I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello and welcome
to 3ABN Family Worship.
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We are so excited
that it's Sabbath,
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and I don't know about you
but I know there are people
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sitting at this table who
would work themselves to death
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were it not for the Sabbath.
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So as the Sabbath
rolls in on Friday evening,
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it's kind of...
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We inhale and exhale
and we get to all this time
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to focus on our
Lord and our loved ones.
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And I'm Shelly Quinn.
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I'm JD Quinn.
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And, honey, why
don't you introduce
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the rest of our family here?
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Well, we'll just
start over here to my left,
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to your right, CA Murray.
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Good to be here.
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We love CA. Yes, we do.
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Jill Morikone.
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We love Jill Morikone.
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My precious wife who
you just met, I love her.
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And then we have
Gary Will and Tim Parton.
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Yeah.
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And this...
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And we love them too.
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That's what I was going to say.
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I was going to say.
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Thank you for reminding me.
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Anyway, great,
great people here,
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not only know how to
have fun but loves Jesus
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and that's what we're here for.
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We're sitting here
around the table to talk about
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a topic that Shelley is
going to bring forward here
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in a few minutes
and just asking that
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you get out your notepad
and that you follow along.
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Amen. Amen.
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We thought tonight...
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Let me just ask this question,
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how many of you would
like to be blameless before God
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at the coming of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
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Well, we're going to
look into that topic tonight
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because this is a work
God promises to do in us
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and to me that gave...
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I mean, if we talk about
being blameless before God
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and we think it's up to
us, boy, that is frightening.
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It is.
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You know, I mean it just
will leave you without hope
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but when we recognize
this is God's work in us, then,
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wow, how liberating that is.
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Amen.
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And the joy it
gives to our hearts.
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So first though, we would like
to have a prayer, and I think,
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well, let's just do this,
Tim, we'll start with you,
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everybody just give
the Lord a word of praise.
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Father, I want to thank
You so much for wonderful week,
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thank You for strength,
thank You for seeing us
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through many
trials but many victories.
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So we give You
praise and thank You
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for this time
together to worship You.
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Thank You.
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Lord, I thank You for Your life
and love that You gave for us
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so that we can
share it with others.
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Amen.
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And, Father, I just want
to thank You for our families,
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Lord, I just thank You
for just being in our heart,
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and, Father, that just gives us
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that peace and
confidence knowing, Lord,
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that it's You
that's working in us.
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Oh, and, Father,
we're so grateful that
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You gave to us...
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Jesus Christ, our Savior,
the Holy Spirit, and Your Word,
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and, Father, I thank You that
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the Sabbath You
said in Exodus 31:13,
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this is a sign
that You are the one
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who is sanctifying us.
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Amen.
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So we're very grateful.
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Thank You, Father, for
the work You want to do
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in and through us.
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Thank You that
it's not of ourselves
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that we make
ourselves acceptable to You
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or we make ourselves righteous
or holy but You are the one,
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the author and
perfecter of our faith,
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that You are the one
who cleanses us from all sin
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and empowers us to live in You,
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and we praise You
that all the victory
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and all the glory
belongs to You alone.
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Amen.
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Father, if there is
indeed a note of sadness,
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it may be that
there are so many millions
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who don't
understand the blessing
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that You intended the
Sabbath to be to humanity.
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You created the
Sabbath to be a blessing to us,
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for time to come
aside and to talk with You,
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and to fellowship with
You, and to hear from You,
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and to dialogue with You.
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We praise You for this
temple in time, dear Father,
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and we pray that those who
are part of this experience
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will be drawn that much
closer to the precious Savior,
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who is coming
soon, and we thank You,
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dear Father, in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Amen. Amen and amen.
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Well, we are so glad that
you are joining us tonight
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because you're
part of the family too,
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so family worship wouldn't
be the same without you.
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What I want to do, you know
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how I love to put
scriptures together
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and make an affirmation
and pray that affirmation,
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and this affirmation is
called Blameless Before God.
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Let me read this to you,
and then what we will do is
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we'll look at the
scriptures in just a moment
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from which this
affirmation came.
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But something about speaking
God's Word over our life,
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it is so powerful
because God has promised
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His Word won't return void,
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He's promised He's watching
over His Word to perform it,
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and He calls things
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that are not as
though they already were,
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so here's the affirmation.
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"Through God's grace
given to me by Christ Jesus,
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I am enriched in every way
as I eagerly await His return.
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In faithfulness, He will
strengthen me to the very end,
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so that I may stand blameless,
free from sin and guilt
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in the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
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Thank you.
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"The Lord pours
His love into my heart
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by the power of His Spirit
causing me to increase in love.
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He causes me to be all
that He has called me to be,
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equipping me with everything
I need to carry out His will
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and working in me to accomplish
what is well pleasing to Him."
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Amen.
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"In this way, He
establishes me in holiness,
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keeping me blameless
before God at His second coming.
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I am kept by the power of God."
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Hallelujah.
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And we're going to look
at all of the scriptures
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that support this just
as soon as we sing our song.
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And JD picked this song out
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and I think it's
just a perfect match
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for our topic and it is
just when I needed most,
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number 512 in your hymnal
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or the words should be
at the bottom of the screen.
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Please sing along with us.
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Just when I need
Him, Jesus is near
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Just when I
falter, just when I fear
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Ready to help me, ready to cheer
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Just when I need Him most
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Just when I need Him most
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Just when I need Him most
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Jesus is near to
comfort and cheer
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Just when I need Him most
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Just when I need
Him, Jesus is true
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Never forsaking,
all the way through
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Giving for
burdens pleasures anew
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Just when I need Him most
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Just when I need Him
most Just when I need Him most
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Jesus is near to
comfort and cheer
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Just when I need Him most
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Just when I need
Him, Jesus is strong
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Bearing my
burdens all the day long
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For all my sorrow giving a song
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Just when I need Him most
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Just when I need Him
most Just when I need Him most
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Jesus is near to
comfort and cheer
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Just when I need Him most
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Just when I need
Him, He is my all
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Answering when upon Him I call
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Tenderly watching
lest I should fall
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Just when I need Him most
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Just when I need Him
most Just when I need Him most
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Jesus is near to
comfort and cheer
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Just when I need Him most
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Oh, wow.
00:10:10.27\00:10:11.61
Amen and amen.
00:10:11.64\00:10:12.97
That's a wonderful song. Amen.
00:10:13.01\00:10:14.98
How true it is. Amen.
00:10:15.01\00:10:16.98
Thank you for
picking that song, JD.
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Amen. Thank You, Jesus.
00:10:18.41\00:10:20.18
You know, it seems
like so many times,
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just when we need someone,
they're not there, right?
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That's exactly right.
00:10:24.49\00:10:25.82
I mean, just you
think okay, you're my friend
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but just when I
needed you, you weren't there
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but that never
happens with Jesus.
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Amen. He is always there.
00:10:31.19\00:10:32.83
Amen. Amen.
00:10:32.86\00:10:34.20
Wow, good words. Well done.
00:10:34.23\00:10:36.10
Just when I need him,
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the battery on
your cell phone died
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and I couldn't get you...
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The battery on His cell phone
never dies, praise the Lord.
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Amen, amen.
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Well, tonight,
we're going to look at
00:10:46.14\00:10:49.08
how God is the one who
keeps us blameless before Him.
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Now this doesn't mean
that we don't participate
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and cooperate with Him.
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Amen.
00:10:58.65\00:10:59.99
But it means it's
His responsibility
00:11:00.02\00:11:01.96
and that gives me great hope.
00:11:01.99\00:11:03.83
CA, why don't you kick this off
00:11:03.86\00:11:05.76
with 1 Corinthians 1:4-9?
00:11:05.79\00:11:10.43
1 Corinthians 1:4-9,
00:11:10.47\00:11:12.63
"I thank my God
always concerning you
00:11:12.67\00:11:16.04
for the grace of God
00:11:16.07\00:11:18.04
which was given to
you by Christ Jesus
00:11:18.07\00:11:21.91
that you were
enriched in everything by him
00:11:21.94\00:11:25.01
in all utterance
and all knowledge,
00:11:25.05\00:11:27.82
even as the testimony of
Christ was confirmed in you,
00:11:27.85\00:11:32.39
so that you come short
in no gift eagerly waiting
00:11:32.42\00:11:36.39
for the revelation of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:11:36.42\00:11:40.33
who will also
confirm you to the end
00:11:40.36\00:11:43.90
that you may be blameless
00:11:43.93\00:11:45.83
in the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
00:11:45.87\00:11:48.40
God is faithful by
whom you were called
00:11:48.44\00:11:51.81
into the fellowship of His
Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord."
00:11:51.84\00:11:57.45
What a wonderful text. Amen.
00:11:57.48\00:11:59.98
You know, the Corinthian church
that had any number of issues
00:12:00.02\00:12:03.75
that Paul had to deal with,
00:12:03.79\00:12:05.62
so he greets them and right away
00:12:05.65\00:12:07.82
he brings in the
thought of the grace of God,
00:12:07.86\00:12:13.19
the grace of God that has
given so much to the church.
00:12:13.23\00:12:16.36
In fact, he says, "Enriched us
in everything by Jesus Christ."
00:12:16.40\00:12:21.40
He talks about
grace, which to me
00:12:21.44\00:12:22.90
is the operative word.
00:12:22.94\00:12:25.77
The thing that comes to
my mind immediately is that
00:12:25.81\00:12:28.14
grace which we say is a
merited favor and that...
00:12:28.18\00:12:31.15
But that's just really the
beginning of what grace is,
00:12:31.18\00:12:34.28
it's not the sum
total of what grace is
00:12:34.32\00:12:36.02
because grace
though it is a noun,
00:12:36.05\00:12:38.75
functions in the
life of a Christian
00:12:38.79\00:12:41.06
more like a verb.
00:12:41.09\00:12:42.42
Amen.
00:12:42.46\00:12:43.79
It's dynamic, it's
kinetic, it actualizes,
00:12:43.83\00:12:49.03
once it is shed in your life,
00:12:49.06\00:12:51.33
it begins to do things in there.
00:12:51.37\00:12:53.54
You know, it's
like swallowing a pill
00:12:53.57\00:12:55.90
and it begins to do some stuff,
you know, things happen inside
00:12:55.94\00:12:59.27
because the pill
is in a little capsule
00:12:59.31\00:13:01.58
but then the
capsule kind of breaks apart
00:13:01.61\00:13:03.75
and things begin to
happen in other parts
00:13:03.78\00:13:05.71
of your Christian experience.
00:13:05.75\00:13:07.62
Grace is the way that
God to my mind has chosen
00:13:07.65\00:13:11.55
to interface with His creation.
00:13:11.59\00:13:14.76
He is a God of love,
we know from 1 John 4:8.
00:13:14.79\00:13:17.83
But out of that love,
00:13:17.86\00:13:19.19
there comes this
dedication to us,
00:13:19.23\00:13:21.26
this leaning towards us,
this long word "propitiation,"
00:13:21.30\00:13:25.07
one of the
meanings of propitiation
00:13:25.10\00:13:27.10
is the leaning
in the direction of,
00:13:27.14\00:13:28.87
you know, you
don't have to say...
00:13:28.90\00:13:30.24
You don't have to
pull God towards you,
00:13:30.27\00:13:31.61
He's already
leaning in your direction,
00:13:31.64\00:13:33.27
you know, Christ has done that.
00:13:33.31\00:13:34.64
Amen.
00:13:34.68\00:13:36.01
So since He's
leaning in your direction,
00:13:36.04\00:13:37.38
He wants to shed
grace in our life,
00:13:37.41\00:13:38.78
He wants to do those things.
00:13:38.81\00:13:40.15
And, of course,
out of that grace,
00:13:40.18\00:13:42.78
it operates in mercy,
and we mentioned before
00:13:42.82\00:13:47.36
and I love this idea of
the preexisting condition.
00:13:47.39\00:13:50.63
Yes.
00:13:50.66\00:13:51.99
You know, in
medicine, and your wife, Gary,
00:13:52.03\00:13:55.63
is involved in medicine,
a preexisting condition
00:13:55.66\00:13:59.13
can get you kicked
out of your policy.
00:13:59.17\00:14:01.37
You know, one of the big
things about in medicine,
00:14:01.40\00:14:03.07
this preexisting condition,
things that are hidden
00:14:03.10\00:14:05.81
that become so expensive
once you get your insurance,
00:14:05.84\00:14:07.74
"Oh, I had this years ago."
00:14:07.78\00:14:09.91
But in Christianity, in
our relationship with God,
00:14:09.94\00:14:13.82
a preexisting
condition is necessary
00:14:13.85\00:14:17.22
for Christ to work in your life.
00:14:17.25\00:14:19.49
And as we are saying
before, a preexisting condition,
00:14:19.52\00:14:22.72
I like this idea, really can be
the most expensive in medicine,
00:14:22.76\00:14:28.56
and I guess it's that way
in the Christian life too,
00:14:28.60\00:14:30.17
a preexisting
condition was made possible
00:14:30.20\00:14:33.47
through the
blood of Jesus Christ,
00:14:33.50\00:14:35.14
the most expensive transaction
ever done in humanity.
00:14:35.17\00:14:39.57
So as such,
00:14:39.61\00:14:43.24
we are justified by Him,
00:14:43.28\00:14:45.98
which means we are immediately
given credit for righteousness.
00:14:46.01\00:14:50.59
And then God
goes about making us
00:14:50.62\00:14:53.05
the righteous person that
He has already called us to be.
00:14:53.09\00:14:55.96
So that if at any
point in your life,
00:14:55.99\00:14:58.39
you close your eyes in death,
00:14:58.43\00:15:00.23
you're accounted
righteous, you are blameless.
00:15:00.26\00:15:03.40
And that's how we
get to be blameless
00:15:03.43\00:15:05.13
because I'm blameless
because God says I'm blameless.
00:15:05.17\00:15:07.40
Yeah. Amen.
00:15:07.44\00:15:09.97
He looks at me as blameless,
and we can thank Him for that.
00:15:10.01\00:15:13.41
So I'm so thankful
00:15:13.44\00:15:17.95
that I serve a God
00:15:17.98\00:15:19.71
who is doing everything possible
00:15:19.75\00:15:21.58
to get me in, not keep me out.
00:15:21.62\00:15:24.19
Exactly. I love that.
00:15:24.22\00:15:25.55
You know, 'cause if He wanted
to keep me out, He has plenty,
00:15:25.59\00:15:27.79
you know, to deal with, right.
00:15:27.82\00:15:29.52
That preexisting
condition, right?
00:15:29.56\00:15:30.89
Right.
00:15:30.93\00:15:32.26
But He wants to get me
in and so I can trust in Him
00:15:32.29\00:15:34.76
because I know that if
I will cooperate with Him,
00:15:34.80\00:15:38.23
if I'll but surrender to Him,
00:15:38.27\00:15:39.87
if I will let grace
have its work in me,
00:15:39.90\00:15:43.00
God's going to get me
in, and I thank Him for that.
00:15:43.04\00:15:45.47
You know, I
just have to add this
00:15:45.51\00:15:46.94
'cause it's just one of
my favorite things is that...
00:15:46.98\00:15:50.65
God totally
changed my idea about grace
00:15:50.68\00:15:54.18
when I realized
the unmerited favor,
00:15:54.22\00:15:56.35
the gifts of grace,
00:15:56.38\00:15:57.72
His greatest gifts were Christ,
the Holy Spirit, and the Word.
00:15:57.75\00:16:00.76
Well said.
00:16:00.79\00:16:02.12
So when you think
these are the gifts of grace,
00:16:02.16\00:16:05.29
then grace is
the divine assistance
00:16:05.33\00:16:07.90
and supernatural
power of God unto salvation.
00:16:07.93\00:16:10.20
Yes.
00:16:10.23\00:16:11.57
I mean, we even obey by grace.
00:16:11.60\00:16:14.30
There's no way we
could obey other things.
00:16:14.34\00:16:15.67
I love what you
said, divine assistance.
00:16:15.70\00:16:18.04
Yes, yeah, yeah.
00:16:18.07\00:16:20.68
He has laid it out for
you and it's there, it's done,
00:16:20.71\00:16:23.85
you just have to walk
in that, surrender to that.
00:16:23.88\00:16:27.08
Well, I want to point
out in verse 8, it says that,
00:16:27.12\00:16:31.45
you just read 1 Corinthians 1:8,
00:16:31.49\00:16:34.26
it's talking about
our Lord and it says,
00:16:34.29\00:16:37.39
"Who will
confirm you to the end?"
00:16:37.43\00:16:40.76
It's God who is going
to confirm us to the end
00:16:40.80\00:16:44.63
that we can be
blameless in the day
00:16:44.67\00:16:46.37
of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
00:16:46.40\00:16:48.00
Amen.
00:16:48.04\00:16:49.37
So it shows that it's God's work
00:16:49.40\00:16:51.84
and that's what I love.
00:16:51.87\00:16:53.48
Okay, I have 1
Thessalonians 3:12 and 13,
00:16:53.51\00:16:58.71
and you know how I always
00:16:58.75\00:17:00.12
let you all
choose what you want.
00:17:00.15\00:17:02.65
Well, I chose this one.
00:17:02.68\00:17:05.15
Good for you.
00:17:05.19\00:17:06.52
I usually take
the leftovers but...
00:17:06.55\00:17:08.92
And, you know, I've said
this on the air several times
00:17:08.96\00:17:12.59
but we learn through repetition,
00:17:12.63\00:17:14.43
and I had someone who said,
00:17:14.46\00:17:16.63
"I've heard you say
this number of times
00:17:16.67\00:17:18.50
but it finally hit me."
00:17:18.53\00:17:20.37
So let me read
1 Thessalonians...
00:17:20.40\00:17:23.67
Well, first let
me start this way,
00:17:23.71\00:17:25.67
Romans 5:5 says what?
00:17:25.71\00:17:27.64
That God pours His
love into our hearts
00:17:27.68\00:17:32.68
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:17:32.71\00:17:35.72
So God is love, right?
00:17:35.75\00:17:40.36
And as the Holy
Spirit comes to dwell in us,
00:17:40.39\00:17:45.36
God makes us...
00:17:45.39\00:17:46.83
I mean, He gives us the
ability by grace to love
00:17:46.86\00:17:51.13
as that is the
essence of His nature.
00:17:51.17\00:17:54.40
So when the Holy Spirit's in us,
00:17:54.44\00:17:56.60
we're going to be loving.
00:17:56.64\00:17:58.77
And here is what Paul writes
00:17:58.81\00:18:00.54
to the
Thessalonians, I love this.
00:18:00.58\00:18:03.11
He says, 1
Thessalonians 3:12 and 13,
00:18:03.14\00:18:07.05
"And may the
Lord make you increase
00:18:07.08\00:18:11.65
and abound in
love to one another
00:18:11.69\00:18:14.26
and to all just
as we do to you,"
00:18:14.29\00:18:16.89
hit the pause button,
who's doing the work here?
00:18:16.93\00:18:19.76
The Lord. The Lord.
00:18:19.79\00:18:21.13
"May the Lord make you
increase and abound in love
00:18:21.16\00:18:25.50
so that,"
00:18:25.53\00:18:27.04
and any time you
see "that" or "so that,"
00:18:27.07\00:18:30.14
it's a purpose statement.
00:18:30.17\00:18:32.47
So he's saying, "Boy,
let God, may God make you
00:18:32.51\00:18:37.08
increase and abound
in love for this purpose,
00:18:37.11\00:18:41.02
that He may
establish your hearts
00:18:41.05\00:18:45.65
blameless in holiness
before our God and Father,
00:18:45.69\00:18:49.52
at the coming of our Lord
00:18:49.56\00:18:50.99
Jesus Christ with
all of His saints."
00:18:51.03\00:18:52.76
Amen.
00:18:52.79\00:18:54.13
Do you realize
what he is saying here?
00:18:54.16\00:18:56.67
As we increase in love,
00:18:56.70\00:19:01.90
we increase in holiness.
00:19:01.94\00:19:05.77
And this to me, he says that,
00:19:05.81\00:19:09.24
you know, "As
God is working in us,
00:19:09.28\00:19:11.91
He establishes our
hearts blameless and holiness."
00:19:11.95\00:19:15.75
You know the
scripture that says,
00:19:15.78\00:19:18.09
"God is a consuming fire."
00:19:18.12\00:19:20.32
See, love consumed sin.
00:19:20.36\00:19:21.89
Right.
00:19:21.92\00:19:23.26
So when sin...
00:19:23.29\00:19:24.76
If you and I were to
stand before the Lord
00:19:24.79\00:19:26.83
without the robe of
righteousness of Christ,
00:19:26.86\00:19:29.76
if we were just to stand
00:19:29.80\00:19:31.13
in our natural
human sinful condition,
00:19:31.17\00:19:34.17
the love of God, it would...
00:19:34.20\00:19:36.91
He would consume us.
00:19:36.94\00:19:39.14
But when we...
00:19:39.17\00:19:41.28
The more love as we open
our heart to the Holy Spirit,
00:19:41.31\00:19:44.51
He pours his love,
his essential essence,
00:19:44.55\00:19:47.45
and this is divine
other-centered love.
00:19:47.48\00:19:52.35
It's not love like I love JD,
00:19:52.39\00:19:56.06
or pizza, or
whatever, it's like...
00:19:56.09\00:20:00.50
We use that word in so many...
00:20:00.53\00:20:01.93
And sometimes JD had the pizza.
00:20:01.96\00:20:03.30
Very common...
00:20:03.33\00:20:06.13
At least she made it
in the same sentence.
00:20:06.17\00:20:09.14
Same list. It did
not come out well.
00:20:09.17\00:20:11.01
But what I'm saying is
we use that word "love"
00:20:11.04\00:20:14.31
in such superficial...
00:20:14.34\00:20:16.21
We use it for a lot of words.
00:20:16.24\00:20:17.58
Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:17.61\00:20:18.95
It's true. But what this is...
00:20:18.98\00:20:20.32
Is this is when I can
love JD in the natural sense
00:20:20.35\00:20:24.29
but when God's love is in me,
00:20:24.32\00:20:26.69
I love him in a
very other-centered.
00:20:26.72\00:20:30.73
I mean, I want
what's best for him,
00:20:30.76\00:20:33.09
I am willing to
sacrifice for him,
00:20:33.13\00:20:35.23
I'm willing to lay
down my life for him.
00:20:35.26\00:20:37.77
So the more loving I become,
00:20:37.80\00:20:40.94
God establishes me in holiness.
00:20:40.97\00:20:44.14
So I just love that thought.
00:20:44.17\00:20:46.07
Amen. That it is...
00:20:46.11\00:20:47.44
You know, and
when people ask me,
00:20:47.48\00:20:49.24
"How do you know if you're
filled with the Holy Spirit?
00:20:49.28\00:20:51.81
How do you know if
somebody is Spirit-filled?"
00:20:51.85\00:20:54.45
The number one
thing that I will say
00:20:54.48\00:20:58.25
is it is by their love.
00:20:58.29\00:21:01.46
If they have other
centered, unselfish,
00:21:01.49\00:21:05.26
self-sacrificing
love for people,
00:21:05.29\00:21:08.10
those people are
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:21:08.13\00:21:10.33
because that's who God is.
00:21:10.37\00:21:11.70
Amen.
00:21:11.73\00:21:13.07
Is it love fulfilling the law?
00:21:13.10\00:21:14.50
Yes.
00:21:14.54\00:21:15.87
And so if the law
is a character of God,
00:21:15.90\00:21:18.04
the transcript of His character,
00:21:18.07\00:21:19.44
when we love, we're
fulfilling that law.
00:21:19.47\00:21:22.74
So it's not legalism,
00:21:22.78\00:21:24.61
it's growing in the grace
that we've been talking about.
00:21:24.65\00:21:26.48
Amen. Amen.
00:21:26.51\00:21:27.85
Love is a way of
approaching the world, it is...
00:21:27.88\00:21:31.02
You know, if you
are a loving person,
00:21:31.05\00:21:32.92
you're not
immune to being offended
00:21:32.95\00:21:34.99
but you certainly
are resistant to that.
00:21:35.02\00:21:37.03
You know, you're not wearing
your feelings on your sleeve
00:21:37.06\00:21:40.16
because you're coming
from a whole different place.
00:21:40.20\00:21:42.13
You're taking what you have
and sharing it out to the world
00:21:42.16\00:21:45.60
as opposed to constantly trying
to draw things into yourself.
00:21:45.63\00:21:48.34
It's a pleasant way to live.
00:21:48.37\00:21:50.97
You know, it's a
graceful way to live,
00:21:51.01\00:21:52.74
a gracious way to live,
and a calm, and peaceful,
00:21:52.77\00:21:55.44
and it makes you attractive.
00:21:55.48\00:21:56.81
Amen. That's right.
00:21:56.85\00:21:58.18
And it's more
unconditional. Yes.
00:21:58.21\00:22:00.02
And that's basically,
are you a conditional person
00:22:00.05\00:22:03.05
or by nature are you
an unconditional person,
00:22:03.08\00:22:05.95
that doesn't mean that things,
00:22:05.99\00:22:07.82
that you're just purposely
going to walk into the fire,
00:22:07.86\00:22:12.23
you know, there's
common sense involved here.
00:22:12.26\00:22:14.06
But I think it's just
the way you approach life,
00:22:14.10\00:22:16.70
do you look at it in...
00:22:16.73\00:22:19.03
Yeah, and the love you show
00:22:19.07\00:22:20.40
makes the truth that
you hold more attractive.
00:22:20.44\00:22:22.10
Amen.
00:22:22.14\00:22:23.57
Amen.
00:22:23.61\00:22:24.94
So and, you
know, when you say that
00:22:24.97\00:22:26.31
about conditional
and unconditional,
00:22:26.34\00:22:28.54
I think we could all agree.
00:22:28.58\00:22:30.11
I may get in
trouble for saying this,
00:22:30.15\00:22:31.51
some people are easy to love
and some are more challenging.
00:22:31.55\00:22:35.18
Yeah.
00:22:35.22\00:22:36.55
And there are
people that I know,
00:22:36.58\00:22:38.22
even people in my life
that were it not for God,
00:22:38.25\00:22:41.92
I'm not sure that
I could love them.
00:22:41.96\00:22:43.96
But I always...
00:22:43.99\00:22:45.33
The more
challenging a person is,
00:22:45.36\00:22:46.86
the more I go to
Him and say, "Lord,
00:22:46.90\00:22:48.33
pour Your love into my
heart for that person."
00:22:48.36\00:22:51.70
And then I can honestly say,
I've got people who've wounded,
00:22:51.73\00:22:55.30
and hurt me, and done
bad things, but I love them.
00:22:55.34\00:22:58.14
Yes.
00:22:58.17\00:22:59.51
You know, I may
not like their behavior
00:22:59.54\00:23:00.88
but I still love
them because God enables.
00:23:00.91\00:23:03.65
Wasn't that what
that verse 12 says?
00:23:03.68\00:23:05.41
"May the Lord
make you to increase,
00:23:05.45\00:23:08.08
and excel, and
overflow in love."
00:23:08.12\00:23:11.09
If it was up to us, He
wouldn't have to do it.
00:23:11.12\00:23:14.76
I'll give that person back.
00:23:14.79\00:23:16.42
That preexisting
condition, you know, I love.
00:23:16.46\00:23:19.96
So it doesn't matter whether
you have a whooping coffee,
00:23:20.00\00:23:21.63
you have a cold,
you have measles,
00:23:21.66\00:23:23.23
you have the mumps,
00:23:23.26\00:23:24.70
love will cover
all of that stuff,
00:23:24.73\00:23:26.40
you know, I
don't change, I love.
00:23:26.43\00:23:28.70
So regardless of what comes,
00:23:28.74\00:23:30.84
my response to it
is the love of Christ.
00:23:30.87\00:23:33.27
Amen.
00:23:33.31\00:23:34.68
That's the character of Jesus.
00:23:34.71\00:23:36.04
You know, God is love.
00:23:36.08\00:23:37.55
So love is the
fulfilling of the law.
00:23:37.58\00:23:39.18
But I mean, then the law
00:23:39.21\00:23:40.55
is the
transcript of His character.
00:23:40.58\00:23:42.08
But it all goes back to Jesus,
00:23:42.12\00:23:43.45
it's just exemplifying
the character of Jesus
00:23:43.49\00:23:45.55
and we can't
exemplify it of our own
00:23:45.59\00:23:47.76
but He is the
one who works in us.
00:23:47.79\00:23:50.03
Amen. Amen.
00:23:50.06\00:23:51.63
Well, Jill, what
scripture do you have?
00:23:51.66\00:23:53.33
I have Hebrews 13.
00:23:53.36\00:23:55.20
So I'm going to turn
there in my Bible here.
00:23:55.23\00:23:57.93
Hebrews 13:
00:23:57.97\00:24:00.30
20-21.
00:24:00.34\00:24:02.70
One of my favorite chapters.
00:24:02.74\00:24:04.17
Is that one of your
favorite chapters, Hebrews?
00:24:04.21\00:24:08.34
Hebrews 13, and there's
so much in these two verses,
00:24:08.38\00:24:11.85
I'm only going to look
at three different words
00:24:11.88\00:24:14.32
that stood out to
me when I read it.
00:24:14.35\00:24:18.22
Will tell you what the
words are after we read it.
00:24:18.25\00:24:20.09
Let's read it first.
00:24:20.12\00:24:21.69
Hebrews 13: 20-21,
00:24:21.72\00:24:24.39
"Now may the God of peace
00:24:24.43\00:24:26.39
brought up our Lord
Jesus from the dead,
00:24:26.43\00:24:29.16
that great Shepherd of the sheep
00:24:29.20\00:24:30.87
through the blood of
the everlasting covenant
00:24:30.90\00:24:34.27
make you complete
in every good work
00:24:34.30\00:24:37.01
to do His will.
00:24:37.04\00:24:38.81
Working in you what is
well pleasing in his sight
00:24:38.84\00:24:40.98
through Jesus Christ,
00:24:41.01\00:24:42.54
to whom be glory
forever and ever.
00:24:42.58\00:24:45.55
Amen."
00:24:45.58\00:24:46.92
Amen.
00:24:46.95\00:24:48.28
When I read that, I mean,
00:24:48.32\00:24:49.65
I could jump on
the God of peace,
00:24:49.68\00:24:51.02
we could spend a whole hour
talking about the God of peace
00:24:51.05\00:24:52.49
or we could talk about
Jesus being our great Shepherd.
00:24:52.52\00:24:55.62
But the words I want
to focus are on our blood,
00:24:55.66\00:24:59.39
everlasting
covenant, and good work.
00:24:59.43\00:25:03.47
Good work.
00:25:03.50\00:25:04.83
So if we look at blood,
00:25:04.87\00:25:06.20
what does the blood of Jesus do?
00:25:06.23\00:25:07.57
It cleanses us from all sin.
00:25:07.60\00:25:09.57
If we walk in the
light as He is in the light,
00:25:09.60\00:25:11.74
we have
fellowship with one another
00:25:11.77\00:25:13.78
and we know that
the blood of Jesus
00:25:13.81\00:25:15.34
cleanses us from all sin.
00:25:15.38\00:25:16.95
The blood justifies us.
00:25:16.98\00:25:18.98
Romans 5: 9, "Therefore
being justified by His blood,"
00:25:19.01\00:25:22.32
what happens?
00:25:22.35\00:25:23.69
"We are saved from
wrath through Him."
00:25:23.72\00:25:26.55
The blood brings
us near to Christ.
00:25:26.59\00:25:28.66
This is one of my
favorite scriptures,
00:25:28.69\00:25:30.26
Ephesians
2:12-13, what does it say?
00:25:30.29\00:25:33.60
"In Christ, we who are far off,"
00:25:33.63\00:25:36.03
and that's all of us,
00:25:36.06\00:25:37.40
we all have the
preexisting condition of sin,
00:25:37.43\00:25:40.07
we all have that
chasm between us and God,
00:25:40.10\00:25:43.07
"in Christ, we who are
far off are brought near
00:25:43.10\00:25:47.21
through the blood of Jesus."
00:25:47.24\00:25:49.98
The blood redeems us.
00:25:50.01\00:25:51.35
Ephesians 1:7, "In
Him, we have redemption
00:25:51.38\00:25:53.78
through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins."
00:25:53.82\00:25:56.79
"The blood makes
us alive," John 6:53,
00:25:56.82\00:26:00.42
"unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man
00:26:00.46\00:26:02.42
and drink His blood,
you have no life in you.
00:26:02.46\00:26:06.03
The blood makes
us an overcomer."
00:26:06.06\00:26:07.70
I love that scripture.
00:26:07.73\00:26:09.53
Revelation 12:
11, "They overcame him
00:26:09.56\00:26:12.57
by the blood of the Lamb
and the word of their testimony
00:26:12.60\00:26:16.77
and they love not
their lives unto the death."
00:26:16.81\00:26:19.17
"The blood of Jesus ratifies
the covenant," Luke 22:24,
00:26:19.21\00:26:22.84
remember the last
supper, "He took the cup
00:26:22.88\00:26:25.61
after the supper saying,
'This cup is the new covenant
00:26:25.65\00:26:28.22
in My blood which
is shed for you.'"
00:26:28.25\00:26:29.85
So when you read
Hebrews 13:20-21,
00:26:29.88\00:26:34.96
if it weren't for
the blood of Jesus,
00:26:34.99\00:26:37.96
verse 21 could never happen.
00:26:37.99\00:26:39.33
Yes.
00:26:39.36\00:26:40.70
If it weren't for His blood,
00:26:40.73\00:26:42.26
we could never be made
complete in every good work.
00:26:42.30\00:26:45.00
We could never...
00:26:45.03\00:26:46.40
That work would
never happen in our lives
00:26:46.43\00:26:49.80
without the blood Jesus.
00:26:49.84\00:26:51.51
I'm so thankful for that.
00:26:51.54\00:26:52.87
Amen. Amen.
00:26:52.91\00:26:54.24
The second thing
that jumped out to me
00:26:54.28\00:26:55.61
was the everlasting
covenant, and every time
00:26:55.64\00:26:57.51
we think of
everlasting covenant...
00:26:57.55\00:26:59.18
And, Shelley, is I could
say the queen of the covenant
00:26:59.21\00:27:02.88
because you teach on that
00:27:02.92\00:27:05.25
here at 3ABN
more than anyone else,
00:27:05.29\00:27:07.72
and it's powerful teaching.
00:27:07.76\00:27:09.52
But the everlasting covenant
is God's covenant of grace.
00:27:09.56\00:27:12.43
Many times we
think the old covenant
00:27:12.46\00:27:15.83
was one of works
and the new covenant
00:27:15.86\00:27:18.10
is one of grace in
the blood of Jesus.
00:27:18.13\00:27:20.14
But the same covenant of
grace, God gave to Abraham.
00:27:20.17\00:27:23.91
I think of
Genesis 17 and remember
00:27:23.94\00:27:26.27
when God gave
Abraham the covenant
00:27:26.31\00:27:28.94
and then the sign of
that was circumcision.
00:27:28.98\00:27:31.51
But God wants to
circumcise our hearts,
00:27:31.55\00:27:35.18
God wants to write His
laws, it says in Hebrews,
00:27:35.22\00:27:38.55
write His law in our
hearts and in our minds.
00:27:38.59\00:27:43.29
So through this
everlasting covenant that
00:27:43.32\00:27:46.06
He ratified with His blood,
what does He do in our lives?
00:27:46.09\00:27:49.30
Now we get to the best
part, that's the next verse,
00:27:49.33\00:27:51.70
verse 21, "Make you complete
00:27:51.73\00:27:55.44
in every good
work to do His will,
00:27:55.47\00:27:59.27
working in you what is
well pleasing in his sight
00:27:59.31\00:28:01.78
through Jesus Christ to
whom be glory forever and ever."
00:28:01.81\00:28:05.78
The word "make you complete"
in Greek means to strengthen,
00:28:05.81\00:28:09.98
to perfect, to complete,
00:28:10.02\00:28:12.39
or to make one
what one ought to be.
00:28:12.42\00:28:15.32
That's deep. Yes, it is.
00:28:15.36\00:28:16.99
When I think about that,
okay, I don't even know, pastor,
00:28:17.03\00:28:19.76
what I'm supposed to be, right?
00:28:19.79\00:28:22.00
I mean, how do
we even know what...
00:28:22.03\00:28:24.90
When God looks at me, He says,
00:28:24.93\00:28:27.10
"This is what I see,
this is who I want you to be."
00:28:27.14\00:28:31.27
And I see junk.
00:28:31.31\00:28:34.51
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:34.54\00:28:35.94
I see mistakes.
00:28:35.98\00:28:38.25
I see times I have
messed up, and He says,
00:28:38.28\00:28:40.88
"I don't even see that.
00:28:40.92\00:28:42.65
I see what you are going to be.
00:28:42.68\00:28:45.79
I see who you are in
Me covered by the blood,
00:28:45.82\00:28:50.23
and then
equipped, and empowered."
00:28:50.26\00:28:52.99
God's the one who does the work.
00:28:53.03\00:28:54.36
Yes.
00:28:54.40\00:28:55.73
He makes us
complete in every good work.
00:28:55.76\00:28:58.03
Now in Greek, the
word "work" is not there,
00:28:58.07\00:29:01.07
which to me is really
deep 'cause when I read this,
00:29:01.10\00:29:03.44
I think, "Make you
complete in every good work"
00:29:03.47\00:29:05.67
and it makes me even feel like,
00:29:05.71\00:29:07.51
I got to do some works
in order to become complete.
00:29:07.54\00:29:10.65
But the word "work"
is not even in the Greek.
00:29:10.68\00:29:13.05
If you read the
exact Greek translation,
00:29:13.08\00:29:15.12
I have it here in my phone.
00:29:15.15\00:29:18.95
It says, "Equip you
in everything good..."
00:29:18.99\00:29:21.29
Amen.
00:29:21.32\00:29:23.06
"In order to do the will of Him,
00:29:23.09\00:29:25.76
working in us that
which is well pleasing
00:29:25.79\00:29:28.26
before Him
through Christ Jesus."
00:29:28.30\00:29:29.63
So it says, "Equip
you in everything good."
00:29:29.66\00:29:31.37
So it translates it here,
00:29:31.40\00:29:32.87
"Make you complete
in every good work."
00:29:32.90\00:29:34.70
But literally,
what it is saying is
00:29:34.74\00:29:36.60
He makes us perfect,
00:29:36.64\00:29:37.97
He makes us what we ought to be,
00:29:38.01\00:29:41.01
and what is that?
00:29:41.04\00:29:42.38
That is good.
00:29:42.41\00:29:44.55
Now in Greek, good
is inherently good.
00:29:44.58\00:29:48.42
You know that's not of us,
00:29:48.45\00:29:49.95
that's nothing
that we could create.
00:29:49.98\00:29:52.95
It describes what
originates from God
00:29:52.99\00:29:55.92
and is empowered
by Him through faith.
00:29:55.96\00:29:57.83
Amen.
00:29:57.86\00:29:59.19
And so today,
tonight, you might be saying,
00:29:59.23\00:30:02.40
"I'm weak, and I've
messed up, and there's no way
00:30:02.43\00:30:05.83
God could
complete the work in me."
00:30:05.87\00:30:07.97
He's the one who began it.
00:30:08.00\00:30:09.44
He is the one by the
power of His Holy Spirit
00:30:09.47\00:30:12.81
who will carry it
forward to completion.
00:30:12.84\00:30:15.08
So have faith
tonight and joy in Jesus
00:30:15.11\00:30:18.11
that He's the one who does that.
00:30:18.15\00:30:19.55
You know, one thing
that you said, Romans...
00:30:19.58\00:30:22.32
He sees us as
completed projects.
00:30:22.35\00:30:26.25
Romans 4:17 says,
00:30:26.29\00:30:27.69
"God is the God who
gives life to the dead,
00:30:27.72\00:30:29.86
calls things that are not
as though they already were."
00:30:29.89\00:30:34.20
So when we see
junk, when we see failure,
00:30:34.23\00:30:38.17
God is looking down
and He already knows
00:30:38.20\00:30:40.44
what He's going
to do in our life
00:30:40.47\00:30:41.90
and He just sees us
perfect and that just somehow...
00:30:41.94\00:30:46.57
You know, so many of us
00:30:46.61\00:30:47.94
are always
pointing fingers at people
00:30:47.98\00:30:49.71
and telling people
off and you hear people
00:30:49.74\00:30:52.81
that make people feel
less than they are or labeled,
00:30:52.85\00:30:56.69
God doesn't see as you junk.
00:30:56.72\00:30:58.45
Amen. That's right.
00:30:58.49\00:31:00.19
JD, my love.
00:31:00.22\00:31:02.46
My love too, you are in.
00:31:02.49\00:31:05.73
Before you go, I
wanted to make a comment
00:31:05.76\00:31:07.20
about what she said
that really touched me was,
00:31:07.23\00:31:10.47
we don't even know
God's ideal for us.
00:31:10.50\00:31:12.93
So, you know,
00:31:12.97\00:31:14.30
we shouldn't even be
playing church if we don't,
00:31:14.34\00:31:16.50
you know, people who go around,
00:31:16.54\00:31:18.27
who think they're
better than what they are
00:31:18.31\00:31:21.64
and they try to pretend to be,
00:31:21.68\00:31:23.75
you know, sanctimonious
and stuff in church.
00:31:23.78\00:31:26.45
They have no business doing that
00:31:26.48\00:31:27.82
because what's
going to happen is
00:31:27.85\00:31:30.02
when the robes are revealed,
00:31:30.05\00:31:31.95
they're going
to be walking naked
00:31:31.99\00:31:33.32
and everyone's going
to be seen in the shame.
00:31:33.36\00:31:34.89
Amen. Does it sound right?
00:31:34.92\00:31:36.26
Yeah.
00:31:36.29\00:31:37.63
So we have no
business playing church,
00:31:37.66\00:31:38.99
we need Christ to be in us
00:31:39.03\00:31:40.56
so that we can
actually be the church.
00:31:40.60\00:31:42.86
"Lord, Lord, did we not cast out
00:31:42.90\00:31:44.83
many demons in Your name,"
00:31:44.87\00:31:46.53
and He's going to say,
00:31:46.57\00:31:47.90
"Go away from Me,
I don't know you."
00:31:47.94\00:31:49.27
Because the work are
the fruit, not the root.
00:31:49.30\00:31:52.54
Yeah. Yeah,
that's exactly right.
00:31:52.57\00:31:54.64
And, boy, that just
segues right into where this is.
00:31:54.68\00:31:57.91
I mean, I love the
scripture that I got
00:31:57.95\00:32:02.28
and we're combining two of them.
00:32:02.32\00:32:05.15
But I want to go
back to the affirmation
00:32:05.19\00:32:08.46
that one half of a sense,
"He," Jesus, God, Holy Spirit,
00:32:08.49\00:32:13.83
"causes me to be all
that He has called me to be."
00:32:13.86\00:32:17.73
Wow, how deep is that.
00:32:17.77\00:32:19.50
But then Paul comes
down here in Philippians,
00:32:19.53\00:32:22.00
Philippians 2:13 and
I'm going to follow that up
00:32:22.04\00:32:25.17
with Philippians 1:6,
00:32:25.21\00:32:28.14
"It is God who works
in you to will and act
00:32:28.18\00:32:31.58
according to His good purpose,
00:32:31.61\00:32:33.98
being confident of this
00:32:34.02\00:32:36.32
that he who began
a good work in you
00:32:36.35\00:32:38.55
will carry it on to completion
until the day of Jesus."
00:32:38.59\00:32:43.59
Wow.
00:32:43.63\00:32:44.96
Let me back that up
00:32:44.99\00:32:46.33
and I'm going
to walk you through
00:32:46.36\00:32:47.70
'cause this is the way
that I kind of understood it.
00:32:47.73\00:32:50.30
So now we're going to go back
to grade school stuff, okay?
00:32:50.33\00:32:54.14
I am convinced and confident,
00:32:54.17\00:32:57.71
what a wonderful place to be.
00:32:57.74\00:32:59.97
Amen. Amen.
00:33:00.01\00:33:01.48
What a great place to
be if you're confident.
00:33:01.51\00:33:03.51
Yes.
00:33:03.55\00:33:04.88
That means that you know,
that you know, that you know,
00:33:04.91\00:33:06.75
there's not too
much that I know.
00:33:06.78\00:33:08.78
I mean, I get
confused on what tie to wear.
00:33:08.82\00:33:11.65
I mean, here, we're talking
about deep, deep stuff here.
00:33:11.69\00:33:15.02
So what a gift.
00:33:15.06\00:33:16.39
"I am convinced and confident."
00:33:16.42\00:33:19.73
But let's go back and
start with Philippians 2:13,
00:33:19.76\00:33:23.80
"For is God who works in you
00:33:23.83\00:33:25.63
both to will and
for His good pleasure."
00:33:25.67\00:33:27.74
God is the energizing source.
00:33:27.77\00:33:30.11
He's the one that's
putting forth the power,
00:33:30.14\00:33:32.97
not Tim, not Gary, it's God.
00:33:33.01\00:33:36.14
Yes.
00:33:36.18\00:33:37.51
And that power
then operates in us
00:33:37.55\00:33:40.78
so that that gives
us the compassionate,
00:33:40.82\00:33:43.95
the compassion that we need
00:33:43.99\00:33:45.39
to make a
difference in people's life.
00:33:45.42\00:33:47.52
It is...
00:33:47.56\00:33:48.89
And then it goes
on to say, for God,
00:33:48.92\00:33:50.86
"For it's God who
works in you both,"
00:33:50.89\00:33:53.29
Wow, two fold,
"to will and to do."
00:33:53.33\00:33:55.66
Listen closely to this
because, boy, we can identify,
00:34:00.24\00:34:03.17
it is God, it's the Holy Spirit
that provides the stimulus.
00:34:03.20\00:34:07.01
Amen.
00:34:07.04\00:34:08.74
Wow.
00:34:08.78\00:34:10.11
And, boy, the
minute I read that,
00:34:10.15\00:34:11.65
it took me back to Mama Annie.
00:34:11.68\00:34:13.78
Mama Annie was my
grandmother on my dad...
00:34:13.82\00:34:16.28
my mother...
00:34:16.32\00:34:18.19
my grandmother.
00:34:18.22\00:34:20.76
We got it.
00:34:20.79\00:34:22.12
We're not going to
talk about it anymore.
00:34:22.16\00:34:24.03
Mama Annie was my grandmother
00:34:24.06\00:34:26.09
and, boy, could
she bake good bread.
00:34:26.13\00:34:28.93
Oh.
00:34:28.96\00:34:30.53
And as I'd walk
through the house
00:34:30.57\00:34:32.30
and you always knew
00:34:32.33\00:34:33.67
when she was baking bread, why?
00:34:33.70\00:34:36.04
Because there was
a stimulus of smell.
00:34:36.07\00:34:39.14
Yeah. Right.
00:34:39.17\00:34:40.91
And, oh, my goodness, you know,
00:34:40.94\00:34:42.78
you just sit there and
started rubbing your tummy
00:34:42.81\00:34:44.75
'cause you knew
what was going to follow.
00:34:44.78\00:34:46.65
Well, here it says that
God provides the stimulus
00:34:46.68\00:34:51.39
for our initial determination
to accept salvation.
00:34:51.42\00:34:55.66
God also gives us that power
00:34:55.69\00:34:58.33
to make the
decision effectively.
00:34:58.36\00:35:00.86
Now what does God do?
00:35:00.90\00:35:02.50
He awakens our
desire to be saved.
00:35:02.53\00:35:05.47
And then He enables
us to make that decision,
00:35:05.50\00:35:08.94
and then He
supplies us with the energy
00:35:08.97\00:35:12.97
that we need in order to
get over to the next place.
00:35:13.01\00:35:17.55
Thus redemption is figured
as it's a cooperative work
00:35:17.58\00:35:20.55
between God and us.
00:35:20.58\00:35:23.32
And then we go back
to, then, Philippians 1:6,
00:35:23.35\00:35:27.62
"I am convinced,
00:35:27.66\00:35:29.29
I am confident of
this very thing that He,"
00:35:29.49\00:35:33.96
capital H, "creator of
all, the author of our salvation
00:35:34.00\00:35:39.63
has begun that good work in us,"
00:35:39.67\00:35:41.64
and that is the
work of salvation
00:35:41.67\00:35:43.37
that we were just talking about.
00:35:43.41\00:35:45.77
And then I took this
strictly from the commentary,
00:35:45.81\00:35:49.24
"God completes every work
to which He sets His hand."
00:35:49.28\00:35:53.65
Now that's what He does.
00:35:53.68\00:35:55.78
Uh-oh, if only...
00:35:55.82\00:35:58.82
Wow, here we come,
00:35:58.85\00:36:00.96
"If you have only
the human material,"
00:36:00.99\00:36:02.92
in other words,
that's physically,
00:36:02.96\00:36:04.69
"permits Him to do so."
00:36:04.73\00:36:06.76
Boy.
00:36:06.80\00:36:08.13
Now we bring in cooperation.
00:36:08.16\00:36:10.07
And as we mentioned
earlier, there's some people
00:36:10.10\00:36:12.00
that are more
cooperative than others.
00:36:12.03\00:36:13.87
Right.
00:36:13.90\00:36:15.24
Furthermore, "The
product of such workmanship
00:36:15.27\00:36:17.91
will be perfect."
00:36:17.94\00:36:20.08
On His side is perfection.
00:36:20.11\00:36:24.71
Boy, sometimes if
we do not cooperate,
00:36:24.75\00:36:28.45
it can get kind of dirty.
00:36:28.48\00:36:30.62
"And He does not
weary in well-doing."
00:36:30.65\00:36:33.86
Amen. Amen, amen.
00:36:33.89\00:36:35.62
So the keynote
of Paul's writings,
00:36:35.66\00:36:39.66
and it goes back to
this, what we started with,
00:36:39.69\00:36:43.26
that confidence
in God's constant...
00:36:43.30\00:36:47.34
confidence in God is
His continual interest
00:36:47.37\00:36:51.97
and guidance in His children.
00:36:52.01\00:36:53.68
Amen.
00:36:53.71\00:36:55.04
He has our eternal
benefit in mind at all times.
00:36:55.08\00:36:57.61
Yeah. Thank you, Jesus.
00:36:57.65\00:36:59.41
Amen, amen.
00:36:59.45\00:37:00.78
You know, people
ask me sometimes,
00:37:00.82\00:37:04.09
"How are you doing?"
00:37:04.12\00:37:05.95
And I just came
up one day and said,
00:37:05.99\00:37:08.62
"Well, you know,
I'm a work in progress."
00:37:08.66\00:37:11.36
That's right.
00:37:11.39\00:37:13.46
And then as I was
sitting here and I was just...
00:37:13.50\00:37:15.73
"I'm a work in progress."
00:37:15.76\00:37:18.33
If I'm a work in progress,
00:37:18.37\00:37:19.70
that means that
I'm not a beginner.
00:37:19.73\00:37:22.14
Yes.
00:37:22.17\00:37:23.74
But I'm not a
finished product either.
00:37:23.77\00:37:26.07
True.
00:37:26.11\00:37:27.44
So I'm in there
in between someplace,
00:37:27.48\00:37:29.74
and it's through
what we're seeing here,
00:37:29.78\00:37:31.98
"It is God who works
in you to will and to act
00:37:32.01\00:37:35.35
according to His good purpose
and being confident of this,"
00:37:35.38\00:37:38.72
know that I know that I know,
00:37:38.75\00:37:40.59
"that God who began
this good work in you
00:37:40.62\00:37:42.86
will carry it
out to completion."
00:37:42.89\00:37:44.23
Amen.
00:37:44.26\00:37:45.59
So consequently, Lord,
00:37:45.63\00:37:46.96
thank You that I can
be a work in progress.
00:37:47.00\00:37:49.63
Let me add one quick thought
before we kick it to Gary
00:37:49.66\00:37:52.83
'cause that is so good.
00:37:52.87\00:37:54.40
I think that's
two separate stages.
00:37:54.44\00:37:56.81
God works in us to
will, He changes our desires,
00:37:56.84\00:38:00.38
He changes our will.
00:38:00.41\00:38:01.74
Suddenly, you find that
you want to do His will.
00:38:01.78\00:38:04.98
But He didn't force us to act.
00:38:05.01\00:38:06.65
I think that there's, between
when He works in us to will
00:38:06.68\00:38:11.42
and to do, it
takes that we step out,
00:38:11.45\00:38:14.66
take one step of faith.
00:38:14.69\00:38:16.79
And as soon as we step
out on that changed will,
00:38:16.83\00:38:20.60
the power of God shows up,
the Holy Spirit directs us.
00:38:20.63\00:38:25.53
That's that divine assistance
that we were talking about.
00:38:25.57\00:38:27.07
Amen. Amen.
00:38:27.10\00:38:29.07
Okay, Gary. That's a good segue.
00:38:29.10\00:38:32.04
The knowledge that He gives
us out of His sanctifying power
00:38:32.07\00:38:35.58
gives us peace.
00:38:35.61\00:38:36.95
And the text I have is
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
00:38:36.98\00:38:41.48
It's a bit of a
goldmine, so hopefully
00:38:41.52\00:38:42.85
we can dig some
of the nuggets out.
00:38:42.88\00:38:44.22
Amen, amen.
00:38:44.25\00:38:45.59
It says here, "And the very
God of peace sanctify you wholly
00:38:45.62\00:38:51.03
and I pray God
your whole spirit,
00:38:51.06\00:38:53.03
and your soul, and
body be preserved blameless
00:38:53.06\00:38:56.40
unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:38:56.43\00:38:58.87
faithful is he that calleth
you who also will do it."
00:38:58.90\00:39:03.91
So I'd like to
start with the context
00:39:03.94\00:39:05.27
is the second coming of Christ.
00:39:05.31\00:39:08.51
That's how I'd like to start.
00:39:08.54\00:39:09.94
And there's four points
actually I pulled out of here.
00:39:09.98\00:39:13.01
And the very first
one is actually in the...
00:39:13.05\00:39:16.85
It's the close of a letter.
00:39:16.89\00:39:18.39
This is the close of the
letter to the Thessalonians,
00:39:18.42\00:39:20.66
and it's the God of peace.
00:39:20.69\00:39:23.56
It's really easy to kind
of read over that quickly
00:39:23.59\00:39:25.43
because Paul says
this a lot in his writings.
00:39:25.46\00:39:28.60
He closes letters a
lot with the God of peace.
00:39:28.63\00:39:31.03
But I think
every word in the Bible
00:39:31.07\00:39:33.13
has purpose and meaning.
00:39:33.17\00:39:35.54
And I've also discovered
that it's kind of juxtaposed
00:39:35.57\00:39:38.67
against the
beginning of the letter
00:39:38.71\00:39:40.21
in 1 Thessalonians.
00:39:40.24\00:39:43.38
Let's see, 1 Thessalonians 1:10,
00:39:43.41\00:39:46.28
and it says...
00:39:46.31\00:39:47.68
and he's talking
to them and he says,
00:39:47.72\00:39:49.05
"And you're to wait
for the Son from heaven
00:39:49.08\00:39:50.75
whom He raised from the dead,
00:39:50.79\00:39:53.05
even Jesus which delivers
us from the wrath to come."
00:39:53.09\00:39:56.83
So I wanted to put
that against each other,
00:39:56.86\00:39:58.99
the God of peace and his wrath.
00:39:59.03\00:40:01.66
Yes.
00:40:01.70\00:40:03.33
So he starts the
letter out that he wants to...
00:40:03.37\00:40:06.50
Jesus wants to save us
from the wrath to come,
00:40:06.53\00:40:09.30
but he ends the
letter that the God of peace
00:40:09.34\00:40:10.97
is going to
preserve us from that wrath.
00:40:11.01\00:40:13.54
Amen.
00:40:13.58\00:40:14.91
And so what is the wrath of God?
00:40:14.94\00:40:17.01
It's interesting.
00:40:17.05\00:40:18.85
The wrath of God is actually
00:40:18.88\00:40:22.35
His final conclusion of
how He's dealing with sin.
00:40:22.38\00:40:25.95
Amen.
00:40:25.99\00:40:27.32
He has been patient
through the whole ordeal
00:40:27.36\00:40:30.13
that Satan has
foisted upon the universe.
00:40:30.16\00:40:33.40
Amen.
00:40:33.43\00:40:34.80
And so He has intervened
when He needed to, He's guided,
00:40:34.83\00:40:39.87
He's moved, He's worked
His will in the whole thing,
00:40:39.90\00:40:43.94
but the wrath is the
final conclusion of it.
00:40:43.97\00:40:46.61
And so God's
peace will protect us
00:40:46.64\00:40:49.84
from His wrath in the end.
00:40:49.88\00:40:51.81
And the keys of
that are in the text.
00:40:51.85\00:40:54.58
And the second point is that
God is going to sanctify us.
00:40:54.62\00:41:00.46
He wants to sanctify us
00:41:00.49\00:41:01.82
and not just
partially, He wants to...
00:41:01.86\00:41:03.19
What does that mean, sanctify?
00:41:03.22\00:41:04.59
He wants to change
us and to make us holy,
00:41:04.63\00:41:07.60
to separate us out
for a holy purpose,
00:41:07.63\00:41:11.03
to eradicate sin from our life.
00:41:11.07\00:41:13.03
And He wants to do it
wholly, not partially.
00:41:13.07\00:41:14.54
He doesn't do a partial implant.
00:41:14.57\00:41:16.44
He does a full heart
transplant in our life.
00:41:16.47\00:41:18.84
Amen.
00:41:18.87\00:41:20.21
And it goes on,
00:41:20.24\00:41:22.21
and the third
point is preserves.
00:41:22.24\00:41:25.05
He wants to
preserve us blamelessly.
00:41:25.08\00:41:27.15
So I want to unpack
some of these to sanctify us.
00:41:27.18\00:41:32.05
Let's look at Jude 21,
there's only one chapter.
00:41:32.09\00:41:35.26
So let's look at verse 21 there.
00:41:35.29\00:41:39.29
Jude 21 says, "Keep
yourselves in the love of God,
00:41:39.33\00:41:42.90
looking for mercy."
00:41:42.93\00:41:47.50
It says, "Keep
yourself in the love of God,
00:41:47.54\00:41:49.54
looking for the
mercy of our Lord
00:41:49.57\00:41:51.31
Jesus Christ into eternal life."
00:41:51.34\00:41:53.48
That word "keep"
in the Greek is tereo,
00:41:53.51\00:41:58.01
and it means to
guard from loss or injury
00:41:58.05\00:42:01.25
by keeping the eye upon it.
00:42:01.28\00:42:03.92
Okay, so our part in
the sanctification process
00:42:03.95\00:42:06.55
is to keep our eye upon Christ.
00:42:06.59\00:42:10.63
Amen.
00:42:10.66\00:42:11.99
So as we keep
our eye upon Christ,
00:42:12.03\00:42:14.63
then His grace that
we've been talking about
00:42:14.66\00:42:16.60
is able to come into
our heart and to change us
00:42:16.63\00:42:19.70
and to sanctify us wholly.
00:42:19.73\00:42:22.57
And that begins
the preserving process.
00:42:22.60\00:42:24.74
Another example for tereo
00:42:24.77\00:42:27.61
is Revelation 14:12.
00:42:27.64\00:42:31.01
And this says...
00:42:31.05\00:42:32.68
And it's talking
about the patience
00:42:32.71\00:42:34.05
of the saints here,
00:42:34.08\00:42:35.42
they that keep the
commandments of God,
00:42:35.45\00:42:36.79
that's the same word as
the part that we're to do.
00:42:36.82\00:42:41.12
We're to keep our eye
00:42:41.16\00:42:43.06
and to guard the
commandments of God,
00:42:43.09\00:42:45.83
to preserve them in our lives,
to exemplify them in our lives.
00:42:45.86\00:42:49.60
And then Revelation 16:15,
"Behold I come as a thief,
00:42:49.63\00:42:52.93
blessed is he that watcheth."
00:42:52.97\00:42:54.97
And the word
"watcheth" is gregoreuo,
00:42:55.00\00:42:58.77
which means to keep
awake and be vigilant,
00:42:58.81\00:43:00.64
"and to keep,"
that word again, tereo,
00:43:00.68\00:43:03.81
"his garments lest he walk naked
00:43:03.85\00:43:05.81
and they see his shame."
00:43:05.85\00:43:07.28
So again, God wants us,
00:43:07.32\00:43:09.38
this righteous
robe that He gave us,
00:43:09.42\00:43:11.72
when we accept him,
He wants us to keep it,
00:43:11.75\00:43:14.52
He wants us to guard it,
00:43:14.56\00:43:15.89
He wants us to
keep our eye on it,
00:43:15.92\00:43:18.09
to watch it so that it
doesn't get taken from us.
00:43:18.13\00:43:21.96
But what's interesting
is so that word "keep"
00:43:22.00\00:43:24.90
is our part of the
sanctification process,
00:43:24.93\00:43:28.14
but actually, in
the preservation part,
00:43:28.17\00:43:31.04
that's God's
part of the equation,
00:43:31.07\00:43:33.48
to preserve us.
00:43:33.51\00:43:34.84
Amen.
00:43:34.88\00:43:36.21
And so if you look at
what is a preservative.
00:43:36.24\00:43:39.15
Preservative is a substance
or a chemical that is added
00:43:39.18\00:43:42.12
to another product to
prevent decomposition.
00:43:42.15\00:43:45.52
So God's grace and His
love is to preserve us,
00:43:45.55\00:43:50.69
it's to keep us in a
state so that when He comes,
00:43:50.73\00:43:54.36
we're going to be
ready for Him to come.
00:43:54.40\00:43:56.33
Amen. Amen.
00:43:56.36\00:43:59.03
And so how does He do that?
00:43:59.07\00:44:00.64
Well, we find in
Revelation 14, actually, yeah,
00:44:00.67\00:44:06.37
Revelation 14:1 is that
00:44:06.41\00:44:09.54
God writes His
name in our foreheads.
00:44:09.58\00:44:13.21
So we are sealed, God seals
us with His name into our minds.
00:44:13.25\00:44:18.45
And as we behold Him,
00:44:18.49\00:44:19.82
the principle
is, as we behold Him,
00:44:19.85\00:44:21.19
we become changed
into His character.
00:44:21.22\00:44:25.13
Now it's interesting.
00:44:25.16\00:44:26.49
Let's look at
Jude 24 real quick.
00:44:26.53\00:44:29.96
'Cause the word "keep" is
translated in English keep,
00:44:30.00\00:44:32.50
but it's actually
something a little different.
00:44:32.53\00:44:34.04
"Now unto Him that is
able to keep you from falling
00:44:34.07\00:44:36.77
and to preserve you faultless
00:44:36.81\00:44:38.21
before the presence of His glory
00:44:38.24\00:44:39.57
with exceeding joy."
00:44:39.61\00:44:40.98
So that word
"keep" is not the same
00:44:41.01\00:44:42.91
as what we have to do,
keep our eye and to guard.
00:44:42.94\00:44:47.62
It's actually philoso.
00:44:47.65\00:44:49.88
And it means to
guard a person or thing
00:44:49.92\00:44:51.82
that he may remain safe
00:44:51.85\00:44:53.49
to keep him from
being snatched away,
00:44:53.52\00:44:55.96
preserve safe and unimpaired,
00:44:55.99\00:44:57.89
to guard from
being lost or perishing.
00:44:57.93\00:44:59.89
Amen.
00:44:59.93\00:45:01.26
So that's God's
part in the equation.
00:45:01.30\00:45:03.13
Our part is to
keep our eye on Him.
00:45:03.16\00:45:05.03
His part is to
guard us and to keep us
00:45:05.07\00:45:07.04
from being snatched from Him.
00:45:07.07\00:45:08.40
He said that, you know,
00:45:08.44\00:45:10.17
there's nothing that
can separate from His love.
00:45:10.21\00:45:12.21
And that's true, nothing can.
00:45:12.24\00:45:13.98
We can decide not
to, but He is to guard
00:45:14.01\00:45:15.81
to keep us close to Him.
00:45:15.84\00:45:17.65
Amen.
00:45:17.68\00:45:19.08
And then I'd like
to finish up with...
00:45:19.11\00:45:23.08
Let's see, and He's
the one that does it in us.
00:45:23.12\00:45:26.02
So Titus 3:5-6
00:45:26.05\00:45:30.03
I think kind of
illustrates Him working in us,
00:45:30.06\00:45:32.59
"Not by works of
righteousness which we have done
00:45:32.63\00:45:35.53
but according to His mercy,
00:45:35.56\00:45:37.07
He saved us by the
washing of regeneration
00:45:37.10\00:45:39.77
and renewing of the Holy Ghost,
00:45:39.80\00:45:41.70
which He shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ."
00:45:41.74\00:45:44.57
So God seals us with His Spirit,
00:45:44.61\00:45:47.34
so that preserves us,
so that when He comes,
00:45:47.38\00:45:50.15
we will be found
ready for Him to come
00:45:50.18\00:45:52.78
and take us and
spend eternity with Him.
00:45:52.81\00:45:54.95
Amen and amen.
00:45:54.98\00:45:56.85
You know, and I loved...
00:45:56.89\00:45:59.49
You kind of...
00:45:59.52\00:46:01.22
He said something to me one day
00:46:01.26\00:46:02.59
that it must
have been an epiphany
00:46:02.62\00:46:04.13
'cause when I
mentioned it to him later,
00:46:04.16\00:46:05.86
he said, "Did I say that?"
00:46:05.89\00:46:07.96
What he said is he was beginning
00:46:08.00\00:46:10.23
to look at this
scripture as he said,
00:46:10.27\00:46:12.43
"It's so
exciting the God of peace,
00:46:12.47\00:46:17.14
it means unity."
00:46:17.17\00:46:19.11
So when I asked you
about it, you were saying,
00:46:19.14\00:46:21.38
"I don't remember saying that."
00:46:21.41\00:46:22.78
It was an epiphany.
00:46:22.81\00:46:24.15
But the unity of...
00:46:24.18\00:46:26.68
And that's when you
think about peace, there is...
00:46:26.72\00:46:30.05
I mean, to be at
peace, you have to be united.
00:46:30.09\00:46:33.05
And so it's us
keeping our eye on Him
00:46:33.09\00:46:35.36
and Him protecting us.
00:46:35.39\00:46:37.43
Oh, Tim, we saved
the best for last.
00:46:37.46\00:46:40.36
Well, all right.
00:46:40.40\00:46:42.60
I feel that way.
00:46:42.63\00:46:44.27
I'm just going to go straight
00:46:44.30\00:46:45.63
to 1 Peter 1:3-5.
00:46:45.67\00:46:49.27
Amen.
00:46:49.30\00:46:50.64
"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
00:46:50.67\00:46:53.94
who according to
His abundant mercy
00:46:53.98\00:46:56.28
has begotten us
again to a living Hope
00:46:56.31\00:46:59.48
through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ
00:46:59.51\00:47:01.22
from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled,
00:47:01.25\00:47:06.09
and that does not fade
away reserved in heaven for you,
00:47:06.12\00:47:09.52
who are kept by the power of God
00:47:09.56\00:47:11.79
through faith for salvation,
00:47:11.83\00:47:13.90
ready to be
revealed in the last time."
00:47:13.93\00:47:16.60
Amen, that's a mouthful.
00:47:16.63\00:47:17.97
That truly is a mouthful.
00:47:18.00\00:47:20.24
So it's really important
for us to know in this situation
00:47:20.27\00:47:26.17
who Peter is writing to
00:47:26.21\00:47:27.78
because it'll kind
of give us some context.
00:47:27.81\00:47:31.28
He's writing to the...
00:47:31.31\00:47:33.85
Verse 1 says, Peter,
00:47:33.88\00:47:36.02
to the elect
exiles of the dispersion
00:47:36.05\00:47:39.19
scattered abroad, and then
he mentions where they are all,
00:47:39.22\00:47:42.19
Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
00:47:42.22\00:47:44.63
So these are
strangers in their land,
00:47:44.66\00:47:47.63
they're no longer at home.
00:47:47.66\00:47:49.00
They're no longer
comfortable where they are.
00:47:49.03\00:47:51.93
They've been pushed
out of their comfort zone.
00:47:51.97\00:47:53.67
Yeah.
00:47:53.70\00:47:55.04
They are
basically kind of hopeless,
00:47:55.07\00:47:57.54
you know, to an extent,
00:47:57.57\00:48:00.01
other than the fact
that they have Christ.
00:48:00.04\00:48:02.81
But so Peter
uses a lot of verbage
00:48:02.84\00:48:08.65
in these verses 3-5
00:48:08.68\00:48:11.22
that will bring a
lot of comfort to people
00:48:11.25\00:48:15.16
who are out of
their comfort zone.
00:48:15.19\00:48:19.39
Verse 3, again, and I'm going
to go back to the amplified
00:48:19.43\00:48:22.50
to read some of these,
00:48:22.53\00:48:23.87
"Praised be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
00:48:23.90\00:48:26.43
By His boundless
mercy, by His mercy,
00:48:26.47\00:48:29.67
we have been born again
into an everlasting hope
00:48:29.70\00:48:33.51
through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead."
00:48:33.54\00:48:37.21
It's by His mercy that
we have been born again.
00:48:37.25\00:48:42.25
I love the fact
that He made this plan
00:48:42.28\00:48:45.52
that we would
have a hope by saying,
00:48:45.55\00:48:48.69
"I think we'll send
Christ, He will die,
00:48:48.72\00:48:52.19
and then He will rise again,
and it will give them hope."
00:48:52.23\00:48:55.33
In verse 4, "We're
born into an inheritance."
00:48:55.36\00:48:58.77
Now these people
that Peter's speaking to
00:48:58.80\00:49:03.14
probably didn't even have...
00:49:03.17\00:49:05.51
they didn't have...
00:49:05.54\00:49:06.98
just the shirt
on their back maybe.
00:49:07.01\00:49:08.34
Right.
00:49:08.38\00:49:09.71
So for them to have an
inheritance, that's like,
00:49:09.74\00:49:13.01
oh, they can't imagine having...
00:49:13.05\00:49:15.72
you know, having
something to look forward to
00:49:15.75\00:49:18.45
but it is the inheritance
00:49:18.49\00:49:20.26
which is beyond the
reach of change and decay.
00:49:20.29\00:49:22.66
All right, so that's just more,
00:49:22.69\00:49:24.46
the inheritance that
is not going to fade away,
00:49:24.49\00:49:27.26
or can be
corrupted, or be taken away
00:49:27.30\00:49:29.26
by somebody else's
kicking us out of this,
00:49:29.30\00:49:31.80
of where we are now.
00:49:31.83\00:49:34.14
And then going on to verse
5, "Who are being guarded,"
00:49:34.17\00:49:37.61
that insurance, "by
God's power through faith
00:49:37.64\00:49:43.45
until you fully
inherit that final salvation
00:49:43.48\00:49:46.35
that is ready to be
revealed in the last time."
00:49:46.38\00:49:48.05
Again, the fact that
they have an assurance
00:49:48.08\00:49:53.82
because they don't
have that assurance really
00:49:53.86\00:49:57.66
since they've been kicked
out of their motherland to...
00:49:57.69\00:50:02.10
They don't have just...
00:50:02.13\00:50:04.63
They have been assured.
00:50:04.67\00:50:06.00
Peter is giving
them these words.
00:50:06.03\00:50:07.57
So all of these
words indicate to me
00:50:07.60\00:50:10.87
the fact that these are
words that Peter is encouraging,
00:50:10.91\00:50:15.98
motivating these people
00:50:16.01\00:50:18.45
who have less than perfect hope.
00:50:18.48\00:50:21.65
So for us, the...
00:50:21.68\00:50:25.99
I can't really think of
myself as being hopeless,
00:50:26.02\00:50:29.76
in that I don't have...
00:50:29.79\00:50:32.39
You know, when I
came here to 3ABN,
00:50:32.43\00:50:35.46
everyone welcomed me in.
00:50:35.50\00:50:36.83
So it wasn't like I
was in a foreign land
00:50:36.87\00:50:39.10
even though Southern Illinois
can seem foreign landish to me.
00:50:39.13\00:50:44.14
But I was surrounded
by people that loved me.
00:50:44.17\00:50:47.78
These people didn't have that.
00:50:47.81\00:50:49.71
And there are people
around the world who may,
00:50:49.74\00:50:52.85
you know, be scattered
abroad, emotionally, mentally,
00:50:52.88\00:50:57.65
you know, they may feel
like they don't have any hope.
00:50:57.69\00:51:03.06
But when you are...
00:51:03.09\00:51:05.86
when you commit your life
to Christ, that is the hope.
00:51:05.89\00:51:10.23
He gives you that, by His mercy,
00:51:10.27\00:51:13.44
we can be born again
to an ever-living hope
00:51:13.47\00:51:17.64
and into an inheritance,
00:51:17.67\00:51:20.58
we have that
inheritance as Christians,
00:51:20.61\00:51:23.88
"Which is beyond decay,
reserved in heaven for us,
00:51:23.91\00:51:28.28
we are being guarded by
God's power through faith."
00:51:28.32\00:51:33.42
That's a
hallelujah. Right, it is.
00:51:33.46\00:51:35.32
As you were talking about it,
it is God who is guarding us,
00:51:35.36\00:51:38.26
who, you know,
00:51:38.29\00:51:40.43
the guard is the
position on the football team
00:51:40.46\00:51:46.27
that protects the ball.
00:51:46.30\00:51:48.00
And so...
00:51:48.04\00:51:49.37
Not that I know a thing
about what I'm talking about
00:51:49.40\00:51:50.74
because I don't know
anything about sports,
00:51:50.77\00:51:53.34
but I do know that I
thought that came to mind.
00:51:53.38\00:51:58.05
So if it doesn't
apply, it should.
00:51:58.08\00:52:00.88
Anyway, but yeah,
but we are being guarded
00:52:00.92\00:52:03.75
"By God's power
through faith to salvation
00:52:03.79\00:52:09.32
that is ready to be
revealed in the last time."
00:52:09.36\00:52:11.46
So I love the fact that I
am kept by the power of God,
00:52:11.49\00:52:16.50
nothing more, nothing less.
00:52:16.53\00:52:17.87
Amen. Amen.
00:52:17.90\00:52:19.87
And you have one
thing going for you
00:52:19.90\00:52:21.24
because there is a
guard on a football team
00:52:21.27\00:52:23.61
that is there to guard the ball.
00:52:23.64\00:52:25.17
Super.
00:52:25.21\00:52:26.54
So thank you
there, you did good.
00:52:26.57\00:52:28.04
So as we looked at
these scriptures, CA,
00:52:28.08\00:52:32.95
your scripture
from 1 Corinthians 1:4-9
00:52:32.98\00:52:37.19
said that God is the one
who confirms us to the end.
00:52:37.22\00:52:42.39
And then my scripture says that
00:52:42.42\00:52:44.79
He's the one who
establishes in that...
00:52:44.83\00:52:48.43
My scripture was 1
Thessalonians 3:12-13,
00:52:48.46\00:52:52.20
"That He is the
one who establishes us
00:52:52.23\00:52:55.47
as blameless in holiness."
00:52:55.50\00:52:58.84
And then we looked, Jill,
00:52:58.87\00:53:01.24
that He's going
to make us complete,
00:53:01.28\00:53:03.78
Hebrews 13:20-21.
00:53:03.81\00:53:06.45
God makes us complete
in every good work to do,
00:53:06.48\00:53:11.42
He makes us complete
to do His will, right?
00:53:11.45\00:53:15.66
And then, JD, you looked at
00:53:15.69\00:53:18.46
"He works in us to will
and to do His good pleasure,"
00:53:18.49\00:53:21.60
and we can have
absolute assurance
00:53:21.63\00:53:25.27
He's going to
complete that good work.
00:53:25.30\00:53:27.60
Gary, yours in 1
Thessalonians 5:23-24 says,
00:53:27.64\00:53:32.61
"He,
Jehovah-shalom, the God of peace
00:53:32.64\00:53:36.41
is the one who
preserves us blameless."
00:53:36.44\00:53:42.08
And then, Tim, you've
just read what Peter wrote
00:53:42.12\00:53:44.99
in 1 Peter 1:3-5 that,
00:53:45.02\00:53:47.22
"We are kept by His
power," by God's power.
00:53:47.26\00:53:51.96
Can you see the picture here?
00:53:51.99\00:53:53.60
It's all about Him, isn't it?
00:53:53.63\00:53:55.13
It's all about Him.
00:53:55.16\00:53:58.23
It's us keeping
our eye upon Him as...
00:53:58.27\00:54:04.01
Was that you or
Gary that said that?
00:54:04.04\00:54:05.81
Gary talked about that. Gary.
00:54:05.84\00:54:07.74
It's us keeping
our eye upon Him,
00:54:07.78\00:54:12.51
and then Him
working it out in us.
00:54:12.55\00:54:14.48
Amen.
00:54:14.52\00:54:15.85
You know, I think
that the one thing
00:54:15.88\00:54:17.52
that we all like to see
00:54:17.55\00:54:20.69
in a rear view mirror
is guilt and condemnation.
00:54:20.72\00:54:24.23
Amen.
00:54:24.26\00:54:25.96
In the rear view mirror.
00:54:25.99\00:54:27.33
In the rear view mirror.
00:54:27.36\00:54:28.70
We're driving away from
it, you know, it's behind us.
00:54:28.73\00:54:30.97
And this is a
wonderful teaching here
00:54:31.00\00:54:33.40
because it's
blameless before God.
00:54:33.44\00:54:35.84
And this allows us to see
00:54:35.87\00:54:38.24
that there is a way
to get past this guilt
00:54:38.27\00:54:40.71
of past yesterday,
of past condemnation.
00:54:40.74\00:54:44.21
And that is by
allowing God to work in you.
00:54:44.25\00:54:47.18
Yes.
00:54:47.22\00:54:48.55
Because it all
comes down to that,
00:54:48.58\00:54:50.29
you know, who do
you choose to worship
00:54:50.32\00:54:52.59
and why do you
choose to worship, so...
00:54:52.62\00:54:55.72
It's so
liberating, don't you think so?
00:54:55.76\00:54:57.46
I mean just to understand
that, in Christ, I am complete,
00:54:57.49\00:55:01.13
in Christ I am blameless,
in Christ I am made new,
00:55:01.16\00:55:04.30
I mean, that is so liberating
and that He calls those things
00:55:04.33\00:55:07.07
that are not as
though they already were.
00:55:07.10\00:55:08.80
So whether I feel that way,
00:55:08.84\00:55:10.77
His Word says it
true, so it's true.
00:55:10.81\00:55:12.24
Amen.
00:55:12.27\00:55:13.61
I just want to pop
in a text real quick,
00:55:13.64\00:55:14.98
this is 1 Thessalonians...
00:55:15.01\00:55:16.34
Cancel, 2 Thessalonians 2:16,
I've been trying to memorize
00:55:16.38\00:55:19.91
this text the last
little bit, but it's so laden,
00:55:19.95\00:55:22.85
try to get
through real fast, 2:16,
00:55:22.88\00:55:24.85
"Now may the Lord
Jesus Christ Himself
00:55:24.89\00:55:27.39
and our God and
Father who has loved us
00:55:27.42\00:55:29.96
and given us
everlasting consolation,"
00:55:29.99\00:55:32.23
which is the term that
just kind of turns me on
00:55:32.26\00:55:35.00
because
everlasting consolation comes
00:55:35.03\00:55:37.33
because we serve a
covenant-keeping God,
00:55:37.37\00:55:39.43
not a capricious God.
00:55:39.47\00:55:40.80
So that every time I go
to God, I get the same God,
00:55:40.84\00:55:43.37
I don't get a hot God
one day, cold God one day.
00:55:43.41\00:55:44.74
Amen.
00:55:44.77\00:55:46.11
A God who doesn't want
to be bothered one day,
00:55:46.14\00:55:47.48
a God who's having a bad day.
00:55:47.51\00:55:49.14
Every time I go,
it's the same God.
00:55:49.18\00:55:51.78
So from that, I get
everlasting consolation
00:55:51.81\00:55:54.85
because He's a covenant-keeper.
00:55:54.88\00:55:56.28
"And good hope by grace...
00:55:56.32\00:56:00.92
comfort your
hearts and establish you
00:56:00.96\00:56:03.36
in every good word and work."
00:56:03.39\00:56:04.73
So everything
that comes from you,
00:56:04.76\00:56:06.16
everything that
comes out of your mouth,
00:56:06.19\00:56:07.53
everything that comes
from your life is good,
00:56:07.56\00:56:09.70
it's intended for the
purpose which God created
00:56:09.73\00:56:12.53
because you are
now in Christ Jesus.
00:56:12.57\00:56:14.60
This is just a fabulous text.
00:56:14.64\00:56:15.97
Absolutely, that is perfect.
00:56:16.00\00:56:18.21
Put the cherry on our
sundae here, on our...
00:56:18.24\00:56:22.94
And it's Sabbath.
00:56:22.98\00:56:24.48
Okay, I've got
everybody confused.
00:56:24.51\00:56:28.42
I just want to thank
you, Tim, thank you, Gary,
00:56:28.45\00:56:31.69
JD, CA, and my precious Jill.
00:56:31.72\00:56:35.46
I love the way
each of you study,
00:56:35.49\00:56:38.36
and I love what you
bring to the table room
00:56:38.39\00:56:41.53
when the family gets together,
00:56:41.56\00:56:42.96
you know, it's so
much fun, and it's...
00:56:43.00\00:56:45.60
I think this is something that
00:56:45.63\00:56:49.00
I know that you
appreciate at home too is that
00:56:49.04\00:56:51.41
we have many different
personalities looking at things
00:56:51.44\00:56:54.18
from different ways,
but we always come up
00:56:54.21\00:56:57.65
with the same bond
in the truth, don't we?
00:56:57.68\00:57:03.15
Well, our time is
just rapidly slipping away.
00:57:03.18\00:57:06.89
Do you have a final thought?
00:57:06.92\00:57:08.52
No, just remember
that Jesus loves you.
00:57:08.56\00:57:10.39
Amen. That's right.
00:57:10.43\00:57:11.76
That's good. And so do we.
00:57:11.79\00:57:13.96
So our prayer
for you, as always,
00:57:14.00\00:57:17.23
is that the grace of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:57:17.27\00:57:20.24
the love of the Father,
00:57:20.27\00:57:21.80
and the
Fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:57:21.84\00:57:24.71
will be with you this
Sabbath and forevermore.
00:57:24.74\00:57:29.11
Keep your eyes on Jesus,
00:57:29.14\00:57:31.75
the author and
finisher of your faith.
00:57:31.78\00:57:34.68
Bye-bye. Amen.
00:57:34.72\00:57:36.05