Hello, I'm Jill Morikone,
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and welcome to
3ABN Worship Hour.
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I'm so glad that
you have joined us
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as we open up the Word of God
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and discover more about
who He is and His character.
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Our topic today is an
interesting one to me.
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It's one I've been studying
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and I wouldn't say I've arrived,
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but it's amazing to see
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more of God's
character as I study His Word.
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Our topic is God of
love, God of justice.
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How do you
reconcile a loving God
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with a God who brings judgment?
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He clearly is a God of love.
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He's the God who raises the dead
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and heals the sick and
sets the captives free.
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He's the God who
enables the lame to walk,
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the blind to
see, the deaf to hear.
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He's the God who forgives
sins and transforms hearts
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and homes and breaks
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the chains of sin and addiction.
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He's also the God who forgives
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and heals, who
loves, accepts, cherishes,
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who redeems and
sanctifies and cleanses.
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But yet He is
also a God of justice.
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He's the God who
delivered the Israelites, yes,
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but He delivered them
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by destroying
Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea.
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He's the God who ordered
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the destruction of
the Canaanite nations
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when the children
of Israel were released
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from bondage in Egypt
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and they came back to
Canaan, God authorized,
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ordered the destruction
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of the
surrounding Canaanite nations.
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He's also the God
who will cast the wicked
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into the lake of
fire at the end of time,
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where they will be burned up.
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So that sin, it can
be eradicated forever.
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So how do we
reconcile this God of love
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with a God who brings
judgment or a God of justice?
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Our opening
scripture is 1 John Chapter 4.
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You probably know it.
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You can quote it with me.
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1 John 4:8, "He
who does not love
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does not know
God, for God is love."
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Let's pray.
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Holy Father, we come
before You in the name of Jesus.
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Right now, would
You open up our minds
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and hearts to Your Word.
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Would You speak,
would You show us
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more of Your character
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and that character
of love in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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I was 13 years old,
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just breaking into
adolescence thinking
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I knew better than mom and dad.
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Thinking I
could do my own thing.
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And my parents incredibly godly,
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wonderful parents.
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At that point in my life,
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I was involved with some friends
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that you could say,
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maybe weren't the
best influence in my life.
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I liked to hang with them.
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I liked to associate with them.
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I wanted to do things with them.
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And I remember my
mom coming in and saying,
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"Jill you really need
to cut off association
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with those people."
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And I said, "What
are you talking about?
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I'm not going to cut
off association with them.
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They are my friends.
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I like them.
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I want to be with them."
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And I remember my parents.
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Remember I'm 13 giving me
this ultimatum and saying,
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"You will cut
off your friendship
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with these people."
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And I remember getting
mad and I hated that decision.
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And to be honest,
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I hated them as
well for a few months,
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but I'm only 13, I
didn't run away from home.
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I cut off the relationship
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with these
people, the association.
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And um, I've recognized
later, not at that time
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because I was pretty mad,
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but it only took a couple months
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to realize that
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their influence was
pulling me from God.
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You see love.
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My parents loved me dearly.
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Love had to set boundaries.
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Love brought judgment,
you could say in my life.
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But eventually that
resulted in redemption.
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How do we
reconcile this God of love
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with this God of justice?
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I want to start with
the God of justice part.
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I call it the
apparent harshness of our God.
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The reason I used the
word apparent is it appears,
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or it seems
like he can be harsh.
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I think of Deuteronomy,
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turn with me to
Deuteronomy Chapter 32.
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This, of course, is Moses' song.
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This would be right
at the end of his life.
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And Joshua was
already been given
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the charge to lead
the children of Israel.
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And Moses is
reminding the Israelites
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right before he dies
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of their covenant
relationship with God.
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And he reminds them
of what God did for them
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and what will happen
if they turn their back
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and they walk in
disobedience to him.
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So we're in Deuteronomy 32:39.
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We see that judgment
will come if they forsake him.
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Deuteronomy
32:39, "Now see that I,
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even I, am He, and
there is no God besides Me,
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I kill and I make alive,
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I wound and I heal,
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nor is there any who can deliver
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from My hand."
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Then we see another judgment
come upon those who hurt
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and oppress others.
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Jump over to the Book of Exodus.
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This is part of the covenant
given of course at Mount Sinai.
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When the Ten Commandments
are given is Exodus 20,
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but we're going to Exodus 22.
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This is some of that
moral and ceremonial laws.
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Exodus 22:22-24,
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"You shall not afflict any widow
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or fatherless child.
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If you afflict them in any
way and they cry at all to me,
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I will hear
their cry and my wrath,
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it will become hot
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and I will kill
you with a sword.
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Your wives should be widows
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and your children
shall be fatherless."
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We see here
God's special concern
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for the orphans, for the widows,
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for those who are
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the most defenseless in society.
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And we see the
judgment that will come upon
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those who hurt
and oppress others.
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We see a judgment
against the wicked.
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Turn with me to Isaiah.
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Isaiah Chapter 66,
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this is the last
chapter in the Book of Isaiah.
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Isaiah 66:14, the
second half of this verse.
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It says, "The heart
of the Lord should be
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known to His servants,
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but His
indignation to His enemies."
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Did you catch that?
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The heart of God will be,
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will be soft and tender
and kind toward His servants,
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but the indignation
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or wrath will be to His enemies.
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Jump down to verse 16.
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Isaiah 66:16, "For by
fire and by his sword,
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the Lord will judge all flesh,
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and the slain of
the Lord shall be many."
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Those judged, if
you read Isaiah 66,
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you see that those judged
actually fought against God.
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They oppressed God's people.
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They walked in
hypocrisy and legalism.
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They refused to listen to God.
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They openly
worshiped other idols
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and they rebelled against Him.
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Let's jump back.
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We're going to
look at one passage.
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One more passage
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before we switch
to the God of love.
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One more passage,
this is Isaiah Chapter 13.
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Now this is an
interesting passage.
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The chapter is a woe
or a judgment pronounced
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upon the nation of Babylon.
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Now why was Babylon judged?
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When Isaiah wrote
this in Isaiah 13,
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Babylon wasn't even a threat.
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It wasn't even
a major superpower
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in the world at that time.
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Assyria was the major superpower
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at that time.
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But later Babylon would
come on the national scene.
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They would be a superpower,
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they would judge
the children of Israel,
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take them into captivity.
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And after that,
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God judges
Babylon for their sins.
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So we're in Isaiah Chapter
13, let's pick it up at verse 4,
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"The Lord of hosts
musters the army for battle.
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They come from a far
country, from the end of heaven,
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the Lord and His
weapons of indignation to,"
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what's that word?
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"Destroy the whole land."
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So if God is
mustering the army for battle,
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clearly He is a warrior
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and He brings destruction.
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They come from a far country
to destroy the whole land.
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Let's look at verse 6.
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We are in Isaiah 13:6-8,
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"Wail, for the day
of the Lord is at hand!
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It will come as destruction,"
there's that word again,
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"from the Almighty.
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Therefore all
hands will be limp,
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every man's heart will
melt, and they will be afraid."
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God's destruction
brings fear to the wicked.
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We see this, we
know, remember in Genesis,
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Adam and Eve,
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when they sinned, what happened?
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Instantly sin brings
fear and sin brings guilt.
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I wish I could tell you
this was a long time ago,
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but it happened
actually quite recently.
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There was a situation
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and I just felt a
little fear in my heart,
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a little guilt.
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And instantly God said,
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Jill that fear is because
there is sin in your life.
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Wow!
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God, I don't want that.
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Will you take that from me?
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So any time that we have that,
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that sense of fear from God
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or that sense of
guilt, that is because of sin.
00:10:18.55\00:10:21.48
And we see that
happen with Adam and Eve.
00:10:21.52\00:10:23.62
The minute they
partook of the forbidden fruit,
00:10:23.65\00:10:26.76
what happened?
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Instantly, they were afraid.
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And we see this at
the very end of time,
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the wicked, what will they do?
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They would cry out and
say fall on us to the rocks
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because they are
afraid to meet God.
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Jump down to verse 9.
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We are in Isaiah 13:9,
00:10:43.77\00:10:45.61
"Behold the day
the Lord comes cruel
00:10:45.64\00:10:47.41
with both wrath
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and fierce anger to
lay the land desolate,
00:10:48.81\00:10:52.91
and He will destroy
its sinners from it."
00:10:52.95\00:10:57.32
Verse 11, Isaiah 13:11,
"I will punish the world."
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This is I, God speaking.
00:11:02.36\00:11:03.83
"I will punish
the world for its evil
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and the wicked
for their iniquity."
00:11:07.23\00:11:09.70
You notice the things that
00:11:09.73\00:11:11.07
the judgment is
coming because of evil.
00:11:11.10\00:11:13.90
The judgment's
coming because of iniquity.
00:11:13.94\00:11:17.44
I will halt the
arrogance of the proud.
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The judgment's coming
because of arrogance and pride.
00:11:20.94\00:11:25.31
I will lay low
00:11:25.35\00:11:27.28
the haughtiness of the terrible.
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The judgment's coming
because of haughtiness.
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Jump down to verse 15,
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Isaiah 13:15,
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"Everyone who is found
will be thrust through."
00:11:36.22\00:11:40.30
That means they're
going to be killed.
00:11:40.33\00:11:41.96
"And everyone who is captured
00:11:42.00\00:11:44.43
will fall by the sword."
00:11:44.47\00:11:48.40
The next verse is probably
00:11:48.44\00:11:49.77
the heaviest to
me in this section,
00:11:49.80\00:11:52.14
Isaiah 13, it says,
00:11:52.17\00:11:54.51
"Their children also will be
00:11:54.54\00:11:57.28
dashed to pieces
before their eyes.
00:11:57.31\00:12:00.35
Their houses will be plundered
and their wives ravished."
00:12:00.38\00:12:04.22
Now ravished in Hebrew means
to be lain with or violated.
00:12:04.25\00:12:09.99
So their children
will be dashed in pieces,
00:12:10.03\00:12:12.29
their houses
plundered and their wives
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we could say will be raped.
00:12:14.40\00:12:16.87
Now in war or
any place in society,
00:12:16.90\00:12:21.70
if innocent women
00:12:21.74\00:12:23.41
and children are
killed, what happens?
00:12:23.44\00:12:25.61
We get upset. Don't we?
00:12:25.64\00:12:27.38
If there's even
punishment and judgment
00:12:27.41\00:12:30.55
against people who
do that, engage in that.
00:12:30.58\00:12:32.71
You know, they're
in the battlefield
00:12:32.75\00:12:34.22
and soldiers
maybe seek out women
00:12:34.25\00:12:36.85
or seek out
children and hurt them.
00:12:36.89\00:12:39.65
Our moral compass says,
something's wrong with this.
00:12:39.69\00:12:44.03
Why are innocent
bystander seeming to be killed?
00:12:44.06\00:12:49.53
If that's hard for you
to read, I agree with you.
00:12:49.56\00:12:52.80
Some of these
passages in the Word of God,
00:12:52.83\00:12:56.07
if I'm being very frank with you
00:12:56.10\00:12:57.94
from my growing up years,
00:12:57.97\00:12:59.31
I avoided them.
00:12:59.34\00:13:00.68
I did not want to touch them.
00:13:00.71\00:13:03.18
I did not want to go there
00:13:03.21\00:13:05.35
because I could not
reconcile in my own mind
00:13:05.38\00:13:09.52
this God of love.
00:13:09.55\00:13:11.22
This God who
forgives, this God who cleanses,
00:13:11.25\00:13:15.19
this God who will restore.
00:13:15.22\00:13:17.76
How do I
reconcile that with a God
00:13:17.79\00:13:21.96
who brings judgment?
00:13:22.00\00:13:24.63
And sometimes it seems like
00:13:24.67\00:13:26.90
it's pretty severe judgment.
00:13:26.94\00:13:30.81
I believe that everything
that we read in the Word of God,
00:13:30.84\00:13:34.38
everything that we study
00:13:34.41\00:13:37.01
is to be looked
at through the lens,
00:13:37.05\00:13:40.78
glasses of God is love.
00:13:40.82\00:13:44.25
So how do we
interpret this God of justice
00:13:44.29\00:13:47.82
or judgment?
00:13:47.86\00:13:49.29
If we look at it
through the lens of God is love.
00:13:49.32\00:13:53.93
Remember our opening scripture,
00:13:53.96\00:13:55.56
1 John 4:8, "He
who does not love
00:13:55.60\00:13:58.50
does not know
God, for God is love."
00:13:58.53\00:14:01.47
It doesn't say God does love.
00:14:01.50\00:14:03.51
It doesn't say
God acts like love.
00:14:03.54\00:14:05.87
It says God is love.
00:14:05.91\00:14:09.04
I would submit to you that
00:14:09.08\00:14:10.41
there are five keys
00:14:10.45\00:14:12.55
to understanding
the character of God.
00:14:12.58\00:14:15.98
And if we understand,
00:14:16.02\00:14:18.19
begin to learn what
these five keys are,
00:14:18.22\00:14:22.49
it helps us in our understanding
00:14:22.52\00:14:25.19
of this apparent
harshness or judgment from God.
00:14:25.23\00:14:30.43
I'm going to
give you the five keys
00:14:30.47\00:14:32.03
and then we
will unpack each one.
00:14:32.07\00:14:34.14
Key number one, love is holy.
00:14:34.17\00:14:38.57
Key number two, love is jealous.
00:14:38.61\00:14:43.21
Key number three,
love is disciplinary.
00:14:43.24\00:14:48.38
Key number four, love is fair.
00:14:48.42\00:14:52.55
And key number
five, love is redemptive.
00:14:52.59\00:14:57.03
So let's unpack
each one of those keys
00:14:57.06\00:14:58.89
as we seek to get a
better understanding
00:14:58.93\00:15:00.56
of the character
of God and who He is.
00:15:00.60\00:15:04.13
Key number one, love is holy.
00:15:04.17\00:15:06.77
God's judgment can only truly
00:15:06.80\00:15:09.04
be understood in
light of the purity
00:15:09.07\00:15:13.07
and holiness of God
00:15:13.11\00:15:15.31
and the
dissonance or the disconnect
00:15:15.34\00:15:17.95
that creates between
holiness on this side
00:15:17.98\00:15:21.08
and sin on this side.
00:15:21.12\00:15:24.95
Sin cannot exist in
the presence of God.
00:15:24.99\00:15:28.02
And we don't even
00:15:28.06\00:15:29.39
have a clear
perception conception
00:15:29.42\00:15:31.99
of the distastefulness of sin,
00:15:32.03\00:15:35.26
of the ugliness of sin,
of the end result of sin
00:15:35.30\00:15:39.53
until we look at the cross,
00:15:39.57\00:15:41.07
and we see the end
result of sin is that Jesus,
00:15:41.10\00:15:45.97
the spotless Lamb
of God was crucified
00:15:46.01\00:15:49.24
for your sins and for mine.
00:15:49.28\00:15:52.51
We referenced
just a few moments ago
00:15:52.55\00:15:54.28
in Genesis 3:8.
00:15:54.32\00:15:57.19
This is, of
course, when Adam and Eve,
00:15:57.22\00:15:58.85
after they partook
of that forbidden fruit.
00:15:58.89\00:16:01.62
Genesis 3:8, "They heard
the sound of the Lord God.
00:16:01.66\00:16:05.06
This is Adam and Eve
walking in the cool of the day.
00:16:05.09\00:16:08.46
And Adam and his
wife hid themselves
00:16:08.50\00:16:10.70
from the
presence of the Lord God,
00:16:10.73\00:16:13.10
among the trees of the garden."
00:16:13.13\00:16:16.27
It was just the
sound of His voice.
00:16:16.30\00:16:20.34
He didn't condemn them,
00:16:20.38\00:16:23.75
just the sound of Him,
and they ran and they hid.
00:16:23.78\00:16:28.78
Now we see this
with little kids.
00:16:28.82\00:16:30.15
Do you not?
00:16:30.19\00:16:31.52
You say, now
what did you just do?
00:16:31.55\00:16:32.89
Did you just take that cookie?
00:16:32.92\00:16:34.26
And their hands
still in the jar,
00:16:34.29\00:16:35.62
and they look and go mm-hmm
00:16:35.66\00:16:36.99
because they
don't want to confess
00:16:37.03\00:16:39.89
about what they have just done.
00:16:39.93\00:16:42.56
And all through
humanity from the beginning,
00:16:42.60\00:16:46.57
from the garden all the way down
00:16:46.60\00:16:48.74
the stream of time
to the end of time,
00:16:48.77\00:16:52.37
we see that sin
brings separation from God.
00:16:52.41\00:16:57.58
Why?
00:16:57.61\00:16:58.95
Because love is
holy and sin cannot exist
00:16:58.98\00:17:02.58
in the presence of a Holy God.
00:17:02.62\00:17:05.25
We see all the way down.
00:17:05.29\00:17:06.62
We started in Genesis.
00:17:06.65\00:17:07.99
We go to Revelation,
turn to Revelation Chapter 6.
00:17:08.02\00:17:10.86
This is of
course the sixth seal.
00:17:10.89\00:17:14.03
This is a judgment right
00:17:14.06\00:17:15.40
before the
second coming of Christ.
00:17:15.43\00:17:17.17
Revelation Chapter 6,
let's pick it up in verse 16,
00:17:17.20\00:17:21.00
"The wicked cry out,
fall on us and hide us
00:17:21.04\00:17:25.11
from the face of him
sitting on the throne
00:17:25.14\00:17:28.84
and from the wrath of the Lamb."
00:17:28.88\00:17:30.61
The next verse, verse 17,
00:17:30.65\00:17:32.08
"For the great day
of His wrath has come
00:17:32.11\00:17:34.08
and who is able to stand."
00:17:34.12\00:17:36.18
So they're saying, we
are sinful and we recognize
00:17:36.22\00:17:40.19
that we cannot exist
in the presence of God.
00:17:40.22\00:17:43.29
Why? Because love is holy.
00:17:43.32\00:17:48.20
God is holy.
00:17:48.23\00:17:51.07
Who are the holy ones who
can stand in His presence?
00:17:51.10\00:17:53.84
If you look at the very
next chapter in Revelation 7,
00:17:53.87\00:17:56.47
you see this
whole process of feeling
00:17:56.50\00:17:59.57
of those who
choose to follow Jesus.
00:17:59.61\00:18:02.64
And we find out that
God makes them holy as well.
00:18:02.68\00:18:06.82
We see this in Revelation 14.
00:18:06.85\00:18:09.55
Revelation 14:1, "I
looked and behold a lamb
00:18:09.58\00:18:12.32
standing on Mount
Zion and with him 144,000
00:18:12.35\00:18:15.76
having the Father's name
written in their foreheads."
00:18:15.79\00:18:20.20
Jump down to verse 4.
00:18:20.23\00:18:21.56
Revelation 14:4-5,
00:18:21.60\00:18:24.73
"These are the
ones who are not defiled
00:18:24.77\00:18:26.37
with woman, for
they are virgins.
00:18:26.40\00:18:28.67
These are the ones
who follow the Lamb,
00:18:28.70\00:18:30.41
wherever He goes.
00:18:30.44\00:18:31.77
These were
redeemed from among men,
00:18:31.81\00:18:34.34
being firstfruits
to God and to the Lamb.
00:18:34.38\00:18:37.31
And in their mouth
was found no deceit,
00:18:37.35\00:18:41.15
for they are without
fault before the throne of God."
00:18:41.18\00:18:46.32
David tells us the
same thing in Psalm 24:3-4,
00:18:46.35\00:18:50.19
"Who may ascend into
the hill of the Lord?
00:18:50.23\00:18:52.19
Who may stand in His holy place?
00:18:52.23\00:18:55.60
He who has clean
hands and a pure heart,
00:18:55.63\00:18:58.87
who has not lifted
up his soul to an idol,
00:18:58.90\00:19:01.24
nor sworn deceitfully.
00:19:01.27\00:19:02.97
He shall receive the
blessings from the Lord."
00:19:03.00\00:19:07.81
First key, love is holy.
00:19:07.84\00:19:09.48
God's judgment can only truly be
00:19:09.51\00:19:12.31
understood in
light of the purity
00:19:12.35\00:19:14.32
and holiness of God
and the dissonance that
00:19:14.35\00:19:16.89
that creates between
holiness on the one side
00:19:16.92\00:19:19.59
and sin on the other side.
00:19:19.62\00:19:22.76
Second key, love is jealous.
00:19:22.79\00:19:26.63
God's judgment can
only truly be understood
00:19:26.66\00:19:30.03
in the light of an idol
that we hold in place of Him.
00:19:30.07\00:19:35.60
Let's look at
the Ten Commandments.
00:19:35.64\00:19:36.97
Exodus 20:5.
00:19:37.01\00:19:39.51
You might think, how
could love be jealous?
00:19:39.54\00:19:42.28
I thought
jealousy was a bad thing.
00:19:42.31\00:19:45.18
I grew up being told you
00:19:45.21\00:19:47.18
are not supposed to
be jealous of others.
00:19:47.22\00:19:49.32
And that is true.
00:19:49.35\00:19:50.85
So how can love be jealous
and that be a good thing?
00:19:50.89\00:19:53.59
Let's look at that.
00:19:53.62\00:19:54.96
Exodus 20:5, you shall not,
00:19:54.99\00:19:58.29
this is part of
the Ten Commandments.
00:19:58.33\00:19:59.66
"You shall not bow down
to them nor serve them,"
00:19:59.69\00:20:02.93
meaning other idols,
"for I the Lord your God,
00:20:02.96\00:20:06.37
I'm a," what's that word?
00:20:06.40\00:20:09.07
Did you catch that?
00:20:09.10\00:20:10.44
"I, the Lord, your
God am a jealous God
00:20:10.47\00:20:14.74
visiting the
iniquities of the fathers
00:20:14.78\00:20:16.75
upon the children,
00:20:16.78\00:20:18.11
to the third and
fourth generations
00:20:18.15\00:20:19.48
of those who hate Me."
00:20:19.51\00:20:22.02
Now that word
jealous in Hebrew qana.
00:20:22.05\00:20:24.85
It is used six
times and every single one
00:20:24.89\00:20:27.99
of those six times,
it always refers to God.
00:20:28.02\00:20:33.09
Not you and I, not our
type of human jealousy,
00:20:33.13\00:20:37.00
which is quite sinful.
00:20:37.03\00:20:38.53
It refers to God
and His jealousy.
00:20:38.57\00:20:42.07
So is there a difference
between sinful jealousy
00:20:42.10\00:20:44.74
on the one side
00:20:44.77\00:20:46.11
and a godly
jealousy on the other side?
00:20:46.14\00:20:49.34
Absolutely.
00:20:49.38\00:20:50.98
Godly jealousy
is jealous for us.
00:20:51.01\00:20:55.28
That's the divine truth.
00:20:55.32\00:20:56.92
Sinful jealousy
is jealous of us.
00:20:56.95\00:21:01.52
Let me explain what I mean.
00:21:01.56\00:21:03.02
Let's start with
a sinful jealousy.
00:21:03.06\00:21:04.53
Sinful jealousy of
such is being jealous
00:21:04.56\00:21:07.66
of something
that you don't have.
00:21:07.70\00:21:11.63
It could be being
jealous of someone else's gifts.
00:21:11.67\00:21:14.60
Boy, I sure wish I
could play the piano
00:21:14.64\00:21:15.97
like Tim Parton.
00:21:16.00\00:21:17.34
Okay. That's
jealous of someone else.
00:21:17.37\00:21:20.04
I wish I could sing
like Dr. Yvonne Shelton,
00:21:20.08\00:21:22.34
jealous of someone else's gifts.
00:21:22.38\00:21:26.68
We can be jealous of
someone else's position.
00:21:26.72\00:21:29.18
Do we have that position?
00:21:29.22\00:21:30.55
Absolutely not, but
we wish that we had it.
00:21:30.59\00:21:35.16
We can be jealous of
someone else's spouse.
00:21:35.19\00:21:37.16
Do we have that spouse?
00:21:37.19\00:21:38.53
Absolutely not, but
we wish that we had them.
00:21:38.56\00:21:43.30
We can be jealous
of someone else's money
00:21:43.33\00:21:45.97
or house or family.
00:21:46.00\00:21:48.67
There's so many
different things.
00:21:48.70\00:21:50.04
Sinful jealousy is being jealous
00:21:50.07\00:21:51.57
of something
that you don't have.
00:21:51.61\00:21:54.21
By contrast, godly jealousy
00:21:54.24\00:21:56.98
is being jealous of something
00:21:57.01\00:21:58.88
you already own,
00:21:58.91\00:22:02.02
jealous for
something you already own.
00:22:02.05\00:22:06.86
You see, we
already belong to God.
00:22:06.89\00:22:08.86
He's jealous of us
00:22:08.89\00:22:10.23
because He owns
us you could say.
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.73
We're twice bought
first is by creation,
00:22:13.76\00:22:17.47
because He made us.
00:22:17.50\00:22:18.83
Second is by redemption
00:22:18.87\00:22:21.64
because He bought
us back to Himself.
00:22:21.67\00:22:26.27
Why is God jealous for us?
00:22:26.31\00:22:29.78
Because if love
is holy, which it is.
00:22:29.81\00:22:32.91
God wants
nothing in our affections
00:22:32.95\00:22:36.28
between Him and us,
00:22:36.32\00:22:38.05
nothing that supersedes
the place in our affections,
00:22:38.09\00:22:41.92
nothing that we put as an idol
00:22:41.96\00:22:45.09
as it were in
our hearts above God.
00:22:45.13\00:22:48.86
Paul talks about
this in 2 Corinthians 10.
00:22:48.90\00:22:50.80
He uses the analogy of marriage.
00:22:50.83\00:22:53.64
2 Corinthians 10 verses...
00:22:53.67\00:22:56.30
2 Corinthians 11.
00:22:56.34\00:22:57.67
I gave you the wrong reference.
00:22:57.71\00:22:59.04
2 Corinthians 11:2,
00:22:59.07\00:23:01.48
"For I'm jealous over
you with godly jealousy.
00:23:01.51\00:23:05.11
For I have
betrothed you to one husband
00:23:05.15\00:23:08.08
so that to Christ
00:23:08.12\00:23:09.52
I might present
you as a pure virgin."
00:23:09.55\00:23:11.65
So he's talking about
the relationship of us
00:23:11.69\00:23:14.59
as the church with
Christ as the bride,
00:23:14.62\00:23:18.46
and He's jealous for us.
00:23:18.49\00:23:20.46
Why? Because He owns us.
00:23:20.50\00:23:23.67
I love that in Isaiah
43:1, "Now thus says the Lord,
00:23:23.70\00:23:28.34
who created you,
00:23:28.37\00:23:29.70
remember He made
us in the beginning,
00:23:29.74\00:23:31.81
O Jacob and he who
formed you O Israel.
00:23:31.84\00:23:35.34
Fear not, for I
have redeemed you.
00:23:35.38\00:23:39.68
I have called you by your name.
00:23:39.71\00:23:41.62
You are mine."
00:23:41.65\00:23:42.98
You see that ownership.
00:23:43.02\00:23:44.35
He says what? We belong to Him.
00:23:44.39\00:23:47.92
Love is holy and
cannot handle sin in my life.
00:23:47.96\00:23:52.86
Love is jealous
00:23:52.89\00:23:55.23
and cannot handle
others in my life.
00:23:55.26\00:23:58.67
Let's look at key number
three, love is disciplinary.
00:23:58.70\00:24:02.70
Ooh, this one's hard sometimes.
00:24:02.74\00:24:04.07
I don't know about you
00:24:04.11\00:24:05.44
but sometimes I don't
even like to look at this one.
00:24:05.47\00:24:08.61
Love is
disciplinary God's judgment
00:24:08.64\00:24:11.65
can only truly be understood
00:24:11.68\00:24:13.85
in light of a
redemptive judgment
00:24:13.88\00:24:16.38
from a parent,
00:24:16.42\00:24:18.12
who loves their child and
simply wants to save them.
00:24:18.15\00:24:22.76
Let's look at Hebrews 12.
00:24:22.79\00:24:24.73
Hebrews 12,
we'll start in verse 5.
00:24:24.76\00:24:28.46
So tell me as I
read this passage,
00:24:28.50\00:24:30.63
what words jump out
00:24:30.67\00:24:32.00
at you that
sound like discipline?
00:24:32.03\00:24:34.34
Remember, love is disciplinary.
00:24:34.37\00:24:37.91
What word sound like discipline?
00:24:37.94\00:24:39.87
My son do not despise
the chastening of the Lord.
00:24:39.91\00:24:42.84
Does that sound like discipline?
00:24:42.88\00:24:44.35
It's because it is.
00:24:44.38\00:24:45.71
In Greek, it means the rearing
of a child or training them.
00:24:45.75\00:24:50.92
So what is Paul saying?
00:24:50.95\00:24:52.39
Do not despise the
chastening or the training
00:24:52.42\00:24:56.62
or the discipline of
the Lord nor be discouraged
00:24:56.66\00:25:02.56
when you are rebuked by him.
00:25:02.60\00:25:06.87
For whom the Lord
loves, He chastens.
00:25:06.90\00:25:10.21
There's that word
again and scourges every son,
00:25:10.24\00:25:13.98
we could say, or
daughter whom He receives.
00:25:14.01\00:25:17.38
So did you catch that?
00:25:17.41\00:25:18.75
When we go through a situation
00:25:18.78\00:25:21.45
or a trial or
something difficult?
00:25:21.48\00:25:23.72
Sometimes I'm just
being honest with you,
00:25:23.75\00:25:25.35
my first thought is,
00:25:25.39\00:25:26.72
why is God
allowing this to happen?
00:25:26.76\00:25:28.52
Now clearly we know that
00:25:28.56\00:25:30.23
Satan comes to
steal, kill and destroy.
00:25:30.26\00:25:32.89
Jesus said this in John 10, 10.
00:25:32.93\00:25:35.06
Jesus said, "I've come
that they would have life
00:25:35.10\00:25:37.27
and have it more abundantly."
00:25:37.30\00:25:38.63
So we know God
does not cause evil.
00:25:38.67\00:25:40.84
Evil is the
result of sin and Satan.
00:25:40.87\00:25:44.97
Let me be very clear on that.
00:25:45.01\00:25:47.08
However, there are times in life
00:25:47.11\00:25:51.11
where God allows
something, to allow that
00:25:51.15\00:25:55.18
outworking of the
great controversy,
00:25:55.22\00:25:58.25
to allow the full
fruit, as you can say,
00:25:58.29\00:26:00.92
of sin to ripen and to be seen.
00:26:00.96\00:26:05.09
Sometimes we need
a little discipline.
00:26:05.13\00:26:09.10
I don't know about you,
but I need a little discipline.
00:26:09.13\00:26:12.20
For whom the Lord loves.
00:26:12.23\00:26:13.74
He doesn't discipline
because He doesn't love us.
00:26:13.77\00:26:16.10
He disciplines
00:26:16.14\00:26:17.47
because He loves us
for whom the Lord loves,
00:26:17.51\00:26:20.41
He chastens and
scourges every son
00:26:20.44\00:26:22.78
whom He receives.
00:26:22.81\00:26:24.25
Jump down to verse 11
we're in Hebrews 12:11.
00:26:24.28\00:26:28.52
Now, no chastening
00:26:28.55\00:26:30.12
or discipline seems to be joyful
00:26:30.15\00:26:33.36
for the present but painful.
00:26:33.39\00:26:35.82
Nevertheless,
afterward it yields
00:26:35.86\00:26:37.99
the peace of the
fruit of righteousness
00:26:38.03\00:26:40.80
to those who have
been trained by it.
00:26:40.83\00:26:44.53
So I want to ask you a question
00:26:44.57\00:26:45.90
and I want you to be honest
00:26:45.93\00:26:48.97
in your own heart
with me and with God.
00:26:49.00\00:26:52.57
Do all things really
work together for good?
00:26:52.61\00:26:56.95
Romans 8:28.
00:26:56.98\00:27:00.02
What does it say?
00:27:00.05\00:27:01.38
We know that just a few
things, the things that I like,
00:27:01.42\00:27:04.59
the things that I want.
00:27:04.62\00:27:05.95
No, we know that
all things work together
00:27:05.99\00:27:10.56
for good to those who love God,
00:27:10.59\00:27:14.30
to those who are called
according to his purpose.
00:27:14.33\00:27:19.30
Does that mean God can work out
00:27:19.33\00:27:22.20
those painful parts for my good?
00:27:22.24\00:27:25.74
Does that mean
that there's something
00:27:25.77\00:27:28.04
I can learn even
in the midst of pain?
00:27:28.08\00:27:33.72
I walked into a large room.
00:27:36.79\00:27:39.15
It's probably like
the size of the room
00:27:39.19\00:27:40.52
we're in now and
you can't really see
00:27:40.56\00:27:41.89
how large this room is
00:27:41.92\00:27:43.26
because you can only see
on one side of the cameras.
00:27:43.29\00:27:45.83
But I walked into this
room and I saw my friend over,
00:27:45.86\00:27:48.26
across the way
at the other side.
00:27:48.30\00:27:49.90
And I was all
excited and I thought,
00:27:49.93\00:27:51.60
oh here's my friend.
00:27:51.63\00:27:52.97
And I'm going to go talk to her.
00:27:53.00\00:27:54.34
And I just
started across the room
00:27:54.37\00:27:55.70
and I noticed there's
a whole crowd of people
00:27:55.74\00:27:57.07
around her.
00:27:57.11\00:27:58.44
And I thought, oh that's great.
00:27:58.47\00:27:59.81
I'm going to go say hi to her.
00:27:59.84\00:28:01.18
And all of a sudden I realized
that she's talking about me.
00:28:01.21\00:28:04.31
The words started to come forth,
00:28:04.35\00:28:08.85
hateful words, critical words.
00:28:08.88\00:28:13.29
They were, um, if I'm
being honest with you,
00:28:13.32\00:28:16.93
untrue words.
00:28:16.96\00:28:18.29
And I remember I
just stood there,
00:28:18.33\00:28:20.56
rooted to the spot.
00:28:20.60\00:28:23.26
I couldn't believe
this was my friend.
00:28:23.30\00:28:28.04
Why would she do that?
00:28:28.07\00:28:29.87
And I turned and
I ran out to the car
00:28:29.90\00:28:33.51
and I climbed in
00:28:33.54\00:28:34.88
and I remember I
just sat in the car.
00:28:34.91\00:28:36.24
I started the
engine and I just cried.
00:28:36.28\00:28:39.11
I thought, but I
thought we were friends,
00:28:39.15\00:28:41.32
but I didn't expect
that but so many questions.
00:28:41.35\00:28:45.45
And I remember going home
00:28:45.49\00:28:47.66
and talking to Greg and thinking
00:28:47.69\00:28:49.99
I would do the Christian thing.
00:28:50.03\00:28:53.93
You know
sometimes women and men too.
00:28:53.96\00:28:56.03
I'll have to be honest with you
00:28:56.06\00:28:58.10
are pretty good at
gossiping, you know?
00:28:58.13\00:29:00.40
We kind of do it in the...
00:29:00.44\00:29:02.77
We couch it with, would
you pray for me for this
00:29:02.80\00:29:05.44
'cause so-and-so did this to me.
00:29:05.47\00:29:07.01
It's nothing but gossip.
00:29:07.04\00:29:08.61
We like to think
it's a prayer request,
00:29:08.64\00:29:10.68
but it's gossip.
00:29:10.71\00:29:12.05
And so I thought I'll
do the righteous thing
00:29:12.08\00:29:14.58
and I won't talk
to other people about
00:29:14.62\00:29:15.98
what this woman did
00:29:16.02\00:29:17.35
and I'll just keep it to myself.
00:29:17.39\00:29:18.72
And I stuffed it and I
buried it so deeply that,
00:29:18.75\00:29:22.39
to be honest with you,
00:29:22.42\00:29:23.93
I didn't even know
it was still there.
00:29:23.96\00:29:25.83
Months went by
00:29:25.86\00:29:28.16
and I thought
I'd gotten over it.
00:29:28.20\00:29:29.63
I still said hi to this person.
00:29:29.66\00:29:31.30
But I hadn't
really gotten over it.
00:29:31.33\00:29:36.17
And I was washing dishes
00:29:36.20\00:29:40.58
and right up above the sink
00:29:40.61\00:29:44.45
where I was washing dishes,
00:29:44.48\00:29:45.81
I like to put
scriptures so that I can work
00:29:45.85\00:29:48.58
on putting the Word of God
00:29:48.62\00:29:49.95
in my heart and
memorize scripture,
00:29:49.98\00:29:51.85
you know, redeem the time.
00:29:51.89\00:29:53.42
So take advantage of that time.
00:29:53.46\00:29:55.62
And so I had a
particular scripture up there.
00:29:55.66\00:29:57.39
It was Hebrews 12:14-15.
00:29:57.43\00:30:00.23
I was working on memorizing it
00:30:00.26\00:30:02.30
and it goes something like this,
00:30:02.33\00:30:03.67
"Follow peace with
all men and holiness,
00:30:03.70\00:30:06.63
without which no
one shall see God."
00:30:06.67\00:30:09.90
And I remember
I'm scrubbing plates
00:30:09.94\00:30:11.51
and I'm thinking, thank you God,
00:30:11.54\00:30:12.87
that I'm walking in peace
00:30:12.91\00:30:14.58
with my brothers and
sisters and I'm doing well.
00:30:14.61\00:30:17.75
And thank you that I
can walk in holiness.
00:30:17.78\00:30:19.85
Not realizing
that I had bitterness
00:30:19.88\00:30:23.72
against this woman
very deep in my heart.
00:30:23.75\00:30:26.15
Not knowing the sin
that was in my life.
00:30:26.19\00:30:30.93
And so I'm scrubbing plates,
follow peace with all men,
00:30:30.96\00:30:33.29
oh thank you God.
00:30:33.33\00:30:34.66
But the next verse jolted me
00:30:34.70\00:30:36.70
out of that
spiritual complacency
00:30:36.73\00:30:39.43
and it says this,
"Looking diligently,
00:30:39.47\00:30:42.17
lest anyone fail of
the grace of Christ.
00:30:42.20\00:30:46.11
Lest any root of bitterness,
00:30:46.14\00:30:49.21
springing up trouble you
00:30:49.24\00:30:51.85
and thereby many be defiled."
00:30:51.88\00:30:55.78
And as I read that
verse, the Holy Spirit
00:30:55.82\00:30:59.25
right then spoke to
my heart and he said,
00:30:59.29\00:31:01.79
"Jill, my precious daughter,
00:31:01.82\00:31:04.39
you are holding on to bitterness
00:31:04.43\00:31:07.43
against this woman.
00:31:07.46\00:31:09.06
And if you do not allow me
00:31:09.10\00:31:12.27
to take it from your heart,
00:31:12.30\00:31:15.27
you will ruin your ministry.
00:31:15.30\00:31:18.64
You will ruin your marriage.
00:31:18.67\00:31:21.74
You will ruin your salvation."
00:31:21.78\00:31:26.95
And so I said, "God,
I didn't even realize
00:31:26.98\00:31:29.15
it was in there so deeply.
00:31:29.18\00:31:30.65
Would you please forgive me?"
00:31:30.69\00:31:32.35
And he said, "Of course."
00:31:32.39\00:31:33.72
And I said, "Would you
help me learn how to forgive?"
00:31:33.76\00:31:38.13
And he said, "I will."
00:31:38.16\00:31:40.76
What did that
experience teach me?
00:31:40.80\00:31:45.07
I struggle with forgiveness.
00:31:45.10\00:31:47.37
God, teach me how to forgive.
00:31:47.40\00:31:51.17
It taught me that
I can hold a grudge.
00:31:51.21\00:31:54.64
God teach me how to let go.
00:31:54.68\00:31:59.18
It taught me that I care about
00:31:59.21\00:32:02.55
what other people think of me,
00:32:02.58\00:32:05.92
after all I
wouldn't have even cared.
00:32:05.95\00:32:08.42
If I didn't care about
what other people thought,
00:32:08.46\00:32:10.43
I would not have cared
what this woman said about me.
00:32:10.46\00:32:15.86
It taught me that I
struggle with pride.
00:32:15.90\00:32:19.57
God, would You
teach me Your humility?
00:32:19.60\00:32:23.74
James 1:12 says,
"Blessed is the man
00:32:23.77\00:32:26.41
who endures temptation."
00:32:26.44\00:32:29.24
Now that word
endures literally means
00:32:29.28\00:32:33.11
to stay behind, to wait
00:32:33.15\00:32:36.82
or to remain under the load.
00:32:36.85\00:32:42.06
That means to remain under.
00:32:42.09\00:32:46.29
So blessed is
the man who endures,
00:32:46.33\00:32:48.13
who remains under the load,
00:32:48.16\00:32:51.60
for when he's been approved,
00:32:51.63\00:32:54.44
he will receive
the crown of life,
00:32:54.47\00:32:58.27
which the Lord has promised
00:32:58.31\00:33:00.78
to those who love him.
00:33:00.81\00:33:03.45
Psalm 119:67,
00:33:03.48\00:33:05.38
"Before I was
afflicted, I went astray.
00:33:05.41\00:33:08.08
I did my own thing.
00:33:08.12\00:33:09.68
I walked in sin, but
now I keep Your word."
00:33:09.72\00:33:15.22
Psalm 119:71, jump
forward just a couple of verses.
00:33:15.26\00:33:20.63
It is good for me.
00:33:20.66\00:33:22.00
Good for me, did you catch that?
00:33:22.03\00:33:23.67
"It is good for me that
00:33:23.70\00:33:26.13
I have been afflicted
00:33:26.17\00:33:29.20
that I may learn Your statutes."
00:33:29.24\00:33:35.01
Love is disciplinary.
00:33:35.04\00:33:39.35
My friend that I
prayed with for years,
00:33:39.38\00:33:42.72
she was my prayer partner.
00:33:42.75\00:33:44.29
She always said
this and I loved it.
00:33:44.32\00:33:46.09
God uses the
gentlest means possible
00:33:46.12\00:33:50.96
to get your attention.
00:33:50.99\00:33:53.13
If you read the
Book of Nehemiah,
00:33:53.16\00:33:55.83
you see in Nehemiah
Chapter 9, we won't turn there.
00:33:55.86\00:33:58.50
But in Nehemiah Chapter
9, there is a whole cycle.
00:33:58.53\00:34:01.50
I call it the five-fold cycle
that the children of Israel
00:34:01.54\00:34:05.41
went through
not once, not twice,
00:34:05.44\00:34:09.01
but three times.
00:34:09.04\00:34:10.38
At least in Nehemiah 9,
it's referenced three times,
00:34:10.41\00:34:14.52
and the cycle goes like this.
00:34:14.55\00:34:15.88
It starts with disobedience.
00:34:15.92\00:34:18.52
They walked away from God.
00:34:18.55\00:34:19.89
They did their own thing.
00:34:19.92\00:34:21.26
They followed
00:34:21.29\00:34:22.62
after their own heart's desires.
00:34:22.66\00:34:25.03
That's the first step.
The second step is judgment.
00:34:25.06\00:34:28.63
Judgment came from God
00:34:28.66\00:34:32.13
to show them their sins.
00:34:32.17\00:34:35.04
The third step is repentance.
00:34:35.07\00:34:38.14
And the repentance,
that's a gift from God too.
00:34:38.17\00:34:40.54
We know Romans 2:4
is the goodness of God
00:34:40.58\00:34:42.74
that leads us to repentance.
00:34:42.78\00:34:44.81
Then the next step, step four
was mercy that God extended.
00:34:44.85\00:34:48.72
And then I love the
last step is deliverance,
00:34:48.75\00:34:51.25
but then they didn't
stay in that delivered state.
00:34:51.29\00:34:53.22
They didn't stay in
that repentance state.
00:34:53.25\00:34:54.82
They ran all the
way back over here
00:34:54.86\00:34:56.49
to disobedience and
it went started again.
00:34:56.52\00:34:59.33
But this time the
judgment was a little harder.
00:34:59.36\00:35:01.73
Why?
00:35:01.76\00:35:03.10
Because God uses
the gentlest means
00:35:03.13\00:35:06.00
possible to get our attention.
00:35:06.03\00:35:08.60
And why is that?
00:35:08.64\00:35:10.94
He's not willing
that any should perish,
00:35:10.97\00:35:13.84
but that all
should come to repentance.
00:35:13.88\00:35:18.28
God wants you and I
in the kingdom so badly
00:35:18.31\00:35:22.12
that He is willing
to allow some pain,
00:35:22.15\00:35:27.26
some trials, some
judgment in our lives,
00:35:27.29\00:35:32.79
so that we turn to
Him and let Him change us.
00:35:32.83\00:35:38.60
Key number four, love is fair.
00:35:38.63\00:35:41.54
Remember, key number
one was love is holy.
00:35:41.57\00:35:43.91
Number two, love is jealous.
00:35:43.94\00:35:46.14
Number three,
love is disciplinary.
00:35:46.17\00:35:49.08
Number four, love is fair.
00:35:49.11\00:35:52.38
God's judgment can
only truly be understood
00:35:52.41\00:35:55.92
in light of His
law and fairness.
00:35:55.95\00:36:00.39
Romans 7, turn with
me to the Book of Romans.
00:36:00.42\00:36:02.59
Romans gives like the
most incredible treatise
00:36:02.62\00:36:04.96
on justification by faith,
00:36:04.99\00:36:06.39
on the law, on sin and
what it is in salvation.
00:36:06.43\00:36:09.83
I love Romans.
00:36:09.86\00:36:11.20
Romans 7:12,
"Therefore the law is holy
00:36:11.23\00:36:14.94
and the commandment
holy and just and good."
00:36:14.97\00:36:17.47
Is there anything
wrong with God's law?
00:36:17.51\00:36:19.04
Absolutely not.
00:36:19.07\00:36:20.41
His law is perfect.
00:36:20.44\00:36:21.78
His law is
holy. His law is good.
00:36:21.81\00:36:25.25
Romans 3:23, "We
know all have sinned
00:36:25.28\00:36:29.22
and fallen short
of the glory of God."
00:36:29.25\00:36:30.89
So His law is
here. His law is perfect.
00:36:30.92\00:36:32.95
His law is holy, but you and
I, we've transgressed that law.
00:36:32.99\00:36:37.36
We jumped on to Romans 6:23,
"The wages of sin is death."
00:36:37.39\00:36:40.46
That is the penalty
00:36:40.50\00:36:42.36
for breaking God's law is death.
00:36:42.40\00:36:46.20
But the gift of God,
00:36:46.23\00:36:47.57
I'm so glad it
doesn't stop there.
00:36:47.60\00:36:49.14
The gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
00:36:49.17\00:36:53.71
You see, we all
should have died.
00:36:53.74\00:36:55.74
We all deserve to be punished.
00:36:55.78\00:37:00.08
If God is holy and
His law is perfect.
00:37:00.12\00:37:03.52
You and I, we surely
don't meet that standard.
00:37:03.55\00:37:07.26
The sins of Adam and
Eve, the sins of you and I,
00:37:07.29\00:37:09.56
the sins of all humanity
needed to be blotted out.
00:37:09.59\00:37:14.10
And that's where we come
00:37:14.13\00:37:15.46
to the redemption
of Christ at the cross.
00:37:15.50\00:37:17.67
And we'll get there,
that's point number five.
00:37:17.70\00:37:20.67
But as we look at
point number four,
00:37:20.70\00:37:22.04
love is fair.
00:37:22.07\00:37:23.41
God is not only fair
00:37:23.44\00:37:24.77
in His upholding of His law
00:37:24.81\00:37:26.84
and the punishment
of breaking that law.
00:37:26.88\00:37:28.98
He is fair in His
dealings with others
00:37:29.01\00:37:31.05
and in bringing justice
00:37:31.08\00:37:32.78
and judgment to
those who don't follow Him.
00:37:32.81\00:37:36.48
There is sort of a
dichotomy that we see here.
00:37:36.52\00:37:40.79
We plead with God
to right our wrongs,
00:37:40.82\00:37:42.82
have you ever done that?
00:37:42.86\00:37:44.19
We plead with God
to rescue our families.
00:37:44.23\00:37:46.59
We plead with God to show up.
00:37:46.63\00:37:49.66
Yet when He does
arise, what happens?
00:37:49.70\00:37:53.74
We criticize and we
say, why is God being harsh?
00:37:53.77\00:37:57.97
Why is God bringing judgment?
00:37:58.01\00:38:01.71
Think about the martyrs.
00:38:01.74\00:38:03.35
This is
Revelation talks about this.
00:38:03.38\00:38:05.65
The martyrs who
are under the altar
00:38:05.68\00:38:08.25
crying out to God,
think of the Christians
00:38:08.28\00:38:11.15
who have been persecuted
00:38:11.19\00:38:12.52
down through the
ages, crying out.
00:38:12.55\00:38:15.12
In Revelation it
says they cry out,
00:38:15.16\00:38:16.79
how long, oh Lord?
00:38:16.83\00:38:18.73
How long until our mistreatment,
00:38:18.76\00:38:20.96
our abuse, our
torture, our death.
00:38:21.00\00:38:23.77
How long until it's vindicated?
00:38:23.80\00:38:25.33
How long until our
wrongs are righted?
00:38:25.37\00:38:29.34
We see David crying
out in Psalm Chapter 73,
00:38:29.37\00:38:33.14
that chapter is heavy.
00:38:33.17\00:38:34.51
I don't know if
you've ever read it,
00:38:34.54\00:38:35.88
but when you
read Psalm Chapter 73,
00:38:35.91\00:38:38.48
you see why are
the wicked prospering?
00:38:38.51\00:38:40.58
Why does it seem like
00:38:40.62\00:38:41.95
everything is
going well for them?
00:38:41.98\00:38:43.65
Why are they not
having a hard time?
00:38:43.69\00:38:45.55
And why are the
righteous seemingly oppressed?
00:38:45.59\00:38:51.53
Why do the righteous suffer,
yet the wicked, they escape?
00:38:51.56\00:38:57.47
We cry today
00:38:57.50\00:38:59.00
because of what
we see as injustice
00:38:59.03\00:39:02.74
and pain that
goes on in this world.
00:39:02.77\00:39:06.37
Greg and I were in Arizona.
00:39:06.41\00:39:07.74
This is several years ago
00:39:07.78\00:39:09.31
and it was at the
end of a church service
00:39:09.34\00:39:11.08
and a woman came up and
said, "Can I talk to you?"
00:39:11.11\00:39:13.11
And I said, "Sure."
00:39:13.15\00:39:14.52
And she said, "You
know, I'm really struggling.
00:39:14.55\00:39:17.49
And I'd like to
tell you my story."
00:39:17.52\00:39:19.35
We'll call her Susie.
00:39:19.39\00:39:20.72
That's not her name.
00:39:20.76\00:39:22.26
And Susie said, you know,
00:39:22.29\00:39:23.66
my husband and I
couldn't have kids
00:39:23.69\00:39:25.16
and I could relate
00:39:25.19\00:39:26.53
because Greg and I
don't have any kids.
00:39:26.56\00:39:28.56
And then she said, well, we
dealt with the pain of that,
00:39:28.60\00:39:30.77
we really wanted kids.
00:39:30.80\00:39:32.13
And we tried for years
and we couldn't have kids.
00:39:32.17\00:39:34.20
And then she said,
"We decided to adopt.
00:39:34.24\00:39:37.41
And we found a
foreign company that would,
00:39:37.44\00:39:40.64
we could do an
overseas adoption.
00:39:40.68\00:39:42.34
We were so excited.
00:39:42.38\00:39:43.71
We wanted to be
able to have children."
00:39:43.75\00:39:47.32
She said, "We paid
a great deal of money
00:39:47.35\00:39:50.22
in order to go
through with this adoption.
00:39:50.25\00:39:52.32
The adoptive agency sent
us two little girls' pictures.
00:39:52.35\00:39:57.33
We were going to
get two little girls."
00:39:57.36\00:39:58.76
And we'll call
them Sarah and Mary.
00:39:58.79\00:40:00.53
And so they put Sarah
00:40:00.56\00:40:01.90
and Mary's
picture on the fridge,
00:40:01.93\00:40:03.30
and they were so excited.
00:40:03.33\00:40:04.67
And she said, "We named them
00:40:04.70\00:40:06.03
and we prayed
for them every day.
00:40:06.07\00:40:07.40
And we could not
wait till they came home.
00:40:07.44\00:40:08.90
And then one day Jill,
00:40:08.94\00:40:10.81
I got the news that
the two little girls
00:40:10.84\00:40:13.17
that were going to be ours,
00:40:13.21\00:40:14.54
the two little
girls we had bought,"
00:40:14.58\00:40:16.44
they had paid
for them, remember?
00:40:16.48\00:40:17.98
"The two little
girls that we would,
00:40:18.01\00:40:19.65
we would love and we would,
00:40:19.68\00:40:22.22
they had been sold in
the sex trade, slave trade."
00:40:22.25\00:40:28.12
And she said, "Every day
I live with the knowledge
00:40:28.16\00:40:31.06
that my little
girls could be dead
00:40:31.09\00:40:33.29
or even worse.
00:40:33.33\00:40:36.23
So we cry out."
00:40:36.26\00:40:38.60
She said, "How do I forgive?"
00:40:38.63\00:40:41.20
We cry today, how long God?
00:40:41.24\00:40:43.91
How long until You
rescue those in slavery?
00:40:43.94\00:40:46.47
How long until you release
00:40:46.51\00:40:48.11
those who are
abused and neglected?
00:40:48.14\00:40:50.11
How long until You
recover hurting families?
00:40:50.15\00:40:54.05
How long God until You
feed the starving children
00:40:54.08\00:40:56.82
and until You free
persecuted Christians?
00:40:56.85\00:40:59.55
How long until You
fight for those who are abused
00:40:59.59\00:41:02.09
and trafficked?
00:41:02.12\00:41:03.46
How long God until
You vindicate Your name?
00:41:03.49\00:41:06.56
How long?
00:41:06.59\00:41:07.96
And yet, when He does rise up,
00:41:08.00\00:41:10.87
we don't have
time to get into that.
00:41:10.90\00:41:12.33
But the Canaanite nations,
think of the children of Israel
00:41:12.37\00:41:15.10
when they were told to destroy
00:41:15.14\00:41:17.51
and to kill those in
the Canaanite nations.
00:41:17.54\00:41:19.47
Why?
00:41:19.51\00:41:20.84
Because these practice,
they practice these very things
00:41:20.88\00:41:23.78
because there
was sin and iniquity
00:41:23.81\00:41:25.58
and child sacrifice and
all kinds of wickedness.
00:41:25.61\00:41:28.95
And yet when God
does arise, we get mad.
00:41:28.98\00:41:32.65
And we say,
00:41:32.69\00:41:34.02
"Why is He such
a God of judgment?"
00:41:34.06\00:41:36.56
When all the times
00:41:36.59\00:41:37.93
before we had
pleaded for justice.
00:41:37.96\00:41:41.53
You see love is holy.
00:41:41.56\00:41:43.97
Sin cannot exist in
the presence of a holy God.
00:41:44.00\00:41:48.30
Love is jealous
because not jealous of us,
00:41:48.34\00:41:52.31
but jealous for us
because He created us
00:41:52.34\00:41:55.44
and He redeemed
us and He owns us.
00:41:55.48\00:42:00.12
Love is disciplinary in
the midst of the situations
00:42:00.15\00:42:05.65
and the things
that we go through.
00:42:05.69\00:42:07.89
God truly is working
00:42:07.92\00:42:10.16
all of those
things out for good,
00:42:10.19\00:42:12.99
because He loves us
00:42:13.03\00:42:15.56
and He wants to
make us into His image.
00:42:15.60\00:42:20.17
And love. Love is fair.
00:42:20.20\00:42:23.44
God's judgment can
only truly be understood
00:42:23.47\00:42:26.24
in light of His
law and fairness.
00:42:26.27\00:42:28.24
Key number five,
love is redemptive.
00:42:28.28\00:42:32.41
God's law
judgment can only truly be
00:42:32.45\00:42:35.48
understood in
light of His redemption.
00:42:35.52\00:42:38.05
Turn with me to 1 Peter.
00:42:38.09\00:42:39.49
1 Peter Chapter 2,
00:42:39.52\00:42:40.86
we see Christ bearing your
sins and mine on the cross.
00:42:40.89\00:42:45.99
1 Peter 2:24, "He
himself bore our sins
00:42:46.03\00:42:51.23
in His own body on the tree."
00:42:51.27\00:42:53.13
He took what was mine.
00:42:53.17\00:42:55.00
He took the
punishment that I deserved.
00:42:55.04\00:42:56.84
Remember God's law is
holy, God's law is perfect.
00:42:56.87\00:43:00.34
And yet you and
I, we broke that law,
00:43:00.38\00:43:03.21
and the wages of
sin should be death,
00:43:03.24\00:43:05.78
but Jesus took our punishment.
00:43:05.81\00:43:09.08
Jesus took my guilt.
00:43:09.12\00:43:11.55
He took my shame.
00:43:11.59\00:43:13.72
He took my suffering
and agony on the cross
00:43:13.76\00:43:18.16
that we having died
00:43:18.19\00:43:20.16
to sins might
live for righteousness,
00:43:20.20\00:43:23.10
for by His
wounds you were healed.
00:43:23.13\00:43:27.17
I love 2 Corinthians 5:21.
00:43:27.20\00:43:29.00
It talks about
that double exchange
00:43:29.04\00:43:31.74
that takes place.
00:43:31.77\00:43:33.24
For He made Him, God made Jesus,
00:43:33.27\00:43:36.61
who knew no sin.
00:43:36.64\00:43:38.18
Because He's
perfect to be sin for us,
00:43:38.21\00:43:41.45
that we might become
00:43:41.48\00:43:42.82
the righteousness of God in Him.
00:43:42.85\00:43:44.35
What is he saying?
00:43:44.39\00:43:45.72
My sin, my unrighteousness,
00:43:45.75\00:43:48.49
my breaking of the law
was given to His account.
00:43:48.52\00:43:52.83
And by contrast, I
took the righteousness,
00:43:52.86\00:43:57.27
the blood of
Jesus to cover my sin.
00:43:57.30\00:44:02.00
How do you
reconcile a loving God,
00:44:02.04\00:44:04.81
allowing His only Son
00:44:04.84\00:44:07.44
who He left to
die a wicked death
00:44:07.48\00:44:11.28
because He is
holy, because He is fair
00:44:11.31\00:44:15.98
and the demands of the
law, they need to be met
00:44:16.02\00:44:19.72
because the
wages of sin is death,
00:44:19.75\00:44:21.36
but the gift of God is
00:44:21.39\00:44:22.72
eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:44:22.76\00:44:25.96
Because He is redemptive,
00:44:25.99\00:44:29.26
not willing that
any should perish
00:44:29.30\00:44:31.97
but that all
should come to repentance.
00:44:32.00\00:44:35.10
You see, I believe God
00:44:35.14\00:44:36.47
does not have
multiple personalities.
00:44:36.50\00:44:38.57
You know, they have
this whole cycle of stuff
00:44:38.61\00:44:40.24
about psychology,
00:44:40.28\00:44:41.61
about people having
multiple personalities.
00:44:41.64\00:44:43.55
And while they
are this way one day
00:44:43.58\00:44:44.91
and to be honest with you,
00:44:44.95\00:44:46.28
there's got to
be some truth in it
00:44:46.31\00:44:47.65
because I don't know about you,
00:44:47.68\00:44:49.02
but I've met
some people like that.
00:44:49.05\00:44:50.39
One day, they're all
happy and everything's good.
00:44:50.42\00:44:51.92
And the next day
they might get mad
00:44:51.95\00:44:53.89
or they might be upset
or they might cry a lot.
00:44:53.92\00:44:56.42
And you think
what's the disconnect here?
00:44:56.46\00:44:58.89
What is going on?
00:44:58.93\00:45:00.33
But God is not like that.
00:45:00.36\00:45:02.73
The God of love
and the God of justice
00:45:02.76\00:45:08.00
are one and the same.
00:45:08.04\00:45:10.57
How is that?
00:45:10.61\00:45:11.97
Because love is
holy and God is holy
00:45:12.01\00:45:16.68
and sin cannot
exist in His presence.
00:45:16.71\00:45:19.88
Why?
00:45:19.91\00:45:21.25
Because love is jealous and sin
00:45:21.28\00:45:23.95
and idols that we
hold in place of God,
00:45:23.99\00:45:28.79
He wants to get rid of those
00:45:28.82\00:45:30.39
because love is
disciplinary and love is fair.
00:45:30.43\00:45:35.76
And most importantly,
00:45:35.80\00:45:37.40
love is redemptive.
00:45:37.43\00:45:42.00
I want to give
you a key number six,
00:45:42.04\00:45:43.64
which really has nothing
to do with the rest of them.
00:45:43.67\00:45:45.64
All the rest of them
00:45:45.67\00:45:47.01
were understanding
the character of God.
00:45:47.04\00:45:49.44
But key number
six doesn't help me
00:45:49.48\00:45:51.21
understand
God's judgment at all.
00:45:51.25\00:45:53.21
What it does is it
helps me walk through it.
00:45:53.25\00:45:58.09
It helps me walk
through those difficult,
00:45:58.12\00:46:00.96
hard times in my life.
00:46:00.99\00:46:04.13
Key number six, love is present.
00:46:04.16\00:46:07.96
Do you want a God
who walks with you
00:46:08.00\00:46:11.33
through those
times in your life?
00:46:11.37\00:46:13.13
Do you want a God who
will be present in your life?
00:46:13.17\00:46:17.31
Hebrews 13:5. He says what?
00:46:17.34\00:46:19.34
"I will never leave you,
I will never forsake you."
00:46:19.37\00:46:24.45
It was one of the first
hot humid days of summer.
00:46:24.48\00:46:28.02
Greg and I had come
home and it was so hot.
00:46:28.05\00:46:30.62
I thought I want
to go out for a walk,
00:46:30.65\00:46:32.05
but it seems almost too hot.
00:46:32.09\00:46:33.42
So we had dinner
first and then I said,
00:46:33.46\00:46:35.66
maybe it's cooled down a bit.
00:46:35.69\00:46:37.46
Maybe we can go outside.
00:46:37.49\00:46:39.09
And he checked the radar
00:46:39.13\00:46:40.46
and he said,
boy, a storm's coming.
00:46:40.50\00:46:41.83
If we go, we better go now.
00:46:41.86\00:46:43.47
So we stepped
out into the garage
00:46:43.50\00:46:44.90
and I remember the
heat hit me in the face.
00:46:44.93\00:46:47.77
It was a flat 95 degrees,
00:46:47.80\00:46:50.94
hot, humid, stifling.
00:46:50.97\00:46:56.04
And so we began to walk
and you could look angry,
00:46:56.08\00:46:58.45
black clouds overhead.
00:46:58.48\00:46:59.95
There was
clearly a storm brewing
00:46:59.98\00:47:01.98
and we turned
down on gravel road.
00:47:02.02\00:47:03.72
And just when we walked out to
00:47:03.75\00:47:05.52
where it opens up into a field
00:47:05.55\00:47:09.06
and it looked like
00:47:09.09\00:47:10.43
a line coming to approach us.
00:47:10.46\00:47:12.69
And I don't know
if you've ever seen
00:47:12.73\00:47:14.06
one of those,
like the line of rain
00:47:14.10\00:47:15.56
when a
torrential rainstorm comes,
00:47:15.60\00:47:17.53
but it looked a
little different.
00:47:17.57\00:47:19.30
It was a line.
00:47:19.33\00:47:20.67
I'm not sure I've ever
been out when this happened,
00:47:20.70\00:47:22.44
but it was a line of wind.
00:47:22.47\00:47:26.37
And all of a
sudden the wind hit us,
00:47:26.41\00:47:29.61
detaching leaves
and twigs, and pollen,
00:47:29.64\00:47:32.61
even small branches tossing them
00:47:32.65\00:47:35.55
about in the
swirling air currents.
00:47:35.58\00:47:38.59
And Greg was like Jill,
we've got to go home now.
00:47:38.62\00:47:40.99
And he turned around
and he started to hurry.
00:47:41.02\00:47:43.26
And I just
seemed frozen in place.
00:47:43.29\00:47:45.06
I don't know why.
00:47:45.09\00:47:46.43
It was like, I couldn't
move. And I was a little scared.
00:47:46.46\00:47:49.06
It seemed like
the forest had turned
00:47:49.10\00:47:51.30
into this
living breathing thing,
00:47:51.33\00:47:54.54
and I didn't know what to do.
00:47:54.57\00:47:56.44
And then the first large
drops of rain began to fall.
00:47:56.47\00:47:59.97
And then somehow my legs began
to work and I started running
00:48:00.01\00:48:03.68
and we jogged toward home
and just as we hit the garage,
00:48:03.71\00:48:07.25
got to the safety of our garage,
00:48:07.28\00:48:09.02
the rain began in a
torrential downpour.
00:48:09.05\00:48:12.72
And as we stood
00:48:12.75\00:48:14.09
in the little
doorway of our garage,
00:48:14.12\00:48:15.49
looking out at the
yard, all of a sudden,
00:48:15.52\00:48:18.73
my attention was
drawn to a starling.
00:48:18.76\00:48:22.23
And I don't know what
you think about birds,
00:48:22.26\00:48:23.93
but I have my favorites.
00:48:23.97\00:48:26.07
You know, the
blue birds are so cute
00:48:26.10\00:48:27.94
and the cardinals are
really pretty and red,
00:48:27.97\00:48:31.07
but a starling is
just a simple bird.
00:48:31.11\00:48:33.48
It's a Blackburn.
00:48:33.51\00:48:35.28
It had made a nest
00:48:35.31\00:48:36.98
underneath the
eaves of the porch roof.
00:48:37.01\00:48:40.62
We had heard earlier that day,
00:48:40.65\00:48:42.35
because we knew
earlier that day,
00:48:42.38\00:48:45.42
we had heard the chirp, chirp,
chirp of the little baby birds.
00:48:45.45\00:48:48.92
So we knew that
the eggs had hatched.
00:48:48.96\00:48:51.56
And I looked up
at the porch roof
00:48:51.59\00:48:53.19
and there was mama
starling right on top.
00:48:53.23\00:48:56.16
The wind was buffeting her
00:48:56.20\00:48:58.13
and she was trying to
hunker down and come low.
00:48:58.17\00:49:00.77
And I can just imagine
00:49:00.80\00:49:02.14
the babies
underneath crying out,
00:49:02.17\00:49:05.31
crying for
mama, not knowing that
00:49:05.34\00:49:07.94
she was just above
them doing everything
00:49:07.98\00:49:12.18
in her power to protect them.
00:49:12.21\00:49:16.62
And it was like God spoke
to my heart in that moment.
00:49:16.65\00:49:20.39
And He said, that's how
it is in the storms of life
00:49:20.42\00:49:23.06
when you are troubled,
00:49:23.09\00:49:24.49
when you are buffeted about
00:49:24.53\00:49:26.23
by the storms of
temptation of sin of life.
00:49:26.26\00:49:29.80
Trust that I am with you.
00:49:29.83\00:49:32.53
Trust that I am above
00:49:32.57\00:49:36.14
watching over you in love.
00:49:36.17\00:49:39.07
Even if you can't
see me, I am here.
00:49:39.11\00:49:43.68
You might have
experienced in your life
00:49:43.71\00:49:46.18
what you feel is
a God of justice.
00:49:46.21\00:49:50.15
You might feel that
00:49:50.19\00:49:52.12
there's been a lot of
judgment in your life,
00:49:52.15\00:49:54.82
a lot of judgment around
what you're dealing with.
00:49:54.86\00:49:58.13
And you might say, "God,
I can't even find Your love.
00:49:58.16\00:50:01.73
God, I can't
even find Your face.
00:50:01.76\00:50:04.33
God, I can't even
find who You are."
00:50:04.37\00:50:08.97
My God, your God
will never leave you
00:50:09.00\00:50:14.91
even in the midst of
what you're going through.
00:50:14.94\00:50:17.31
Even in the midst
of that trial and pain,
00:50:17.35\00:50:21.18
He's with you, He
is right beside you.
00:50:21.22\00:50:25.65
He wants to be with you.
00:50:25.69\00:50:27.19
He wants to reveal who He is.
00:50:27.22\00:50:29.76
And most importantly of
all, He is a God of love.
00:50:29.79\00:50:33.63
I love You Lord
00:50:41.40\00:50:43.00
For Your mercy never fails me
00:50:46.24\00:50:51.11
All my days
00:50:51.15\00:50:53.82
I've been held in Your hands
00:50:53.85\00:50:59.35
From the moment that I wake up
00:50:59.39\00:51:03.79
Until I lay my head
00:51:03.83\00:51:08.36
I will sing of
the goodness of God
00:51:08.40\00:51:14.50
All my life You
have been faithful
00:51:19.34\00:51:22.94
All my life
00:51:26.15\00:51:27.48
You have been so, so good
00:51:27.52\00:51:33.05
With every breath that I am able
00:51:33.09\00:51:38.79
I will sing of
the goodness of God
00:51:38.83\00:51:44.30
I love Your voice
00:51:50.31\00:51:53.94
You have led me through the fire
00:51:53.98\00:51:58.58
In darkest nights
00:51:58.61\00:52:01.02
You are close like no other
00:52:01.05\00:52:05.82
I've known You as a father
00:52:05.85\00:52:09.72
I've known You as a friend
00:52:09.76\00:52:15.30
I have lived in
the goodness of God
00:52:15.33\00:52:19.40
All my life
00:52:23.71\00:52:25.21
You have been faithful
00:52:25.24\00:52:30.68
All my life
00:52:30.71\00:52:32.35
You have been so, so good
00:52:32.38\00:52:37.79
With every breath that I am able
00:52:37.82\00:52:42.82
I will sing of
the goodness of God
00:52:42.86\00:52:49.13
All my life You
have been faithful
00:52:49.16\00:52:55.14
All my life
00:52:58.47\00:52:59.81
You have been so, so good
00:52:59.84\00:53:05.65
With every breath that I am able
00:53:05.68\00:53:09.38
I will sing of
the goodness of God
00:53:12.59\00:53:17.43
I will sing of the mercy of God
00:53:21.13\00:53:24.97
I will sing of
the forgiveness of God
00:53:29.27\00:53:33.21
I will sing of
the goodness of God
00:53:38.35\00:53:44.65
Amen. Thank you, Tim.
00:53:53.26\00:53:54.76
All my life I will
sing of the goodness,
00:53:58.07\00:54:00.87
the mercy, the forgiveness,
00:54:00.90\00:54:03.44
the faithfulness of my God.
00:54:03.47\00:54:07.98
Have you had
difficulty in your life
00:54:08.01\00:54:10.21
reconciling a God of love
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with a God of justice?
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Maybe it's because there's been
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pain and abuse, maybe it's
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because you have
never even captured
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or caught or seen a glimpse
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of who your God is.
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I want to
encourage you right now,
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before we pray, spend
time in the Word of God.
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If you want to see who Jesus is,
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if you want to uncover the
magnificence of our Father,
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if you want to discern who He is
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as a God of love and yes,
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even as a God of
judgment but looking at that,
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filtering that through the lens,
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the glasses of
Him as a God of love.
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Knowing that love is
fair, that love is jealous.
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That love is disciplinary.
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That love is holy
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and love is most
of all redemptive.
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Do you want to experience
His redemption in your life?
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Do you want freedom
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from those things that bind you?
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Most of all, understanding a
greater picture of who He is.
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To me, in my own life, if
I can just grasp a picture,
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if I could
understand who God is,
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that makes all the
difference in the world.
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Holy Father, we
come before You right now
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in the name of Jesus.
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Thank You that
You are our father.
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And we call on
You as Abba, Daddy.
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Thank You that
You are our deliverer.
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You are our rock and strength
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and that You want,
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You came to set us free.
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God, I pray for my
brothers and sisters right now.
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God, would you set us free,
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set us free from
those things that bind us,
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set us free from
that sin that ensnares us.
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Set us free from those ways
that we have wandered from You.
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Would You draw us back to Jesus
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with Your cords of love?
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Would You open up our minds
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and hearts to
receive and understand
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who You are in
those pages of scripture.
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Thank you, God, I just
ask, I pray for those right now.
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Maybe who've
never experienced You,
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who have never seen You,
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who have never known You,
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God, that You
would reveal Yourself
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in such an amazing way.
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Thank You God
that You have promised
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we can taste and
see that You are good.
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And we do that just now
wanting to experience You,
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wanting to know You.
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Thank You for the blood of Jesus
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that cleanses us from all sins.
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Thank You that in You,
we are new and made whole,
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and we ask all
this in the precious
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and holy name of Jesus.
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Amen.
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I want to invite
you to join us next time
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for 3ABN Worship Hour as
we open up the Word of God
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and study together.
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