Class 1 from this series was used in GCT Episode 296.
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What I’d like to do is we’re
going to have it more of a
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What I’d like to do is we’re
going to have it more of a
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devotional study this week.
It’s not really a Bible book
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study, but hopefully it’ll be
very practical for a lot of you
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and everybody go home with some
good lessons to try and apply in
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our lives.
Little challenging things here
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and there, But I really believe
the foundation of all our life
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in Christ has taken me so many
years to realize is that this
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incredible love that God has for
us, I didn’t hear much of that
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growing up in my generation.
People didn’t talk about the
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love of God.
It just was like maybe too
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evangelical to talk about that,
but really that it should be the
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number one principle in our BASF
that is the basis for all the
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things that God has done.
He loves his creation, He loves
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us.
And all these things that he has
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done.
You know, planning for 4000
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years to send Jesus and put him
through what what he went
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through.
And and all the the torture that
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they did to him so that God
could win the victory over sin
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and save us into His eternal
family.
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Draw us away from sin.
And and convince us to join
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Christ in a in a life that
that’s like unbelievable love
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that God has for us.
And it’s really important that
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all of us catch on to that.
Because what I’ve discovered is
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that this is one of the most
motivating things on our life.
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Because if you look back at your
own life I think most of you
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here will probably have to admit
that your vision of God your
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understanding of God the
relationship that we have with
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your God really effects who you
become.
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But in a way we’re looking at
our second studies on Job and I
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I can show you going through Job
that Job had a relationship with
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God that I would say was more on
the fear based side at least at
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least the three the friends
pushed him to that he was always
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afraid about.
You know like God you’re
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watching over me every minute
and you’re gonna you’re gonna
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shoot me with your arrows.
And he he was, he was, he was on
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that side of on the on the
balance of fear base always
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thinking God was watching out
for all those things that he did
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wrong.
And if that’s the way you are
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and that’s your relationship
with God, you you’re you’re
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living with this fear based
relationship where you’re
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thinking God is always watching
and the angels are watching what
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you do so that they can get you
in this life, then what happens
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is you feel justified treating
other people like that.
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That’s sad.
But I look back in your life, I
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I know I myself went through
this.
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You feel like, well, I couldn’t.
I can look at other people.
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I can see what they’re doing
wrong.
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And if they do something wrong,
I can, I can bring consequences
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into their life.
I can judge them.
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I can, I can punish them for
what they’ve done.
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And it’s because we really do
become the God who we worship.
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And that’s why we have to get it
right.
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We we have to understand who is
our God.
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How does he really deal with us,
What what is he expecting from
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us?
How does he treat us and and all
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of our sins and all of our
mistakes.
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You know, as you’re going
through that job study in the
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second period, you look at all
the things that Job said and did
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and he and he said some things
that were wrong in the end.
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But God had unbelievable
compassion towards Job.
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As we looked at in in James
Chapter 5 yesterday, his
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compassion and his mercy was
unbelievable.
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A lot of us would written tobe
off.
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We would have said, you said all
those things and you you said
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all this stuff.
You know that now you’re going
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to pay for it.
No, that isn’t what our God
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does.
He looks at them as learning
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experiences, things that we’re
going through in life, making
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mistake, a mistake.
But what do you want from those
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things so we can get closer and
closer to him.
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And it’s really the challenge
this week.
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So I think for all of us is what
kind of God do you worship, You
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know what kind of relationship
you have with your God.
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And that’s something that all of
us have to get challenged on.
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If Jesus Christ walked through
the door right now today, as
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that door opens up back there,
if he walked in there and you
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saw him, would you want to run
up and thank him or would you
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want to like sneak out the back
door?
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And and it tells us a lot about
our relationship with God and
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with Jesus Christ’s Son and with
the angels that are working in
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our lives.
If we have a fear based
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relationship, brothers and
sisters, then we will transfer
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that to our children and we will
bring that out in our collegia
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and it’s not a very positive way
to live the truth.
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And you you won’t find, you
know, that’s really the aim of
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the goal of of vital characters.
They came to love their God.
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They came to have, you know, a
friendship with Jesus Christ.
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And that’s what we want to look
at this week because our God
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really does love us.
He loves us.
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He is full of compassion and he
treats us that way as we’re
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going to see, and so do his
family members with Jesus Christ
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and the angels.
That’s how they treat us as
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well.
He treats us as a father does
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his children, and this is part
of why he has put us in
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families.
He could have raised children on
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this earth entirely different
ways, but he he put us into a
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situation where as young people
grow up, the men and the boys
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and the girls, they find
relationships with each other.
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Many of them have children, or
they have children they work
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with in the Ecclesia.
And you learn as a father how to
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deal with your children and
children with the parents.
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And we we we start to understand
how our God feels about us.
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But if mom and dad are always
like looking at what we do wrong
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and and we’re looking at our
kids and we’re like spanking
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them for every little thing they
did wrong instead of explaining
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to them why and hoping that I
hope you learn from this like
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our God does and showing
compassion and mercy.
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How are our kids ever going to
understand our God if if we if
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we bring them up with a fear
based relationship.
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And when the teens get to the
point where they’re teenagers
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now and and they’re in that teen
class, we’re still treating them
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like that, then in the end they
think, well, if that’s where you
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are, that’s the way God is and
they and they walk away from the
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truth.
This is serious about how we
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view our God.
It’s a serious subject.
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And I don’t really think we
spend enough time on it myself.
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Some people think that when they
look back at the Old Testament,
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they, they read the Old
Testament, They see all these
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things that God did.
He was angry with the children
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of Israel.
He punched the children of
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Israel.
He did all these things.
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He said to a whole generation,
you won’t go into the land
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because of unbelief.
And he made him wander for 38
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years.
But we missed the fact that that
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was a national thing.
He was dealing with a nation of
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people.
That’s not the same as you here
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today.
We you can’t superimpose those
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things of the Old Testament on
national Israel and say that God
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is treating all of us the same
way.
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We we weren’t forced into this.
We volunteered to come here.
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We weren’t circumcised at 8 days
old.
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We were baptized and we
willingly joined Christ and said
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to God, we want to have a death
like his for his help, to live a
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new kind of life patterned after
the resurrection of Christ.
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It’s it’s a totally different
thing.
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And if you go back and look at
how God wanted to treat his
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nation, you see, you see things
like Deuteronomy 7 at verse six
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there.
For you are a holy people to the
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Lord your God.
The Lord your God has chosen you
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to be a people for himself, a
special treasure above all the
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peoples on the face of the
earth.
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That’s what he wanted.
And and Moses, God said the Lord
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did not set his love on you nor
choose you because you are more
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in number.
It’s because you’re not the
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biggest group than any other
people, for you are the least of
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all the peoples.
But because the Lord loves you,
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and because he would keep the
oath which he swore to your
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Father’s, he’s faithful to his
oath.
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And the Lord has brought you out
with a mighty hand and redeemed
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you from the House of bondage.
And that’s how God wants to
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treat us.
That’s the relationship He wants
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with us, like a father with his
children.
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That’s what he’s after, hoping
that we then will live like that
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in the way we treat other
people.
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You see it again in Deuteronomy
10, starting there at verse 12.
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And And what does the Lord your
God require of you but to fear
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the Lord your God to walk in his
ways?
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Well, that fear the Lord your
God, that that doesn’t have to
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mean be afraid of him.
It’s respect him.
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Realize that she she’s the God
who gives us these principles to
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live by.
And yet they’re good, they’re
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good principles to live by.
That we agree with the
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righteousness of God.
He’s right about how we should
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live.
That’s what he’s after.
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To serve the Lord your God with
all your heart, all your soul,
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and to keep the commandments and
statutes and so on.
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But she’s commanding you this
day for your good.
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Yet the Lord set his heart in
love on your father, because it
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shows their offspring after
them.
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You above all peoples, as you
are this day circumcise
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therefore the forskin of your
heart, and no longer be
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stubborn.
It it was a tough thing for
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Moses to get to, but as you go
through this, you see like not
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in verse 18 that God executes
justice for the fatherless and
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the widow and He loves the
sojourner, giving him food and
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clothing.
Therefore you are being asked to
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love the sojourner.
Therefore, for you were you were
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sojourners in the land of Egypt,
and you see the connection that
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he’s making between how God
treats people, how he treats you
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and expects that that will
translate into.
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Then if you understand your
relationship with God and how
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merciful He’s been with you,
that you will be motivated other
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people the same way he’s
treated.
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It’s not rocket science it it’s
just totally understanding our
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God.
That’s what he’s really after.
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But all Paul does say it in
Romans chapter 2.
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There’s an expectation there.
He’s hoping that when God is
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merciful to us and and he’s,
he’s kind to us.
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Even Paul goes on to tell the
Jews you O man, you know
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everyone of you who judges these
Jews.
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They read back and in Romans one
all these nasty Gentiles and God
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gave them up.
But he said, look at you Jews,
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you the judge, you practiced the
very same things you know.
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And and he goes out in verse
four.
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Do you presume on the riches of
his kindness and forbearance and
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patience, not knowing that God’s
kindness is meant to lead you to
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repentance?
He’s expecting a response to his
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mercy and his kindness.
But that response is that we we
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repent.
We we realize that I want to be
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like God.
I I want to be more like Jesus.
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I want to live like them.
I want to be like Christ the
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resurrected man.
But because of your heart and
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and penitent heart, you’re
storing up wrath for yourself on
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the day of wrath because there
will be a a day of wrath for
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those people who are not willing
to respond.
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So what?
What does the Lord require of
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us?
What is He after in US today?
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What does He want from us?
What are we going to learn from
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this week about what we can take
home and apply in our life?
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You know what’s he after?
So some of the religions around,
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at least in the US, I’m sure you
have some here in Australia as
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well.
Some of them really pushed the
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idea that you got to be out
there doing good works, good
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works, good works.
And whoever does the most good
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works wins.
And you’re the ones that have
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earned your salvation.
That’s that’s that’s a push that
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00:10:48,280 –> 00:10:50,600
some religions have.
It’s, that’s what the Jews did,
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00:10:50,600 –> 00:10:52,920
isn’t it?
The the US Pharisees they pushed
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00:10:53,200 –> 00:10:55,960
works works works thinking that
somehow they were going to make
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00:10:55,960 –> 00:10:59,040
themselves look good before God
and therefore you can earn your
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00:10:59,040 –> 00:11:01,200
salvation.
Now this isn’t just Christian
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00:11:01,200 –> 00:11:03,440
religions either.
I’ve I’ve run into this in the
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00:11:03,440 –> 00:11:06,840
Muslim community and different
religions the Jewish community.
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It’s a common practice to think
that what we got to do is make
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sure in the end that our good
works outweigh our bad works and
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therefore we we now we come out
on the end of our work.
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We have a positive to our life
and the and God will then have
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00:11:19,800 –> 00:11:23,000
to give us eternal life.
But that isn’t what our God
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00:11:23,000 –> 00:11:25,520
does.
That’s that’s not the way he
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00:11:25,520 –> 00:11:27,240
works.
I I think for the young people
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00:11:27,240 –> 00:11:30,320
here today, especially if you’ve
got to understand this, God
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00:11:30,320 –> 00:11:32,920
isn’t weighing up your life and
watching what you do today and
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00:11:32,920 –> 00:11:34,400
saying well, how many good
things did you do?
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00:11:34,400 –> 00:11:36,760
How many bad things did you do?
As long as the good ones
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00:11:36,760 –> 00:11:39,600
outweigh the bad ones, then all
right, you’re OK.
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00:11:39,880 –> 00:11:42,760
That isn’t how God works.
Not at all.
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00:11:43,000 –> 00:11:47,640
What he does is he gives grace.
He gives grace.
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He’s, He’s put us into these
lives with this nature that’s so
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00:11:52,200 –> 00:11:54,520
prone to sin.
And he’s, he’s going through
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00:11:54,520 –> 00:11:58,960
life watching us where we sin.
Day after day we sin, hoping we
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00:11:58,960 –> 00:12:02,200
will learn from that, that that
our God is merciful.
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00:12:02,200 –> 00:12:06,200
He’s gracious.
He is willing to forgive, hope
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00:12:07,560 –> 00:12:11,440
that that in turn will treat all
of you like he treats me.
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00:12:11,600 –> 00:12:13,840
And you’ll treat your your
other, the children like that.
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00:12:13,840 –> 00:12:16,080
And the children will treat
their parents like that and
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00:12:16,080 –> 00:12:19,760
we’ll treat other ecclesial
members like that and and look
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00:12:19,760 –> 00:12:22,400
around in our ecclesia today.
And I just watching as I’ve
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00:12:22,400 –> 00:12:25,560
grown up in the truth for years.
It’s so sad to watch an
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00:12:25,560 –> 00:12:29,520
ecclesial life where elders will
make very gracious decisions
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00:12:29,520 –> 00:12:32,240
about their own children when
they when they sin.
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00:12:32,480 –> 00:12:35,840
But if it’s somebody else’s
children, they come down much
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00:12:35,840 –> 00:12:38,480
more judgmental.
And that’s not good.
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00:12:38,480 –> 00:12:40,960
Brethren and sisters, that’s
what the Bible calls showing
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00:12:40,960 –> 00:12:43,080
partiality.
Partiality.
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00:12:43,080 –> 00:12:46,480
That isn’t what God does.
He doesn’t show partiality.
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00:12:46,880 –> 00:12:53,000
What God is after is helping
everybody and bringing the right
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00:12:53,000 –> 00:12:56,000
circumstances into the life.
When we sin, they’ll send those
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00:12:56,000 –> 00:12:57,800
angels out.
They’ll bring the right
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00:12:57,800 –> 00:13:00,960
circumstances that help us
develop and help us to learn.
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00:13:01,520 –> 00:13:02,960
And that’s what he did with his
own son.
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00:13:03,160 –> 00:13:04,760
As you’re going through Job,
you’re going to see that
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00:13:04,760 –> 00:13:08,480
although Job starts out a very
righteous man, he’s learning.
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00:13:08,480 –> 00:13:11,560
As he goes through this, he’s
developing, He’s maturing his
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00:13:11,560 –> 00:13:15,240
spiritual character.
So by the end he says, wow, I
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00:13:15,240 –> 00:13:19,200
had heard of you by the hearing
of the ear, but now my eye sees
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00:13:19,200 –> 00:13:21,560
you.
Now he had a relationship with
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00:13:21,560 –> 00:13:25,360
God based on love and saw how
God was using suffering to bring
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00:13:25,360 –> 00:13:28,640
about good things.
It was a total different way of
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00:13:28,640 –> 00:13:32,120
looking at God or look at Jesus
Christ, the ultimate case.
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00:13:32,240 –> 00:13:35,760
Whatever model we create in life
has to fit Jesus Christ.
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00:13:36,120 –> 00:13:38,720
He goes through life perfect,
never making mistakes.
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00:13:39,000 –> 00:13:42,960
How did God get him there?
He learned obedience by the
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00:13:42,960 –> 00:13:46,600
things that he suffered.
Suffering is a huge part of
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00:13:46,600 –> 00:13:50,520
that.
God doesn’t use suffering in us
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00:13:50,880 –> 00:13:55,560
the way he uses wrath on the
nations, a wrath on on those who
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00:13:55,560 –> 00:13:58,680
walked away from God.
When Jesus Christ returns, he’s
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00:13:58,680 –> 00:14:01,880
treating you like children, Paul
says in Hebrews 12.
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00:14:02,240 –> 00:14:05,640
That’s what he’s doing with you.
He’s disciplining you for your
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00:14:05,640 –> 00:14:10,240
good, that you might share His
Holiness and all those people
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00:14:10,240 –> 00:14:13,760
that Paul ends up saying, if you
have been trained, you’ve been
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00:14:13,760 –> 00:14:17,360
trained into that righteousness.
It’s a training program that
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00:14:17,360 –> 00:14:21,200
he’s running us through so he
doesn’t weigh out the good kids
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00:14:21,200 –> 00:14:23,680
in the bands that we do.
What he’s doing is just
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00:14:23,680 –> 00:14:26,760
constantly bringing
circumstances into our life to
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00:14:26,760 –> 00:14:31,280
help us learn to become better
children, to learn his eternal
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00:14:31,280 –> 00:14:34,400
way of life.
Eternal life, as Jesus called
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00:14:34,400 –> 00:14:37,400
it, or as John calls it in his
letters, he talks about eternal
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00:14:37,400 –> 00:14:40,360
life, eternal life.
It’s not immortality.
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00:14:40,640 –> 00:14:43,560
That’s a huge mistake to make.
If you read eternal life and
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00:14:43,760 –> 00:14:46,680
from Jesus or from John when
when Jesus said this is eternal
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00:14:46,680 –> 00:14:50,440
life, that they know you, the
only true God and Jesus Christ
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00:14:50,480 –> 00:14:54,760
and you have son, that’s not
immortality, That’s an eternal
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00:14:54,760 –> 00:14:58,000
way of life.
Or as John would say, you have
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00:14:58,080 –> 00:15:01,880
eternal life.
Now abiding in you, you have it.
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00:15:02,320 –> 00:15:06,160
It’s a way of life.
It’s God’s eternal way of life.
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00:15:06,480 –> 00:15:11,200
It’s his way of life, and he’s
trying to train us to live like
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00:15:11,200 –> 00:15:13,280
him.
And he found out the best
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00:15:13,280 –> 00:15:17,360
motivation he could ever give
was to send his son and put his
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00:15:17,360 –> 00:15:20,840
son through all those
circumstances and show us that
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00:15:20,840 –> 00:15:24,320
no matter what happened when he
was reviled, he didn’t revile in
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00:15:24,320 –> 00:15:26,320
return.
When he suffered, he didn’t
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00:15:26,320 –> 00:15:27,760
threaten.
Why?
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00:15:27,760 –> 00:15:32,760
Because he trusted that the one
who judges justly, you know,
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00:15:32,760 –> 00:15:36,480
that’s what he did.
And by His stripes, we are
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00:15:36,480 –> 00:15:38,800
healed.
We’re healed because we’re
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00:15:38,800 –> 00:15:41,360
learning from that to behave
like Him.
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00:15:41,720 –> 00:15:44,560
That’s the whole goal.
And Peter summarizes it like
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00:15:44,560 –> 00:15:47,480
that in first Peter 2.
So that’s what our God is doing
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00:15:47,480 –> 00:15:48,240
with us.
Then he.
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00:15:48,240 –> 00:15:51,080
He’s not really comparing all of
our sins with all our good deeds
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00:15:51,080 –> 00:15:53,600
and weighing them out.
That’s more like a fair, safe, a
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00:15:53,600 –> 00:15:57,000
way of looking at life.
What he’s hoping is these sins
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00:15:57,160 –> 00:16:01,160
that we commit are going to help
us learn to become better
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00:16:01,160 –> 00:16:03,680
members of his family.
And you see, he doesn’t look at
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00:16:03,680 –> 00:16:06,440
sin like we do.
Somebody sins in our community
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00:16:06,440 –> 00:16:08,960
and they do something wrong.
And a lot of us, we have these
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00:16:08,960 –> 00:16:11,400
tendencies to think, all right,
what are we going to bring?
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00:16:11,400 –> 00:16:13,400
What consequences are we going
to bring into their life?
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00:16:13,840 –> 00:16:17,400
And we, we look at this as
though we’ve got to somehow do
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00:16:17,400 –> 00:16:19,400
this to them, and they’ve got to
be punished.
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00:16:19,400 –> 00:16:21,720
Because if you have a
relationship with God where you
322
00:16:21,720 –> 00:16:24,320
think he’s where he wants to
punish you for your sins, you
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00:16:24,320 –> 00:16:26,440
feel justified in doing that to
other people.
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00:16:26,760 –> 00:16:28,280
But that isn’t what our God
does.
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00:16:28,280 –> 00:16:31,640
He gives more grace.
James says that’s what he does.
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00:16:31,880 –> 00:16:35,480
That’s how he solves wars and
and ecclesial members in in
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00:16:35,480 –> 00:16:37,400
chapter 4, James says, well what
does God do?
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00:16:37,560 –> 00:16:45,200
He gives more grace and the same
way.
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00:16:45,600 –> 00:16:49,840
So we know it’s by grace that we
have been saved and it’s not
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00:16:49,840 –> 00:16:54,400
from ourselves, it’s the gift of
God and not by works so that no
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00:16:54,400 –> 00:16:57,040
one can boast.
That’s the reason it’s like
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00:16:57,040 –> 00:16:59,600
nobody can boast.
And what God has done is he’s
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00:16:59,600 –> 00:17:02,480
brought us into a family.
He’s training us to be his
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00:17:02,480 –> 00:17:05,839
family members, training us to
be ready for eternal life.
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00:17:05,880 –> 00:17:08,520
That’s what he’s doing.
Have you ever thought about the
336
00:17:08,520 –> 00:17:11,160
concept about like if he was
weighing out good and bad things
337
00:17:11,280 –> 00:17:14,319
and it was based in any way on
our works, well what we could do
338
00:17:14,319 –> 00:17:16,440
rather than sisters and young
people just think about it
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00:17:16,440 –> 00:17:19,160
they’ll it’s it’s almost like a
job that you have if we treat
340
00:17:19,160 –> 00:17:22,480
God like our employer and and
you you go to work today you go
341
00:17:22,480 –> 00:17:25,240
to a teacher at school and you
think well if I do a good job if
342
00:17:25,240 –> 00:17:27,240
I really do this right they’re
going to give me more.
343
00:17:27,240 –> 00:17:29,320
They’re going to pay me more or
they’re going to pay you more.
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00:17:29,880 –> 00:17:33,400
But our God can’t afford to run
eternal life like that.
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00:17:33,400 –> 00:17:35,600
Immortality.
That is just how he works.
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00:17:35,800 –> 00:17:38,520
What he does is he says here you
can have it.
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00:17:39,320 –> 00:17:41,760
It’s a gift.
I’ll give you grace.
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00:17:42,000 –> 00:17:45,840
You’ve been saved by grace.
And then he waits to see how we
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00:17:45,840 –> 00:17:48,000
will respond to that.
What are you going to do with
350
00:17:48,000 –> 00:17:49,960
that?
You just going to squander it?
351
00:17:49,960 –> 00:17:52,320
You’re going to just like, not
treat it seriously?
352
00:17:52,680 –> 00:17:57,400
Or is it going to change your
life and how you treat other
353
00:17:57,400 –> 00:18:01,120
people That’s what he’s looking
for and and you see why.
354
00:18:01,200 –> 00:18:03,640
If if it was all about like I’m
trying to do works and I’m
355
00:18:03,640 –> 00:18:05,960
trying to earn my way through
and I’m piling up comparing my
356
00:18:05,960 –> 00:18:09,120
good and my bad when it came
behind to the Judgement seat and
357
00:18:09,120 –> 00:18:12,800
he gives us immortality, what
motivation is there anymore to
358
00:18:12,800 –> 00:18:15,280
do good things?
You see that?
359
00:18:15,280 –> 00:18:19,200
That’s, that’s this whole issue
of that we have to love God’s
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00:18:19,200 –> 00:18:21,360
way of life.
When when Jack was going through
361
00:18:21,360 –> 00:18:24,160
that with Job, I mean, look at
what Job did, He kept holding on
362
00:18:24,160 –> 00:18:27,640
to this idea and his integrity
of the righteousness of God.
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00:18:27,880 –> 00:18:32,120
God’s way of life is right.
That’s what God’s looking for,
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00:18:32,440 –> 00:18:34,840
not people that are just doing
it for what they can get out of
365
00:18:34,840 –> 00:18:37,080
it in this life.
Because as soon as that’s over,
366
00:18:37,080 –> 00:18:40,360
there’s no motivation anymore.
He wants people that will hold
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00:18:40,360 –> 00:18:43,760
on to it even when they’re going
through rough times, even when
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00:18:43,760 –> 00:18:46,000
they’re being challenged.
Even when things aren’t going
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00:18:46,000 –> 00:18:50,280
well, you still commit to it.
Those are the people that endure
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00:18:50,280 –> 00:18:53,640
to the end for whom he can
graciously hand out immortality
371
00:18:53,920 –> 00:18:57,320
and say welcome to the family.
That’s that’s the way our God
372
00:18:57,320 –> 00:18:59,480
works.
And it changes how we treat
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00:18:59,480 –> 00:19:02,240
other people.
So we’re not here by accident
374
00:19:02,240 –> 00:19:04,040
today.
You know, it isn’t a case where
375
00:19:04,040 –> 00:19:06,560
somebody just happened to preach
to us that you were born into a
376
00:19:06,560 –> 00:19:10,040
Christadelphian family or or
whatever you are here because
377
00:19:10,040 –> 00:19:14,280
God wants you and his family.
He loves you, John.
378
00:19:14,440 –> 00:19:17,600
Jesus says in John 15 that you
are my friends.
379
00:19:17,760 –> 00:19:20,760
If you do whatever I command,
you no longer do, I call you
380
00:19:20,760 –> 00:19:23,520
servants, for a servant does not
know what his master’s doing.
381
00:19:23,840 –> 00:19:27,400
But I have called you friends or
all things that I’ve heard from
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00:19:27,400 –> 00:19:29,440
my father.
I have made known to you.
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00:19:30,000 –> 00:19:33,760
You did not choose me.
Sometimes we think brothers and
384
00:19:33,760 –> 00:19:35,600
sisters.
We did all our Bible study.
385
00:19:35,600 –> 00:19:37,280
We did all this work.
I learned the truth.
386
00:19:37,480 –> 00:19:40,440
You know, I did all this stuff
and I got baptized and you know
387
00:19:40,440 –> 00:19:43,240
I did it.
And then we continue that
388
00:19:43,240 –> 00:19:45,720
process through our life.
That isn’t how it works.
389
00:19:46,520 –> 00:19:49,120
We’re we’re only here because
God chose us.
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00:19:49,480 –> 00:19:52,040
Jesus chose you.
He chose you.
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00:19:52,760 –> 00:19:55,760
That’s what he did.
I I remember learning years ago
392
00:19:55,760 –> 00:20:00,040
that in our bas stuff, right,
we’ve got this clause that we
393
00:20:00,040 –> 00:20:02,240
put in.
We amended the BASF years ago
394
00:20:02,480 –> 00:20:03,720
and we have this clause.
What is it?
395
00:20:03,720 –> 00:20:04,920
Clause 25.
Right?
396
00:20:04,920 –> 00:20:07,960
Or whatever it is in your baso
for over here we got this one
397
00:20:07,960 –> 00:20:10,040
about The Who are the
responsible people, right?
398
00:20:10,560 –> 00:20:13,320
The responsible well, who are
they and and what we would
399
00:20:13,320 –> 00:20:15,120
rattle up?
The responsible people are those
400
00:20:15,120 –> 00:20:17,000
that know the revealed will of
God, right?
401
00:20:17,000 –> 00:20:19,000
You did your studies.
You know all the answers you
402
00:20:19,000 –> 00:20:21,120
could pass the pass the
baptismal interview.
403
00:20:21,320 –> 00:20:23,480
You know it.
You’re the responsible people
404
00:20:24,240 –> 00:20:28,240
and we forgot to read the rest.
Who knows how that ends?
405
00:20:29,960 –> 00:20:34,120
Do we know?
RBASFI didn’t I got taught this
406
00:20:34,120 –> 00:20:38,440
by unamended brother sisters in
in North America is they just
407
00:20:38,440 –> 00:20:40,560
read the rest of the clause.
What did they put in there?
408
00:20:40,560 –> 00:20:44,760
It says those who know the
reveals what of God and have
409
00:20:44,760 –> 00:20:46,840
been called upon to submit to
it.
410
00:20:47,040 –> 00:20:49,080
You totally left out God’s
calling.
411
00:20:49,640 –> 00:20:51,360
You didn’t realize it’s up to
God to call you.
412
00:20:51,360 –> 00:20:53,040
It’s not you don’t call your
children.
413
00:20:53,320 –> 00:20:55,840
You don’t make your children
responsible to the truth.
414
00:20:55,840 –> 00:20:57,320
That isn’t what we do as
parents.
415
00:20:57,640 –> 00:21:02,200
We pray that God will call them
and that we will then help in
416
00:21:02,200 –> 00:21:04,080
that process by teaching them
the truth.
417
00:21:04,560 –> 00:21:07,720
But it’s not up to me.
It’s not up to me.
418
00:21:08,000 –> 00:21:10,720
Maybe I learned that the hard
way, Having an autistic child,
419
00:21:10,720 –> 00:21:13,520
that doesn’t matter what we did,
we we couldn’t force things.
420
00:21:13,760 –> 00:21:16,200
It’s totally up to God and his
calling.
421
00:21:16,480 –> 00:21:19,480
And it all made sense in the end
in in Romans 9, when Paul
422
00:21:19,480 –> 00:21:22,400
actually deals with this, so
you, Paul Jesus, said there that
423
00:21:22,400 –> 00:21:26,000
you did not choose me, but I
chose you and appointed you that
424
00:21:26,000 –> 00:21:30,120
you should go and bear fruit.
It was up to Christ to do the
425
00:21:30,240 –> 00:21:33,040
calling or up to God and they
are the ones who call.
426
00:21:33,840 –> 00:21:36,440
I I learned a lot by doing a
study of the angels years ago
427
00:21:36,440 –> 00:21:39,400
and I was really impressed with
the fact that I had been reading
428
00:21:39,440 –> 00:21:42,160
angels the wrong way.
I knew all these Bible stories
429
00:21:42,160 –> 00:21:45,080
and I know you do too.
You know all about Abraham and
430
00:21:45,080 –> 00:21:47,000
lot all this stuff.
We we knew all the stories.
431
00:21:47,200 –> 00:21:50,000
But what I had never done is
read them from the perspective
432
00:21:50,000 –> 00:21:52,720
of angels.
And I found that very helpful to
433
00:21:52,800 –> 00:21:54,960
start out in January when you’re
doing the Bible readings.
434
00:21:54,960 –> 00:21:57,680
And every time you run across a
story where angels are involved,
435
00:21:58,040 –> 00:22:00,480
just try to understand and think
about what?
436
00:22:00,640 –> 00:22:04,640
What are they thinking?
What are they going through?
437
00:22:04,640 –> 00:22:06,800
Because they’re already in God’s
family.
438
00:22:07,240 –> 00:22:11,720
Watch how they treat people with
these people and learn from them
439
00:22:11,720 –> 00:22:15,400
about how to treat one another.
I found that very useful to look
440
00:22:15,400 –> 00:22:18,360
at The three men in Genesis 18,
the three angels, they they rose
441
00:22:18,360 –> 00:22:20,920
from there.
This is after talking to Abraham
442
00:22:20,920 –> 00:22:22,480
and Sarah.
And what did they tell them?
443
00:22:22,760 –> 00:22:25,240
They told Abraham, here you are,
old man, You’re going to have a
444
00:22:25,240 –> 00:22:27,760
son, Sarah, you’re old, but
you’re going to have, you’re
445
00:22:27,760 –> 00:22:30,760
going to have a child.
And they came to tell them that
446
00:22:30,760 –> 00:22:33,720
news personally.
And then the three angels, they
447
00:22:33,720 –> 00:22:37,480
left there from from Abraham,
they started to walk away.
448
00:22:37,480 –> 00:22:40,800
Where were they going?
They’re going to Sodom, Genesis
449
00:22:40,800 –> 00:22:43,720
19, right?
And they have a conversation on
450
00:22:43,720 –> 00:22:48,360
the road and they look at one
another and they say, wow, we’re
451
00:22:48,360 –> 00:22:50,360
going down to Sodom.
We’re probably going to destroy
452
00:22:50,360 –> 00:22:52,120
it.
Abraham’s nephew went down
453
00:22:52,120 –> 00:22:53,400
there.
Do you think we should tell
454
00:22:53,400 –> 00:22:56,120
Abraham what we’re going to do?
Do you?
455
00:22:56,280 –> 00:22:57,640
Do you do you read your Bible
that way?
456
00:22:57,640 –> 00:23:00,080
I mean, that’s what’s happening.
They’re having a conversation.
457
00:23:00,320 –> 00:23:04,400
These angels were empowered to
make a huge decision.
458
00:23:04,920 –> 00:23:07,480
They’re they’re having this
look, the Lord said, so we get
459
00:23:07,480 –> 00:23:09,760
fooled by reading.
The Lord said, shall I hide from
460
00:23:09,760 –> 00:23:12,840
Abraham what I am doing?
See, the three that are having
461
00:23:12,840 –> 00:23:16,120
this discussion are three angels
who Abraham refers to as the
462
00:23:16,120 –> 00:23:18,800
Lord or Yahweh.
And Lot in turn calls them
463
00:23:18,800 –> 00:23:23,800
Yahweh as well.
So it’s these three angels that
464
00:23:23,800 –> 00:23:27,240
are there.
I’m doing since Abraham shall
465
00:23:27,240 –> 00:23:29,960
surely become a great and mighty
nation, and for all the nations
466
00:23:29,960 –> 00:23:31,760
of the earth are going to be
blessed in him.
467
00:23:32,000 –> 00:23:36,160
For I have known him now, isn’t
that interesting, that phrase I
468
00:23:36,160 –> 00:23:37,840
have known him.
Do you realize that the Hebrew
469
00:23:37,840 –> 00:23:41,080
words there that are used are
the same words where Abraham
470
00:23:41,080 –> 00:23:44,800
knew his wife and she conceived?
That’s the same word.
471
00:23:45,360 –> 00:23:47,960
And in the Hebrew I have known
him.
472
00:23:48,200 –> 00:23:51,520
This is an intimate personal
relationship.
473
00:23:52,160 –> 00:23:54,360
The angel’s head with Abraham,
they came to talk to him
474
00:23:54,360 –> 00:23:55,800
personally.
Friend.
475
00:23:56,520 –> 00:23:59,320
I really believe this first time
Abraham was ever called the
476
00:23:59,320 –> 00:24:03,080
friend of God it’s referred to
and there’s 40 righteous.
477
00:24:03,080 –> 00:24:06,000
What are you going to do?
Angel talks with Abraham says
478
00:24:06,000 –> 00:24:10,320
OK, he’s talking with Abraham.
That’s what this Angel did.
479
00:24:11,760 –> 00:24:15,280
Look at that idea that God in
this case, or the angels that
480
00:24:15,280 –> 00:24:17,920
were there, they talked to
Abraham as their friend.
481
00:24:18,080 –> 00:24:20,720
It fits in with Jesus and John
there where he said that, you
482
00:24:20,720 –> 00:24:22,360
know, I don’t call you servants
anymore.
483
00:24:22,360 –> 00:24:25,520
You’re my friends, you know.
I I know you.
484
00:24:25,600 –> 00:24:28,600
I want you to understand.
We want a relationship with you
485
00:24:28,960 –> 00:24:31,160
where you will learn to live
like me.
486
00:24:31,160 –> 00:24:33,960
That’s what he’s after.
So look in John 6.
487
00:24:33,960 –> 00:24:36,840
This was also an interesting one
about God’s calling, because the
488
00:24:36,840 –> 00:24:39,640
Jews therefore answered, Jesus
answered the Jews here.
489
00:24:39,640 –> 00:24:42,440
And he said to them, don’t
murmur among yourselves, for no
490
00:24:42,440 –> 00:24:46,000
one can come to me unless the
Father who sent me draws him.
491
00:24:47,360 –> 00:24:49,640
See, that’s a blanket statement.
It’s not just here you’re going
492
00:24:49,640 –> 00:24:51,920
to find that’s all over in
John’s Gospel and elsewhere in
493
00:24:51,920 –> 00:24:54,320
the Bible.
Sometimes as parents, we think
494
00:24:54,320 –> 00:24:56,360
that we just got to drill the
Bible into our kids.
495
00:24:56,360 –> 00:24:58,320
We got a Bible mark.
We got a CYC.
496
00:24:58,320 –> 00:25:00,800
We got, we got to do all this
stuff about the Bible, do the
497
00:25:00,800 –> 00:25:03,400
Bible rings home.
And we got to be careful because
498
00:25:03,400 –> 00:25:06,400
in the end we think that when
they’re baptized, we look back
499
00:25:06,400 –> 00:25:08,560
and say, oh, look at that, look
what I did.
500
00:25:09,200 –> 00:25:11,400
And we look at somebody else in
the truth, whose child walks
501
00:25:11,400 –> 00:25:14,480
away and we judge them and say,
well, you didn’t do as good a
502
00:25:14,480 –> 00:25:17,840
job as I did.
That’s not right.
503
00:25:17,920 –> 00:25:21,040
Brothers and sisters, we we
should be doing the Bible
504
00:25:21,040 –> 00:25:23,200
readings at home.
We should be going to CYC.
505
00:25:23,200 –> 00:25:25,000
We should have our kids here at
at these guys.
506
00:25:25,400 –> 00:25:28,880
But at the same time, we should
be praying and pleading with God
507
00:25:29,480 –> 00:25:32,960
that he will call them.
It’s up to him to call them into
508
00:25:32,960 –> 00:25:35,600
his family.
And he doesn’t always call
509
00:25:35,600 –> 00:25:38,400
everyone.
Abraham had to deal with that
510
00:25:38,400 –> 00:25:41,200
with Ishmael when he said, oh,
that Ishmael might live in your
511
00:25:41,200 –> 00:25:44,400
sight.
God says no, it’s not going to
512
00:25:44,400 –> 00:25:47,640
go through Ishmael.
And later on, Isaac, you know,
513
00:25:47,680 –> 00:25:50,240
pleading with God about he loved
Esau.
514
00:25:50,880 –> 00:25:53,480
And God says no, it’s going to
go through Jacob.
515
00:25:54,280 –> 00:25:57,040
And we sometimes fool ourselves
into thinking that Jacob was a
516
00:25:57,040 –> 00:26:00,280
better man than Esau.
Well, you know, read the account
517
00:26:00,280 –> 00:26:02,320
of Jacob’s life.
He’s a schemer.
518
00:26:02,640 –> 00:26:05,680
He he tried everything he could
to scheme his way through life.
519
00:26:06,120 –> 00:26:08,800
And yet God trained him.
He worked with him.
520
00:26:09,000 –> 00:26:13,480
He patiently worked with Jacob
because God was calling Jacob.
521
00:26:14,280 –> 00:26:17,880
It’s a lesson we have to learn.
Paul deals with this in Romans 9
522
00:26:17,880 –> 00:26:19,400
when he talks about God’s
election.
523
00:26:19,400 –> 00:26:24,640
And he says from the same lump
of clay he can make one vessel
524
00:26:24,640 –> 00:26:27,000
to honor and another vessel to
dishonor.
525
00:26:27,600 –> 00:26:30,280
Not different lumps of clay, not
one good lump and one bad lump.
526
00:26:30,280 –> 00:26:33,200
No, from the same lump, same
lump.
527
00:26:33,280 –> 00:26:35,840
He can do that.
That’s why John Baptist said of
528
00:26:35,840 –> 00:26:38,160
these stones God can raise up
children to Abraham.
529
00:26:38,160 –> 00:26:40,680
He can.
That’s what he can do it.
530
00:26:40,680 –> 00:26:42,240
It’s not that there’s better
stones.
531
00:26:42,240 –> 00:26:44,160
And you know, that was a mistake
the Jews made.
532
00:26:44,440 –> 00:26:46,200
They they thought, oh, we are
the people.
533
00:26:46,200 –> 00:26:49,080
We have the promises, that we’re
better people than those nasty
534
00:26:49,080 –> 00:26:52,440
dog Gentiles.
And God had to constantly remind
535
00:26:52,440 –> 00:26:53,760
them, no, you’re not better
people.
536
00:26:54,040 –> 00:26:55,920
You’re you’re in a better
situation.
537
00:26:55,920 –> 00:26:58,720
Because I love you.
I’ve, I’ve given you these
538
00:26:58,720 –> 00:26:59,880
things.
I’ve given you all these
539
00:26:59,880 –> 00:27:03,440
privileges.
And now I’m expecting something
540
00:27:03,440 –> 00:27:06,040
from you.
And he got so disappointed in
541
00:27:06,040 –> 00:27:09,200
the nation where for all the
things God had done for them,
542
00:27:09,520 –> 00:27:13,240
they had not responded.
And it was frustrating to God
543
00:27:13,240 –> 00:27:14,960
and to the angels that we’re
working with them.
544
00:27:15,400 –> 00:27:18,080
So we have to remember it’s all
about God’s calling.
545
00:27:18,320 –> 00:27:20,920
God’s having a family.
He wants to have a family.
546
00:27:20,920 –> 00:27:25,000
He’s I had with God because our
God, he really is our coach.
547
00:27:25,720 –> 00:27:27,960
Have you ever played a sport
where you play for a coach where
548
00:27:27,960 –> 00:27:30,360
everything you do wrong, he just
wants to like wacky on the head
549
00:27:30,360 –> 00:27:33,240
or he wants to like punish you,
go ride, go run, ton laugh.
550
00:27:33,640 –> 00:27:35,640
Do you really want to play for a
coach like that?
551
00:27:36,200 –> 00:27:38,640
I didn’t.
I didn’t find them very fun to
552
00:27:38,640 –> 00:27:39,920
play with.
It’s the game plan.
553
00:27:39,920 –> 00:27:43,600
It’s his game plan.
It’s God’s righteousness, his
554
00:27:43,600 –> 00:27:46,440
right way of life.
It’s all going to be right
555
00:27:46,440 –> 00:27:49,680
because the the judge of all the
earth will do right and he
556
00:27:49,680 –> 00:27:53,680
guarantees success.
Wouldn’t that be great to go
557
00:27:53,680 –> 00:27:57,520
into a a school, a class in in
school, or somewhere in business
558
00:27:57,760 –> 00:28:01,320
and have somebody teaching about
this and guaranteeing that if
559
00:28:01,320 –> 00:28:04,520
you cooperate with the program,
you will be successful, You’ll
560
00:28:04,520 –> 00:28:07,080
make it.
It’s a guarantee you’ll make it
561
00:28:07,240 –> 00:28:11,720
if by faith you trust him.
Whatever he brings into your
562
00:28:11,720 –> 00:28:15,280
life, whatever happens when we
go home, whatever’s happening
563
00:28:15,280 –> 00:28:18,880
today in your life and my family
life, we’ve got to trust him.
564
00:28:19,080 –> 00:28:21,360
He’s in control.
It’s God’s family.
565
00:28:21,920 –> 00:28:23,760
He’s got his angels.
They’re out there working.
566
00:28:23,800 –> 00:28:26,720
Jesus is over them now, and he’s
controlling all these things.
567
00:28:27,040 –> 00:28:31,760
We just have to trust and treat
people the way he treats people.
568
00:28:32,000 –> 00:28:34,760
We don’t have to force an issue.
We don’t have to say, well, the
569
00:28:34,760 –> 00:28:37,320
ends will justify the means.
So I had to do it that way.
570
00:28:37,320 –> 00:28:40,600
No, we don’t.
God’s in control and that’s what
571
00:28:40,600 –> 00:28:42,960
he’s after.
And he knows what we need.
572
00:28:43,480 –> 00:28:45,120
He knows it better than any of
us.
573
00:28:45,600 –> 00:28:47,640
You know, I’ve, I’ve watched
this on arranging boards before.
574
00:28:47,640 –> 00:28:50,120
I’ve been on and and a young
person will make mistake and
575
00:28:50,120 –> 00:28:53,120
people talk about, well, what
consequence or punishment we
576
00:28:53,120 –> 00:28:55,600
have to bring in their life so
that they will learn, you know,
577
00:28:55,680 –> 00:28:58,120
that this is wrong or something.
You’ve got to set an example for
578
00:28:58,120 –> 00:28:59,760
the old, young people and all
these things.
579
00:29:00,200 –> 00:29:03,640
But brothers and sisters, you
know, look at the life of David.
580
00:29:03,640 –> 00:29:05,960
What did you learn from David
with his mistake?
581
00:29:06,520 –> 00:29:09,640
Like David was the king.
David committed adultery.
582
00:29:09,640 –> 00:29:12,840
David committed murder.
And what did God do?
583
00:29:13,200 –> 00:29:18,000
By law, he should have been
stoned, should have been stoned.
584
00:29:18,440 –> 00:29:20,520
But God doesn’t treat him that
way.
585
00:29:21,360 –> 00:29:24,680
I I think for a lot of times
we’ve misread the law, but the
586
00:29:24,680 –> 00:29:27,920
law told us what we deserve for
our sins.
587
00:29:28,360 –> 00:29:32,240
But did you realize that so many
times people who made terrible
588
00:29:32,240 –> 00:29:36,240
mistakes didn’t receive what the
law said they should receive?
589
00:29:36,840 –> 00:29:40,480
Because the law accepted that
people were living under you
590
00:29:40,480 –> 00:29:43,400
would learn after a while that,
wow, I deserve this, I deserve
591
00:29:43,400 –> 00:29:45,520
that.
But God, I’m pleading for mercy.
592
00:29:45,520 –> 00:29:50,000
God is merciful and he hoped
that we would catch on that
593
00:29:50,000 –> 00:29:52,280
that’s what we should be doing
for other people.
594
00:29:53,400 –> 00:29:55,000
Have you ever noticed, like
reading through the New
595
00:29:55,000 –> 00:29:57,120
Testament?
Remember when Mary became
596
00:29:57,120 –> 00:29:59,760
pregnant?
Do you notice how Matthew goes
597
00:29:59,840 –> 00:30:06,120
out of his way to say that
Joseph, being a just man,
598
00:30:06,680 –> 00:30:08,800
decided to put her away
privately?
599
00:30:09,200 –> 00:30:10,640
Well, that’s not what the law
said.
600
00:30:10,640 –> 00:30:12,080
Oh no, you get pregnant like
that.
601
00:30:12,080 –> 00:30:15,360
You should be stoned.
They were engaged, should have
602
00:30:15,360 –> 00:30:20,000
turned her into have her stoned.
But the Bible trying to tell us
603
00:30:20,520 –> 00:30:26,120
that Joseph being a just man
didn’t bring on her the
604
00:30:26,120 –> 00:30:28,680
punishment that the law said she
deserved.
605
00:30:29,360 –> 00:30:32,240
Don’t read the law like that.
If we don’t have to apply those
606
00:30:32,240 –> 00:30:35,880
punishments, we don’t have to.
We can extend mercy like our
607
00:30:35,880 –> 00:30:37,720
God.
Look, look, look at how that
608
00:30:37,720 –> 00:30:39,600
played out with the woman caught
in adultery.
609
00:30:39,640 –> 00:30:41,480
Jesus knew she was caught in
adultery.
610
00:30:41,920 –> 00:30:44,880
He doesn’t push the law to say,
well, he cut the law perfectly.
611
00:30:45,080 –> 00:30:47,800
He doesn’t push the issue to say
Chip Stoner, she committed
612
00:30:47,800 –> 00:30:48,720
adultery.
Nope.
613
00:30:49,400 –> 00:30:52,320
He he he guilts the other guys
into the point, They all walk
614
00:30:52,320 –> 00:30:56,280
away, and then he tells her go
away yourself, you know?
615
00:30:56,280 –> 00:30:58,840
But sin no more.
Learn something from this.
616
00:30:58,840 –> 00:31:00,680
That’s what he’s after.
Learn something.
617
00:31:01,080 –> 00:31:04,120
Yeah, I’ve learned to read the
Bible an entirely different way
618
00:31:04,400 –> 00:31:07,640
by by just being careful about
these stories and trying to
619
00:31:07,640 –> 00:31:09,240
figure out what’s God trying to
tell us.
620
00:31:09,680 –> 00:31:13,640
And it’s it’s just amazing to me
how as a younger person, I was
621
00:31:13,640 –> 00:31:16,600
much more judgmental, much more
into thinking that we had to
622
00:31:16,600 –> 00:31:19,920
carry out all the consequences
instead of leaving that in God’s
623
00:31:19,920 –> 00:31:22,920
hands and letting him bring the
right consequences into
624
00:31:22,920 –> 00:31:24,840
someone’s life, as he did with
David.
625
00:31:24,840 –> 00:31:27,000
You know, he, he brought the
right things into David’s life.
626
00:31:27,320 –> 00:31:28,680
But the angels take care of
that.
627
00:31:28,680 –> 00:31:31,240
They do that.
And so nobody gets away with
628
00:31:31,280 –> 00:31:33,920
anything in the life.
These are all just mistakes that
629
00:31:33,920 –> 00:31:36,080
we make and we hopefully learn
from them.
630
00:31:36,080 –> 00:31:38,320
And God reminds us through the
circumstances.
631
00:31:38,760 –> 00:31:41,000
So, Micah, you know this story.
And Micah 6.
632
00:31:41,240 –> 00:31:43,640
Micah talks about coming before
the Lord, you know, what are you
633
00:31:43,640 –> 00:31:44,440
going to bring?
What?
634
00:31:44,440 –> 00:31:46,520
Are you going to bow down before
the high God with him?
635
00:31:46,520 –> 00:31:47,800
Right.
Shall I come before him with
636
00:31:47,800 –> 00:31:49,600
burnt offerings and calves?
A year old?
637
00:31:49,840 –> 00:31:52,880
Will the Lord be pleased with
1000 Rams and 10,000 rivers of
638
00:31:52,880 –> 00:31:54,960
oil?
Is that what he really wants?
639
00:31:55,440 –> 00:31:57,800
The law said, you know, you
bring all these sacrifices.
640
00:31:57,800 –> 00:32:01,400
Did God want sacrifices?
No.
641
00:32:02,280 –> 00:32:06,160
He wanted us to learn from the
sacrifices about the higher
642
00:32:06,160 –> 00:32:09,440
principles of his life.
That’s what he was really after,
643
00:32:09,800 –> 00:32:12,400
You know, He’s shown you, O man,
what is good and what what does
644
00:32:12,400 –> 00:32:17,720
the Lord require of you, but to
do justly, to love mercy and to
645
00:32:17,720 –> 00:32:21,200
walk humbly with your God?
That’s what we should be
646
00:32:21,200 –> 00:32:24,480
learning on Sunday mornings when
we take and bread and the wine.
647
00:32:24,680 –> 00:32:26,960
Doesn’t that remind us how we
are?
648
00:32:26,960 –> 00:32:28,360
We are.
We are responsible.
649
00:32:28,360 –> 00:32:29,960
We committed it.
Baptism.
650
00:32:30,200 –> 00:32:33,800
To join Christ in a death like
his and come out of the waters,
651
00:32:33,800 –> 00:32:36,200
walking in a new way of life
patterned after his
652
00:32:36,200 –> 00:32:38,160
resurrection.
That’s what we promised.
653
00:32:38,760 –> 00:32:41,800
And every Sunday morning when we
take bread and wine, we can be
654
00:32:41,800 –> 00:32:44,760
reminded that we’re God is
allowing us to take those
655
00:32:44,760 –> 00:32:47,880
emblems, to remind us that this
is the promise we made.
656
00:32:48,480 –> 00:32:50,760
And yet look at all the failures
we’ve done during the week.
657
00:32:51,280 –> 00:32:54,280
And we all plead for mercy.
We do.
658
00:32:55,240 –> 00:32:57,720
Oh, what are you gonna do the
next time somebody else makes a
659
00:32:57,720 –> 00:33:00,000
mistake and they’re pleading
with you for mercy?
660
00:33:00,720 –> 00:33:02,320
I mean, we have to learn from
this.
661
00:33:02,320 –> 00:33:05,920
Brothers and sisters, This is
our God, and we be we.
662
00:33:05,920 –> 00:33:09,600
We become people that are
connected with the God when we
663
00:33:09,600 –> 00:33:11,560
worship.
How do you understand how God
664
00:33:11,560 –> 00:33:14,840
took care of these things?
He he didn’t want sacrifices.
665
00:33:15,080 –> 00:33:18,600
He wanted you to learn from the
sacrifices to identify with
666
00:33:18,600 –> 00:33:21,160
Messiah.
Lay your hands on that animal,
667
00:33:21,160 –> 00:33:23,640
my son.
This animal is perfect without
668
00:33:23,640 –> 00:33:25,520
blemish.
That’s the goal and the
669
00:33:25,520 –> 00:33:29,040
objective to be like God, to be
obedient to God.
670
00:33:29,200 –> 00:33:31,840
And yes, it’s going to require
suffering, but you are going to
671
00:33:31,840 –> 00:33:34,240
kill that animal.
You kill the animal, not the
672
00:33:34,240 –> 00:33:36,960
priest.
You commit to die with Christ,
673
00:33:36,960 –> 00:33:40,880
to sin, as Paul calls it in
Romans 6, and then rise to a new
674
00:33:40,880 –> 00:33:43,080
way of life.
And you put that animal on the
675
00:33:43,080 –> 00:33:46,080
altar in the end, and all the
trials of this life that we go
676
00:33:46,080 –> 00:33:49,480
through the sufferings, they
burn that animal and you ascend
677
00:33:49,480 –> 00:33:52,800
to God as a pleasing odor.
See, a lot of times I’ve watched
678
00:33:52,800 –> 00:33:55,320
a brother and argue about animal
sacrifices and what they mean,
679
00:33:55,560 –> 00:33:57,880
and all they ever get to is the
point when they kill the animal.
680
00:33:57,880 –> 00:34:00,480
And it’s all about sinners
deserve to die, sinners deserve
681
00:34:00,480 –> 00:34:02,480
to die.
And do you deserve a violent
682
00:34:02,480 –> 00:34:04,640
death or do you just deserve a
regular death?
683
00:34:04,640 –> 00:34:09,120
And it was never about that.
The animal’s sacrifices were to
684
00:34:09,280 –> 00:34:11,320
Paul.
The great thing about studying
685
00:34:11,320 –> 00:34:13,360
Romans for all of you,
especially the young ones that
686
00:34:13,360 –> 00:34:16,600
are here, study Romans someday
and notice how Paul gives a
687
00:34:16,600 –> 00:34:20,040
whole exposition of the
atonement in Romans 1 to 11 and
688
00:34:20,040 –> 00:34:26,080
never mentions sacrifice because
he tells you what it means with.
689
00:34:26,520 –> 00:34:29,480
You can’t argue with Paul.
He doesn’t use words like
690
00:34:29,480 –> 00:34:32,480
sacrifice.
He doesn’t talk about devil and
691
00:34:32,480 –> 00:34:35,199
sin and all those things.
Well, he talks about sin but all
692
00:34:35,199 –> 00:34:37,320
being slaves to sin.
But he doesn’t use those
693
00:34:37,320 –> 00:34:40,239
catchwords that we use and we
understand a certain way.
694
00:34:40,400 –> 00:34:43,880
He explains it in words that
everybody will understand.
695
00:34:44,280 –> 00:34:47,360
And he says, look, what you do
in baptism is you commit to die
696
00:34:47,360 –> 00:34:50,120
with Christ’s sin.
That’s what this was all about.
697
00:34:50,520 –> 00:34:53,120
And and he instead of talking
about animal sacrifices, he
698
00:34:53,120 –> 00:34:56,800
tries to tell us what they were
supposed to do to teach us to
699
00:34:56,800 –> 00:35:00,480
live justly and love mercy and
walk humbly with our God.
700
00:35:01,200 –> 00:35:04,440
So the key thing is that God’s
in control, not us.
701
00:35:04,760 –> 00:35:07,160
We’re not in control of our
families, our children, our
702
00:35:07,160 –> 00:35:09,080
parents, our collegians.
Nothing.
703
00:35:09,360 –> 00:35:13,360
It’s all gods, all gods.
And all we’re doing is trying to
704
00:35:13,360 –> 00:35:17,280
help those people in that
family, to make it to God’s
705
00:35:17,280 –> 00:35:19,440
Kingdom.
And and look at how does God
706
00:35:19,440 –> 00:35:21,360
help us?
Well, let’s help other people
707
00:35:21,360 –> 00:35:24,080
that same way.
Look at how Jeremiah, when he
708
00:35:24,080 –> 00:35:27,000
talks about what God really
wanted in Jeremiah 7, he
709
00:35:27,000 –> 00:35:29,520
mentions the fact that look at
when I brought you children of
710
00:35:29,520 –> 00:35:31,840
Israel out of Egypt, when I
brought you out of Egypt and
711
00:35:31,840 –> 00:35:34,640
brought you up there to Mount
Sinai, what did I tell you?
712
00:35:34,640 –> 00:35:37,240
Did I tell you offer a bunch of
sacrifices?
713
00:35:37,560 –> 00:35:41,160
No, he said.
What I asked you to do was obey
714
00:35:41,320 –> 00:35:45,120
my voice and I will be your God
and you shall be my people and
715
00:35:45,120 –> 00:35:48,240
walk in all the ways that I’ve
commanded you that it, and be
716
00:35:48,240 –> 00:35:50,400
well with you.
That’s what he was after.
717
00:35:50,400 –> 00:35:53,200
Obedience.
Not obedience to law.
718
00:35:53,680 –> 00:35:58,480
Not sacrifices and rituals, but
obedience to God’s principles,
719
00:35:58,480 –> 00:36:02,880
His way of life, of doing
justice and loving mercy and
720
00:36:02,880 –> 00:36:06,200
walking humbly before our God.
That’s what he was really after.
721
00:36:06,520 –> 00:36:08,360
But faith is the key rather than
it says.
722
00:36:08,360 –> 00:36:11,760
If we talk a lot about faith,
but faith really helps us in the
723
00:36:11,760 –> 00:36:15,600
sense that it’s a belief.
It’s that that that substance of
724
00:36:15,600 –> 00:36:18,000
things hoped for where we really
do believe.
725
00:36:18,000 –> 00:36:21,520
And we have that assurance that
God is in control, that in
726
00:36:21,520 –> 00:36:25,400
everything God is working for
good in everything, no matter
727
00:36:25,400 –> 00:36:28,480
what happens today, you you can
stand back for a moment and say,
728
00:36:28,480 –> 00:36:32,480
I know God is working for good.
That’s what faith does.
729
00:36:32,560 –> 00:36:35,920
It becomes real that you start
to realize, well, I wonder why
730
00:36:35,920 –> 00:36:38,920
the angels did that.
And you start in questioning
731
00:36:38,920 –> 00:36:42,440
about God working in our life
instead of reacting in ways we
732
00:36:42,440 –> 00:36:44,400
get angry.
Or we just treat it like, well,
733
00:36:44,400 –> 00:36:46,920
God’s not involved in that or
whatever He is involved.
734
00:36:47,280 –> 00:36:50,600
He’s very involved in our lives,
trying to train us and guide us
735
00:36:50,600 –> 00:36:53,360
into his family.
But the peace that we have to
736
00:36:53,360 –> 00:36:56,280
provide is faith.
Trust God, Believe that he’s
737
00:36:56,280 –> 00:36:59,120
really working in our lives, and
faith will change our lives.
738
00:36:59,520 –> 00:37:02,840
A faith in God’s love for us and
his ability to change our lives
739
00:37:02,840 –> 00:37:04,600
to save us, that’s what we’re
looking for.
740
00:37:04,800 –> 00:37:07,720
Or faith that God’s in control
and he’ll guide our lives so
741
00:37:07,720 –> 00:37:09,240
that we’ll develop into his
children.
742
00:37:09,600 –> 00:37:11,800
It’s a faith that trusts God
completely.
743
00:37:11,800 –> 00:37:14,920
No matter what happens, no
matter what happens.
744
00:37:15,480 –> 00:37:19,160
And I see that having raised six
kids, no matter what happens
745
00:37:19,160 –> 00:37:22,960
with your children, you have to
stand back and realize God is in
746
00:37:22,960 –> 00:37:26,640
total control.
He’s totally in it for our good,
747
00:37:26,720 –> 00:37:29,360
as Paul says, so that we can
share His Holiness.
748
00:37:29,800 –> 00:37:34,000
And what it does is it motivates
us then to be obedient to God,
749
00:37:34,000 –> 00:37:37,120
to follow in the steps of Jesus.
Not because we want to show God
750
00:37:37,120 –> 00:37:40,000
how good we are, but because we
love his way of life.
751
00:37:40,520 –> 00:37:42,960
We love it and we want it for
ourselves.
752
00:37:43,400 –> 00:37:46,360
Not to show God that we deserve
it, that we deserve eternity
753
00:37:46,360 –> 00:37:47,800
life.
It’s just this is the kind of
754
00:37:47,800 –> 00:37:49,720
life we want.
We want to be like Jesus, we
755
00:37:49,720 –> 00:37:52,600
want to be like God.
And faith is that key.
756
00:37:52,960 –> 00:37:54,920
Go look at how Paul word’s at in
Hebrews 11.
757
00:37:54,920 –> 00:37:59,200
That faith is being sure of what
we hope for and certain of what
758
00:37:59,200 –> 00:38:01,760
we do not see.
And this is what the ancients
759
00:38:01,760 –> 00:38:05,720
were commended for, that their
faith motivated them to make
760
00:38:05,720 –> 00:38:08,320
decisions for God.
And without faith we know it’s
761
00:38:08,320 –> 00:38:10,840
impossible to please God.
Impossible.
762
00:38:11,280 –> 00:38:13,400
I love the way the NIV words
Hebrews 11.
763
00:38:13,440 –> 00:38:16,200
Oh, as you’re going through it
because instead of saying that
764
00:38:16,200 –> 00:38:20,120
these all died in in faith, it
it’s it says instead that all
765
00:38:20,120 –> 00:38:25,880
these people were still living
by faith when they died.
766
00:38:26,560 –> 00:38:29,160
Now those of you that have
studied Hebrews 1011 and 12 will
767
00:38:29,200 –> 00:38:32,560
will know that within the
context of 12 and and and 10
768
00:38:32,560 –> 00:38:35,440
that it’s bounded by the fact
that for endurance Paul says
769
00:38:35,440 –> 00:38:37,720
you’ve got to endure.
It’s all about endurance to the
770
00:38:37,720 –> 00:38:39,880
end.
And he lists all these people in
771
00:38:39,880 –> 00:38:42,960
Hebrews 11 that endured to the
end and they still had their
772
00:38:42,960 –> 00:38:45,520
faith when they died.
And that’s what God’s after.
773
00:38:45,520 –> 00:38:48,760
And all of us, we’ve got to
maintain that faith and have it
774
00:38:48,760 –> 00:38:52,800
still there when we die as well.
So that’s what God is after.
775
00:38:53,560 –> 00:38:55,600
So first class, this one’s over
today.
776
00:38:55,600 –> 00:38:58,240
But hopefully some of these
things we can learn.
777
00:38:58,480 –> 00:39:01,480
God doesn’t expect from us to do
some impossible act to earn our
778
00:39:01,480 –> 00:39:03,480
salvation.
He did that in Christ.
779
00:39:03,720 –> 00:39:06,160
That’s what he did.
He won the war.
780
00:39:06,520 –> 00:39:08,440
He simply asked us to join the
battle.
781
00:39:09,160 –> 00:39:11,080
Or God loves you.
He He wants you.
782
00:39:11,080 –> 00:39:14,880
He has free gift of grace.
He wants to give it to you, but
783
00:39:15,160 –> 00:39:18,640
he gives it to you now, hoping
that they will respond to that.
784
00:39:18,640 –> 00:39:20,720
And that’s what will motivate us
to change.
785
00:39:21,960 –> 00:39:23,200
But he’s looking for faith in
us.
786
00:39:23,360 –> 00:39:27,560
He wants us to trust his game
plan, and he promises to save us
787
00:39:27,560 –> 00:39:29,280
and his family.
That’s a promise.
788
00:39:29,400 –> 00:39:32,520
It’s not like, well, maybe he
will or he could if he wants to.
789
00:39:32,680 –> 00:39:36,320
He has promised that if you
follow the game plan, it will
790
00:39:36,320 –> 00:39:39,600
take you to the end of you will
be given eternal life.
791
00:39:39,880 –> 00:39:42,480
That’s what he will do.
And to become part of God’s
792
00:39:42,480 –> 00:39:45,480
family forever, we’ve got to
learn to live like his family
793
00:39:45,480 –> 00:39:46,800
members.
We’ve got to be like those
794
00:39:46,800 –> 00:39:48,680
angels.
They’re already there.
795
00:39:48,680 –> 00:39:51,400
They’re in the family.
They they don’t bring out
796
00:39:51,400 –> 00:39:54,480
reviling accusations of people.
They don’t distrust people.
797
00:39:54,640 –> 00:39:57,200
They don’t treat Abraham or they
hide things from each other.
798
00:39:57,480 –> 00:39:59,560
They go to Abraham and say,
look, you’re our friend, our
799
00:39:59,560 –> 00:40:01,520
intimate friend.
We want to tell you what we’re
800
00:40:01,520 –> 00:40:04,040
doing, but we’re not going to do
this behind your back.
801
00:40:04,480 –> 00:40:06,640
That’s what they do.
Or when when they brought Lot
802
00:40:06,640 –> 00:40:09,880
out of Sodom, those two angels
that grabbed Lot and his wife by
803
00:40:09,880 –> 00:40:13,840
the hand and they walked them
out, The Lord being merciful to
804
00:40:13,840 –> 00:40:16,520
him.
That’s how God’s family members
805
00:40:16,520 –> 00:40:19,160
behave, brothers and sisters.
And he’s left it there in the
806
00:40:19,160 –> 00:40:22,760
Bible for us to read.
But we can read the Bible for 50
807
00:40:22,760 –> 00:40:26,200
years and never notice that the
angels are revealed in the
808
00:40:26,200 –> 00:40:30,040
Scriptures that teach us about
how God’s family members behave.
809
00:40:30,800 –> 00:40:33,160
So I’ll leave it with that, and
thanks very much.
810
00:40:33,160 –> 00:40:34,280
We’ll pick it up there tomorrow.
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