Hi, and welcome back
to the Books of the book.
00:00:01.60\00:00:03.97
And Jon we were just
kind of talking about
00:00:03.97\00:00:06.47
dates setting a little bit.
00:00:06.47\00:00:08.57
And, you know, how really
spiritually counterproductive
00:00:08.57\00:00:11.24
that is versus
focusing on just being ready
00:00:11.24\00:00:13.88
for when Christ come. But let's
00:00:13.88\00:00:15.48
let's continue
our journey together.
00:00:15.48\00:00:16.88
Yeah. I want to, I want to
take you some another place
00:00:16.88\00:00:19.61
that relates to
this whole idea of
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readiness for the second coming.
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That's Luke 21 and verse 34.
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And in the new
international version it says,
00:00:27.26\00:00:31.16
"Be careful, or your
hearts will be weighed down
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with dissipation, drunkenness
and the anxieties of life
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and that day will close on
you unexpectedly like a trap."
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Now it's the way
that will be surprise.
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It's the outsiders
who'll be surprised. Why?
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Dissipation, that's a
Greek word for partying.
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Drunkenness, I think it's
pretty obvious what that is.
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Anxieties of life,
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I think everybody has
that as a distraction.
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And Jesus says the
whole issue before my coming
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is people were gonna be
distracted by many things.
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Wow, didn't even
mention the internet,
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and cell phones,
and everything else.
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We have so many
distractions today.
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Jesus of course
speaking at that time
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nevertheless sets
a table for exactly
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the kind of
world we live in today.
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So there is a lot of
people seeking to escape
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through
entertainment, through alcohol,
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through distractions and so on.
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So, what about
the believers, Jon,
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what's gonna happen with
them--with verses 4 and 5,
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will bring us there.
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Yeah. Lets look at that.
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Paul says, "But you, brothers,
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are not in
darkness so that the Day
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overtakes you like a thief.
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For you are all sons
of light and sons of day.
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You are not of
night or of darkness."
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So here he says,
believers will not be surprised.
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All this suddenness,
all this unexpectedness,
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all that's about
those who are not believing,
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you see, they will be surprised.
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They will be horrified.
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They will be shocked.
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But the believers will not, why?
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Because they live in the light.
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They live in the day
What's that all about?
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It's about the word of God.
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If you stay close
to the word of God,
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if you have your confidence
grounded in Bible prophecy,
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you're not gonna be surprised.
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You're not gonna be overtaken.
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You're gonna be
safer and that readiness
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involves
knowing the word of God,
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and being prepared for
the things that are coming.
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Yeah, I am glad you
brought that out, Jon.
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God's word is just so
vital, you know to us,
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as believers and for the world
and there so many temptations
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in this life to be busy.
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You know, that old saying,
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if the devil can't you
bad he'll make you busy.
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And it's so true that
there are so many things,
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just like, oh, I don't
have time to read the Bible.
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Yes we do. There's time.
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And there is a, there is
a, you've heard the term WMD,
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weapons of mass
distraction, destruction.
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I just said
that, I just said that.
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But I'd like to call
Weapons of mass distraction.
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Yes, yeah. Because
we look at everything.
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You mention the
internet. You know,
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you just spoke
way out of this time,
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the internet, the
anxieties of life.
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I have a friend, who
just couple of years back
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published his doctoral thesis
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and this sounds kind of
deep, but it's very simple.
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And he was on
the collapse of space
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and time in people's
lives due the technology.
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And that
collapse of space and time
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from the misuse of technology,
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that is strangling
our relationship with God.
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You know, I think technology
makes a wonderful servant,
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but a horrible master. Right.
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And, and we continue,
I must confess as well,
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to let technology
be my master too much
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and invade every nook and
cranny and crisis of my life,
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and before you
know it, you know,
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your time with God is
shrinking and shrinking.
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And it's so important for
us to give the word of God
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the attention that it needs.
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And so we will be ready as
Paul is talking about here.
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Well, I tend to be a fairly
early adopter of technology.
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But in this area
I resist sometimes.
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There are some
aspects of technology
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I have not chosen to engage in,
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you know, such
as Facebook and so.
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I'm sure it's a wonderful too.
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And I hear some great things.
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My kids are involved in it.
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But I just don't need
one more thing to distract me
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even if it's good things.
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You see, I think when
it comes to being ready,
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that's everyone needs
to make their own decision
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with the technology.
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When it comes to being
ready for Jesus coming,
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we need to be
prepared to ignore distractions
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whatever they maybe for us.
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You see, ignore the distractions
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and set us
aside significant time
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for the word of God
because those who are
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watching this program
are doing exactly that.
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Right. And I think I
shared with you a picture,
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the other day, where
Jesus is sitting on the bench
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with a young man, and He says,
00:05:00.06\00:05:01.90
no, I don't mean
twitter literally follow me.
00:05:01.90\00:05:04.77
You know, follow me,
but to give Jesus that space
00:05:04.77\00:05:08.24
and time you give more
attention through the word.
00:05:08.24\00:05:11.01
It's life changing
and it will give us
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direction as we
prepare for Christ coming.
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Well, why don't
we go ahead to verses
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six through
eight of chapter five.
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Let's look at that.
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Paul goes on and he says.
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"So, therefore, do
not sleep, like the rest,
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but be watchful and sober,
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for those who
sleep, sleep at night,
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and those who get
drunk get drunk at night.
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But being of
day, let us be sober,
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having put on a
breastplate of faith and love,
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and a helmet, the
hope of salvation."
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Three more analogies.
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Paul is really
piling on the analogies.
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Yes, absolutely,
because the reality is
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we don't see here a
touch of God as a rule.
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Occasionally maybe
people have such an experience,
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but most of us can
honestly say we haven't seen,
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heard or touched God.
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And so when we speak of God,
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we speak of him and analogies
the things we do understand.
00:06:02.59\00:06:06.36
And so many of the salvation
words are really analogies,
00:06:06.36\00:06:09.36
righteousness is
from the law court.
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Forgiveness is from
accounting and banking.
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You know, and many ways,
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you know, debt
forgiveness banking kind of.
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You see, use these metaphors
to try to explain things,
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that God is doing it His realm
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and make sense for
own time and place.
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So he uses the
metaphors of awake and asleep.
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That he's saying
one thing we need to do
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is avoid laziness when it
comes to spiritual things,
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avoid lack of interest.
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The language here is,
don't even start sleeping.
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Okay, we need to be alert,
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for we're going to be
the children of the day.
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People are awake in the day
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and they sleep
at night, he says.
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Then there is the
drunk, sober comparison.
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And this word
"Sober" in the Greek
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has a lot to do with reason
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and sort of a
philosophical mindset.
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We're trying to use logic
and work your way through things
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and Paul saying you
let's be reasonable.
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Let's think things through.
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Let's not be spinning our wheels
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or in some kind of
an entertainment fog.
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Then he uses the
language of a military guard.
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Military guard is
armed and dangerous,
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you know, and the average
person is awaked during the day,
00:07:28.11\00:07:31.98
but what about
the military guard.
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He's got to
exceed that norm, right.
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Right, right, and
I think, you know,
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Paul is really asking
us to exceed the norm.
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He's challenging us
to go above and beyond.
00:07:41.06\00:07:44.19
And I think that
is so crucial for us
00:07:44.19\00:07:47.13
as Christians as
disciples of Jesus.
00:07:47.13\00:07:49.33
I mean Jesus
calls us to follow Him,
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that's a serious thing.
00:07:51.63\00:07:53.17
And to really follow
Him and to take His word
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as the basis of our life,
00:07:56.64\00:07:59.67
and understanding
making sense of life around us,
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for being true reality for us.
00:08:01.94\00:08:03.88
So he really
is, is inviting them
00:08:03.88\00:08:06.35
into a life of intentionality
00:08:06.35\00:08:08.95
of really taking the word
of God to heart and being,
00:08:08.95\00:08:13.05
and being ready. You know,
00:08:13.05\00:08:14.22
I mentioned before
in a previous episode
00:08:14.22\00:08:16.96
that were discipline, that
often has negative connotations.
00:08:16.96\00:08:20.36
But, you know, at
the root of that word
00:08:20.36\00:08:21.70
discipline is the word disciple.
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There is the intentionality.
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There are disciplines
that we are intentional
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about on a daily
basis and one of those
00:08:27.17\00:08:28.97
is really again
studying the word of God
00:08:28.97\00:08:31.84
and having that
knowledge help make us ready
00:08:31.84\00:08:34.88
for when our
master returns again.
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Isn't there room
for some spontaneity
00:08:37.11\00:08:39.55
in the Christian walk?
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You know, I think there is
whenever the spirit leads in,
00:08:40.85\00:08:43.72
you know, spontaneous
things but I like refer it to
00:08:43.72\00:08:46.62
sometimes as the
colt of spontaneity.
00:08:46.62\00:08:48.86
You know,
sometimes we say if it isn't
00:08:48.86\00:08:50.53
always just spontaneous
then it wasn't from the heart
00:08:50.53\00:08:53.50
or it wasn't real, you know,
00:08:53.50\00:08:55.46
but again using the analogy
of a professional athlete.
00:08:55.46\00:08:58.43
You know, when you
see them on the field
00:08:58.43\00:08:59.83
or the basketball
court or wherever,
00:08:59.83\00:09:01.50
how much is that spontaneous.
00:09:01.50\00:09:03.67
They were intentional
about learning those things
00:09:03.67\00:09:05.51
and performing those ways.
00:09:05.51\00:09:07.21
So when the situation
arose they were able to do it.
00:09:07.21\00:09:09.64
And so I think there
is a lot of intentionality
00:09:09.64\00:09:12.45
behind spontaneity, if you
will, and I think that's where,
00:09:12.45\00:09:15.12
what happens around
with the word of God as well.
00:09:15.12\00:09:17.22
Well, Paul here is
using military analogies and,
00:09:17.22\00:09:20.56
you know, my wife would
probably say at this point what,
00:09:20.56\00:09:22.69
is this some sort a guy thing?
00:09:22.69\00:09:24.36
You know, you guys are
all into this military stuff,
00:09:24.36\00:09:27.10
how does that had apply to me
and I once asked her about it.
00:09:27.10\00:09:30.53
We're talking about army guns,
00:09:30.53\00:09:31.70
what is that
have to do with woman.
00:09:31.70\00:09:33.20
You know, I said well, I
said, do you ever feel like
00:09:33.20\00:09:35.50
there's a war going
on inside your head.
00:09:35.50\00:09:37.74
And she said yes.
00:09:37.74\00:09:40.21
I know exactly what
you're talking about.
00:09:40.21\00:09:41.71
I get it now.
00:09:41.71\00:09:42.91
Paul actually goes into this
in Second Corinthians chapter 10
00:09:42.91\00:09:47.08
and verses 3:5, and we have that
00:09:47.08\00:09:50.45
in the New King
James version today.
00:09:50.45\00:09:53.99
Listen to what Paul says here,
00:09:53.99\00:09:55.86
"For though we
walk in the flesh,
00:09:55.86\00:09:58.89
we do not war
according to the flesh."
00:09:58.89\00:10:02.13
There you go.
00:10:02.13\00:10:03.10
For the weapons of
our warfare are not Carnal
00:10:03.10\00:10:06.07
that word Carnal is the
some word here flesh, fleshly.
00:10:06.07\00:10:10.14
A fleshly
weapon is like an AK47,
00:10:10.14\00:10:13.41
kind of tear you to
pieces that's a fleshly weapon,
00:10:13.41\00:10:16.28
he says no. He says
our warfare is not fleshly.
00:10:16.28\00:10:18.91
It's not Carnal,
but it's mighty in God
00:10:18.91\00:10:21.35
for pulling down strongholds.
00:10:21.35\00:10:23.22
What kind of strongholds?
00:10:23.22\00:10:24.99
"Casting down
arguments and every high thing
00:10:24.99\00:10:29.22
that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God,
00:10:29.22\00:10:31.59
bringing every
thought into captivity
00:10:31.59\00:10:35.70
to the obedience of Christ."
00:10:35.70\00:10:37.80
I think this just clear as Paul
00:10:37.80\00:10:40.57
gets of what this
readiness is all about.
00:10:40.57\00:10:43.51
That as you said that discipline
of harnessing our minds
00:10:43.51\00:10:47.11
so that they're focused on
the things that really matter,
00:10:47.11\00:10:50.01
focused on the word of
God, focused on his ways.
00:10:50.01\00:10:54.58
I think that is
absolutely critical.
00:10:54.58\00:10:58.29
Yeah, you know--I had
a professor in college.
00:10:58.29\00:11:01.89
I was doing my
undergraduate in theology,
00:11:01.89\00:11:04.53
Dr. Lander, phenomenal
Church Historian and a Servant,
00:11:04.53\00:11:08.53
history of the church,
and he would always say,
00:11:08.53\00:11:10.67
you know, we talk about
accepting Jesus into our heart.
00:11:10.67\00:11:13.20
You know which ventricle,
the left or the right he says
00:11:13.20\00:11:16.24
but really let's
be real about this
00:11:16.24\00:11:18.14
is we need to
accept him into our mind.
00:11:18.14\00:11:19.81
He meant to let them
have total control over mind.
00:11:19.81\00:11:23.61
That's right.
Never forgotten that.
00:11:23.61\00:11:25.05
That's right what
Paul is saying here.
00:11:25.05\00:11:27.15
Well, our time is almost up.
00:11:27.15\00:11:28.28
Why don't you read verses 9:11
00:11:28.28\00:11:30.95
and we'll draw
his to conclusion?
00:11:30.95\00:11:33.66
Paul says, "Because God
did not appoint us to wrath,
00:11:33.66\00:11:37.59
but to the
possession of salvation
00:11:37.59\00:11:40.43
through our Lord Jesus
Christ, the one who died for us,
00:11:40.43\00:11:43.80
in order that, whether
we are awake or asleep,
00:11:43.80\00:11:46.03
we might live with Him.
00:11:46.03\00:11:47.67
Wherefore, encourage one
another and build each other up,
00:11:47.67\00:11:50.34
just as you
are, in fact, doing."
00:11:50.34\00:11:53.58
You know, people worry
about the wrath of God,
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and here Paul is very clear.
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God has not
appointed us to wrath.
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Like we said
about the flood story,
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God didn't want to
destroy people on this earth.
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He made provision
for everybody to escape
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and those who chose
not to, but did not.
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So we see in God
this kind of a picture
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that he wants salvation for us.
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His purposes aren't wrath
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but its salvation
and encouragement.
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He wants to encourage us.
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And in the Book of Revelation,
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we won't take
time to read the text,
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but in the book of
revelation it says that the Lamb
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is the one that oversees
the wrath at the end of time.
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Whose the Lamb?
That's Jesus Christ.
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And if there's anybody
that we trust to deal with that,
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it would be him.
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Jon, it's so good to
know that we can trust him
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that Jesus is provided
away for us, for salvation.
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And it's so comforting
to know that the judgment
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is in his hands and he
is taking care of things.
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We know how much he loves
us we can trust him with that.
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And I just want to
encourage you today,
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if you haven't
accepted Jesus Christ
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as your Lord and savior
I encourage you to do that.
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You can trust
him with your life.
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And Paul has told us
through this study today
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that we can be ready
because Jesus is coming again
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and we can trust
him with the judgment.
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Until next time,
join us again for a study
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and for Thessalonians,
God bless, bye, bye.
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