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So the Bible expresses exactly what God wants us to know.

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This is the miracle of the divine inspiration of the Bible.

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God has spoken through scripture.

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The Bible is the authority for the church concerning

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Christian faith and ethics because God is true.

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Psalm 119, 160, John 17, 17, 2 Timothy 2, 15, Titus 1, 2.

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The message of scripture is true and reliable.

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Jesus affirmed this inerrant nature of the Bible.

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Quote, thy word is truth.

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Unquote, John 17, 17.

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Scripture cannot be broken.

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John 10, 35.

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God also continues to speak to readers of the Bible today.

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As we dig into the Bible with an open heart

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and is willing to obey God's message,

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the Holy Spirit helps us apply the timeless teachings

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of scripture to our personal life situation.

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As we get to know who God is and how He works by reading

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the Word, we grow in faith and learn to trust Him

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in the midst of our daily struggles.

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Unfortunately, many people in Western society

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seek knowledge of God through their experience.

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The cultural assumptions of relativism and pluralism

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stress that each individual is the authority of truth

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for himself.

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The resulting danger is that we stand in judgment over the Bible

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and decide what we consider acceptable

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according to our cultural ideas of truth and morality.

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These ideas are increasingly common in Christian circles

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as well.

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Many people want God to speak privately and personally

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to them.

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Thus, their experiences become the final measure

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of divine truth.

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Some people even expect that God will give them

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new revelation through prophecies, dreams, and visions.

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While God may at times work through personal experiences

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such as this, His normal method of communicating His truth

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is through His written Word.

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Since all scripture is divinely inspired truth,

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anything that God communicates through these subjective

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experiences will be consistent with the revelation

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He has already given to the church in His written Word.

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Thus, scripture is the final authority

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as a measure of any alleged prophecy or vision.

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If we do not keep scripture as a touchstone,

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we can easily be misled by our own subjective experiences,

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desires, emotions, even evil spiritual forces.

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Basically, he's saying the Bible is the bottom line.

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If you think you know something, check it

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versus the Word of God.

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If it doesn't line up, let it go.

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The Word of God holds true.

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OK, this time we'll go into worship.

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We'll do that video at the inspiration one more time.

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If I could interrupt.

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Oh, yes.

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Just a message is that you didn't come for even a week.

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Anyway, many of you here today, because your family

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are pastors, they had a birthday a couple days ago.

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So in the way of presenting something

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to a pastor for his birthday, I give you

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the fingerprint of God, which has basically

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it's God's Word in a fingerprint.

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And it's one verse from every book of the Bible.

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Thank you.

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And happy birthday.

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Thank you very much.

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That's awesome.

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Thank you.

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I love it.

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That's cool.

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You don't call it that.

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This is my fingerprint of God.

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Take this off.

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All right, good morning.

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It's nice and sunshiney out.

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But don't worry, the sun's going to come up.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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It's going to be a beautiful day.

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Right there in your table of contents is the books that make up the Bible.

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They are the Word of God.

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When those books speak, God speaks.

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You see right there, 39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament,

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and they all point to the greatness of Jesus.

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May our movement point to Jesus.

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May our lives point to Jesus.

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May every breath point to Jesus.

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Follow along with me for the glory of God.

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39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament, 66 and all,

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and they all point to the greatness of Jesus.

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Follow along with me.

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In Genesis, He is the breath of life.

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In Exodus, the Passover lamb.

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In Leviticus, He's our high priest.

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In Numbers, fire by night.

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In Deuteronomy, He's Moses' voice.

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In Joshua, He's salvation's choice.

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In Judges, the lawgiver.

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In Ruth, the kinsman redeemer.

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In 1 Samuel, He is our trusted prophet.

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In 1 Kings, in 1 Chronicles, He is sovereign.

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In Ezra, He's the true and faithful scribe.

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In Nehemiah, He's the rebuilder of broken walls and lives.

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In Esther, He's Mordecai's courage.

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In Job, the timeless redeemer.

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In Psalms, He is our morning song.

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In Proverbs, He is wisdom's cry.

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In Ecclesiastes, He's the time and season.

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In the Song of Solomon, He's the lover's dream.

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In Isaiah, He's the prince of peace.

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In Jeremiah, the weeping prophet.

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In Lamentations, He's the cry for Israel and Ezekiel.

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He's the call from sin.

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In Daniel, the stranger in the fire.

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In Hosea, He's forever faithful.

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In Joel, He's the Spirit's power.

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In Amos, He's the arms that carry us.

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In Obadiah, He is the Lord, our Savior.

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In Jonah, He's the great missionary.

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In Micah, the promise of peace.

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In Nahum, He is our strength and our shield.

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In Habakkuk, in Zephaniah, He is pleading for a revival.

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In Haggai, He restores a lost heritage.

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In Zechariah, He is our fountain.

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In Malachi, He's the son of righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.

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In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, He is God, Man, Messiah.

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In the Book of Acts, His Spirit is the fire from heaven.

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In Romans, He is the grace of God.

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In 1st and 2nd Corinthians, He is the power of love.

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In Galatians, He is freedom from the curse of sin.

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In Ephesians, He is our glorious treasure.

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In Philippians, He is the servant's heart.

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In Colossians, He is the Godhead, Trinity, and the second person of that.

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In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, He is our coming King.

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In 1st and 2nd Timothy, in Titus, in Valamene, He is our mediator and our faithful pastor.

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In Hebrews, He is the everlasting covenant.

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In James, He's the one who heals the sick.

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In 1st and 2nd Peter, He is our shepherd.

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In 1st, 2nd, 3rd, John, and in Jude, He is the lover coming for His bride.

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In church, in Revelation, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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He is, He is, He is the Prince of Peace, the Son of Man, the Lamb of God, the Great I Am.

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He is Alpha, He is Omega, He is God, He is Savior, He is Lord, He is King, He is better than anything.

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The world has an offer.

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Listen church, our hope has a name, our peace has a name, our love has a name, our joy has a name,

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our confidence has a name, our life has a name, and our movement that cannot be stopped.

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Has a name.

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In church, what is that name?

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Jesus.

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Let's stand and worship the Holy Name of Jesus.

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Not necessarily the message He was trying to portray, but the message I got out of that is,

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who are we to complain the titles that we have, the things that we have to do, when He's done it already.

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All we have to do is lean on Him and let Him help us and there is nothing that we can't get through.

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That's me.

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Alright, who else got something?

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Alright, huh?

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Okay.

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So, I have a book called, Hellboy and the Apple Tree, and it's about, this man has a lovely apple tree,

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but one day a horrible storm comes and strikes the tree with lightning.

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And then Hellboy stands on the tree next to it and he's straight in front of the tree to make it look better.

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And that shows that God died on the cross, so he's like the hellboy's apple tree.

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And then he's straight and all ready to go to this, but there are a couple of picks, which means that God rises on the cross and runs.

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Alright, that's good stuff.

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Thank you very much.

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Alright, who else?

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Jason?

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There's a song that I've been listening to and it's called, Gone Away.

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And the message that speaks for me, I actually got two.

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First one is that most Christians can believe that they are always with God, they do exactly what he wants,

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but sometimes they just say that just because they feel left out.

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There's a lot of people that say that just because they are left out.

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And then the other one is that sometimes we make God feel like everything he's put in with us to help us get through has just gone away.

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It's been removed from your life.

217
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That's interesting. That's where it ties into the question.

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That's good stuff.

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Alright, others?

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So, this was a couple days ago. I think it was Wednesday.

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Whatever day it was. I don't remember exactly what day.

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No, it was Friday actually.

223
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I was on my way home and I was driving down to Sparbrick and I was going down to Sparbrick towards Wallbridge out of Toledo back home.

224
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And there was a summer truck on the road.

225
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I didn't think anything of it. He didn't have any lights or anything on.

226
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So I just thought, hey, this summer truck just pulled out of this factory that's over there.

227
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And we went over these railroad tracks and I happened to sneeze and look away for like a second.

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And then next thing you know that summer truck was like 10 feet in front of me.

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And out of just pure reflexes because I noticed there was another car coming in the other lane so I couldn't go that way.

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So I turned and went off the road.

231
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After slamming on the brakes, I go off the road, come back on the road.

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And the fun, like to me, it was just absolutely funny.

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Jason was playing on his phone in the passenger seat.

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I mean, if we would have hit the summer, I was doing probably 50 mile an hour.

235
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I mean, it would have crushed my car because I didn't know the summer truck was stopped.

236
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Apparently he was like at a complete stop and I didn't know this because there was no lights on his truck at all.

237
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There's not even anyone in it.

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And yeah, he said he didn't even see anybody in the truck.

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But anyway, so I get back on the road and Jason looks up from his phone, looks at me and just goes, nice save.

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Like absolutely calm, didn't freak out.

241
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And I didn't freak out because that kind of stuff doesn't freak me out necessarily.

242
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But like after I got home and I thought about it and this popped into my head too.

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When Jesus was on the boat in the storm, everyone was freaking out but Jesus wasn't.

244
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And it brought to mind that in all situations we can always find calm in the storm.

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Because we all have those parts in our life where we struggle but we can still find calm in the storm.

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Through your busy life, through your busy schedule, whatever it is, you can still find calm in that storm.

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But the only way to do that is you have to look to God to do that.

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Amen.

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That's a very good word.

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Alright, how long do you pray for us as we transition tithing offerings and intercess service?

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Do you do that?

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Yeah.

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Dear Father and Mother, thank you for this time together.

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Thank you for allowing everyone to be here.

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Lord, thank you for looking out for me because Friday could have been a very bad day.

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That was definitely you that did that because I don't think that I would have stayed calm otherwise.

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But God, I thank you for everything you've done.

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I thank you for everything you're doing.

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And thank you for everything that you're going to do.

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God, just be with everyone here.

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Touch their hearts.

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Let them grow a little closer to you, God.

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Be with Dan as he brings the message.

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Be with the tithing offering that they get used to glorify your kingdom.

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And just again, Lord, I thank you for everything that you've done.

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In Jesus' name we pray.

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Amen.

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Thank you very much.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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we are going to exhaustively, because that's what the Lord did to me,

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look at a very important topic, at the first of which you may go,

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oh I already knew that, but by the time we're done I think you're going to see some things,

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I hope you're going to see some things that I saw that were pretty stinking cool.

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Alright, so first of all you do realize, I think we can probably agree,

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that bad things happen to good people. You've probably heard that saying,

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it is definitely biblical, the whole book of Job is bad things happen to good people.

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Now, before we get into that though, I want you to realize

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that bad and good are somewhat subjective, right? We're all kind of bad, right?

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So there's fleshly nature of sin, everybody has sin, all have sin and fall short of the glory of God.

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And so bad and good are kind of subjective, but the truth is there are good people,

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not good in the sense that they would get to heaven, but people who do good things, right?

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People who help you, people who like you, people who give you gifts,

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or people who come along and fix your car when it breaks down,

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people who, there are people who do good things and yet bad things happen to good people.

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But today we're going to reverse the saying, good things happen to bad people,

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that makes me chafe right off. People who are evil and wicked, I see God as just and holy,

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and they should get what they deserve. I think God should put them in their place,

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in fact I could be very easily equated to the sons of thunder who would have said

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for those villages that did not receive Jesus, like Lord let it just call fire down from heaven

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and destroy those villages because they wouldn't receive your teachings.

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Good things happen to bad people, that's the reality. Grab your Bibles if you would,

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and go with me to our text for the day. We will use our Bibles quite a bit,

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I hope you brought your Bible with you today. If you didn't and you have a notepad,

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you can write down the references and look them up later. If you didn't do that,

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this is on Facebook live right now and will come out hopefully on podcast on rss.com tomorrow,

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God willing. I've been trying to get them out by Monday and you can get the references there or

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listen to this sermon again and study it if you want, if the Lord moves in your heart to do so.

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The reference for today is Acts 14. Amen. So it's a short passage of scripture in which a bizarre

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event occurs and then we're going to drill down on just really two verses of it. So it's 14,

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beginning in 14 is where I'm going to read. And here's what happens. Basically the apostles Paul

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and his friend Barnabas are preaching and the crowds decide that they themselves are

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sort of like the gods come as representatives, Zeus, Hermes, whatever, and they decide they're

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going to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. And of course Paul and Barnabas don't want that,

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they're followers of Jesus. And so in verse 14 is what it says. But when the apostles, Barnabas

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and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd crying out and saying,

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men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you and preach the gospel

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to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven

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and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. And then the generations gone by, he permitted all

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the nations to go their own ways. And yet he did not leave himself without witness in that he did

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good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons satisfying your hearts with food and

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gladness. And even saying these things, they with difficulty restrained the crowds from offering

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sacrifices to them. So back up for a moment into the text, if you would, look at verse 15. They

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said, we are, we're but men, why are you going to do this? We are but men and we come and preach the

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gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God who made the

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heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. So right there I want you to see that God

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created everything and then God allowed a certain kind of thing. Right? So the first point is that

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God created everything and God allowed a certain kind of thing. God created the earth and in the

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earth is an amazing testimony for God all by itself. Do you realize just how delicately balanced

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creation is? I'm going to give you some examples. This is not my writing. It comes from a gentleman

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who's done quite a bit of study on this. The sustainability for life on earth.

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The precise rate of the earth's rotation, if it had been one-tenth its present rate, the length of

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our days and nights would have been increased ten times. Our vegetation would burn up during long

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days while at nights would bring such low temperatures that any plant life which survived

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the day would be sure to freeze if it was just one-tenth different from what it is. The earth is

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just the right size. The physical size of the earth is just the right size for life as we know

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it. If the earth were as small as the moon its gravity would be one-sixth its present force

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and unable to hold either atmosphere or water. If the earth's diameter were doubled the force of

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gravity would be so doubled and the atmosphere would be so compressed that its pressure would be

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increased from 50 to 30 pounds per square inch and this would seriously affect all life.

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If our earth were increased to the size of the sun while retaining its present density gravity

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would be increased some 150 times and this would increase atmospheric pressure to over a ton

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per square inch which would crush literally everything. The earth's crust is just the right

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size. If the earth's crust had been only 10 feet thicker the metallic elements in the crust would

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have combined with all the free oxygen in the atmosphere ruling out the possibility of all

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animal life. The moon is the right distance from the earth at 239,000 miles away from the earth.

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If it were 50,000 miles closer the waters of the seas would submerge all of the continents twice a

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day which would be hard to survive. Though the moon is only relatively close to earth the surface

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temperature varies each 15 lunar days from a height, this is on the moon, of 214 degrees

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Fahrenheit above zero to a low of 243 degrees Fahrenheit below zero even though the surface

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temperature is only 239,000 miles away. Which you could say that's a lot of miles but when you think

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about the universe not so much. The atmosphere is perfect to sustain life having just the right

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amount of nitrogen and oxygen too much more oxygen could possibly ignite, could cause chemical

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reactions with all kinds of things that are in the crust of the earth. The angle of the earth is just

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perfect for us to survive. The earth is tilted on an axis which gives ample time for the rays, for us

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to raise the necessary supply of food in the seasons that as we have them but if it was different

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our seasons could be so short or so long. During the winter in most areas anywhere where winter exists

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the soil sits idle, soaks up moisture, increases its fertility. The atmosphere of the earth serves

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as a protective blanket to shield us from deadly radiation. In addition our atmosphere is just dense

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enough to protect the earth from some 20 million meteors that enter the atmosphere daily. Did you

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know that 20 million meteors enter the earth's atmosphere daily? And the atmosphere is just dense

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enough to protect us from that. These meteors which travel at the speed of about 30 miles per second

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would otherwise strike the earth and such impact would endanger all life. It is no coincidence that

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the earth is made perfectly to sustain life. God did that. You want to deny the existence of God?

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You are literally denying common sense. Examine the universe, examine the earth. Everything within

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the reach of as far as man has ever gone even with the Hubble telescope does not match the criteria

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of the earth and only the earth can thus far sustain life. Doesn't mean that nothing anywhere else ever

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had life on it. Doesn't mean that there never could be life anywhere else. Billy Graham was quoted as

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saying there probably is life anywhere else but it doesn't matter if there is because God

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orchestrated the earth perfectly to make mankind in his image and therefore we have survived to this

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day. God created but not only did God create an incredible creation that we now live in and get

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the benefit of but on top of that God allowed something. He allowed. He allowed man to stray

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from his perfect plan for what man was going to be. He allowed man free will to make a choice to

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find his own way and here Paul tells them that in the former days God allowed this. He allowed people

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to seek out their own way. It says and in the generations gone by he permitted all the nations

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and that translation there into English is one of two possibles. All the nations or essentially all

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people or all individuals to go their own way but then it says yes he created and he allowed

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and even though he allowed he did not leave himself without a witness. Look at verse 17 and yet

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he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good and gave you rains from heaven and

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fruitful seasons satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. So even though God allowed the nations

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to go their own way he preserved his witness inside that bubble. Creation is a witness as I said

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already but on top of that God preserved his own witness. He was doing something. What do you think

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the word doing means? It says he was doing it. He was doing something. Always has been. Jesus said

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my father has been working from that day until this one and will be until that one. God was always

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doing something and what is God doing? He's doing good. Paul breaks it down this way. He was doing

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good by one giving rain from heaven. Anybody here like to eat? No rain from heaven. No eats. The person

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that will get out of bed tomorrow morning and molest a child will eat today most likely. God is

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providing blessings in the form of rain from heaven and giving fruitful seasons to the wicked,

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to those who refuse his existence, those who live 80 years saying there is no God their entire life

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will still eat and drink and be blessed. They will still have the suns and the rains to shine upon

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to shine upon them and to pour out upon them in this lifetime because God is good. He is giving

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rain from heaven and fruitful seasons. More so it says he satisfies you with food and your hearts

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with gladness. As I was writing this I was thinking about how when I was in high school

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I didn't know Jesus. I believed that there probably was a God but I didn't know Jesus. I wasn't saved.

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He said I didn't have the Holy Spirit in me. I was an ordinary teenager. Now I thought I was

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sneaky. I thought I was ugly. I thought I was struggling to grow up and become a man and failing

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basically. I had a lot of negative self-esteem but the bottom line is I was living. I had a life and

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I got together to play games with some of my friends and we played until it was one two o'clock

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in the morning. I remember many instances we'd play until it was almost the middle of the night

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or was the middle that night. It was the next day even sometimes the sun would come up before we'd

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quit playing games together in high school and after about one two o'clock in the morning you

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know what happened? You ever stay up really late after a long day suddenly everything seems funny.

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They call it being punch drunk and I remember a number of times and we didn't drink. There was no

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alcohol involved but I remember a number of times somebody would tell a joke or we'd start punning.

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I loved to pun. I've always loved that. The sort of tricky nature of punning kind of enchants me

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and we would start punning. We started telling jokes and we would laugh and we'd have six seven

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eight people in the room in the middle of whatever we were playing and we were laughing and we're

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laughing so hard that I was literally I there was a friend of mine who was there and he

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he put had a sweatshirt on and he put his arms inside the sweatshirt and then he put them out

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to the wrong sleeves. So he had his right arm in his left seat and his left arm in his left seat

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and we were laughing and we're joking and in the middle of us laughing and joking everything was

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funny. He stood up he was sitting on a footstool actually because we didn't have enough chairs for

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everybody and he stood up and he said danger danger Will Robinson. We're all already laughing so hard

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and we laughed so hard and he laughed so hard he fell over because his arms were in the wrong

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sleeves of his t-shirt or sweatshirt. He couldn't catch himself and he fell down and he hid himself

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in a place that people don't like to hit themselves on the edge of the footstool that he'd been

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sitting on and now everyone in the room is laughing. He's laying on the floor laughing.

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God has given us gladness. The truth is you don't have to be saved to be glad. Anybody here ever

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eat a good a pizza that just really tasted good. He went man this is good and a rush of flavor in

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your heart is probably like yes or a t-bone steak maybe with just the right seasonings on it.

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There is gladness in the world and it is given by God which is awesome and yet very problematic

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because and we come to the third place third point where we're going to drill down

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kind of heavily the goodness of God can be used to reinforce bad behavior. When I was a teenager

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I was a liar. I'd been trained pretty good to be a liar and I would tell a lie about where I had been

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or what I had done or whether I had done my homework or not or whether I had said something

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that a teacher alleged I had said I would tell a lie and then later that day an hour later a few

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hours later I would come in my room and come in the room where my mom's cooking or something say

463
00:50:41,240 --> 00:50:45,560
hey mom would you make it for dinner and I've talked to her like everything was normal and if

464
00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:49,320
she talked back to me like everything was normal she said well I'm making this for your dad I'm

465
00:50:49,320 --> 00:50:55,320
making this for you and and we're gonna have a great meal and my mom was sort of like a chef of

466
00:50:55,320 --> 00:50:58,600
a fast food restaurant because she would literally make an entree for my dad and my dad didn't like

467
00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:03,400
it she'd make an entree for me or my brother and if one of us didn't like the second one she made

468
00:51:03,400 --> 00:51:06,680
and one of us and we still didn't like the first she'd make a third one so we'd have three entrees

469
00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:11,320
at dinner at night and and we have leftovers for days we have three entrees and then she'd make a

470
00:51:11,320 --> 00:51:15,640
vegetable and if my brother didn't like that vegetable she'd make another vegetable we'd have

471
00:51:15,640 --> 00:51:19,640
like seven vegetables and three entrees at dinner and she'd be in the kitchen cooking for two hours

472
00:51:19,640 --> 00:51:24,360
and if I went in the kitchen and she said well I'm making meatloaf the kind you don't like

473
00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:32,680
I said what else you making she said that's it I'd be like uh-oh she didn't believe my lie

474
00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:39,800
see if when people reward you with kindness when they do good towards you you have every reason to

475
00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:44,120
believe that they are favoring you that they appreciate what you've done and they recognize

476
00:51:44,120 --> 00:51:49,960
you they see you they the appreciation and the encouragement comes out of that is solid

477
00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:55,800
but when they go hmm just the kind you don't like you go oh I did something wrong

478
00:51:55,800 --> 00:52:02,760
oh I did something wrong but God is blessing people all the time God is filling hearts with

479
00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:09,320
gladness all the time God is sustaining people and feeding them all the time and so it's very easy

480
00:52:09,320 --> 00:52:15,240
them for them to think well what I'm doing must basically be okay because God is blessing me this

481
00:52:15,240 --> 00:52:21,160
is the love of God carried out in his kindness and his mercy toward people and then they go oh I'm good

482
00:52:21,160 --> 00:52:28,840
they get a little silver and then next thing you know they make that money into an idol God

483
00:52:28,840 --> 00:52:32,760
blesses them provides what they need and they make that into an idol and they begin to worship the

484
00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:39,800
money rather than the God who allowed it the God who sent it this is the very plight of mankind

485
00:52:39,800 --> 00:52:45,000
Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden and they were allowed to touch every tree don't let Eve's

486
00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:49,000
words fool you they could have touched every tree because it was their job to tend every tree

487
00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:53,720
to every tree including the tree of the knowledge of an evil and the tree of eternal life they would

488
00:52:53,720 --> 00:52:59,240
tend to every tree in the garden they just weren't supposed to eat of those two trees until God

489
00:52:59,240 --> 00:53:06,680
specifically released them to do so all the hard work was good for them they weren't tired they

490
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:13,080
weren't hurting it wasn't a problem they had the perfect situation they had gladness in their heart

491
00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:18,600
you think Adam experienced gladness when he looked at Eve and said this is bone of my bone here this

492
00:53:18,600 --> 00:53:24,840
is flesh of my flesh heck yeah he was glad he was glad to be created and she was glad to be with

493
00:53:24,840 --> 00:53:31,400
Adam they had the fruit of the land and they had gladness and out of that they thought

494
00:53:33,160 --> 00:53:39,480
well there's a tree we can't eat off of and they listened to the idea that eating off of that tree

495
00:53:39,480 --> 00:53:49,080
might make them like God Adam they thought well God loves us he's not going to chastise us he's

496
00:53:49,080 --> 00:53:52,840
not going to correct us it's not going to be a problem if we do what we shouldn't do

497
00:53:55,640 --> 00:54:01,240
even though the serpent painted a bad picture of God and I submit to you that those people are in

498
00:54:01,240 --> 00:54:05,480
the world now and they're saying well I want what I want but God doesn't want me to have it

499
00:54:05,480 --> 00:54:13,000
but my record with God is he always gives me what I need so I'm going to take what I want based on

500
00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:19,720
the fact that he loves me and is kind and merciful toward me you see how easy it is for people to fall

501
00:54:19,720 --> 00:54:27,480
into thinking the goodness of God authorizes them and reinforces their bad behavior then alerted to

502
00:54:27,480 --> 00:54:34,280
God's plans and methods they can hardly be dissuaded from doing what they have now chosen to do

503
00:54:34,280 --> 00:54:39,560
notice in this passage that we're reading here that it says and yet God did not leave himself

504
00:54:39,560 --> 00:54:44,520
without witness in that he did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons satisfying

505
00:54:44,520 --> 00:54:51,800
your hearts with food and gladness and 18 it says and even saying these things they with difficulty

506
00:54:51,800 --> 00:54:56,200
restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them after it was brought to their attention

507
00:54:56,200 --> 00:55:00,920
that the very message of the people that they were trying to now worship and sacrifice to their the

508
00:55:00,920 --> 00:55:06,440
very message of Paul and Barnabas was that the people needed to repent away from false worship

509
00:55:06,440 --> 00:55:12,840
away from sacrificing to things that should not be sacrificed to and away from sacrificing at all

510
00:55:12,840 --> 00:55:21,800
really the very message that they were preaching and the people still could hardly be restrained

511
00:55:21,800 --> 00:55:33,240
from sacrificing to them and Paul would a little while later give a more maybe developed speech on

512
00:55:33,240 --> 00:55:38,200
this same topic and if you're following along your bibles you can flip over to acts 17 beginning in

513
00:55:38,200 --> 00:55:46,600
verse 22 now this is in Athens and Paul is by himself I love it when a man has to give a speech

514
00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:49,720
by himself if you're a man in the room you know what that's like you've got to talk about it

515
00:55:49,720 --> 00:55:55,240
you got to speak up and say the right thing even though you're all alone and Paul stood in the midst

516
00:55:55,240 --> 00:55:59,240
of the areopagus so this is like a coliseum kind of thing with men sitting on bleachers and standing

517
00:55:59,240 --> 00:56:03,320
around and they're all looking at him now it says men of Athens I observe that you are very

518
00:56:03,320 --> 00:56:09,240
religious in all respects for a while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship

519
00:56:09,240 --> 00:56:15,160
I also found an altar with this inscription to an unknown god by the way how does someone get to

520
00:56:15,160 --> 00:56:22,120
creating an altar to an unknown god remember all creation has a witness and a testimony

521
00:56:22,120 --> 00:56:30,360
anyone can look at the way creation was designed and go someone did that and so they had an altar

522
00:56:30,360 --> 00:56:37,560
for an unknown god and Paul says what therefore you worship in ignorance this I proclaim to you

523
00:56:37,560 --> 00:56:42,600
the god who made the world and all things in it since he is lord of heaven and earth does not

524
00:56:42,600 --> 00:56:47,160
dwell in temples made with hands neither is he served by human hands as though he needed

525
00:56:47,160 --> 00:56:53,880
anything since he himself gives to all life and breath and all things and he made from one every

526
00:56:53,880 --> 00:56:59,320
nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth having determined their appointed times and

527
00:56:59,320 --> 00:57:03,320
the boundaries of their habitation that they should seek god the whole purpose of it was that

528
00:57:03,320 --> 00:57:08,520
they would seek god if perhaps they might grope for him and find him though he is not far from

529
00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:14,040
each one of us for in him we live and move and exist and even some of your own poets

530
00:57:14,040 --> 00:57:18,760
as even some of your own poets have said for we also are his offspring

531
00:57:22,440 --> 00:57:27,000
being then the offspring of god we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or

532
00:57:27,000 --> 00:57:34,120
silver or stone an image formed by the art and thought of man therefore having overlooked the

533
00:57:34,120 --> 00:57:40,040
times of ignorance god is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent in other words

534
00:57:40,040 --> 00:57:46,280
drop all that other stuff and turn to god because he has fixed the day in which he will judge the

535
00:57:46,280 --> 00:57:52,040
world in righteousness through a man whom he has appointed having furnished proof to all men

536
00:57:52,040 --> 00:58:01,560
by raising him from the dead that's a much more intense summary of what paul was trying to say

537
00:58:01,560 --> 00:58:07,080
to them while they were trying to sacrifice to him this goodness of god that you have experienced

538
00:58:07,080 --> 00:58:15,320
can be used to reinforce your bad behavior but don't allow it do not allow it alerted to god's

539
00:58:15,320 --> 00:58:23,720
plans and methods they could hardly be dissuaded from continuing in their own way but don't be like

540
00:58:23,720 --> 00:58:34,920
them jesus said it this way in the sermon on the mount matthew five beginning of verse verse 43 543

541
00:58:34,920 --> 00:58:40,600
you have heard that it was said you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy but i say to

542
00:58:40,600 --> 00:58:45,160
you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of

543
00:58:45,160 --> 00:58:53,560
your father who is in heaven for he himself for he could not be a son of your father but he could

544
00:58:53,560 --> 00:59:00,120
he causes his son that's the sun in the sky to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the

545
00:59:00,120 --> 00:59:04,520
righteous and the unrighteous now the irony of this by the way in modern day is that we think of

546
00:59:04,520 --> 00:59:09,000
this all wrong we've got this verse all wrong we think that the sun is the good stuff because we

547
00:59:09,000 --> 00:59:14,200
want to go to the beach we think that the rain is the bad stuff because we don't want to get rained

548
00:59:14,200 --> 00:59:19,560
on but actually that's the opposite they were an agricultural society they were looking for the

549
00:59:19,560 --> 00:59:25,240
rains to make sure their crowds didn't drop their crops didn't dry in the drought you see they

550
00:59:25,240 --> 00:59:32,520
wanted the rain so they could grow their crops and too much sun would kill their crop but it doesn't

551
00:59:32,520 --> 00:59:39,240
matter which way you see it god makes the sun and the rain the good and the bad to come down on what

552
00:59:39,240 --> 00:59:45,720
did he say the righteous and the unrighteous a little further in 46 he says for if you love those

553
00:59:45,720 --> 00:59:50,520
who love you what reward have you that's a rhetorical question to which the answer is

554
00:59:52,200 --> 00:59:59,320
none if you love those who love you what reward you have you do not even the tax gatherers do

555
00:59:59,320 --> 01:00:04,040
the same in other words even the sinners and the unrighteous and the bad people of the world love

556
01:00:04,040 --> 01:00:09,160
their own family their own kids whatever such as they love they love in their own definition of

557
01:00:09,160 --> 01:00:14,360
love but such as they love they love their own family and their own people but you he's implying

558
01:00:14,360 --> 01:00:19,080
should reach out and love everyone even your enemies even those who are wicked even those who

559
01:00:19,080 --> 01:00:25,640
are wrong even those who are bad because that's what god does he says in 47 and if you greet your

560
01:00:25,640 --> 01:00:29,960
brothers only in other words the people that you see eye to eye with the people that you have a

561
01:00:29,960 --> 01:00:34,600
good time with the people that are your family the people your brothers in christ what do you do more

562
01:00:34,600 --> 01:00:41,640
than others and the answer is nothing everybody does that right do not even the gentiles do the

563
01:00:41,640 --> 01:00:49,000
same and the answer is yes they do 48 therefore you are to be perfect which means complete or

564
01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:55,000
whole as your heavenly father is perfect i submit to you until you are ready to do good to someone

565
01:00:55,000 --> 01:01:04,440
who is bad you're not perfect that passage is calling us to be like god it's calling us to be

566
01:01:04,440 --> 01:01:08,760
following the god of heaven and i get it so here's what i'm going to tell you today if you have

567
01:01:08,760 --> 01:01:12,840
somebody in your life that seems like they're turning away from god they just won't hear about

568
01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:21,320
god what do you do will you be good to them like god is you provide and love and be kind you show

569
01:01:21,320 --> 01:01:28,600
you say but my good works my goodness to them may lead them to feel justified in the bad behavior

570
01:01:28,600 --> 01:01:32,360
i was raising my kids and as i was raising my kids a number of times alicia will tell you

571
01:01:32,360 --> 01:01:36,120
firsthand we had this conversation where i said well i had this planned i was going to do this

572
01:01:36,120 --> 01:01:41,240
good thing today but now i can't do it because i can't reward this bad behavior so now we're

573
01:01:41,240 --> 01:01:45,640
going to put that off to another day the truth is you don't have to worry about now if you're

574
01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:50,200
raising kids that may be an appropriate way to handle it but with your friends and your family

575
01:01:50,200 --> 01:01:54,600
members your co-workers your students your school whatever you don't have to worry about that

576
01:01:55,640 --> 01:02:04,840
the witness of creation will continue god is real and proof exists and god will continue to

577
01:02:04,840 --> 01:02:10,840
bless them and he may want to use you to do that don't worry that they will never figure it out

578
01:02:12,280 --> 01:02:19,240
that's not your problem on the other hand if you don't share the gospel and tell them about jesus

579
01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:25,320
that is your problem so you share the gospel tell about jesus loves you jesus wants you to

580
01:02:25,320 --> 01:02:29,240
heaven when you die jesus has paid the price for your sins and he wants it to all be good

581
01:02:29,240 --> 01:02:33,640
jesus wants to forgive you but i'm not going to forgive you i'm going to hold you accountable

582
01:02:33,640 --> 01:02:39,000
for the bad that you've done i'm going to tell you off i'm going to criticize you or talk about

583
01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:46,920
you behind your back my god will send sun and rain alike he will love you he will bless you he will

584
01:02:46,920 --> 01:02:52,200
fill your heart with gladness he will let you laugh into the wee hours of the night and joy with your

585
01:02:52,200 --> 01:02:58,680
friends and goof off and play he'll let you do all of that but not me uh-uh i'm going to hold you

586
01:02:58,680 --> 01:03:04,200
accountable i'm going to tell you just how bad you've been you see that's not us being like god

587
01:03:05,720 --> 01:03:11,080
we are meant to be blessing the world when people come and they say they're hungry we don't go okay

588
01:03:11,080 --> 01:03:14,600
give us a rundown of how you've behaved for the last few days before we give you any groceries

589
01:03:14,600 --> 01:03:18,600
because you know if you've been in sin if you were drinking last night for example we can't give you

590
01:03:18,600 --> 01:03:24,280
any groceries today we don't do that we provide for those who are in need out of the love that

591
01:03:24,280 --> 01:03:30,760
god has put in us and i understand fully and so does god that the goodness of god can be used to

592
01:03:30,760 --> 01:03:35,080
reinforce bad behavior don't think that just because people continue to talk to you people

593
01:03:35,080 --> 01:03:40,760
continue to be your transportation people continue to serve you people continue to do loving things

594
01:03:40,760 --> 01:03:46,200
toward you that they are endorsing your bad behavior in fact if you're worried about them

595
01:03:46,200 --> 01:03:50,360
thinking that then just keep bringing up jesus which you're supposed to be doing anyway

596
01:03:50,360 --> 01:03:56,920
just keep talking to them about how jesus died for their sin therein lies the conviction to be saved

597
01:03:56,920 --> 01:03:59,960
not in you mistreating someone to get their attention

598
01:04:03,080 --> 01:04:11,240
the points then were god created and god allowed also even though god allowed the nations to go

599
01:04:11,240 --> 01:04:16,600
their own way he preserved for himself a witness not only the witness of the testimony of how

600
01:04:16,600 --> 01:04:21,400
awesome creation is but the witness of his continuing to do good giving rain from heaven

601
01:04:21,400 --> 01:04:28,360
giving fruitful seasons satisfying you with food and your hearts with gladness and this goodness

602
01:04:28,360 --> 01:04:33,880
of god can be used to reinforce bad behavior but that brings us then to our conclusion

603
01:04:33,880 --> 01:04:45,640
it's a simple one really god loves you and his kindness towards you has and always will be

604
01:04:46,200 --> 01:04:55,320
to prove that love he intends to bless you even at the worst absolutely worst moments in your life

605
01:04:55,800 --> 01:05:00,520
when you were caught off guard by some tragedy when someone or something that you were counting

606
01:05:00,520 --> 01:05:06,360
on broke down and abandoned you when you were struck to the heart by the worst of words even

607
01:05:06,360 --> 01:05:13,080
at those worst moments in your life even at the moments when you were fighting against him

608
01:05:13,640 --> 01:05:15,640
his message was clear

609
01:05:18,360 --> 01:05:24,040
when you loved god but couldn't see your way past your own grief to count your blessings

610
01:05:24,040 --> 01:05:32,840
his blessings were there just the same in the midst of your trials when the enemy only wants

611
01:05:32,840 --> 01:05:38,040
you to look at what's going wrong had a day like this this week i had to have a conversation my

612
01:05:38,040 --> 01:05:41,320
wife as we were sitting down at night things calmed down i was talking to her and i said

613
01:05:41,320 --> 01:05:49,320
there's a i have a holy h-o-l-y discontent i see the way things are going i see what people are

614
01:05:49,320 --> 01:05:56,840
doing i see how what i'm trying to do is working out and nothing's working i don't get it i don't

615
01:05:56,840 --> 01:06:02,040
understand why people will not follow the lord jesus christ the way god called them to do why

616
01:06:02,040 --> 01:06:08,360
service is not first and foremost on our minds and in our hearts why love and giving and kindness

617
01:06:08,360 --> 01:06:14,120
and mercy doesn't leap to the fore wednesday morning i was doing my study it was wednesday

618
01:06:14,120 --> 01:06:18,600
morning i was doing my study and and i've been doing my study and i've been doing my study and

619
01:06:18,600 --> 01:06:23,960
and i've been praising god because i've managed now to do i think it's 35 or 36 days in a row

620
01:06:23,960 --> 01:06:27,640
every morning before i do anything at all before i get out of bed i pick up my phone and i'm on

621
01:06:27,640 --> 01:06:32,440
bible you version bible app and i'm publicly posting a comment and i'm studying the word every

622
01:06:32,440 --> 01:06:35,240
single morning before i do anything else and then sometimes uh three four times throughout the day

623
01:06:35,240 --> 01:06:39,160
i've been doing i've been blessed by it and it's been helping me but in that wednesday morning i did

624
01:06:39,160 --> 01:06:44,760
a study and the study was on the transfiguration do you know this story there's a story where peter

625
01:06:44,760 --> 01:06:50,680
james and john are with jesus and they go up on the mountain peter james and john would go up on

626
01:06:50,680 --> 01:07:02,520
the mountain with jesus suddenly elijah and moses are there pretty cool in a way because if you

627
01:07:02,520 --> 01:07:05,880
remember the story of moses a little aside you remember the story of moses he was promised that

628
01:07:05,880 --> 01:07:09,480
he would not be allowed to go into the promised land with a mountain that elijah and moses and

629
01:07:09,480 --> 01:07:12,600
jesus are standing on that day when peter james and john and see them guess where it's at

630
01:07:12,600 --> 01:07:18,040
in the promised land so those who would say that moses never saw the promised land he was he was

631
01:07:18,040 --> 01:07:21,640
corrected as a leader because he sinned against god and he could not go into the promised land

632
01:07:21,640 --> 01:07:26,840
same as anybody else who was sinned against god cannot go into the promised land but there in the

633
01:07:26,840 --> 01:07:31,640
grace of god because he believed for salvation and went to heaven with god god allowed him to be

634
01:07:31,640 --> 01:07:36,120
present with jesus on that mountain in the promised land but then what you see happen is

635
01:07:36,120 --> 01:07:43,400
you see jesus transformed in an instant and it says there that his robe that he was wearing

636
01:07:43,400 --> 01:07:50,920
became white and became white as light i want you to think for a moment how white

637
01:07:51,560 --> 01:07:59,720
pure light is became white as light and it says his face shone so brightly that it was very hard

638
01:07:59,720 --> 01:08:06,520
to look at in many years i've always wondered you know like what that would look like exactly

639
01:08:06,520 --> 01:08:11,880
and i have a furnace in my house that has an electronic igniter in it and the gas comes out

640
01:08:11,880 --> 01:08:16,200
comes on it starts blowing and the night igniter comes on and it's a it's like a metal pin that

641
01:08:16,200 --> 01:08:21,000
sticks up in sort of a bend like that and it starts to glow and about uh i don't know a year

642
01:08:21,000 --> 01:08:25,320
and a half two years ago it went bad and it would glow and the furnace wouldn't start and it would

643
01:08:25,320 --> 01:08:28,520
stop glowing and it did it three times and then the furnace would stop trying to light and it

644
01:08:28,520 --> 01:08:33,160
would just go out and there's no heat i'm like that's a problem and so i called a furnace guy

645
01:08:33,720 --> 01:08:37,800
may have been wrong i don't remember but i called a furnace guy and i said you know how do i know

646
01:08:37,800 --> 01:08:41,160
what's wrong so well it sounds like the igniter is bad and i said well igniter is lighting i can see

647
01:08:41,160 --> 01:08:46,200
it lighting and said well what does it look like when it's lighting and i said well it's it's

648
01:08:46,200 --> 01:08:52,280
bright orange i mean what do you mean he said well is it hard to look at it's got to glow bright

649
01:08:52,280 --> 01:08:57,000
enough to be hard to look at to be hot enough to light the gas on ignition and now i understand

650
01:08:57,000 --> 01:09:02,760
and they said the face of jesus shone so that it was glowed so that it was hard to look at

651
01:09:05,000 --> 01:09:10,680
and you know what peter did if you know the story you do what did he immediately do he said lord

652
01:09:11,960 --> 01:09:20,360
anybody it's good that we're here right peter james and john's good that we're here he said

653
01:09:20,360 --> 01:09:28,040
let us pitch three tents for you three that we see here right but when he said that he fell on his

654
01:09:28,040 --> 01:09:33,480
face and worshiped toward jesus and then when he got up what happened well the other two were gone

655
01:09:33,480 --> 01:09:37,800
and only jesus remained jesus made them swear and promise that they wouldn't tell everybody about

656
01:09:37,800 --> 01:09:41,960
this event until after the resurrection but we get it because we live a long time after the

657
01:09:41,960 --> 01:09:47,640
resurrection so we've heard it now and i thought about that i'm like look we're crying out loud

658
01:09:47,640 --> 01:09:53,240
they don't need tents what did they need tents for it wasn't raining it wasn't cold what did

659
01:09:53,240 --> 01:09:58,680
they need tents for keep so this is like a little boy like peter's like oh i love you so much uh uh

660
01:09:59,560 --> 01:10:04,120
i'll build you a tent right if you ever have a child bring you an art or a craft that they've

661
01:10:04,120 --> 01:10:08,040
made or a picture or a painting or something like i made this for you you look at it and you're like

662
01:10:09,000 --> 01:10:12,680
that's nice i mean i can tell a lot of work i put in that or whatever but it's pretty

663
01:10:12,680 --> 01:10:19,320
you know not exactly super artistic or whatever and but it's like that it's i want to make

664
01:10:19,320 --> 01:10:25,960
something for you and that's the heart of peter when he saw the holiness of jesus as jesus was

665
01:10:25,960 --> 01:10:31,240
transfigured and so out of that i said well why don't we have that heart why are we not

666
01:10:31,240 --> 01:10:37,000
wanting to serve why don't we get out of bed in the morning and go i see i've got seven things on

667
01:10:37,000 --> 01:10:42,760
my schedule for today the first three things are service to jesus five six and seven clearly are

668
01:10:42,760 --> 01:10:48,440
not four i don't think it is so maybe i can just cut four five six and seven out of my schedule

669
01:10:48,440 --> 01:10:55,240
and i'll slot in some more service to jesus why are we not doing that why is that not our heart

670
01:10:56,280 --> 01:11:02,040
because we have gone our own way we have been enlisted by the ways of the world the things that

671
01:11:02,040 --> 01:11:11,160
we like we have not given up that part of ourselves that still wants things it's along with us and

672
01:11:11,160 --> 01:11:15,800
sometimes we're leading it's leading us and we're following it instead of we're following jesus

673
01:11:15,800 --> 01:11:21,080
but if you would concentrate for a moment on the holiness of jesus you will find in yourself

674
01:11:21,080 --> 01:11:28,600
a need to serve the lord above all other things and then when you choose not to serve the lord

675
01:11:28,600 --> 01:11:32,600
god will not bless you now wait are you have you been listening to this sermon that is literally

676
01:11:32,600 --> 01:11:37,640
not what it says it does not say when you choose to not serve the lord god will not bless you it

677
01:11:37,640 --> 01:11:43,160
says when you choose to not serve the lord god will bless you because he loves you because he's kind

678
01:11:43,160 --> 01:11:48,120
because he's good will he discipline you and chastise you yes you will be corrected maybe

679
01:11:48,120 --> 01:11:53,240
even punished because he chastises those whom he loves and again who was that everyone for him

680
01:11:53,240 --> 01:11:59,800
against him doesn't matter he loves you and he will bless you his kindness will continue and you'll

681
01:11:59,800 --> 01:12:06,600
go oh i got away with it but you didn't you didn't because you lost all the fruit and all the benefit

682
01:12:06,600 --> 01:12:09,960
of what would have come out of it if you had done what you were supposed to do which was serve the

683
01:12:09,960 --> 01:12:17,880
lord in the first place in the absolute worst moments of our lives when we are straying away

684
01:12:17,880 --> 01:12:23,480
from god and refusing to do what god would want us to do he is there to bless us even his correction

685
01:12:23,480 --> 01:12:29,640
and chastisement is a blessing beyond measure because he'll draw he will be for you even when

686
01:12:29,640 --> 01:12:36,840
you are against you and there will be the greatest conflict of all the psalmist writes it this way

687
01:12:36,840 --> 01:12:41,000
in psalm chapter 8 if you're still following along in your bible go there we've got a couple

688
01:12:41,000 --> 01:12:48,840
two texts left the first one is psalms chapter 8 how unique experience i i'd studied this psalm

689
01:12:48,840 --> 01:12:53,720
extensively and sort of fell in love with it and then when we went to a mission trip in the up when

690
01:12:53,720 --> 01:12:59,240
i was a youth pastor back in east lito we stood up at the highest point that we could possibly get to

691
01:12:59,240 --> 01:13:05,800
on that island and read psalm 8 and it echoed off the hills and the trees around us as we read psalm

692
01:13:05,800 --> 01:13:13,640
8 out loud this is what it says oh lord our lord how majestic is thy name in all the earth

693
01:13:14,600 --> 01:13:20,280
who has displayed thy splendor above the heavens from the mouth of infants and nursing babes thou

694
01:13:20,280 --> 01:13:24,120
has established strength in other words before you before i go any further with this because

695
01:13:24,120 --> 01:13:27,080
you're gonna you're gonna be blown away by this when you think about it for a second it says from

696
01:13:27,080 --> 01:13:31,800
the mouth of infants and nursing babes babes thou has established strength meaning from the moment

697
01:13:31,800 --> 01:13:36,760
you were born of the womb you had strength to do something from the moment you took human breath

698
01:13:36,760 --> 01:13:40,040
you had strength to do something now let's see what that strength is back to the beginning so

699
01:13:40,040 --> 01:13:44,040
we get it all in one piece from the mouth of infants and nursing babes thou has established

700
01:13:44,040 --> 01:13:50,040
strength because of thine adversaries to make the enemy and the revengeful cease do you see that

701
01:13:50,040 --> 01:13:58,680
mankind men and women of all ages were given from the womb the ability to rebuke the enemy and make

702
01:13:58,680 --> 01:14:05,720
and make him stop you can say to satan and every evil spirit and demon that ever plagues you

703
01:14:05,720 --> 01:14:13,400
shut up i don't want to hear it but you say well i don't think i can well where did it go

704
01:14:14,200 --> 01:14:20,680
if it was there when you started breathing as a baby where did it go you went your own way

705
01:14:22,520 --> 01:14:28,120
and your way doesn't have that in it this is the way that god made for you from the womb

706
01:14:28,120 --> 01:14:33,000
but you sinned against god and you did what god would not have you to do and in that god still

707
01:14:33,000 --> 01:14:36,920
blessed you and you thought well i'm okay because i'm still blessed doing what i'm not supposed to

708
01:14:36,920 --> 01:14:42,600
be doing but actually you were built from the beginning with the strength of god in you to

709
01:14:42,600 --> 01:14:48,760
rebuke the enemy and to make the enemy and the revengeful cease verse three when i consider thy

710
01:14:48,760 --> 01:14:54,680
heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained there's the creation

711
01:14:54,680 --> 01:14:59,480
what is man that thou dost take thought of him and the son of man that thou dost care for him

712
01:15:00,440 --> 01:15:05,880
yet thou hast made him a little lower than god and thus crown him with glory and majesty

713
01:15:05,880 --> 01:15:11,160
thou dost make him to rule over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet

714
01:15:11,800 --> 01:15:15,000
all sheep and oxen and also the beasts of the field the birds of the heavens

715
01:15:16,040 --> 01:15:22,760
and the fish of the sea whatever passes through the paths of the seas oh lord our lord how majestic

716
01:15:22,760 --> 01:15:31,640
is thy name in all the earth this is what god has done he has created he has allowed and he has

717
01:15:31,640 --> 01:15:37,720
continued to bless those who took the allowing to the extreme and went away from god's way

718
01:15:41,560 --> 01:15:46,360
and yes we've lost some of our reserve of strength yes we've lost some of our capabilities

719
01:15:46,360 --> 01:15:51,080
yes we've lost some of the abilities that he initially made in us and those things come back

720
01:15:51,080 --> 01:15:56,280
when we are born again when we accept jesus christ as lord and savior and begin to live for him

721
01:15:56,280 --> 01:16:01,240
according to our best knowledge and begin to accept the payment for our sins has already been paid

722
01:16:01,240 --> 01:16:05,400
we receive the grace of god and we begin to live for him as we should have in the first place with

723
01:16:05,400 --> 01:16:11,240
the power to rebuke and make the enemy and the revenger cease don't you want it

724
01:16:14,200 --> 01:16:14,920
i want it

725
01:16:14,920 --> 01:16:16,920
what

726
01:16:20,040 --> 01:16:26,760
so we must do this we must recognize god's love he loves you

727
01:16:28,760 --> 01:16:35,640
and if there is a parent in the room and you've ever seen your child or as i have with some of

728
01:16:35,640 --> 01:16:41,320
the teens and kids that we have in our church make what seems to be the worst possible choice

729
01:16:41,320 --> 01:16:47,400
and you're like oh my heart is breaking because i know they're not doing what they're supposed to

730
01:16:47,400 --> 01:16:52,360
be doing they're not where they're supposed to be not making the choice that's godly not making

731
01:16:52,360 --> 01:16:57,000
the choice it's going to be good for them or even healthy just wisdom common sense choice they're

732
01:16:57,000 --> 01:17:03,240
not doing and you love them and you're like broken over the fact and you love them into it and you

733
01:17:03,240 --> 01:17:08,280
love them through it and if they make it through it you love them after it that's the love of god

734
01:17:08,280 --> 01:17:11,960
of god god loves you in the womb

735
01:17:14,360 --> 01:17:21,160
catch the present tense god currently right now in this instant loves you in the womb

736
01:17:21,160 --> 01:17:28,840
under construction in your mommy's womb god loves you potty training right now he exists in every

737
01:17:28,840 --> 01:17:34,520
time in every era and is the same unchanging he exists outside time god loves you in the womb

738
01:17:34,520 --> 01:17:39,640
god loves you potty training god loves you saying your first curse word god loves you sleeping with

739
01:17:39,640 --> 01:17:44,520
your whoever out of marriage or watching adultery or engaging in other illicit sex acts that you

740
01:17:44,520 --> 01:17:48,440
never should have god loves you the first time you ever took a drug that you later got addicted to

741
01:17:48,440 --> 01:17:54,040
and every time you took it after that god loves you when you're staying up too late and should have

742
01:17:54,040 --> 01:17:57,000
gone to bed so you can get up the next day and do what you're supposed to do god loves you when

743
01:17:57,000 --> 01:18:03,080
you fail to set your alarm clock god loves you when you cursed your mother god loves you now in

744
01:18:03,080 --> 01:18:07,800
this room whether you are listening or not whether you're getting it or not god loves you now god

745
01:18:07,800 --> 01:18:12,200
love you will love you in a moment he will love you next year he will love you if you walk away

746
01:18:12,200 --> 01:18:20,120
from him he will love you right into hell if that's where you decide you want to go god loves you

747
01:18:20,120 --> 01:18:26,200
present tense from the moment you were twinkling in your father's eye to the moment you die and go

748
01:18:26,200 --> 01:18:33,560
to hell or heaven for an eternity god loves every soul that ever chose to go to hell rather than be

749
01:18:33,560 --> 01:18:46,120
with him god is love we must recognize god as love god his love god past present future tense love

750
01:18:46,120 --> 01:18:50,120
and i don't mean he used to love you and he will love you again i mean he loves you right now in

751
01:18:50,120 --> 01:18:56,760
the past the present and the future and that is meant to lead us to repent of sin

752
01:18:59,960 --> 01:19:06,360
one time when it was christmas time and i've always been a miser not a scrooge

753
01:19:06,920 --> 01:19:10,520
because i'll spend money especially at christmas time or when it's the right thing to do but i

754
01:19:10,520 --> 01:19:15,480
always spent a miser and i was about 11 12 years old and christmas time was approaching and i i

755
01:19:15,480 --> 01:19:21,160
didn't have any money i hadn't saved up my money i spent it all and so i decided i was going to make

756
01:19:21,160 --> 01:19:28,200
a coupon book for my mom you ever do that here's a hug i'll clean my room without complaining i'll

757
01:19:28,200 --> 01:19:36,360
clean out your car i spent hours making that coupon book it's probably middle of december

758
01:19:37,400 --> 01:19:41,640
and we were stuck inside i think the weather was really bad my brother was doing something but it

759
01:19:41,640 --> 01:19:47,560
wasn't making a coupon book and then went downstairs and i wanted to do something and i asked my mom

760
01:19:47,560 --> 01:19:53,480
and she said no and she made me feel bad for asking and i got mad i went to the bathroom i

761
01:19:53,480 --> 01:19:59,400
came back out and i decided i was going to argue my point with her and uh i i was kind of mean

762
01:20:01,000 --> 01:20:06,200
and she got stern you know i'm saying and she said when your dad gets home and this was the way it

763
01:20:06,200 --> 01:20:10,360
went in my household i'm going to have him take his belt to your rear end you just be expecting

764
01:20:10,360 --> 01:20:14,200
it because i'm i'm fed up with this this kind of behavior you're disrespecting me it's not going to

765
01:20:14,200 --> 01:20:22,440
happen and i said to my mom i said mom i just spent two hours of my time and my effort and my

766
01:20:22,440 --> 01:20:28,600
limited artistic skills making a coupon book for you for christmas i just spent two hours and i said

767
01:20:28,600 --> 01:20:37,320
now i regret it i regret that i did that i'm going upstairs right now to tear that up and

768
01:20:37,320 --> 01:20:40,600
throw it away i wasted my two hours i never should have made you a christmas present

769
01:20:42,040 --> 01:20:49,560
as my foot hit the bottom step headed upstairs to my room it's in the house i now live in i heard my

770
01:20:49,560 --> 01:20:58,040
mom sobbing and when i heard my mom sobbing because i told her that the coupon book i had

771
01:20:58,040 --> 01:21:04,680
spent two hours making for her for a christmas present was a mistake i realized i had gone too

772
01:21:04,680 --> 01:21:10,440
far and my heart sank i didn't tear up the coupon book

773
01:21:14,120 --> 01:21:22,840
god will love you right into hell if that's what you choose with the love of our god

774
01:21:25,000 --> 01:21:31,160
he loves you so much will you continue to not recognize that love

775
01:21:31,160 --> 01:21:41,560
to not have a heart of service to not express gratitude or will you as paul was saying

776
01:21:42,200 --> 01:21:44,440
repent of all the rest of it

777
01:21:46,600 --> 01:21:52,760
and let him be god of your life let him take you into an eternal relationship

778
01:21:52,760 --> 01:22:00,520
in heaven after this life oh if if we could sample it we'd know what decision to make

779
01:22:02,520 --> 01:22:13,240
but that's not the equation god created god allowed we chose a way other than god's way

780
01:22:13,240 --> 01:22:20,360
because god was not satisfied that all of those that he loved so much should be separate from him

781
01:22:20,360 --> 01:22:28,520
for an eternity he came in the flesh as jesus christ and died on the cross you can't see

782
01:22:28,520 --> 01:22:37,720
god's love in the crucifixion i met a man who didn't know god and he was a Christian

783
01:22:37,720 --> 01:22:46,120
i met a man who didn't know god who went to war while he was at war somebody dived on a grenade

784
01:22:46,120 --> 01:22:55,080
for him and a half dozen of his friends he came home and said there is absolutely nothing that i

785
01:22:55,080 --> 01:23:01,320
can do to repay the man who dived on a grenade for me nothing he said but i guarantee you one thing

786
01:23:01,880 --> 01:23:04,600
his wife and his children will never want for anything in this life

787
01:23:04,600 --> 01:23:11,880
i'd have been dead or maimed to say the least if that man had not dived on that grenade many of us

788
01:23:11,880 --> 01:23:16,840
would have been dead or maimed to say at least now i will live for him i will do for him what he can

789
01:23:16,840 --> 01:23:21,560
no longer do for himself because he sacrificed his life so that i can live where is your heart

790
01:23:22,280 --> 01:23:29,720
he loves you he died on the cross for you we're still getting out of bed each morning and we have

791
01:23:29,720 --> 01:23:34,840
why do we have any concerns whatsoever for our opinions or for what we want or our desires or

792
01:23:34,840 --> 01:23:41,160
for what makes us feel good how could we ever come to the point where our grief our anger or

793
01:23:41,160 --> 01:23:46,200
our frustration make it so that we cannot clearly see and count our blessings which are beyond

794
01:23:46,200 --> 01:23:51,960
measure numbers that we'll never see

795
01:23:51,960 --> 01:24:00,120
repent of your sin and turn to the lord he sent his son to die for sins and he raised him again

796
01:24:00,120 --> 01:24:07,320
to prove his goodness it's no joke i'm serious i mean it when i say you can live with me for an

797
01:24:07,320 --> 01:24:13,960
eternity after death he proved his goodness once and for all

798
01:24:13,960 --> 01:24:20,120
we also must realize sadly that people may get lost in their ways and they may mistake his goodness

799
01:24:20,120 --> 01:24:26,280
for authorization or even the success of their plans

800
01:24:27,880 --> 01:24:35,240
they may mistake that to think that their alternative plans are better than the plan that god has for us

801
01:24:35,240 --> 01:24:42,600
they may mistake that to think that their alternative plans are better than the plan that god has for us

802
01:24:45,640 --> 01:24:52,120
but the testimony of creation is enough it is enough to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that

803
01:24:52,120 --> 01:24:58,440
there is a god and the fact that he has not left himself without a testimony should lead you to

804
01:24:58,440 --> 01:25:04,440
understand that someone has been taking care of you we sang a song i think it was the sunday school

805
01:25:04,440 --> 01:25:11,480
song the one that starts with i grew up in sunday school i'm not sure that said that god was at work

806
01:25:11,480 --> 01:25:16,040
in my life before i ever got saved i don't know how many times i can count after i got saved that

807
01:25:16,040 --> 01:25:19,720
god has miraculously protected me and i've and i've managed to make it through but i can count

808
01:25:19,720 --> 01:25:26,200
several before i got saved you know god was saving my life from my stupidity in a knife fight where

809
01:25:26,200 --> 01:25:30,600
i drew the knife and they took it away from me and then tried to use it on me jumping my little

810
01:25:30,600 --> 01:25:35,240
motorcycle the cb360 that the bristers wound up with for a while that motorcycle jumping it over

811
01:25:35,240 --> 01:25:39,080
the railroad tracks at 100 mile per hour and the needle was pegging on the high high end of speed

812
01:25:39,080 --> 01:25:50,520
i'm going half drunk on beer god was saving my life and now i stand here today how could i ever

813
01:25:50,520 --> 01:25:54,760
come to the point where i am frustrated and grieving and can't see the blessings that i'm

814
01:25:54,760 --> 01:26:02,120
receiving the next time you're in a difficult spot you say okay god show me how you're blessing me

815
01:26:02,120 --> 01:26:07,480
in this spot show me all the good that i have today so i can give you all the praise that you

816
01:26:07,480 --> 01:26:14,920
deserve and of course do not embrace the alternative plans yourself and of course be readily corrected

817
01:26:14,920 --> 01:26:23,480
by your god and repent and recognize his love and then do it again start over again recognizing his

818
01:26:23,480 --> 01:26:30,040
love and repenting of your sin realizing that people not me i won't allow it because i will

819
01:26:30,040 --> 01:26:36,120
turn to god every time you say not me no more i won't allow it but people do get caught in their

820
01:26:36,120 --> 01:26:42,840
own ways and mistake his goodness for authorization of what they've been doing

821
01:26:45,320 --> 01:26:52,040
that's how we get well i know the bible says this is sin but this is just the way

822
01:26:52,040 --> 01:27:01,000
god made me i know the bible says i shouldn't do this but for this short time i need to you know

823
01:27:02,120 --> 01:27:10,280
who would count it against me i have one last story and a psalm and we're done the story is this

824
01:27:11,080 --> 01:27:15,080
there was a man who accepted jesus christ in the early days of

825
01:27:15,080 --> 01:27:19,400
in the early days of new heights when we were on main street not the earliest days but we were on

826
01:27:19,400 --> 01:27:24,440
main street he accepted christ and the night that he accepted christ he was walking down an alley

827
01:27:24,440 --> 01:27:29,480
going home and it was late it was after the bars had closed and he came upon a man who was beating

828
01:27:29,480 --> 01:27:35,320
his girlfriend and this guy was the guy who accepted christ was a big guy and the guy was

829
01:27:35,320 --> 01:27:40,600
being his girlfriend was bigger than she was but not bigger than he was and so he stepped in i'm

830
01:27:40,600 --> 01:27:44,280
a follower of christ now this is an injustice i'm going to stop that so he stepped in and he grabbed

831
01:27:44,280 --> 01:27:48,520
the guy by the scruff of the neck or whatever and he said that's enough and he made sure their girl

832
01:27:48,520 --> 01:27:55,000
got home safe and she needed an ice pack pretty bad and whatever and then he went home

833
01:27:57,080 --> 01:28:02,760
half hour hour later so guy come knocking on his door it was an old friend somebody hadn't seen in

834
01:28:02,760 --> 01:28:09,160
a couple years they used to drink together partied together and they would drink together and they

835
01:28:09,160 --> 01:28:16,200
would party together running all the wrong crowds together but he's a christian now the guy says i

836
01:28:16,200 --> 01:28:21,480
got nowhere to sleep you mind if i sleep here and he says sure you can sleep in my house so he lets

837
01:28:21,480 --> 01:28:27,640
him in locks the door behind him goes to bed a couple hours later he's sound asleep in his bed

838
01:28:28,440 --> 01:28:32,920
feeling like he lived for the lord i stopped the guy from beating his girlfriend i'm giving a guy

839
01:28:32,920 --> 01:28:38,440
a place to sleep i'm living for the lord today and he wakes up at the last possible moment as the guy

840
01:28:38,440 --> 01:28:43,320
he let come and stay in his house for the night is standing over him with a four inch blade about to

841
01:28:43,320 --> 01:28:49,240
stab him in the chest so he wakes up and there's this guy that he's giving a roof over his head

842
01:28:49,240 --> 01:28:55,000
for the night with a blade like this ready to stab him in the chest last second he deflects the blade

843
01:28:55,000 --> 01:29:00,120
slightly it stabs him in the pectoral muscle up here they wrestle he beats the guy up a little bit

844
01:29:00,680 --> 01:29:06,040
kicks him out of the house the next morning sometime after dawn he finds out that the guy

845
01:29:06,040 --> 01:29:11,960
who he stopped from beating his girlfriend paid the guy who was his friend from two years ago 50 bucks

846
01:29:12,760 --> 01:29:19,960
to kill him i come to church the next sunday stitches in his chest right here nine stitches

847
01:29:20,520 --> 01:29:26,440
all swollen and black and blue and he had some other marks from the fight and i said how does

848
01:29:26,440 --> 01:29:29,960
this make you feel about wanting to live for jesus i mean that sounds like it's a rough week for you

849
01:29:29,960 --> 01:29:35,880
and he said oh no i'm living for jesus and we baptized him a week later with the stitches

850
01:29:37,640 --> 01:29:38,440
still in his chest

851
01:29:40,760 --> 01:29:46,440
two months later maybe four months later something like that it was i think was uh we were having a

852
01:29:46,440 --> 01:29:50,440
block party i don't think it was the fall fest we were having a block party and he was there

853
01:29:50,440 --> 01:29:52,120
and he borrowed my cell phone to make a call

854
01:29:52,120 --> 01:30:03,000
and i listened in on the call by accident really and he was selling oxycodone on my phone

855
01:30:05,000 --> 01:30:10,360
so i went up i took the phone away from i hung it up and i said um that's not gonna do that's not

856
01:30:10,360 --> 01:30:14,680
living for jesus he had not he had never finished joining the church because he had had some

857
01:30:14,680 --> 01:30:17,640
struggles and whatever he said that's that's not for jesus i said that's not gonna do

858
01:30:17,640 --> 01:30:23,400
that's not godly that's not right and this is what he said to me and it rang so true in my ears today

859
01:30:23,400 --> 01:30:28,520
as it never has before he said you just don't understand and i said what do you mean

860
01:30:29,400 --> 01:30:41,160
he said i live in a real world i have to do what i have to do to survive i have to pay my rent

861
01:30:41,160 --> 01:30:46,200
so i went to the hospital and i told them my back was hurting and they prescribed me

862
01:30:46,200 --> 01:30:50,440
10 or 12 oxycodone whatever it was and they're worth eight bucks on the street

863
01:30:51,000 --> 01:30:57,800
and if i sell those that's part of my rent he said so i'm not going to listen to you

864
01:30:58,760 --> 01:31:02,680
i'm going to do what i feel i have to do to survive

865
01:31:02,680 --> 01:31:08,360
and i said then i'm afraid you're going to have to leave and he did leave he reached out to me three

866
01:31:08,360 --> 01:31:12,280
or four times after that over the years and he's still out there as far as i know

867
01:31:13,240 --> 01:31:16,440
and doing what he thinks is right

868
01:31:19,160 --> 01:31:25,160
and i'm here to tell you today that the god of heaven loves him and the god of heaven is still

869
01:31:25,160 --> 01:31:31,480
blessing him now i'm here to tell you today that the god of heaven loves him and the god of heaven

870
01:31:31,480 --> 01:31:36,760
is still blessing him now he's probably lost the ability to rebuke evil spirits and turn back the

871
01:31:36,760 --> 01:31:42,040
revenger he's probably lost the ability to really walk in the lord the way he should he's probably

872
01:31:42,040 --> 01:31:47,720
lost the ability to spread the kingdom to win people to christ but god still loves him and god

873
01:31:47,720 --> 01:31:51,720
still blessing him and the one time i talked to him i said how are you doing he said i'm doing

874
01:31:51,720 --> 01:32:02,200
well he said i'm fed and i'm happy what did we read god has not left himself without witness

875
01:32:04,200 --> 01:32:10,200
because he has provided fruitfulness of the seasons to feed your heart or to feed your stomach

876
01:32:10,760 --> 01:32:17,160
and gladness for your heart this is psalm 46 and this will be our last text of the day god is our

877
01:32:17,160 --> 01:32:23,800
refuge and strength a very present help in trouble therefore we will not fear though the earth should

878
01:32:23,800 --> 01:32:28,920
change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea though its waters roar and foam

879
01:32:28,920 --> 01:32:34,760
though the mountains quake at the swelling pride selah there is a river whose streams may glad the

880
01:32:34,760 --> 01:32:41,000
city of god the holy dwelling place of the most high god is in the midst of her she will not be

881
01:32:41,000 --> 01:32:47,240
moved god will help her when morning dawns the nations made an uproar the kingdoms tottered he

882
01:32:47,240 --> 01:32:53,400
raised his voice and the earth melted the lord of hosts is with us the god of jacob is our stronghold

883
01:32:53,400 --> 01:33:00,360
selah come behold the works of the lord who has wrought desolations on the earth he makes wars to

884
01:33:00,360 --> 01:33:06,280
cease in the ends of the earth he breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two he burns the chariots

885
01:33:06,280 --> 01:33:17,160
with fire listen here cease striving and know that i am god i will be exalted among the nations i will

886
01:33:17,160 --> 01:33:24,920
be exalted in the earth the lord of hosts is with us the god of jacob is our stronghold and i had in

887
01:33:24,920 --> 01:33:30,280
my mind this picture when satan himself whom we have probably never met but suffered under some

888
01:33:30,280 --> 01:33:36,520
of his schemes when satan himself arrives at the day of judgment and stands before god and he makes

889
01:33:36,520 --> 01:33:42,920
contention over your soul over my soul and satan says i want to take sierra i want to take lind i

890
01:33:42,920 --> 01:33:47,640
want to take josh because they lied because they stole because they didn't do what they were

891
01:33:47,640 --> 01:33:51,640
supposed to do because under your love and their understanding of your love you still blessed them

892
01:33:51,640 --> 01:33:56,600
in this lifetime they received their blessings in their lifetime but they did not accept you they

893
01:33:56,600 --> 01:34:03,480
did not repent and turn to you i want to take them and jesus says no no no they do belong to me

894
01:34:04,040 --> 01:34:11,320
and in that moment satan himself will bow his knee and confess that jesus is lord

895
01:34:15,720 --> 01:34:17,720
god will shut that rabid dog down

896
01:34:17,720 --> 01:34:27,560
but the power to shut that rabid dog down god ordained in you since birth

897
01:34:30,600 --> 01:34:39,320
god help us he created he allowed and even though he allowed he maintained a witness for himself

898
01:34:39,320 --> 01:34:40,360
and being good

899
01:34:40,360 --> 01:34:46,680
giving rain from heaven and giving fruitful seasons and food for your stomach gladness for your heart

900
01:34:48,040 --> 01:34:56,760
but the goodness of god can be used to reinforce bad behavior don't allow it recognize his love

901
01:34:56,760 --> 01:35:02,600
repent of sin live for the one who died for you

902
01:35:02,600 --> 01:35:09,960
realize that people may get lost in their ways and mistake his goodness for authorization

903
01:35:09,160 --> 01:35:13,960
but don't do that yourself

904
01:35:14,920 --> 01:35:22,920
fire up your heart of service and live for jesus i love you

905
01:35:22,920 --> 01:35:30,440
at least i think i do but this i know for sure he loves you and he would never see you do some of

906
01:35:30,440 --> 01:35:39,400
the things that you decide to do that are not in his way he loves you too much

907
01:35:42,040 --> 01:35:43,080
god help us

908
01:35:43,080 --> 01:35:48,040
if you're here today and you've never accepted jesus christ as lord that means he tells you what

909
01:35:48,040 --> 01:35:52,200
to do when you do it and savior that means he paid the price for your sins

910
01:35:53,560 --> 01:36:00,360
but you recognize that god has loved you and is calling you to him to live your life for him

911
01:36:00,360 --> 01:36:04,200
that as we have this song that we're about to sing we're going to sing it for you

912
01:36:04,200 --> 01:36:09,800
and we're going to sing it for you and we're going to sing it for you and we're going to sing it for

913
01:36:09,800 --> 01:36:15,240
him that as we have this song that we're about to sing you're going to respond and you're going to

914
01:36:15,240 --> 01:36:19,400
tell everybody the work that god is doing in you that you now intend to live for the lord

915
01:36:20,040 --> 01:36:29,080
that you are new today and rebirth god will author in you the power and the authority to rebuke

916
01:36:29,080 --> 01:36:34,920
the revenger to put down that rabid dog

917
01:36:34,920 --> 01:36:39,400
and if you came in here today say i am a christian i know i'm a power lord but i also know

918
01:36:39,400 --> 01:36:45,400
that quite often i go into my own way that my first thought is not how may i serve the lord

919
01:36:45,960 --> 01:36:51,800
but what can i do that's fun or what can i do that will take care of me or how can i sustain

920
01:36:51,800 --> 01:36:55,480
myself in my relationships what does so and so want me to do

921
01:36:55,480 --> 01:37:03,320
if that's you you need to repent today and say no god who has always shown me kindness and love

922
01:37:03,320 --> 01:37:08,520
god who died on the cross for me and proved by the resurrection of jesus that there is life after this

923
01:37:08,520 --> 01:37:19,640
death deserves my undying loyalty and say no more no more will i walk in my own way

924
01:37:19,640 --> 01:37:28,920
and say no more no more will i walk in my own way always will i seek the way of the lord

925
01:37:30,120 --> 01:37:35,560
always will i take my next breath thinking about how i may serve the one who died for me that i may live

926
01:37:38,280 --> 01:37:44,760
help us if that's you then you publicly speak up and during the song you said that's me

927
01:37:44,760 --> 01:37:52,680
and i want to become the kind of person that will live daily for the lord jesus christ and for nothing

928
01:37:52,680 --> 01:37:58,040
else they're here today you say i need to be baptized i'm a follower of jesus christ i know

929
01:37:58,040 --> 01:38:01,480
i'm living for the lord but i'm not baptized i'm not done it the way god would have me to do it then

930
01:38:01,480 --> 01:38:05,800
you come and you tell us that or you say i need a church home this this looks like the place where

931
01:38:05,800 --> 01:38:10,200
i'm going to learn and grow in christ i want this to be my home and i want to serve here notice

932
01:38:10,200 --> 01:38:20,280
we reach new heights in jesus in part by serving in the body whatever it might be you respond as we

933
01:38:20,280 --> 01:38:24,360
sing ask the praise team to come forward this time and lead us in our closing hymn but this

934
01:38:24,360 --> 01:38:29,880
closing hymn is a hymn of response it's your opportunity to respond as god is calling upon

935
01:38:29,880 --> 01:38:45,800
your heart wherever it might be as soon as they start would you stand with me and sing this song

936
01:38:46,360 --> 01:38:49,800
but you're responding then you don't sing you come

937
01:38:49,800 --> 01:38:58,840
you're responding that you don't sing you come pastor dan here thanks for choosing this podcast

938
01:38:58,840 --> 01:39:04,120
from church toledo.com new heights fellowship baptist church of east toledo check us out online

939
01:39:04,120 --> 01:39:12,680
at that website you can give there you can also give by texting g-i-v-e to 419-419-0095

940
01:39:12,680 --> 01:39:19,320
the church phone number if you should need to call us is 419-469-8808 and our address is 255

941
01:39:19,320 --> 01:39:31,800
hefner street toledo ohio 43605 that's 255 hefner street h-e-f-f-n-e-r street toledo ohio 43605

942
01:39:31,800 --> 01:39:38,040
our service is on sundays at 11 30 a.m 6 30 p.m tuesday evenings we get together for bible study

943
01:39:38,040 --> 01:39:43,880
as of this time and we'd love to have you join us come serve with us and reach new heights in jesus

944
01:39:43,880 --> 01:39:47,240
if you're interested in becoming a member of the church you've been listening in and you feel like

945
01:39:47,240 --> 01:39:53,000
god's calling you to do that check out our website at church toledo.com and click on the link that

946
01:39:53,000 --> 01:39:57,960
says what does it take to be a member or how can i be a member or can i be a member i think it says

947
01:39:57,960 --> 01:40:03,720
can i be a member of new heights fellowship baptist church and so check us out god bless you today

948
01:40:03,720 --> 01:40:17,720
as you serve jesus and reach new heights in jesus