Andrew Bramhill – Life-Changing Sayings of the Lord Jesus – Class 4 – Flawed Performance

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So Joe and the committee thought
they were getting a fifth study

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this evening.
It’s actually a 40 minute

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commercial followed by 5 minutes
of study.

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I, I, I did check with the
committee that I could do this.

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I’m just going to show you one
or two book recommendations

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because I’m a travelling book
salesman and here are my top

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tips available from the
Christadelphian office.

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All all tied in with the studies
that we’ve been doing this week.

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All available on the stall
outside.

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So Harry Tennant, Moses, my
servant, wonderful character

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study of of the the man Moses.
Top recommendation to go in in

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conjunction with Brother Mark’s
studies.

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Have those on the stall.
You may have come across this

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book, Women of the Bible that
sold very well this afternoon.

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I think we have one copy left,
but you will find in there

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chapters for each of the women
that Brother Luke has looked at

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this week.
If you’re not able to hurry to

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the stall and get the last copy
of Women of the Bible, you might

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be interested in Brother Dennis
Gillett’s book, which is called

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Of Hearts and Minds, but is
actually a collection of

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character studies.
And at least three of the women

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that Brother Luke has looked at
are covered in Brother Dennis’s

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book, So I I recommend that to
you.

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Sister Sharon Prince has done a
very recent book.

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You may have seen this.
It’s ostensibly aimed at

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sisters.
I think it’s worth the read for

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brothers and sisters.
This is how we undertake

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spiritual transformation.
You may find that of use.

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And here’s a nice collection of
excitations which brother Rod

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Hale has put together.
All of them are about the Lord

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Jesus Christ.
This do in remembrance of me,

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which is where we started our
studies last week.

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So I’d recommend those titles to
you.

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I’ve got a couple of others that
I just mentioned.

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In case you haven’t come across
these books, you may be

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interested in having a look at
these So brother Greg Palmer and

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Phil Shaw from Adelaide,
Australia.

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They produced this for us.
Hard questions, real answers.

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Just open up the book and cast
your eye down the contents page

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and have a look at the the range
of questions that they ask and

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provide answers to.
There is no difficult question

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that you might come across that
isn’t in their book.

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Have a look.
And the answers are great.

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So I recommend hard questions,
real answers if you haven’t seen

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that.
And my final recommendation, and

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I know there are only two of
these left on the book stall

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signs of the Times study guide.
OK, so that’s not a not a study

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guide, which is going to tell
you exactly what you need to

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know about prophecies and how
they will work out, but it’s a

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book which shares with you our
general understanding of

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prophecies and gives you some
guidance on how to interpret

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prophecies and understand
prophecies.

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So the Science of the time study
guide is well worth a look.

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So those are my top tips and I
I’ve got them all on the book

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stall outside and we’ll be open
a little bit later.

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So if you want to have any of
those books, please come and see

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us and we will be very happy to
take money off you.

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So that that’s mine.
Yeah.

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That’s my little advert.
Now, where were we?

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Is
it just behind?

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Oh, it is, is it?
Oh, yes.

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Oh.
Oh, it looks like I will have to

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proceed.
Right.

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OK.
We’re, we’re talking then about

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flawed performance.
That’s, that’s going to be our

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last little subject together as
we consider our life changing

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sayings of the Lord Jesus
Christ.

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And thank you all for your, your
patience.

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You’ve, you’ve listened to me
very carefully.

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You’ve paid attention, you’ve
come and asked questions of me

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and made some really nice
comments.

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And I’m, I’m very grateful for
all your contributions.

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And, and there were a number of
things that we were trying to do

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together this week.
I, I was trying to get you to

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appreciate that our
concentration should be on him

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and not on ourselves.
He is the means whereby we can

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be saved.
I’ve tried to emphasise that he

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is on our side and he wants to
help.

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The Almighty wants us to be in
the Kingdom.

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Failure, of which there is
plenty, flawed performance, of

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which there is a lot, is not
condemned, it’s overcome by his

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sacrifice.
But we are all encouraged to

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move on to better things.
We are all encouraged to use

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what talents, what things we’ve
got, even if it’s the smallest

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of offerings, so that the
Almighty can take that and do

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something with it.
We are called upon to be

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volunteers in His service and,
and, and that’s where we need to

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be.
But there is this nagging doubt

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isn’t that we are all people
with flawed performance.

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Our our discipleship is one of
regular disappointment and

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failure.
Standards are high, particularly

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when you look at the Lord Jesus.
And maybe you’ve got to Thursday

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evening at UKYC and you’ve
looked around and you’ve seen a

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lot of skill, a lot of talent, a
lot of spirituality, a lot of

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really good people.
You’ll talk to individuals

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who’ve done an awful lot, often
in the service of their Lord.

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And each time you have these
conversations, you just feel

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you’re getting smaller and
smaller because what can ioffer

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by comparison?
And and it’s tricky, isn’t it?

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And we have this low opinion of
ourselves.

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So I want to show you that
tonight everybody is in the same

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boat.
Two more sayings, our final two

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sayings that we’ll have this
evening, life changing sayings

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of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And just in case we we don’t get

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to it, let’s get it on the
screen at this stage.

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This is 1.
I want you to be mindful of

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please.
He that is least among you all

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the same shall be great.
So that’s where we’re going to

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start this evening.
Would you join me please in Luke

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Chapter 9, where we’re with the
Lord Jesus Christ and his

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disciples and I, I want to show
you that even these great

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apostles who would go on and do
marvelous things in witnessing

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to the truth.
And when you read the, the the

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account of the Acts of the
Apostles, it’s the most

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wonderful, energetic book.
People who are all of a sudden

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transformed from being weak,
nervous, scared disciples at the

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time of the crucifixion to
unbounding, energetic,

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enthusiastic, unstoppable
preachers who will witness to

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the Lord whatever the
consequences.

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While we meet them here in Luke
Chapter 9.

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And if you look at about verse
28 that we start to have the

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account of the of the
Transfiguration.

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And the Transfiguration, of
course, sees the Lord Jesus

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Christ go up into a mountain and
he takes with him in verse 28,

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Peter and John and James, these
closest disciples, these three

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who were closest to him.
And he went up into a mountain

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to pray.
And as he does so, his his

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appearance changes.
He is transfigured and

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glorified.
That’s the word Peter uses.

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The disciple saw him in his
glory.

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Moses and Elijah join in, and
they’re going to encourage the

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Lord as he faces the final
months of his ministry.

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And Peter and James and John are
absolutely dumbstruck.

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Really, they don’t know what’s
going on.

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And this is a vision of the
Kingdom because it’s the Lord

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Jesus Christ glorified.
This is the time when he will

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reign as king in all his glory
and will concentrate on filling

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the earth with God’s glory.
And Peter and James and John

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witness this.
They they see this wonderful

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transfiguration and are shaken
by it.

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This is quite a special thing.
So it begins with the vision of

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the Kingdom.
And we’ve talked about that this

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week about keeping the vision
burning brightly.

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And the disciples now six months
before Christ is crucified, only

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six months.
I know we’re only in Luke

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Chapter 9, but there’s only six
months to go before Jesus is

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crucified.
And they see this marvellous

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vision and they share it with
the Lord on the mountain top.

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But when they come down from the
mountain, verse 43, halfway

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through that verse, new
paragraph starts while they

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wondered everyone at all things
which Jesus did, he said unto

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the disciples, Let these sayings
sink down into your ears, for

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the Son of Man should be
delivered into the hands of men.

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And in other places, you know he
expounds on that and he talks

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about what they will actually
face at Jerusalem.

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The Son of Man is going to be
delivered up and verse 4345.

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Sorry tells us that they
understood not this saying so

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the disciples didn’t get it.
They just had a vision of the

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glory and the Lord Jesus Christ
as they’ve come down and said,

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yes, but to get there, I have to
go to the cross, that there’s a

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one difficult step, one large
step, which is for me to go to

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the cross.
And you need to understand that

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disciples, this is a huge thing
to get to the Kingdom.

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I have to be crucified.
And it’s going to have a major

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effect on you.
And it’s going to embellish

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this, this teaching over the
coming months.

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And each time he mentions it, he
says it’s going to be more

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difficult.
I’m going to be arrested, I’m

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going to be beaten, I’m going to
be tried, I’m going to be

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crucified and I’m going to be
raised again on the third day.

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And he teaches it in words of 1
syllable.

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He could not say it more simply.
And they don’t get it.

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So it’s all right for us.
Now we look back on it and we

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can, we can see what it means.
But for them, this, this

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marvellous man, this wonderful
preacher, this man who had

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seemingly all power was going to
be taken and crucified.

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And what’s this about coming out
of the grave three days later?

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What?
What does he mean by that?

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They, they were puzzled.
So a vision of the Kingdom, but

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to get there we have to go to
the cross.

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And what’s the reaction of the
disciples?

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What’s the reaction of the
disciples?

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Verse 46, There arose A
reasoning among them which of

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them should be greatest.
Can’t you just sense the

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disappointment at that?
At that moment?

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Christ given them this vision of
the Kingdom.

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He’s tried to explain the steps
He’s got to go through to get

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there, to get them there.
And their priority is who will

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be greatest Lord, who, who,
who’s who’s going to be the best

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in the Kingdom of God?
Who’s going to be the greatest?

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Who’s going to have the most
important position?

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Doesn’t that seek sound to you
as a, as a, as a rather

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disappointing position that
these disciples are taking that

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that the Lord might have hoped
for more?

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And yet that’s where the
disciples are now.

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We shouldn’t be quick to judge
these disciples.

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It’s easy for us to sit here and
say, fancy concentrating on

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who’s going to be the best,
who’s going to be the greatest.

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Well, at least they were
thinking about the Kingdom,

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which is interesting, isn’t it?
They were Kingdom focused

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individual.
So they weren’t saying who’s

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going to be the richest in this
life, who’s going to have the

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best fishing boat in this life,
who’s going to have the best

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business in this life.
They’re not saying that, are

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they?
Which is maybe sometimes where

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you and I stoop to.
They are at least looking to the

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Kingdom.
And the other thing we shouldn’t

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overlook in this flawed
performance, well that’s what it

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is, is that they all thought
they would be in the Kingdom.

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Have you noticed that?
Whereas if I was to take a straw

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poll from you on day one and
say, do you think you’ll be in

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the Kingdom, I’d get a mixed
range of answers.

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Me, I don’t think I’ll be good
enough for the Kingdom.

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And yet every one of us with
some confidence can say there is

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a place in the Kingdom for me.
I know that because Christ has

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prepared it, whether or not I
choose to take it is a different

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matter.
I really want to take it.

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I really want to choose it.
There is a place for you in the

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00:13:53,560 –> 00:13:55,440
Kingdom of God.
It’s yours if you want it.

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But not everyone will, sadly.
Well, these men did and, and,

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00:14:01,960 –> 00:14:05,920
and there was no thought of we,
we don’t think we’ll make it

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00:14:05,920 –> 00:14:10,200
into the Kingdom, but if we do,
could we have this that they’re

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00:14:10,200 –> 00:14:12,520
falling out amongst themselves
about who will be greatest.

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So at least they thought they
would be in the Kingdom.

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Give them credit for that.
And the Lord Jesus Christ is

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00:14:20,000 –> 00:14:25,320
going to, is going to talk to
them about greatest and

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00:14:25,320 –> 00:14:29,160
smallest, best positions and
smallest positions.

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It’s verse 48, isn’t it, where
we get this teaching of the Lord

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00:14:33,320 –> 00:14:35,840
Jesus.
Whosoever shall receive this

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00:14:35,840 –> 00:14:40,080
child in my name, receiveth me.
Whosoever shall receive me,

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00:14:40,080 –> 00:14:44,640
receiveth him that sent me, for
he that is least among you all

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the same shall be great.
And I’d like you to lift that

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00:14:48,800 –> 00:14:51,920
teaching out of the Scriptures,
and I’d like you to apply it to

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00:14:51,920 –> 00:14:55,320
yourself in whatever
circumstances you find yourself.

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00:14:55,600 –> 00:15:03,480
You are not to be a seeker of
fame and praise of men.

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That will get you nowhere if
you’re willing to be the servant

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and if you’re willing to work
and contribute, then there will

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be great blessings ahead.
So that’s where we find the

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00:15:17,440 –> 00:15:20,920
disciples just after the
transfiguration.

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00:15:20,920 –> 00:15:24,760
And Jesus has to say you need to
be a servant.

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You need to be the least.
Let’s go to to Mark chapter 10

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00:15:28,520 –> 00:15:33,680
then which which was our reading
this is a little bit further on

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00:15:33,680 –> 00:15:36,640
chronologically.
We can’t just pin it exactly,

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00:15:37,080 –> 00:15:40,160
but we know it’s taking place in
this last six months from the

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00:15:40,160 –> 00:15:42,160
transfiguration to the
crucifixion.

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00:15:42,160 –> 00:15:46,040
There’s a six month gap
sometimes further on and in Mark

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00:15:46,040 –> 00:15:50,880
chapter 10, verse 35, we have
James and John, the sons of

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00:15:50,880 –> 00:15:54,120
Zebedee who are coming to the
Lord Jesus.

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00:15:55,040 –> 00:15:57,960
I don’t, I can’t remember which
gospel it is, but one gospel

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00:15:57,960 –> 00:16:03,200
tells us it’s the mother who
comes with them, It’s Salome who

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00:16:03,200 –> 00:16:08,960
comes along with them and she’s
saying to Jesus, can you make

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00:16:08,960 –> 00:16:11,800
sure that once it’s on your
right and once it’s on your

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00:16:11,800 –> 00:16:14,040
left.
You see, despite the teaching of

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00:16:14,760 –> 00:16:20,440
of the Lord Jesus a few days,
few weeks earlier, Salome is

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00:16:20,440 –> 00:16:24,000
coming along now and saying I
want my sons James and John to

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00:16:24,000 –> 00:16:27,240
sit on your right hand side and
your left hand side.

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00:16:29,240 –> 00:16:31,920
And these disciples don’t seem
to have got it, do they?

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00:16:32,600 –> 00:16:37,400
Now if if you want to work out
some of the family links in the

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00:16:37,400 –> 00:16:41,520
Gospel Records, a very good
place to start is to look at all

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00:16:41,520 –> 00:16:44,240
the different women who were
present when the Lord was

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00:16:44,240 –> 00:16:48,040
crucified.
Gospel Records gives us lists of

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00:16:48,040 –> 00:16:52,600
names of the different women who
stood alongside and saw Jesus

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00:16:52,600 –> 00:16:55,400
die.
And if you, if you line that up

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00:16:55,400 –> 00:16:58,640
and piece together that
evidence, you get interesting

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00:16:58,640 –> 00:17:01,920
insights and information.
And you, you quickly realize

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00:17:01,920 –> 00:17:09,400
that Salome, who comes here was
Mary’s sister Mary, the mother

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00:17:09,400 –> 00:17:13,880
of Jesus.
This is Aunt Salome coming along

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00:17:13,880 –> 00:17:18,040
here, all right.
And she’s saying, James and

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00:17:18,040 –> 00:17:23,520
John, your cousins, Jesus, can
they sit on your right hand and

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00:17:23,520 –> 00:17:26,400
your left hand?
Well, all the other disciples,

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00:17:27,359 –> 00:17:28,480
what, what, what’s going on
here?

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00:17:28,480 –> 00:17:30,800
Then what’s all this family tie
business?

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00:17:30,800 –> 00:17:34,640
Who’s who, who’s using the
inside track to get the best

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00:17:34,680 –> 00:17:36,840
seats?
We, we wanted the great to be

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00:17:36,840 –> 00:17:40,080
greatest.
And now auntie’s coming along

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00:17:40,080 –> 00:17:43,520
and saying, can James and John
sit on your right and left?

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00:17:43,520 –> 00:17:45,680
Well, that’s not fair.
Just because we’re not family

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00:17:45,680 –> 00:17:49,440
members.
How, how come we should be left

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00:17:49,440 –> 00:17:53,280
out in this?
And, and it’s, it’s difficult,

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00:17:53,280 –> 00:17:56,600
isn’t it?
But again, notice, notice

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00:17:57,040 –> 00:18:01,440
there’s a Kingdom focus, which
is to be admired.

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00:18:02,120 –> 00:18:06,280
Notice also, they knew the
Kingdom was coming and they were

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00:18:06,280 –> 00:18:08,600
going to make preparations for
it.

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00:18:08,600 –> 00:18:10,760
We’ve talked about that.
And these people are trying to

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00:18:10,760 –> 00:18:13,680
work out where they’re going to
be in the Kingdom and where they

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00:18:13,680 –> 00:18:16,280
want to be in the Kingdom.
I, I give them, I, I, I give

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00:18:16,280 –> 00:18:20,240
them credit for that.
Some of us are indifferent about

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00:18:20,240 –> 00:18:21,600
the Kingdom.
Well, these weren’t.

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00:18:22,080 –> 00:18:24,480
They knew what they wanted and
they knew where they wanted to

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00:18:24,480 –> 00:18:28,560
be and they knew they wanted to
be next to the Lord Jesus

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00:18:28,560 –> 00:18:31,360
Christ.
Now, isn’t that lovely?

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00:18:32,040 –> 00:18:36,080
Isn’t that special that these
people wanted to be near the

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00:18:36,080 –> 00:18:39,200
Lord Jesus?
And yet it’s still flawed

294
00:18:39,200 –> 00:18:44,560
performance because they’re
interested in greatness and

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00:18:44,560 –> 00:18:48,800
superiority.
And that becomes apparent if we

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00:18:48,800 –> 00:18:55,000
look at verse verse 42 here
Jesus called them and to him and

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00:18:55,000 –> 00:18:57,800
saith unto them, You know, that
they which are accounted to rule

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00:18:57,800 –> 00:19:01,280
over the Gentiles, exercise
lordship over them.

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00:19:01,280 –> 00:19:03,960
And they’re great ones, exercise
authority upon them.

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00:19:04,280 –> 00:19:09,440
But so shall it not be among
you, but whosoever will be great

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00:19:09,440 –> 00:19:11,960
among you shall be your
minister.

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00:19:12,760 –> 00:19:15,880
And here is the Lord Jesus
Christ having to having to tell

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00:19:15,880 –> 00:19:17,680
them that that’s not the right
priority.

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00:19:17,680 –> 00:19:19,760
It’s not about who’s greatest
and who’s not.

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00:19:19,960 –> 00:19:23,320
And he’s repeating the teaching
that we get in Luke Chapter 9.

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00:19:23,560 –> 00:19:27,480
So as we get closer to the time
of crucifixion, maybe the

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00:19:27,480 –> 00:19:33,280
disciples didn’t know that.
They’re still keen to know who’s

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00:19:33,280 –> 00:19:36,080
going to be greatest in the
Kingdom of God.

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00:19:37,040 –> 00:19:40,440
It’s Luke’s gospel that teaches
us the little parable about when

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00:19:40,440 –> 00:19:44,000
you were invited to the feast.
Don’t take the best seats

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00:19:44,600 –> 00:19:47,720
because it’s mighty embarrassing
when someone more important than

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00:19:47,720 –> 00:19:50,320
you comes along and you have to
move down the table.

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00:19:50,560 –> 00:19:53,960
Much better to sit at the bottom
of the table and someone say,

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00:19:54,080 –> 00:19:56,840
why don’t you come up a bit, you
are more important, come and sit

315
00:19:56,840 –> 00:19:59,960
at the top.
Jesus teaches that.

316
00:20:00,080 –> 00:20:04,320
And that should be our mindset.
We should be the least.

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00:20:04,920 –> 00:20:12,480
Not seeking to be the greatest.
So here are the disciples vying

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00:20:12,480 –> 00:20:16,480
for positions in the Kingdom.
And you can see in verse 41, as

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00:20:16,480 –> 00:20:21,520
Brother Thomas read for us, when
the 10 heard it, they began to

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00:20:21,520 –> 00:20:26,440
be much displeased with James
and John.

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00:20:27,480 –> 00:20:30,760
I’m not quite sure exactly why
they would they were that

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00:20:30,760 –> 00:20:33,640
disappointed.
Maybe they wanted those

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00:20:33,640 –> 00:20:36,800
positions.
Maybe they were sorry that they

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00:20:36,800 –> 00:20:41,320
hadn’t thought to ask first.
James and John have now asked

325
00:20:41,320 –> 00:20:43,360
for those they baggy those
positions.

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00:20:43,480 –> 00:20:45,280
Wish we’d have thought of that
sooner.

327
00:20:45,920 –> 00:20:48,720
And maybe they’re just a bit a
bit crossed that they did didn’t

328
00:20:48,720 –> 00:20:52,240
get in there.
So the Lord is having to repeat

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00:20:52,240 –> 00:20:58,160
his teachings and the disciples,
the disciples, I wonder if they

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00:20:58,160 –> 00:21:02,080
get it.
They’ve had it twice now.

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00:21:03,920 –> 00:21:10,400
And we get to the Last Supper
and we find that they didn’t get

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00:21:10,400 –> 00:21:12,520
it.
Can we admit to Luke chapter 22

333
00:21:12,520 –> 00:21:19,240
please?
Would you this this is repeated

334
00:21:19,240 –> 00:21:22,880
flawed performance.
Don’t you think that this is

335
00:21:22,960 –> 00:21:26,320
this is just the kind of thing
that you and I are about.

336
00:21:26,320 –> 00:21:30,120
You know, we do something wrong
and Jesus teaching hits US and

337
00:21:30,120 –> 00:21:32,240
we think we’re a bit out of line
here.

338
00:21:33,040 –> 00:21:37,680
But then soon we’re we’re back
into the flawed performance here

339
00:21:37,680 –> 00:21:46,240
we are in in in Luke chapter 22.
Notice in verse 7 that Jesus

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00:21:46,360 –> 00:21:51,760
asks, oh sorry, verse 8, Jesus
asks Peter and John to go and

341
00:21:51,760 –> 00:21:55,280
prepare the Passover that we may
eat.

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00:21:55,520 –> 00:21:58,000
These are the 2 where the
rivalry is.

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00:21:58,520 –> 00:22:01,280
You know, James and John were
asking for the best seats.

344
00:22:01,560 –> 00:22:03,600
How’s Peter going to feel about
that?

345
00:22:03,920 –> 00:22:05,880
I thought, I thought, Lord, you
said to me that you’re going to

346
00:22:05,880 –> 00:22:08,400
build your church on me.
I thought I was going to be the

347
00:22:08,400 –> 00:22:12,440
foundation of the ecclesia and
now they’re asking for the best

348
00:22:12,440 –> 00:22:16,440
seats.
Peter and John were rivals in

349
00:22:16,440 –> 00:22:20,160
this little ecclesia of 12
members and the Lord Jesus

350
00:22:20,160 –> 00:22:23,320
Christ.
To try and overcome the rivalry,

351
00:22:23,320 –> 00:22:25,120
he’s sending them out on a
mission together.

352
00:22:25,120 –> 00:22:29,120
Go and do something together,
have a have a different focus

353
00:22:29,120 –> 00:22:34,000
which isn’t at one another.
Go out there and prepare for the

354
00:22:34,000 –> 00:22:37,200
Passover.
So together Peter and John are

355
00:22:37,200 –> 00:22:40,520
going to find this individual
who’s got the room where

356
00:22:41,120 –> 00:22:43,360
preparation would be made.
And there’s all sorts of little

357
00:22:43,360 –> 00:22:46,520
lessons in that section which we
won’t go into.

358
00:22:47,160 –> 00:22:50,600
But then you look further down
very familiar words.

359
00:22:50,600 –> 00:22:56,080
Verse 17 Jesus is taking the
cup, giving thanks, saying take

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00:22:56,080 –> 00:22:58,560
this and divide it among
yourselves.

361
00:22:59,600 –> 00:23:04,440
Verse 19 he took the bread, gave
thanks, break it and gave it

362
00:23:04,440 –> 00:23:08,040
unto them saying this is my body
which is given for you.

363
00:23:08,360 –> 00:23:13,320
This do in remembrance of me.
This is the the the teaching

364
00:23:13,320 –> 00:23:18,080
about the crucial moment of
sacrifice and the Lord Jesus

365
00:23:18,080 –> 00:23:21,320
Christ is giving them here the
very mechanism by which they

366
00:23:21,320 –> 00:23:26,720
will remember his sacrifice was
the most important thing and and

367
00:23:26,720 –> 00:23:28,960
we’ve now got to the point of
crucifixion.

368
00:23:29,200 –> 00:23:33,800
This is the night before the
Lord will be killed few hours

369
00:23:33,800 –> 00:23:37,720
within a few hours of this is
going to be arrested and put on

370
00:23:37,720 –> 00:23:45,040
trial. 1st 23 And they began to
inquire among themselves which

371
00:23:45,040 –> 00:23:48,440
of them it was that should do
this thing that’s betray him.

372
00:23:48,520 –> 00:23:54,120
And there was also a strife
among them which of them should

373
00:23:54,120 –> 00:24:00,520
be accounted the greatest?
Six months later, they’ve heard

374
00:24:00,520 –> 00:24:02,960
this teaching now at least on 2
occasions.

375
00:24:02,960 –> 00:24:04,680
Maybe they heard it on more
occasion.

376
00:24:04,680 –> 00:24:08,840
And there could not be a more
important moment in the life of

377
00:24:08,840 –> 00:24:10,960
the Lord Jesus Christ and his
disciples.

378
00:24:10,960 –> 00:24:14,400
And here they are saying, who’s
going to be the greatest, I

379
00:24:14,400 –> 00:24:17,800
wonder, in the Kingdom?
And it’s astonishing, isn’t it,

380
00:24:17,800 –> 00:24:22,600
that the Lord Jesus Christ has
to put up with this kind of

381
00:24:22,760 –> 00:24:27,360
flawed performance, this, this
repeat failure.

382
00:24:27,920 –> 00:24:30,480
And, and, and these men are no
different to you and me, You

383
00:24:30,480 –> 00:24:33,000
know, those of us who come
Sunday by Sunday.

384
00:24:33,000 –> 00:24:37,240
And you’re thinking on a scale,
a gradual scale.

385
00:24:37,240 –> 00:24:41,920
I have, I have no improvements
to show from last week, You

386
00:24:41,920 –> 00:24:44,840
know, and if I look back to last
year or the year before, where’s

387
00:24:44,840 –> 00:24:47,720
the trend line going?
Is it improving or am I just

388
00:24:47,720 –> 00:24:49,760
standing still or am I
deteriorating?

389
00:24:49,960 –> 00:24:54,120
These people are six months
later, no further forward than

390
00:24:55,280 –> 00:24:57,480
who’s going to be the greatest
in the Kingdom.

391
00:24:58,480 –> 00:25:00,800
And it’s at this point, we know
it’s at this point you need to,

392
00:25:01,040 –> 00:25:02,520
you need to piece the Gospels
together.

393
00:25:02,520 –> 00:25:05,400
But after the supper, it’s at
this point where the Lord Jesus

394
00:25:05,400 –> 00:25:11,400
Christ gets out of his seat,
kneels down, girds himself with

395
00:25:11,400 –> 00:25:15,760
a cloth, washes their feet and
shows them that’s the kind of

396
00:25:15,760 –> 00:25:18,880
service unit Christ is about to
be crucified.

397
00:25:20,120 –> 00:25:24,520
And he’s having to show them who
will be greatest by his example,

398
00:25:24,880 –> 00:25:27,800
and it’s by being least who’s
going to follow.

399
00:25:27,800 –> 00:25:30,040
This example saves the Lord
Jesus.

400
00:25:30,680 –> 00:25:32,680
And Christ wasn’t implementing
something.

401
00:25:32,680 –> 00:25:35,760
He wasn’t instituting something,
saying you need to all go and

402
00:25:35,760 –> 00:25:37,360
wash one another’s feet.
He’s not doing that.

403
00:25:37,360 –> 00:25:41,120
It’s an example of humble, lowly
service.

404
00:25:41,120 –> 00:25:43,760
This is what I want you to do.
Forget being greatest.

405
00:25:43,760 –> 00:25:47,920
Have a go at this.
And that’s where we should all

406
00:25:47,920 –> 00:25:50,440
be.
And I wonder then if we can just

407
00:25:50,440 –> 00:25:57,240
lift that this is a little
ecclesia of very knowledgeable

408
00:25:57,240 –> 00:26:00,960
and experienced brothers who’ve
all got the Holy Spirit, who’ve

409
00:26:01,160 –> 00:26:05,120
all had wonderful experience
teaching and preaching and

410
00:26:05,120 –> 00:26:06,880
witnessing the things of the
Lord Jesus.

411
00:26:06,880 –> 00:26:11,040
They’ve got the Lord Jesus
Christ as their head among them

412
00:26:11,040 –> 00:26:12,680
you.
You could not wish for a better

413
00:26:12,680 –> 00:26:17,160
leader of an ecclesia.
And still in this ecclesia there

414
00:26:17,160 –> 00:26:20,360
are disputes and fallings out.
Isn’t that remarkable?

415
00:26:21,320 –> 00:26:24,440
Do not be surprised that in your
ecclesia with all our

416
00:26:24,440 –> 00:26:28,720
fallibility and all our
failings, there aren’t disputes

417
00:26:28,720 –> 00:26:32,000
and and disappointments and
falling that it happens.

418
00:26:32,600 –> 00:26:36,400
It happens.
Even Jesus couldn’t get his

419
00:26:36,400 –> 00:26:39,440
disciples to see the right way
here.

420
00:26:40,280 –> 00:26:42,960
So there’s, there’s an
interesting picture, I think of

421
00:26:42,960 –> 00:26:46,560
flawed behaviour which runs
through the life of the

422
00:26:46,560 –> 00:26:51,640
disciples and we can relate to
it because we are caught up in

423
00:26:51,640 –> 00:26:57,440
this type of flawed performance.
So I was going to put that on

424
00:26:57,440 –> 00:27:01,520
the screen, Sorry.
So, so, so, so that’s that’s the

425
00:27:01,520 –> 00:27:05,680
kind of people we are.
And if I sent you home now on

426
00:27:05,680 –> 00:27:09,920
that message, you’d think that’s
a bit disappointing, isn’t it?

427
00:27:09,920 –> 00:27:11,760
It’s a bit of a low point to
finish.

428
00:27:11,760 –> 00:27:18,360
So I want us to remember that
our God is a God who forgives.

429
00:27:18,960 –> 00:27:23,680
Your flawed performance is not
so flawed that he cannot

430
00:27:23,680 –> 00:27:26,320
forgive.
Now, what do you think about

431
00:27:26,320 –> 00:27:28,160
forgiveness?
Let’s just test this little

432
00:27:28,160 –> 00:27:34,120
subject for a moment or two.
Are there any conditions to

433
00:27:34,240 –> 00:27:37,640
forgiveness?
OK, just think about that.

434
00:27:38,440 –> 00:27:42,920
Our God is a wonderful, loving,
merciful, kind, generous God who

435
00:27:42,920 –> 00:27:45,200
wants to forgive.
He wants you in the Kingdom.

436
00:27:45,240 –> 00:27:49,120
His Son has been sacrificed to
secure your place.

437
00:27:49,120 –> 00:27:52,480
His Son has been raised and has
gone to heaven to prepare a

438
00:27:52,480 –> 00:27:57,160
place and will come again so
that he can gather you to be

439
00:27:57,160 –> 00:27:59,920
with him.
Those are the simple Bible

440
00:27:59,920 –> 00:28:02,440
principles that we understand.
And the Kingdom of God will be

441
00:28:02,440 –> 00:28:06,120
established on earth and God
will forgive our sins.

442
00:28:06,520 –> 00:28:10,760
So are there any conditions or
can you just sit back and say

443
00:28:11,640 –> 00:28:14,880
God will forgive me?
Doesn’t matter, I’ll be OK.

444
00:28:15,680 –> 00:28:18,960
Well, there are conditions.
There are conditions.

445
00:28:19,480 –> 00:28:21,800
Come with me to Matthew chapter
6, please.

446
00:28:21,800 –> 00:28:26,440
Would you?
Matthew chapter 6 contains an

447
00:28:26,440 –> 00:28:37,560
obvious condition.
If I’d given you a bit of time,

448
00:28:37,760 –> 00:28:39,600
I think a lot of you would have
thought of this.

449
00:28:39,600 –> 00:28:41,880
Here is the condition for you to
be forgiven.

450
00:28:44,720 –> 00:28:48,040
Matthew chapter 6, verse 12,
halfway through the Lord’s

451
00:28:48,040 –> 00:28:50,280
Prayer.
Forgive us our debts, as we

452
00:28:50,280 –> 00:28:55,240
forgive our debtors, and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver

453
00:28:55,240 –> 00:28:57,280
us from evil.
For thine is the Kingdom, and

454
00:28:57,280 –> 00:28:59,080
the power and the glory, forever
our men.

455
00:28:59,520 –> 00:29:02,680
The prayer finishes there, and
the only section of the prayer

456
00:29:03,040 –> 00:29:06,720
that gets a repeat mention is in
verse 14.

457
00:29:06,720 –> 00:29:09,520
And it’s this point.
For if ye forgive men their

458
00:29:09,520 –> 00:29:12,320
trespassers, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you.

459
00:29:13,000 –> 00:29:15,480
But if you forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your

460
00:29:15,480 –> 00:29:18,880
Father forgive your trespasses.
So condition seems to be clear

461
00:29:18,880 –> 00:29:20,720
there, doesn’t it?
I have to forgive others.

462
00:29:21,000 –> 00:29:23,720
If God’s going to forgive me, I
have to forgive others.

463
00:29:24,480 –> 00:29:26,360
There’s an enormous problem with
that.

464
00:29:27,280 –> 00:29:29,600
There’s an enormous problem with
that.

465
00:29:30,400 –> 00:29:34,600
What if I’m not very good at
forgiving others?

466
00:29:36,000 –> 00:29:39,800
OK, am I now limiting God’s
ability to forgive?

467
00:29:40,520 –> 00:29:42,320
What, what?
What if your biggest problem

468
00:29:42,320 –> 00:29:45,200
ever is forgiving other people,
does that mean you will never be

469
00:29:45,200 –> 00:29:47,640
forgiven because you can’t
forgive other people?

470
00:29:47,640 –> 00:29:52,240
Or, or or what if you’re good at
it and you forgive other people?

471
00:29:52,240 –> 00:29:54,480
You can then turn around to God
and say, well, I’ve played my

472
00:29:54,480 –> 00:29:56,120
bit.
I I’ve forgiven you.

473
00:29:56,120 –> 00:29:59,640
You now are obliged to forgive
me.

474
00:30:00,320 –> 00:30:03,640
You’re on the hook here, Lord,
because I’ve done it, so you

475
00:30:03,640 –> 00:30:06,880
need to forgive me.
Sounds a bit legalistic.

476
00:30:06,880 –> 00:30:09,160
Sounds a bit transactional,
doesn’t it?

477
00:30:10,120 –> 00:30:14,320
So I struggle with this.
What does it mean when I have to

478
00:30:14,320 –> 00:30:17,760
forgive others in order that God
can forgive my sins?

479
00:30:18,600 –> 00:30:21,840
Well, let’s just park that for a
moment, OK?

480
00:30:21,840 –> 00:30:25,320
There seems to be a condition
here, but we don’t quite

481
00:30:25,320 –> 00:30:27,360
understand it.
I don’t quite understand it, at

482
00:30:27,720 –> 00:30:30,680
least at this point.
Let’s think of one or two other

483
00:30:30,680 –> 00:30:32,600
conditions.
Are there some other conditions

484
00:30:32,600 –> 00:30:35,640
for us to be forgiven?
Absolutely there are.

485
00:30:36,080 –> 00:30:39,880
Come, we admit to 1 John One,
please, would you?

486
00:30:40,480 –> 00:30:42,360
Let’s learn about these
conditions.

487
00:30:42,360 –> 00:30:49,040
Let’s see if we understand them.
Let’s see if we can comply with

488
00:30:49,040 –> 00:30:55,120
the conditions. 1 John One
lovely little chapter.

489
00:30:56,360 –> 00:31:01,360
Verse 9 Here is a
straightforward condition if you

490
00:31:01,360 –> 00:31:04,880
want to be forgiven of your
flawed performance.

491
00:31:05,480 –> 00:31:12,240
Verse 9, If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to

492
00:31:12,240 –> 00:31:15,040
forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all

493
00:31:15,040 –> 00:31:18,320
unrighteousness.
So there’s a condition we need

494
00:31:18,320 –> 00:31:22,640
to confess our sins.
I can do that.

495
00:31:23,760 –> 00:31:28,320
I might not, I want to always, I
might be very careful who I

496
00:31:28,320 –> 00:31:31,880
confess my sins to.
But there’s the point isn’t that

497
00:31:31,880 –> 00:31:34,120
there needs to be some
acknowledgments that you have

498
00:31:34,120 –> 00:31:36,040
done wrong.
You need to confess.

499
00:31:36,400 –> 00:31:38,000
OK, so that’s condition number
one.

500
00:31:38,000 –> 00:31:40,600
We can get that.
We can understand that condition

501
00:31:40,600 –> 00:31:44,320
#2 comes just a couple of verses
earlier.

502
00:31:44,560 –> 00:31:48,720
If you look at verse 7, this is
a bit more complicated, so let’s

503
00:31:48,720 –> 00:31:52,320
just work through it.
If we walk in the light as He is

504
00:31:52,320 –> 00:31:56,040
in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood

505
00:31:56,040 –> 00:32:01,360
of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses
us from all sin, piercing that

506
00:32:01,360 –> 00:32:03,880
verse together.
The verse begins if we walk in

507
00:32:03,880 –> 00:32:08,560
the light and the blood of Jesus
cleanses us from all our sin.

508
00:32:08,600 –> 00:32:11,960
If we walk in the light, you see
the, the, the point is, it’s no

509
00:32:11,960 –> 00:32:16,400
good just confessing your sin.
There needs to be some kind of

510
00:32:16,480 –> 00:32:19,520
effort made to walk in the
light.

511
00:32:19,560 –> 00:32:22,400
I’ve I’ve done wrong, Lord, I
should not have done that.

512
00:32:22,720 –> 00:32:25,280
And I am going to try to walk in
the light now.

513
00:32:25,280 –> 00:32:26,600
I’m going to try and do the
right thing.

514
00:32:26,600 –> 00:32:27,920
I’m not going to try and do
that.

515
00:32:28,120 –> 00:32:30,720
I’ll fail.
I’ll I’ll be disappointing.

516
00:32:30,920 –> 00:32:35,080
I’ll be disappointed because I’m
a man of flawed performance, but

517
00:32:35,080 –> 00:32:38,520
I’m going to try.
That’s where the where the the

518
00:32:38,520 –> 00:32:40,560
Lord was with the woman and
taking an adultery.

519
00:32:41,200 –> 00:32:44,360
Neither do I condemn thee.
That was his lovely words.

520
00:32:44,360 –> 00:32:46,760
But then he says go and sin no
more.

521
00:32:46,800 –> 00:32:49,800
You know, walk in the light.
So second condition is quite

522
00:32:49,800 –> 00:32:54,800
straightforward as well.
Confess and walk in the light.

523
00:32:56,040 –> 00:32:59,600
So that then leaves our third
condition about forgiving

524
00:32:59,840 –> 00:33:02,040
others.
How does this work?

525
00:33:02,440 –> 00:33:04,280
Can we admit to Matthew chapter
18?

526
00:33:04,280 –> 00:33:09,880
Let me try and show you what
condition #3 forgiving others is

527
00:33:09,880 –> 00:33:15,680
all about.
Matthew chapter 18.

528
00:33:18,600 –> 00:33:21,120
The, the, the background here is
quite special.

529
00:33:21,240 –> 00:33:26,160
I I think it’s about a brother
offending, a brother

530
00:33:26,160 –> 00:33:29,440
trespassing.
This is where the forgiveness

531
00:33:29,440 –> 00:33:30,960
comes in.
In verse 15.

532
00:33:30,960 –> 00:33:34,200
For example, if thy brother
trespass against thee, go and

533
00:33:34,200 –> 00:33:37,800
tell him his fault between thee
and you.

534
00:33:37,800 –> 00:33:40,520
Do it privately.
You’ll notice that this is this

535
00:33:40,520 –> 00:33:42,720
is lifted.
This little section is lifted

536
00:33:42,760 –> 00:33:46,600
and it’s enshrined in our
ecclesial constitutions and our

537
00:33:46,600 –> 00:33:50,120
ecclesial guide.
This is such sound advice by the

538
00:33:50,120 –> 00:33:52,240
Lord Jesus Christ.
If you’ve got a problem with

539
00:33:52,240 –> 00:33:56,200
your brother, go and speak to
him first privately.

540
00:33:58,000 –> 00:34:00,920
In our ecclesia, what we tend to
do is we check with others.

541
00:34:00,960 –> 00:34:02,520
I’ve got a problem with brothers
so and so.

542
00:34:02,520 –> 00:34:04,200
Do you know what he did to me?
He did this.

543
00:34:04,680 –> 00:34:08,280
Is he done the same to you?
Go and speak to sister so and

544
00:34:08,280 –> 00:34:09,880
so.
Have you had the same problem

545
00:34:09,880 –> 00:34:11,360
with that brother?
You know you speak to half a

546
00:34:11,360 –> 00:34:14,000
dozen people before you go and
speak to the brother first.

547
00:34:15,120 –> 00:34:16,880
Don’t do that.
Say to the Lord Jesus.

548
00:34:16,880 –> 00:34:19,480
If you’ve got a problem with a
brother privately, go and speak

549
00:34:19,480 –> 00:34:21,760
to him and see, see where you
get.

550
00:34:22,280 –> 00:34:26,560
And then if he doesn’t listen
verse 16 or you don’t make much

551
00:34:26,560 –> 00:34:28,400
progress, go with two or three
others.

552
00:34:28,400 –> 00:34:31,840
Keep it small, keep it private.
See if you can sort out the

553
00:34:31,840 –> 00:34:36,719
problem with somebody else
present and if they then still

554
00:34:36,719 –> 00:34:38,719
he won’t listen.
Verse 17.

555
00:34:38,880 –> 00:34:41,040
Well, bring it before the
ecclesia.

556
00:34:41,040 –> 00:34:43,080
Try and resolve it.
Ecclesia.

557
00:34:43,760 –> 00:34:47,199
And it’s an escalating thing,
but follow those steps first.

558
00:34:47,199 –> 00:34:52,040
Don’t jump straight to stage 3
in this particular process.

559
00:34:52,840 –> 00:34:57,320
When when Peter’s heard all this
verse 21, then came Peter to him

560
00:34:57,320 –> 00:35:01,520
and said, Lord, how OFT show my
brother sin against me and I

561
00:35:01,520 –> 00:35:05,640
forgive him till 7 times and
Peter’s got someone in mind here

562
00:35:05,920 –> 00:35:10,440
and I suspect it’s John.
But this rivalry here and

563
00:35:10,440 –> 00:35:12,400
Peter’s fed up with this
brother.

564
00:35:12,560 –> 00:35:15,880
How often do I have to forgive
him Lord, you know how he’s

565
00:35:15,880 –> 00:35:17,440
treating me.
You know how he’s behaving.

566
00:35:17,440 –> 00:35:20,520
You know what he’s doing to me.
How many times do I need to

567
00:35:20,520 –> 00:35:22,840
forgive him?
And the Jews had a tradition

568
00:35:22,840 –> 00:35:27,280
that it was 77 sounds like a lot
actually.

569
00:35:27,560 –> 00:35:32,440
Someone kept doing something
wrong to you. 3 * 4 * 5 times,

570
00:35:32,800 –> 00:35:35,920
seven times.
Surely forgiveness for seven

571
00:35:35,920 –> 00:35:38,160
times is enough.
It has its roots in the Old

572
00:35:38,160 –> 00:35:40,320
Testament.
Amos talks about for three

573
00:35:40,320 –> 00:35:45,160
transgressions and for four says
the Lord, I will do this, that

574
00:35:45,160 –> 00:35:48,480
the Jews added them together.
That must mean 77 is the number

575
00:35:48,480 –> 00:35:50,920
we’ll work on, that we’ll
forgive 7 times.

576
00:35:50,920 –> 00:35:54,440
But if you do it #8 forgiveness
is up no more.

577
00:35:55,160 –> 00:35:58,320
And of course, the Lord Jesus
Christ says something different,

578
00:35:58,320 –> 00:36:01,880
doesn’t it?
Not not till 7:00, but till 7

579
00:36:02,800 –> 00:36:08,200
times 70 * 7 or your version
might say 77.

580
00:36:09,120 –> 00:36:11,040
The the the scholars don’t seem
to know that.

581
00:36:11,040 –> 00:36:13,200
The point is that the the
number’s irrelevant.

582
00:36:13,600 –> 00:36:17,400
It’s not for counting.
You keep forgiving.

583
00:36:17,400 –> 00:36:22,080
So so here we’re learning about
forgiving transgressions against

584
00:36:22,080 –> 00:36:24,560
us.
Jesus is wanting us to forgive

585
00:36:24,760 –> 00:36:27,640
even if someone is a a repeat
offender.

586
00:36:28,400 –> 00:36:31,840
And then he teaches this parable
which you will know well, about

587
00:36:31,960 –> 00:36:37,520
the man who had the big debt and
the man who had the very small

588
00:36:37,600 –> 00:36:41,960
debts.
Here it is in verse 23.

589
00:36:42,720 –> 00:36:45,280
Therefore is the Kingdom of
heaven likened unto a certain

590
00:36:45,280 –> 00:36:47,400
king, which would take account
of his servants.

591
00:36:47,600 –> 00:36:50,120
And when he had begun to reckon,
one was brought unto him which

592
00:36:50,120 –> 00:36:54,640
owed him 10,000 talents. 10,000
talents.

593
00:36:56,520 –> 00:36:58,440
I don’t know what what what do
you think a talent is?

594
00:36:58,600 –> 00:37:06,080
Gold coin, piece of silver.
A talent is 66 kilograms of

595
00:37:06,080 –> 00:37:08,720
something.
All right, that’s that’s getting

596
00:37:08,720 –> 00:37:13,680
on for a an adult’s body weight
66 kilograms.

597
00:37:14,280 –> 00:37:18,640
If you if you worked as a hired
servant and earned a penny a day

598
00:37:19,000 –> 00:37:22,120
and worked every day for 20
years, you would have

599
00:37:22,120 –> 00:37:27,600
accumulated one talent. 20
years.

600
00:37:28,200 –> 00:37:31,160
You’d have to work for 200,000
years.

601
00:37:31,560 –> 00:37:36,200
OK to to earn 10,000 talents, a
huge, huge thing.

602
00:37:36,320 –> 00:37:39,120
Do you remember Hayman who
wanted to kill the Jews?

603
00:37:39,120 –> 00:37:43,680
He promised that he would pay
the king 10,000 talents if he

604
00:37:43,680 –> 00:37:47,760
let him kill all the Jews.
He hadn’t got 10,000 talents.

605
00:37:47,760 –> 00:37:51,680
That was his assessment of all
the wealth of all the Jews in

606
00:37:51,680 –> 00:37:54,760
all the empire that he would
gather together.

607
00:37:54,960 –> 00:37:57,440
He might have gathered a bit
more and kept some for himself,

608
00:37:57,440 –> 00:37:59,680
but he was promising the king
10,000 talents.

609
00:37:59,680 –> 00:38:04,480
This is a huge sum.
And notice what the man does.

610
00:38:04,800 –> 00:38:11,360
So the king is cross, the king
who calls him verse 25.

611
00:38:11,560 –> 00:38:15,320
But for as much as he had not to
pay, his Lord commanded him to

612
00:38:15,320 –> 00:38:19,440
be sold his wife, his children
and all that he had and payment

613
00:38:19,440 –> 00:38:22,680
to be made.
Notice that if these talents are

614
00:38:22,760 –> 00:38:25,720
this debt is a is a sin or a
transgression.

615
00:38:26,080 –> 00:38:29,400
Notice that your sins and your
actions affect others.

616
00:38:29,400 –> 00:38:33,320
Don’t ever think that no one is
affected by the sins that we

617
00:38:33,320 –> 00:38:36,080
commit here.
His wife and his children are

618
00:38:36,080 –> 00:38:41,960
going to be affected by his
behaviour and the servant.

619
00:38:41,960 –> 00:38:43,840
We’ve seen this response
elsewhere, haven’t.

620
00:38:43,840 –> 00:38:46,880
The servant therefore fell down
and worshipped him, saying Lord,

621
00:38:46,880 –> 00:38:50,720
have patience with me and I will
repay the all.

622
00:38:52,000 –> 00:38:53,720
Come on, how are you going to do
that?

623
00:38:53,920 –> 00:38:57,000
Here is the servant saying just
give me time and I’ll pay it

624
00:38:57,000 –> 00:39:00,800
back, which is nonsense.
There’s no way he’s going to pay

625
00:39:00,800 –> 00:39:02,720
it back.
But that’s the attitude isn’t

626
00:39:02,720 –> 00:39:04,880
it?
I’ll work, I’ll pay, I’ll I’ll

627
00:39:04,880 –> 00:39:08,040
surf until the debt is cleared.
Just give me time.

628
00:39:09,280 –> 00:39:11,640
You can’t do that and the Lord
knows that.

629
00:39:11,640 –> 00:39:13,840
So the Lord just doesn’t give
him time.

630
00:39:14,440 –> 00:39:20,000
He removes the debt and then of
course the, the, the this

631
00:39:20,040 –> 00:39:25,280
individual who is now freed from
this huge debt on the scale of a

632
00:39:25,280 –> 00:39:30,880
national debt, he goes and finds
the fellow who owed him less.

633
00:39:30,880 –> 00:39:34,440
Verse 28, The same servant went
out and found one of his fellow

634
00:39:34,440 –> 00:39:38,640
servants which owed him 100
pence and he laid hands on him

635
00:39:38,640 –> 00:39:42,000
and took him by the throat
saying pay me what thou owest.

636
00:39:42,200 –> 00:39:45,200
He only owed 100 pence.
Give him three months, he could

637
00:39:45,200 –> 00:39:50,880
pay that, not 200,000 years,
three months, he could repay

638
00:39:50,880 –> 00:39:53,840
that and he’s not going to give
him any time at all.

639
00:39:53,840 –> 00:39:57,880
He would not but went and cast
him into prison till he should

640
00:39:57,880 –> 00:40:01,800
pay the debt.
So he’s not forgiving.

641
00:40:03,200 –> 00:40:06,160
So, so as a consequence, the
debt is reinstated, the 10,000

642
00:40:06,160 –> 00:40:10,120
talents is reinstated and he is
thrown into prison until the

643
00:40:10,120 –> 00:40:14,040
debt be paid.
And, and, and again, this is

644
00:40:14,040 –> 00:40:16,840
supposed to be a parable about
us learning how to forgive.

645
00:40:16,840 –> 00:40:21,840
And we’re puzzled by it because
1 is not forgiving.

646
00:40:21,840 –> 00:40:25,040
So his debt is not forgiven,
it’s reinstated.

647
00:40:25,040 –> 00:40:27,760
But we’re confused because God
doesn’t forgive and then

648
00:40:27,760 –> 00:40:31,160
reinstate debts, does he?
Psalm 103 tells us that, you

649
00:40:31,160 –> 00:40:32,920
know, he doesn’t say I’ve
forgiven you, but I’m going to

650
00:40:32,920 –> 00:40:35,800
just keep it in reserve in case
I need to bring it out and

651
00:40:35,800 –> 00:40:38,560
present it on Judgement Day.
God doesn’t do that.

652
00:40:38,560 –> 00:40:40,280
He blots the sins out.
They’re gone.

653
00:40:40,280 –> 00:40:42,520
They’re forgotten.
So, so, so.

654
00:40:42,560 –> 00:40:45,760
I’m puzzled by this.
It seems to suggest that the

655
00:40:45,760 –> 00:40:49,280
debt wasn’t forgiven because he
wouldn’t forgive, which is in

656
00:40:49,280 –> 00:40:53,160
line with the Lord’s Prayer
until you realize the truth of

657
00:40:53,160 –> 00:40:57,560
the of the parable here.
You see, the wonderful thing

658
00:40:57,560 –> 00:41:03,120
about forgiving others in order
that we might be forgiven is

659
00:41:03,120 –> 00:41:09,880
that God has gone first, OK, God
has gone first.

660
00:41:09,880 –> 00:41:15,720
He’s forgiven you, your debts.
And now what he’s doing, he’s

661
00:41:15,720 –> 00:41:21,640
giving you the opportunity to be
like him and for you to forgive

662
00:41:21,640 –> 00:41:24,840
others their debts.
So, so, so in all your flawed

663
00:41:24,840 –> 00:41:29,840
performance where you’re worried
about your continued poor

664
00:41:29,840 –> 00:41:33,200
behaviour, just like disciples
in the time of the Lord Jesus

665
00:41:33,200 –> 00:41:39,560
Christ, he’s saying forgiveness
is here, confess, try and walk

666
00:41:39,560 –> 00:41:44,560
in the light.
I’ve forgiven you, yours, you go

667
00:41:44,560 –> 00:41:49,440
out and forgive others.
You be like me and show my

668
00:41:49,440 –> 00:41:51,880
character.
And this is confirmed.

669
00:41:52,040 –> 00:41:54,600
Just look at this little verse
in Ephesians 4, would you?

670
00:41:54,600 –> 00:42:00,080
This is just confirmed for us in
Ephesians 4 verse 32, which just

671
00:42:00,080 –> 00:42:03,560
underlines this principle for us
and it’s a very important 1, I

672
00:42:03,560 –> 00:42:19,560
think Ephesians 4 verse 32, Paul
says be ye kind one to another,

673
00:42:20,040 –> 00:42:26,800
tender hearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for

674
00:42:26,800 –> 00:42:31,720
Christ’s sake has forgiven you.
That’s the right way around,

675
00:42:31,720 –> 00:42:35,760
isn’t it?
He has forgiven us and because

676
00:42:35,760 –> 00:42:38,920
we have been forgiven, we will
forgive others.

677
00:42:38,920 –> 00:42:41,920
Now that might not sound very
profound for you, but that’s the

678
00:42:41,920 –> 00:42:45,440
most wonderful thing for me.
God has gone 1st and has

679
00:42:45,440 –> 00:42:49,960
forgiven our sins and is giving
us the opportunity to show the

680
00:42:49,960 –> 00:42:53,840
same character of God to other
people.

681
00:42:54,640 –> 00:42:56,720
Now we could pursue that a
little bit further and we could

682
00:42:56,720 –> 00:43:01,480
say, well, if God’s put
conditions on me for my

683
00:43:01,480 –> 00:43:04,880
forgiveness, can I put
conditions on others for their

684
00:43:04,880 –> 00:43:07,640
forgiveness?
Can I say I’ll forgive you?

685
00:43:07,680 –> 00:43:13,120
But you’ve got to do 123 first.
Don’t think so.

686
00:43:13,760 –> 00:43:15,480
Don’t think so.
That’s not the teaching of

687
00:43:15,720 –> 00:43:18,280
Matthew 18.
Forgive.

688
00:43:18,360 –> 00:43:22,560
Even if he’s done it 7 times or
70 * 7, you forgive.

689
00:43:23,000 –> 00:43:25,960
And the Lord Jesus Christ when
he was being executed said

690
00:43:25,960 –> 00:43:28,480
Father forgive them for they
know not what they do.

691
00:43:28,480 –> 00:43:32,120
He wasn’t laying any conditions
on the Roman soldiers who were

692
00:43:32,120 –> 00:43:35,840
crucifying him at the time or
the Jewish authorities who would

693
00:43:35,840 –> 00:43:40,320
arranged all this.
Christ forgave and we should do

694
00:43:40,320 –> 00:43:44,080
the same.
Coming to Matthew chapter 25

695
00:43:44,080 –> 00:43:48,480
please.
So I want to draw our thoughts

696
00:43:48,480 –> 00:43:54,840
to a close this week with one
last life transforming saying of

697
00:43:54,840 –> 00:43:58,240
the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it’s in the parable of the

698
00:43:59,120 –> 00:44:04,520
wise and foolish virgins that we
get here in Matthew chapter 25.

699
00:44:05,360 –> 00:44:08,720
We know all about this parable.
We know about the benefit of

700
00:44:08,720 –> 00:44:13,960
taking extra oil, someone who
spent time preparing their lamp

701
00:44:14,040 –> 00:44:16,840
and being ready.
And then we get to the

702
00:44:16,840 –> 00:44:21,520
disappointment, don’t we, that
even though five were wise and

703
00:44:21,520 –> 00:44:26,920
not like the five foolish, it
tells us in verse 5 of Matthew

704
00:44:26,920 –> 00:44:30,520
chapter 5 that while the
bridegroom tarried, they all

705
00:44:30,720 –> 00:44:34,960
slumbered and slept.
Every single one of them.

706
00:44:35,400 –> 00:44:39,440
And can’t you just be ready for
the bridegroom coming?

707
00:44:39,440 –> 00:44:43,800
And they all slumbered and
slept.

708
00:44:44,560 –> 00:44:48,720
Here’s another little picture of
flawed performance, even by the

709
00:44:48,720 –> 00:44:53,560
wise virgins.
Bert, verse 6.

710
00:44:54,320 –> 00:44:59,640
At midnight there was a cry
made.

711
00:45:00,520 –> 00:45:04,400
OK, at midnight the cry goes up.
Who makes the cry?

712
00:45:04,400 –> 00:45:07,720
I.
I don’t know in this parable who

713
00:45:07,720 –> 00:45:13,600
makes the cry, but at midnight
I’ve got 10 sleeping virgins who

714
00:45:13,600 –> 00:45:15,640
are not ready for the bridegroom
coming.

715
00:45:15,640 –> 00:45:18,880
But someone’s awake and
someone’s watching and someone

716
00:45:18,880 –> 00:45:21,240
makes the cry that the
bridegroom’s here.

717
00:45:21,520 –> 00:45:26,000
Isn’t that interesting?
Someone is watching and it’s not

718
00:45:26,000 –> 00:45:29,800
one of these virgins.
Well, if you just turn over to

719
00:45:29,800 –> 00:45:36,600
chapter 26, brothers and
sisters, you’ll see who was

720
00:45:36,600 –> 00:45:42,040
doing the watching while
everybody was asleep, and it’s

721
00:45:42,040 –> 00:45:44,920
none of them.
The Lord Jesus Christ himself.

722
00:45:45,680 –> 00:45:50,720
At verse 36, he goes into the
garden, and he takes with him,

723
00:45:50,720 –> 00:45:55,240
verse 37, Peter and James and
John, the two sons of Zebedee.

724
00:45:55,240 –> 00:45:59,080
And he began to be sorrowful and
very heavy, and said unto them,

725
00:45:59,520 –> 00:46:02,440
My soul is exceeding sorrowful
even unto death.

726
00:46:02,440 –> 00:46:07,320
Tarry ye here and watch with me.
I want you to watch saves Jesus.

727
00:46:07,320 –> 00:46:10,640
And he went a little further
forward and fell on his face and

728
00:46:10,640 –> 00:46:14,160
prayed.
And then verse 40, He comes onto

729
00:46:14,160 –> 00:46:16,840
his disciples and finding finds
them asleep.

730
00:46:17,480 –> 00:46:19,720
What could you not watch with me
one hour?

731
00:46:20,320 –> 00:46:24,040
Why did the Lord Jesus Christ,
when he went forward and prayed

732
00:46:24,040 –> 00:46:27,240
privately and left the three
behind, why do you think he came

733
00:46:27,240 –> 00:46:31,000
back?
What was it just to catch them

734
00:46:31,000 –> 00:46:32,560
out?
Did he know they’d be asleep and

735
00:46:32,560 –> 00:46:36,480
he was coming to catch them out?
Or was he coming back to

736
00:46:36,520 –> 00:46:39,800
encourage them to watch and not
sleep?

737
00:46:40,480 –> 00:46:42,600
Because who knows what danger is
coming?

738
00:46:42,600 –> 00:46:45,600
He’s on the lookout.
He’s about to be crucified, and

739
00:46:45,600 –> 00:46:49,400
he cares for his disciples and
goes back to ask them if they’re

740
00:46:49,400 –> 00:46:53,680
up and watching and praying.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the one

741
00:46:53,680 –> 00:46:57,640
who’s doing the watching.
And then he goes off and prays

742
00:46:57,640 –> 00:47:03,040
again a little further.
And when he returns verse 43 the

743
00:47:03,040 –> 00:47:05,920
second time, he finds them
asleep because their eyes were

744
00:47:05,920 –> 00:47:12,000
heavy and bless him, he left
them and went away.

745
00:47:12,000 –> 00:47:17,000
And eventually he returns and
say sleep on now and take your

746
00:47:17,000 –> 00:47:21,040
rest because he’s doing the
watching.

747
00:47:22,240 –> 00:47:27,720
So, so in a time of flawed
performance, the Lord is always

748
00:47:27,720 –> 00:47:30,760
ready to forgive.
He’s showing us how to forgive.

749
00:47:31,200 –> 00:47:34,200
And He cares and watches over
His flock.

750
00:47:34,240 –> 00:47:37,720
Even at this time of greatest
trial and tribulation.

751
00:47:38,120 –> 00:47:40,280
He was watching over their
flock.

752
00:47:41,080 –> 00:47:46,040
Which leads me to my final
saying of the week and my last

753
00:47:46,040 –> 00:47:49,600
slide of the week.
And it’s these words of the Lord

754
00:47:49,640 –> 00:47:52,800
Jesus Christ.
Behold, I stand at the door and

755
00:47:53,160 –> 00:47:55,360
knock.
Now what?

756
00:47:55,360 –> 00:47:58,600
What does that mean to you?
What does that mean to you?

757
00:47:58,600 –> 00:48:03,160
Normally it means to us that the
Lord Jesus Christ is about to

758
00:48:03,160 –> 00:48:05,760
return.
His return is imminent.

759
00:48:05,760 –> 00:48:09,200
He is at the door.
He is knocking at the door.

760
00:48:09,440 –> 00:48:12,680
The Lord Jesus Christ is about
to return in his Kingdom.

761
00:48:13,000 –> 00:48:18,320
And the encouragement seems to
be, Are you ready for the Lord

762
00:48:18,320 –> 00:48:20,480
Jesus?
Are you prepared for him?

763
00:48:20,520 –> 00:48:24,800
Are you awake and watching or
have you fallen into sleep?

764
00:48:25,040 –> 00:48:29,000
I’d like to suggest just look at
Revelation 320 would you haven’t

765
00:48:29,000 –> 00:48:31,160
already done so.
We’re going to read this and I’m

766
00:48:31,160 –> 00:48:35,120
going to sit down.
Jesus says, behold, I stand at

767
00:48:35,120 –> 00:48:43,120
the door and knock.
If any man will hear my voice

768
00:48:43,160 –> 00:48:48,640
and open the door, I will come
into him and will Sup with him

769
00:48:48,640 –> 00:48:51,000
and he with me.
You see here is the Lord Jesus

770
00:48:51,000 –> 00:48:53,520
Christ.
He’s standing at the door and he

771
00:48:53,520 –> 00:48:57,960
is knocking.
And that means, brothers,

772
00:48:57,960 –> 00:49:03,200
sisters, young people, the very
next action has to be yours.

773
00:49:04,320 –> 00:49:08,160
It doesn’t say I’m standing at
the door, I’m knocking and if

774
00:49:08,160 –> 00:49:11,480
you don’t answer, I’m going to
barge it open and force myself

775
00:49:11,480 –> 00:49:13,880
in.
Doesn’t say that.

776
00:49:14,160 –> 00:49:16,240
It says I’m standing at your
door.

777
00:49:16,240 –> 00:49:21,760
I am knocking at your door.
I want to come in to your life

778
00:49:23,760 –> 00:49:27,640
and you will be blessed if you
will open that door.

779
00:49:28,560 –> 00:49:33,600
And now, sadly, some of us might
leave it closed, but our lives

780
00:49:33,600 –> 00:49:37,400
will be transformed if we will
listen to the words of the Lord

781
00:49:37,400 –> 00:49:42,360
Jesus Christ and we will open
the door and let him into our

782
00:49:42,360 –> 00:49:47,880
lives and become his disciples.
Thank you very much for your

783
00:49:47,880 –> 00:49:51,400
patient attendance and attention
through the week.

784
00:49:51,400 –> 00:49:53,040
It’s been a delight to speak
here.

785
00:49:53,040 –> 00:49:56,320
I’ve loved every minute of it.
And thank you for your good

786
00:49:56,320 –> 00:49:57,320
fellowship together.