understand style.
He opens talking about proper

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motivations for why we should
love God and listen to him and

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follow His commandments.
And then it’s kind of a a really

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kind of practical understanding
of the entire New Testament.

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After that I found just he kind
of weaves through all sorts of

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different passages talking about
that exactly what does it mean

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to be transformed and to live
like Christ.

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So this was a really great
decision.

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I’m really excited to share it.
Thanks again to the people who

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sent it in.
Please do continue to send us

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those suggestions.
We live off them.

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So here is Ben McKay, a people
who are truly his.

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What’s your motivation to obey
God?

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Is it to escape punishment for
sin?

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Is it to be in the Kingdom to
live eternally?

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Or is it to do our fathers good
pleasure.

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Well, let’s let’s think about
those.

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Let’s let’s start with fearing
punishment for sin.

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If you’ll turn with me to 2nd
Corinthians chapter 5 Second

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Corinthians chapter 5 verses 9
to 11.

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Therefore we make it our aim,
whether present or absent, to be

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well pleasing to him.
For we must all appear before

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the judgement seat of Christ,
that each one may receive the

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things done in the body
according to what he has done,

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whether good or bad.
Knowing therefore the terror of

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the Lord.
We persuade men, but we are well

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known to God, and I also trust
are well known in your

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consciousness.
So God does want us to stop

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sinning, and fear of death is a
big motivator for not sinning

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fear of the punishment.
But does God want this to be

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what keeps us obeying his
commands?

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Well what about being rewarded
for good works we read in

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Matthew 16, verse 27.
For the Son of Man will come in

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the glory of his Father with his
angels, and then he will reward

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each according to his works.
The rewards promised to those

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who believe and obey could be
motivating.

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For us eternal life and the joy
of being united together with

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God, Jesus, and our fellow
believers in Paradise.

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The Bible talks about how we
will be each held accountable.

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We will be rewarded for our
actions of service and punished

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for our wrongs.
There will be an accounting of

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our life.
Turn with me to Colossians 3 and

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we’ll read verses 23 to 25 of
Colossians 3.

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And whatever you do, do it
heartily as to the Lord and not

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to men, knowing that from the
Lord you will receive the reward

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of the inheritance, for you
serve the Lord Christ, but he

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who does wrong will be repaid
for what he has done, and there

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is no partiality.
And then if you’ll jump over to

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Hebrews chapter four with me,
and verses 12 to 13 of Hebrews

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4.
For the word of God is living

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and powerful and sharper than
any two edged sword, piercing

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even to the division of soul and
spirit and of joints and marrow,

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and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the

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heart.
And there is no creature hidden

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from his sight, but all things
are naked and open to the eyes

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of him to whom we must give
account, and further on in

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Hebrews 12 and verse 28.
Therefore, since we are

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receiving a Kingdom which cannot
be shaken, let us have grace, by

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which we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and

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godly fear.
So is this what drives us to

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obey God’s commands, either the
carrot or the stick?

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I don’t think these alone are
enough.

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These are elements which might
motivate us initially or when we

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are really struggling.
But really we must move on to

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more powerful motivations.
So what about love?

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Let’s look at First John chapter
4 and verses 16 to 19 of first

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John Four.
And we have known and believed

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the love that God has for us.
God is love and he who abides in

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love abides in God and God in
Him.

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Love has been perfected among us
in this that we may have

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boldness in the Day of
Judgement, because as he is, so

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are we in this world.
There is No Fear in love, but

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perfect love casts out fear
because fear involves torment.

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But he who fears has not been
made perfect in love.

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We love him because he first
loved us.

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So if our love for the Father is
perfected, we will be sure that

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the Day of Judgement will not be
bad for us.

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Our perfect love will cast out
fear.

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And the reason is because we
love God as He loves us.

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So it’s not just the fear, but
the reward is also not the

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answer on its own.
Because when humanity thinks of

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paradise, what do we think of
we?

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We tend to picture leisure,
abundance, no stress, no work.

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But both fear of punishment and
desire for reward are driven by

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our own self-interest, and the
paradise that we imagine appeals

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to our lazy laziness and our
covetousness, and so on.

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Why would God ask us to obey His
commands and deny our fleshly

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desires only to reward our
fleshly desires?

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So rather than giving us an
eternal vacation, God is using

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this life to train us to embody
His principles in the Kingdom.

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We will use these traits daily
in service to Him.

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Throughout the New Testament, we
are reminded repeatedly to walk

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worthy of this calling.
There are certainly rewards in

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the Kingdom and punishment to be
avoided at the judgement, but

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they are not as important as the
purpose that God has for us in

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the Kingdom.
Let’s look at Matthew 19 verses

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27 to 30 of Matthew 19.
Then Peter answered and said to

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him, See, we have left all and
followed you.

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Therefore what shall we have?
So Jesus said to them, assuredly

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I say to you that in the
regeneration, when the Son of

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Man sits on the throne of his
glory, you who have followed me

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will also sit on 12 Thrones
judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

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And everyone who has left houses
or brothers or sisters or

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father, or mother or wife or
children or lands for my name’s

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sake shall receive a hundredfold
and inherit eternal life.

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But many who are first will be
last and the last first.

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So we see some reward here, but
we also see some of the the

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roles.
So the the apostles and those

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who have left behind will, will
receive, but they will also have

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these positions.
If we look at Titus chapter 3

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and verses 7 to 8 of Titus
three, that having been

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justified by His grace, we
should become heirs according to

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the hope of eternal life.
This is a faithful saying.

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And these things I want you to
affirm constantly that those who

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have believed in God should be
careful to maintain good works.

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These things are good and
profitable to men.

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And I’ll just read for you first
Thessalonians 2, verse 12, that

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you would walk worthy of God who
calls you into His own Kingdom

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and glory.
So why do we need to walk worthy

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of God?
Because our character and who we

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are, the things that we value,
the behavior that we show in our

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life is critical to the Kingdom.
So we need to follow Christ.

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We need to be ready to leave
behind the things and people of

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this life.
We need to maintain good works

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and walk worthy of the calling.
When we are spiritually mature,

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we will move beyond the
punishment and reward motivators

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and look to the awesome wisdom
of God’s principles.

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We will come to love God and His
purpose with the earth.

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And then we can really begin to
fundamentally change ourselves,

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because rather than being
fixated only on the reward or

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fleeing the punishment in fear,
we will be internalizing God’s

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principles and systematically
changing our habits to match

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that of His Son we read in First
Peter 2 verse 21.

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For to this you were called
because Christ also suffered for

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us, leaving us an example that
you should follow His steps.

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If you’ll turn with me to
Ephesians chapter 4, and we’ll

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read verses 11 to 13 in
Ephesians 4.

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And he himself He gave some to
the to be apostles, some

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prophets, some evangelists, and
some pastors and teachers, for

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the equipping of the Saints for
the work of ministry, for the

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edifying of the body of Christ.
Till we all come to the unity of

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the faith and of the knowledge
of the Son of God.

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To a perfect man, to the measure
of the stature of the fullness

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of Christ.
And jumping down to verse 22.

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That you put off concerning your
former conduct, the old man

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which grows corrupt according to
the deceitful lusts, and be

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renewed in the spirit of your
mind.

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And that you put on the new man
which was created according to

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God, in true righteousness and
holiness, and jumping into

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Ephesians. 5 The first verse.
Therefore be imitators of God as

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dear children and walk in love
as Christ also has loved us and

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given himself for us an offering
and a sacrifice to God for a

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sweet smelling aroma.
So God has called all of us to

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develop our skills and our
attitudes so that we might be

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united in the Kingdom, not just
together, not just physically in

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the same place, but completely
united in purpose and character.

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So to do so we have to put off
our former conduct and be

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renewed in our minds, imitating
Christ’s behavior and His love.

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In so doing we will become
Christ’s brethren and will be

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conformed to His image, like we
read in Romans 8 verse 29, For

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whom He foreknew He also
predestined to be conformed to

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the image of his Son, that he
might be the first born among

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many brethren.
So God in his foreknowledge

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predestined us to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that

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same image of the perfect man.
So the the beauty of the Kingdom

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is a place that is filled with
perfect people who don’t hurt

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each other, who don’t inflict
suffering on others and

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themselves.
The Kingdom of people who work

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together in harmony to worship
their Creator and celebrate the

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beauty and majesty of His
creation, where God’s love

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infuses everything and Christ is
truly the first born.

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Among many brethren and sisters
who all share His perfect

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character, Christ himself tells
us that we will be like Him.

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Luke 6 verse 40, we read a
disciple is not above his

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teacher, but everyone who is
perfectly trained will be like

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his teacher.
It sounds incredible.

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Now imagine this place filled
with people who don’t really

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enjoy serving God, who grumble
about doing any kind of work,

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whether it’s for their job, for
their family, or for the

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ecclesia.
People with no patience, who

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want to be served and indulged
in whatever they like, whatever

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they feel like.
Because that’s their reward for

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a life of doing good.
People who don’t do bad things

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only when they think they’ll get
caught.

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Or people who do good things
only so that they will get

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something for it.
Can you imagine it?

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I would think it shouldn’t be
too hard.

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It’s basically the world we live
in, as has existed for thousands

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of years.
You if you basically cloned me

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and filled the Kingdom with me,
that’s what it would probably

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look like.
Nobody wants to go there.

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So the problem is that if the
people filling the place are

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like this, it wouldn’t be a
wonderful place.

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And if it was this wonderful
place of people doing God’s will

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and one person there wasn’t
really interested in God’s

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purpose or or serving him, they
wouldn’t really want to be

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there.
They’d be filled with all these

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perfect people, but there there
would be discord.

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Now God has instructed us and
how we should act because it is

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how we must behave in the
Kingdom.

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And when we really dig into
understanding His principles it

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will change us so that we
understand the value of this

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00:17:29,160 –> 00:17:34,240
behavior.
In Hebrews 11 we have listed for

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00:17:34,240 –> 00:17:38,680
us the example of many such
faithful believers, and it ends

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00:17:38,680 –> 00:17:44,400
with the following in verses
verse 39 of Hebrews 11.

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And all these having obtained a
good testimony through faith,

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00:17:49,760 –> 00:17:53,760
did not receive the promise.
God having provided something

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00:17:53,760 –> 00:17:56,760
better for us, that they should
not be made perfect apart from

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00:17:56,760 –> 00:18:02,800
us, and continuing into Hebrews.
12 Therefore we also, since we

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are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay

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aside every weight and the sin
which so easily be ensnares us.

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And let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us,

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looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who

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for the joy that was set before
him, endured the cross,

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despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the

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throne of God.
So how do we run with endurance

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this race, and ensure that we
are continuously changing

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00:18:32,320 –> 00:18:35,640
ourselves to become more like
the Lord Jesus Christ?

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00:18:37,360 –> 00:18:44,160
Well, we reflect on the emblems
weekly we meet together with

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00:18:44,520 –> 00:18:47,400
like minded believers, our
brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Let’s think about some example
in Scripture.

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What about Moses?
Over his lifetime he certainly

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00:18:57,800 –> 00:19:00,600
grew and developed his character
in service to our Heavenly

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00:19:00,600 –> 00:19:04,360
Father.
We read a little earlier here in

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Hebrews 11, verse 24 by faith
and reading from the NET

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00:19:10,480 –> 00:19:14,440
translation by faith.
When he grew up, Moses refused

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00:19:14,440 –> 00:19:17,400
to be called the son of
Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing

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00:19:17,400 –> 00:19:21,120
rather to be ill treated with
the people of God than to enjoy

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00:19:21,120 –> 00:19:25,640
sin’s fleeting pleasure.
He regarded abuse suffered for

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00:19:25,640 –> 00:19:29,760
Christ to be greater wealth than
the treasures of Egypt, for his

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00:19:29,760 –> 00:19:36,600
eyes were fixed on the reward.
Moses eyes were fixed on the

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00:19:36,600 –> 00:19:43,840
reward, but he also he had so
much of the of the reward that

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00:19:43,840 –> 00:19:48,320
we see in the world around us.
He refused that reward.

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00:19:48,320 –> 00:19:50,840
He refused to be one of
Pharaoh’s children.

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We also see this this refusal in
a number of places, but we will.

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00:19:57,880 –> 00:20:08,320
Let’s take a look at Titus 2
verses 11 of 14 of Titus New and

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again this one will be from the
net, for the grace of God has

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appeared bringing salvation to
all people.

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00:20:18,600 –> 00:20:22,680
It trains us to reject godless
ways and worldly desires and to

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00:20:22,680 –> 00:20:25,880
live self controlled, upright
and godly lives in the present

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00:20:25,880 –> 00:20:31,080
age as we wait for the happy
fulfilment of our hope in the

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00:20:31,080 –> 00:20:34,560
glorious appearing of our great
God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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He gave himself for us, to set
us free from every kind of

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00:20:39,120 –> 00:20:44,240
lawlessness and to purify for
Himself a people who are truly

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00:20:44,240 –> 00:20:54,560
His, who are eager to do good.
Now those 3 verses in four

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00:20:54,560 –> 00:20:57,720
verses in Titus, I could have
just read instead of giving this

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00:20:57,720 –> 00:21:03,080
exhort and sat down because they
sum it up beautifully.

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It’s such an amazing picture to
think of being one of the people

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00:21:06,640 –> 00:21:10,920
in that Kingdom who are truly
Jesus’s who are eager to do

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00:21:10,920 –> 00:21:15,880
good.
We also see this refusal in

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00:21:15,880 –> 00:21:26,840
Second Corinthians chapter 4,
reading from 14 to 18 of Second

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00:21:26,840 –> 00:21:31,680
Corinthians chapter 4.
Knowing that he who raised up

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00:21:31,680 –> 00:21:35,240
the Lord Jesus will also raise
us up with Jesus, and will

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00:21:35,240 –> 00:21:39,280
present us with you, for all
things are for your sakes.

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00:21:39,280 –> 00:21:42,000
That grace, having spread
through the many, may cause

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00:21:42,000 –> 00:21:44,360
Thanksgiving to abound to the
glory of God.

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Therefore we do not lose heart,
even though our outward man is

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00:21:49,320 –> 00:21:53,600
perishing, yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day.

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For our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, is working

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00:21:58,280 –> 00:22:03,080
for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory, while

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00:22:03,080 –> 00:22:05,720
we do not look at the things
which are seen, but at the

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00:22:05,720 –> 00:22:08,760
things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen

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00:22:08,760 –> 00:22:12,760
are temporary, but the things
which are not seen are eternal.

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00:22:15,560 –> 00:22:18,040
How do we renew ourselves day by
day?

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00:22:19,000 –> 00:22:20,920
How do we keep ourselves on
track?

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00:22:23,440 –> 00:22:26,320
Well, we know that we read God’s
word for guidance.

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00:22:26,640 –> 00:22:29,800
We ask questions we share with
our brothers and sisters, and we

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00:22:29,800 –> 00:22:34,960
keep going after setbacks.
We read in Second Timothy 2,

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00:22:34,960 –> 00:22:38,480
verse 15, to be diligent, to
present yourself approved to

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00:22:38,480 –> 00:22:42,320
God, a worker who does not need
to be ashamed, rightly dividing

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00:22:42,320 –> 00:22:48,480
the word of truth.
And truly, God wants us to hate

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00:22:48,480 –> 00:22:52,400
evil, to hate sin.
If we love sin, we are not

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00:22:52,400 –> 00:22:56,200
following Christ’s example.
It’s not just about not doing

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00:22:56,200 –> 00:22:59,600
the sin because we’re not told
to or because we’re told not to.

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00:23:00,480 –> 00:23:03,800
If we really embody God’s
principles, we will hate the sin

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00:23:03,800 –> 00:23:05,960
because we understand it is
evil.

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00:23:06,360 –> 00:23:10,000
Sin is destructive and harmful.
There’s very good reason to hate

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00:23:10,000 –> 00:23:15,200
it and fight against it.
We’re told to abhor what is evil

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00:23:15,200 –> 00:23:20,200
and cling to what is good.
We’re also told that if we love

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00:23:20,200 –> 00:23:22,160
this life, we have missed the
point.

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00:23:22,960 –> 00:23:27,120
Jesus tells us he who loves his
life will lose it and he who

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00:23:27,320 –> 00:23:30,280
hates his life in this world
will keep it for eternal life.

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00:23:31,400 –> 00:23:34,360
He says if anyone serves me, let
him follow me.

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00:23:34,960 –> 00:23:36,800
Where I am.
There my servant will be.

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00:23:36,800 –> 00:23:39,200
Also.
If anyone serves me him, my

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00:23:39,200 –> 00:23:44,960
father will honor that was from
John 12 verses 25 to 26.

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00:23:46,120 –> 00:23:49,280
So if we aren’t progressively
changing and putting to death

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00:23:49,280 –> 00:23:51,960
sin in our lives, we aren’t
following Christ.

306
00:23:54,520 –> 00:23:57,280
Now, I’m not telling you any new
information here.

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00:23:57,480 –> 00:23:59,920
We’re all aware that we need to
change to be like Christ.

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00:24:01,480 –> 00:24:04,440
But when we are working on
changing specific aspects for

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00:24:04,440 –> 00:24:07,400
character to be more like
Christ, we can’t have an all or

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00:24:07,400 –> 00:24:10,880
nothing mentality where we
stumble on our process and then

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00:24:10,880 –> 00:24:14,320
feel like we’ve failed or given
up and give up.

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00:24:14,800 –> 00:24:16,720
We’re very likely going to
stumble.

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00:24:18,400 –> 00:24:22,000
It’s what we do after and how we
turn to God for real strength

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00:24:22,000 –> 00:24:26,320
that we carry on.
We all want to be like Christ,

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00:24:26,320 –> 00:24:29,320
and we’re all very well aware of
how much we fall short of that

316
00:24:29,320 –> 00:24:34,040
goal.
We can’t allow that to be an

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00:24:34,040 –> 00:24:38,120
excuse for us to give up.
God wants us to keep trying and

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00:24:38,120 –> 00:24:40,120
keep struggling to be like his
son.

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00:24:41,080 –> 00:24:46,840
He’s given us the command, He He
says we have to obey his

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00:24:46,840 –> 00:24:52,080
commands, and for us it’s a it’s
a process that takes time and

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00:24:52,080 –> 00:24:56,840
patience, and it’s best if we
plan for how to recover when we

322
00:24:56,840 –> 00:25:00,040
stumble so we can carry on with
changing our behaviour rather

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00:25:00,040 –> 00:25:03,680
than wallowing in our mistakes
and furthering our sinful

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00:25:03,680 –> 00:25:09,680
behaviour.
We’re told in 2nd Corinthians 3

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00:25:09,680 –> 00:25:15,000
that we all, with unveiled face
Beholding as an emir the glory

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00:25:15,000 –> 00:25:19,040
of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image

327
00:25:19,040 –> 00:25:22,560
from glory to glory, just as by
the Spirit of the Lord.

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00:25:24,800 –> 00:25:28,680
And in our reading of Acts 7
earlier, we saw the process of

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00:25:28,680 –> 00:25:30,600
change for the patriarchs of
Israel.

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00:25:31,680 –> 00:25:34,360
Abraham was called out from the
land he knew to a different

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00:25:34,360 –> 00:25:38,640
land, which was not given to him
as an inheritance in his life.

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00:25:38,640 –> 00:25:41,800
Instead, he received a promise
of the Kingdom to come.

333
00:25:43,120 –> 00:25:46,120
Abraham’s life was about
learning to trust in God, and he

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00:25:46,120 –> 00:25:49,560
sometimes repeated the same
mistakes, but he did learn to

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00:25:49,560 –> 00:25:53,680
fully trust in God.
Moses thought he could lead the

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00:25:53,680 –> 00:25:56,800
people and be their savior, but
his first attempt was

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00:25:56,800 –> 00:26:00,760
unsuccessful.
He rejected the things of

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00:26:00,760 –> 00:26:03,400
Pharaoh’s house and learned to
be the meekest man on earth.

339
00:26:03,760 –> 00:26:06,840
He learned self-control and a
willingness to submit to God.

340
00:26:07,200 –> 00:26:12,520
Though it came through some very
hard lessons, it was a process

341
00:26:12,520 –> 00:26:17,280
that took most of his life.
In contrast to these two, we see

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00:26:17,720 –> 00:26:20,480
Stephen’s rebuke of the
Israelites because, just like

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00:26:20,480 –> 00:26:24,280
their forefathers, they
stubbornly refused to change.

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00:26:25,000 –> 00:26:27,800
They resisted God’s ways, and
they even persecuted and

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00:26:27,800 –> 00:26:29,720
murdered those who tried to
change them.

346
00:26:31,920 –> 00:26:35,400
And then those listening
proceeded to do the same thing

347
00:26:35,400 –> 00:26:39,080
as their forefathers.
We also saw the example of the

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00:26:39,080 –> 00:26:43,640
Jews at the time who fixated on
avoiding breaking the Mosaic Law

349
00:26:43,640 –> 00:26:46,880
but failed to develop the godly
character that we are called to.

350
00:26:49,840 –> 00:26:53,600
Our transformation into the
image of Jesus cannot only be

351
00:26:53,600 –> 00:26:58,240
putting down sin and just
obeying the law.

352
00:26:58,240 –> 00:27:01,520
We must also be building up
godly character and habits, and

353
00:27:01,520 –> 00:27:04,520
to do that we need to both
change our thinking and

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00:27:04,520 –> 00:27:07,840
intentionally introduce new
behavior and habits into our

355
00:27:07,840 –> 00:27:12,680
life to replace the bad.
We know our thoughts drive our

356
00:27:12,680 –> 00:27:15,920
actions, so we must bring them
into captivity and control them.

357
00:27:17,320 –> 00:27:21,760
We’re told in 2nd Corinthians 10
verse five, to cast down

358
00:27:21,760 –> 00:27:25,240
arguments and every high thing
that exalts itself against the

359
00:27:25,240 –> 00:27:29,160
knowledge of God, bringing every
thought into captivity to the

360
00:27:29,200 –> 00:27:35,960
obedience of Christ.
And when we bring those thoughts

361
00:27:35,960 –> 00:27:41,160
into captivity, and when we
drive out those temptations,

362
00:27:41,160 –> 00:27:45,720
When we drive out those evil
thoughts from our minds, we must

363
00:27:45,720 –> 00:27:52,040
replace them with good things.
Let’s look at Philippians 4

364
00:27:52,040 –> 00:28:03,040
verse eight reading from
Philippians 4, verse 8.

365
00:28:03,640 –> 00:28:08,600
Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true, whatever things

366
00:28:08,600 –> 00:28:14,080
are noble, whatever things are
just, whatever things are pure,

367
00:28:15,160 –> 00:28:19,120
whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good,

368
00:28:19,120 –> 00:28:22,360
report.
If there is any virtue and if

369
00:28:22,360 –> 00:28:26,120
there is anything praiseworthy,
meditate on these things.

370
00:28:28,520 –> 00:28:32,400
And if we change our mentality,
if we meditate on these things,

371
00:28:33,720 –> 00:28:39,800
the fruit will follow the fruit
of the Spirit, We’re told in

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00:28:39,800 –> 00:28:45,560
Galatians 5 verses 22 to 23.
The fruit of the Spirit is

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00:28:45,560 –> 00:28:52,640
Lovejoy, Peace, long-suffering,
kindness, goodness,

374
00:28:53,200 –> 00:28:56,840
faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control.

375
00:28:58,040 –> 00:29:03,840
Against such there is no law.
So I’d like to ask everyone here

376
00:29:03,840 –> 00:29:10,600
to take a moment to reflect.
Think of one of your traits or

377
00:29:10,600 –> 00:29:15,760
characteristics that you think
is the most like the fruit of

378
00:29:15,760 –> 00:29:21,160
the Spirit, one that you are
embodying or showing that fruit

379
00:29:21,160 –> 00:29:25,240
in your life, and therefore the
most like Jesus.

380
00:29:25,240 –> 00:29:27,680
And I’ll repeat the fruit for
you, Lovejoy.

381
00:29:30,560 –> 00:29:39,000
Peace, long-suffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,

382
00:29:39,720 –> 00:30:04,260
gentleness, self-control.
And now I’d like to ask you to

383
00:30:04,260 –> 00:30:09,580
take a moment to reflect on what
you know is the fruit of the

384
00:30:09,580 –> 00:30:16,920
Spirit that you least embody in
your life, the fruit that you

385
00:30:16,920 –> 00:30:20,360
don’t show and therefore makes
you the least like Jesus.

386
00:30:48,760 –> 00:30:54,840
So the reason I’m asking is
because we have this process of

387
00:30:54,840 –> 00:30:58,680
continually changing,
continually struggling against

388
00:30:58,720 –> 00:31:03,640
the sin which so easily besets
us in adopting the character

389
00:31:03,920 –> 00:31:08,640
we’re told to that we should be
renewed day by day, that we

390
00:31:08,640 –> 00:31:14,160
should take up the cross daily.
And reflecting on the fruit of

391
00:31:14,160 –> 00:31:21,720
the Spirit, we should see the
fruit in our life and in in the

392
00:31:21,720 –> 00:31:25,720
fruit that we don’t see.
We should reflect on why we

393
00:31:25,720 –> 00:31:31,080
don’t see it in our life and how
we can, how we can have it, how

394
00:31:31,080 –> 00:31:35,880
we can build it and how we can
reflect it in our life.

395
00:31:38,280 –> 00:31:40,960
And that process, as we said,
takes time.

396
00:31:45,720 –> 00:31:52,720
Now for each of us, we have the
we have been called to reflect

397
00:31:52,720 –> 00:31:57,600
this in our life.
And whatever that fruit is that

398
00:31:57,600 –> 00:32:01,560
you find is most likely or
whatever it is that you find,

399
00:32:01,560 –> 00:32:07,720
you have the most of work on.
Both of them work on, focus on

400
00:32:08,080 –> 00:32:13,400
what you need to improve and
work on steps to do so.

401
00:32:14,040 –> 00:32:16,080
That is what each of us needs to
do.

402
00:32:16,320 –> 00:32:24,160
We have to continuously reflect
on these things and not just say

403
00:32:24,160 –> 00:32:27,640
that we need them to be better,
but to actually determine

404
00:32:27,640 –> 00:32:32,240
concrete steps that we can take
in our life to put off the old

405
00:32:32,240 –> 00:32:37,800
man and to put on the new man.
And if we have success in

406
00:32:37,800 –> 00:32:41,480
changing them, or if we find
that you know there is a fruit

407
00:32:41,480 –> 00:32:45,120
that we are demonstrating, we
can share it.

408
00:32:45,200 –> 00:32:48,200
We can tell others about our
experience and offer strategies,

409
00:32:48,200 –> 00:32:52,040
offer help.
Let’s not keep the light of

410
00:32:52,040 –> 00:32:55,400
God’s word hidden either from
non believers or from our

411
00:32:55,400 –> 00:33:02,480
brothers and sisters.
Jesus told us to imitate him and

412
00:33:02,480 –> 00:33:07,520
Paul actually says to imitate
him just as he imitates Christ.

413
00:33:09,800 –> 00:33:16,360
He He tells the Corinthians that
each of us should imitate Christ

414
00:33:16,400 –> 00:33:23,960
and each one of us should teach
and others in how we are

415
00:33:24,200 –> 00:33:28,000
imitating.
So no matter who you are, if you

416
00:33:28,000 –> 00:33:31,120
have a desire to be like Christ,
then you will have some valuable

417
00:33:31,120 –> 00:33:33,080
way to help others with their
struggles.

418
00:33:36,920 –> 00:33:39,040
So let’s review our thoughts
this morning.

419
00:33:42,600 –> 00:33:45,080
What motivates us to live a
godly life?

420
00:33:45,960 –> 00:33:50,480
Is it fear?
Is it desire for reward, that

421
00:33:50,480 –> 00:33:52,600
love for God and love for His
ways?

422
00:33:54,760 –> 00:33:57,920
We know the Kingdom is designed
for people who love God’s ways,

423
00:33:58,760 –> 00:34:02,120
as God’s ways are the only way
for a perfect society.

424
00:34:02,600 –> 00:34:05,760
People who love to serve God and
obey His commands out of love

425
00:34:05,760 –> 00:34:10,000
for Him and love for the wisdom
of His ways are who He wants in

426
00:34:10,000 –> 00:34:13,360
His Kingdom.
That’s what we need to be

427
00:34:13,360 –> 00:34:15,239
working toward throughout our
lives.

428
00:34:18,560 –> 00:34:21,239
We thought of the example of
Abraham and Moses and the

429
00:34:21,239 –> 00:34:24,920
Israelites in Jesus time and how
they each changed or didn’t.

430
00:34:28,800 –> 00:34:31,520
We thought about how we can
apply this motivation to

431
00:34:31,520 –> 00:34:36,080
actually change in our life.
Well, we have to hate sin, and

432
00:34:36,080 –> 00:34:38,560
we have to love doing what is
pleasing to God.

433
00:34:42,760 –> 00:34:45,719
We thought about how overcoming
obstacles needs to be part of

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00:34:45,719 –> 00:34:52,719
our plan, that we need to plan
for these things and be willing

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00:34:52,719 –> 00:34:57,360
to continue on and not to give
up when we encounter difficulty.

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00:34:59,400 –> 00:35:04,040
And we thought of the fruit of
the Spirit, and we thought about

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00:35:04,120 –> 00:35:08,480
implementing, changing, and
growing the fruit in our life.

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00:35:11,000 –> 00:35:13,760
Finally, let us remember that
Christ showed us the way and

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00:35:13,760 –> 00:35:15,480
what sort of people we should
become.

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00:35:15,960 –> 00:35:19,240
It’s up to us to make the choice
each day to take up the cross.

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00:35:19,840 –> 00:35:23,120
The citizens of the Kingdom of
God will be those who sacrificed

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00:35:23,120 –> 00:35:26,760
in their life like he did, to
bring glory to God and to put to

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00:35:26,760 –> 00:35:30,040
death sin so that the fruit of
the Spirit could flourish.

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00:35:30,800 –> 00:35:34,600
As we continue this process, it
is Christ who lives in US.

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00:35:38,440 –> 00:35:41,600
Finally, let’s read Galatians 2
verse 20.

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00:35:45,600 –> 00:35:55,600
That’s Galatians 2 verse 20.
I have been crucified with

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00:35:55,600 –> 00:35:59,000
Christ.
It is no longer I who live, but

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00:35:59,000 –> 00:36:03,640
Christ lives in me and the life
which I now live in the flesh.

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00:36:04,120 –> 00:36:09,040
I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave

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00:36:09,040 –> 00:36:30,170
himself for me.
Thank you for listening to the

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00:36:30,170 –> 00:36:31,810
good Chris Adelphian Talks
Podcast.

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00:36:32,570 –> 00:36:35,050
We hope this talk helped you in
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God bless and talk to you next
week.