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Have you ever been afraid of something or trying to deal with something that

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you weren't really positive was there? I was about 11 years old and my parents

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used to go on Friday nights to an auction in Lambertville, Michigan. Now

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auctions aren't that common where if you think eBay but in person it's like that

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they used to they put it up there and somebody would hold up the thing and

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they'd say who give me a buck or give me ten bucks ten eleven twelve twenty fifty

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and whatever the highest number somebody would give that thing that person take

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that thing home and they would have thousands and thousands of items and I

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used to like to go with my parents to these auctions because I used to get a

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lot of stuff cheap I like cheap stuff you may know that about me but one

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Friday night I was about 11 years old and my brother was gone and he was spending the night at a

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friend's house and my parents were going to the auction in Lambertville

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but I had any money and I thought that's gonna be painful to go there and sit and

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watch the auction all these bargain things that I could potentially buy and

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I don't want to go now I didn't have a phone that didn't exist at that time it

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didn't have an iPad or a tablet we didn't even have cable TV we had a TV

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tower they like three channels on it there wasn't anything on TV that I knew

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I wanted to watch but I didn't want to go sit to the auction I thought there

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was a possibility that my mom might just slip me some cash because she would do

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that sometimes I didn't have any money but I didn't know for sure and I didn't

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want to go and I'd gone once before a couple months before when I didn't have

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any money and it really was a painful kind of boring experience to sit there

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was like four hours and if you're like you think 11 years old sitting there

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for four hours you can't buy anything can't nothing right couldn't go to the

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snack bar and buy the candy bar couldn't buy anything came up for auction nothing

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and I thought I didn't really want to do that so I begged my parents to be left

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home now at 11 years old I had never been left home before by myself now some

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people have I know that people start babysitting at eight or nine years old

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but I had never and so I'm sitting in my house and my parents agreed to leave me

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at home sitting in my house at roughly I don't know probably ten o'clock at night

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and I know they're not gonna be home until close to midnight and I've got the

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living room light on and I have read a book and I played with some toys and

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some various things and I did the chores that they left me to do and everything

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like that and I'm just kind of sitting there I'm thinking now what what am I

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gonna do and I started to think about how I was alone and if someone came I

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didn't have anybody to protect me and then I started to think about like well

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are the doors locked and so I systematically went through all the

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house and made sure all the doors were locked and then after I made sure all

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the doors were locked I thought about the windows and I said I think the

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upstairs windows are unlocked and there's a TV tower you crawl up on the

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roof and get upstairs windows are unlocked but then I was afraid to go

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upstairs because there might be somebody upstairs already that could have got in

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through a window and I might go up there and find them and then it would be a

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conflict I was afraid of that so I went and I got my BB gun and I had a pump

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BB gun that you could pump up about 15 times and it put a little tiny BB through

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you know an inch of cardboard or skin but eventually later a little later than

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this couple years like I got one from that same BB gun in my neck and had to

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have it surgically removed because we were shooting each other when we

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shouldn't have been and the guy pumped it up too much this is a very dangerous

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BB gun and I got my BB gun I pumped it up about like 11 pumps and I went upstairs

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and I locked the windows and there are locked the windows and I thought but if

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somebody had already gotten in the house or if there was some kind of evil

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spirit saying because I didn't wasn't a Christian I didn't know nothing about

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God or spirituality I said they could come in the closet so it could be

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someone in the closet so I systematically went with a BB gun and a

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flashlight and searched every closet in the house in every room and even these

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little attic closets that are off the bedroom I opened the door one of them

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hadn't been opened in a long time and I looked in there it was just cobwebs and I

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went I searched every closet and everywhere and then I got all done I

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went back to the living room and I have my BB gun there and I thought okay now

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what am I gonna do I thought well I wonder if somebody if there was somebody

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or an evil spirit had gotten in a closet and then I I searched the other closets

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first and then it like slipped around behind me and it got in the closet that

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I first searched so I went and searched all the closets again to make sure there

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was nothing there and there was it but I kept the BB gun with me and I think I

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watched a movie and a couple hours later my parents came home and I made it

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through now that you might go no I've never done that that's not like me but I

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submit to you that humans have a tendency to do one of two things about

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things that we don't know about either a you're gonna go look at it and figure it

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out and make sure it's good for me I had to go check the closet it's kind of

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silly but I took the doors and the windows and the closets to make sure that

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no one had snuck in or that there was no kind of demonic thing or whatever that

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was hiding in a closet sometimes you just got to go check it and other times

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you're gonna go I'm just not gonna think about it just gonna put it aside I'm not

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gonna think about it we've got a number of those things that we've put aside

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that we're not gonna think about until they become until and if they become a

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real problem today we're gonna look at the scriptures as I was writing this

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message it occurred to me that if you're a young believer in the house and we

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have some of those today that you're gonna have to be a little bit careful

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because what I'm about to give you is kind of like a big piece of meat and

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you're gonna have to chew it and make sure you understand it and at the same

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time I like my stakes a little medium rare it's a little bit like that because

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you have to know what your life is like what your unseen things are in order to

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either address them or put them aside right I can't know that for you but God

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can and if you wanted to do it that way you can say Lord has helped me with my

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unseen things and you could do that but the point is give it your best effort go

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with me then and maybe get a little excited today's topic is actually not

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that it is called predicting rain predicting rain except rain is spelled

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our E IG and rain like the rain of a king not rain falls from the sky so it's

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predicting rain so grab your Bibles and go with me if you would to Luke chapter

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1 amen this is God's Word I appreciate you doing that if you did not voice a

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little word there or at least let out a grunt or something please focus yourself

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nonetheless on the Word of God and let's give this a shot this kind of medium

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rare stake message of predicting rain okay here we go we're in Luke chapter 1

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I'm gonna read it from the beginning just so you have the context but I want

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you to realize we don't need all of this text for the message but we do need to

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understand where it's coming from okay all right here we go many have

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undertaken to compile a narrative that means a story about the events that have

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been fulfilled among us that he's the things that they had saw that God had

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done just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them

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down to us there's Lucas saying I wasn't there I didn't see it but we know a lot

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of people who saw it and told us what happened it also seemed good to me since

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I have carefully investigated everything from the very first to write to you in

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orderly sequence most honorable theophilus so that you may know the

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certainty of the things about which you have been instructed now in other words

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he's gonna lay out for us Luke was a doctor and he took the stories about

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Jesus and eyewitness accounts and facts and looked up evidence and probably

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traveled around a lot whatever we did all that to assemble everything we're

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gonna get so now what we're about to read then is his starting point is where

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Luke decided to start to make clear everything about Jesus and his ministry

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and what people saw that he did and what he asked of us and all of that okay so a

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lot of people when we start the Christmas story we want to kind of flip

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to the right and go over to where Gabriel predicts the birth of Jesus or

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maybe even a little further and go to where Mary is getting ready to have the

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baby it says the birth of Jesus was accomplished likewise okay so we're

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gonna take a run-up at that but we won't quite get all the way to the birth of

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Jesus today but we're gonna keep going in verse in chapter 1 verse 5 it says in

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the days of King Herod of Judea there was a priest of a Bijah division named

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Zechariah so there's this guy Zechariah he's a priest and they were broken down

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in 24 divisions and even when they came back out of the exile only like four or

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five divisions remained and they re-broke them down in 24 divisions and

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one of those was a Bijah who was a longtime heroic well-remembered king of

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the Jews okay his wife was from the daughters of Aaron and her name was

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Elizabeth so we have Zechariah and Elizabeth they were righteous in God's

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sight living without blame according to all the commandments and requirements

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of the Lord now that doesn't mean they got everything exactly right ever in

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their life but at this time they were living for God verse 7 but they had no

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children because Elizabeth could not conceive and both of them were well

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along in years so that's why they don't have babies when his division was on

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duty and he was serving as priest before God it happened that he was chosen by

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Lot according to the custom of the priesthood to enter the sanctuary of the

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Lord and burn incense so he was gonna go into the holy holy place as holy as it

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is and he's gonna burn incense in there which makes smoke and smell okay that

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was his job now this was such an important job that they did casting of

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lots he was allowed to do it and they were only allowed to do it once in their

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life so this is the only time ever that Zechariah will be allowed to go in the

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Holy of Holies okay there are so many priests that they only do it twice a

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year to ever get a chance to do it this is the only time anyone will be allowed

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or that Zechariah will be allowed to do at verse 10 at the hour of incense the

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whole assembly of assembly of people was praying outside and angel the Lord

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appeared to him standing to the right of the altar of incense so in the place of

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authority next to the altar of incense right to to Zechariah's right there an

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angel appears and when Zechariah saw him he was startled and overcome with fear

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boom what oh you scared the crap out of me but the angel said to him do not be

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afraid Zechariah because your prayer has been heard your wife Elizabeth will bear

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you a son and you will name him John okay now that would be enough warning

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right there that's powerful in his life he's got a wife that can't have babies

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now boom she's suddenly gonna do it and he's told he'll name that baby John he

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will name that baby John verse 14 there will be joy and delight for you and

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many will rejoice at his birth for he will be great in the sight of the Lord

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and will never drink wine or beer he will be filled with the Holy Spirit

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while still in his mother's womb he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the

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Lord their God he will go before him a capital H him in the spirit and power of

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Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the

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understanding of the righteous to make ready for the Lord a prepared people so

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in other words this guy John was gonna lead the way for Jesus to kind of jump

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ahead in the story and he's gonna make it clear that the people needed to be

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ready and then the people would start getting ready for the coming of Jesus

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that's what he's saying is gonna happen now but this is his birth John's birth

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18 how can I know this Zachariah asked the angel in other words what sign or

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how are you gonna make it real to me okay I hear you angel Lord telling me

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that this is gonna happen but how is this gonna get real to me right now

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because I kind of am doubting I'm kind of struggling I'm kind of not sure you're

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telling me my wife who's beyond child-rearing age she's always been

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bearing is now gonna give me a baby sounds good but how can I know this is

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gonna be true the angel answered him I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of

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God and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news now listen you

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will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place

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because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their proper

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time so in other words because he didn't believe the angel the angel says now you

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will be silent and not able to speak until the baby comes or until the proper

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time which we'll find out when that is in a moment 21 meanwhile the people were

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waiting for Zachariah amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary when he

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did come out he could not speak to them then they realized that he had seen a

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vision in the sanctuary they knew something amazing had happened in their

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vision and occurrence meeting with God something he kept making signs to them

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and remained speechless so he couldn't talk when the days of his ministry were

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completed he went back home after these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and

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kept herself in seclusion for five months she said the Lord has done this

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for me he has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the

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people in other words God is gonna make me great because I'm gonna have a baby

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in my old age it's gonna be awesome but I'm gonna wait five months because I

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don't want people to start thinking maybe and at two months you could have a

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miscarriage and so on so I'm gonna wait five months so everybody can know that

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this is for real and I can know that it's for real in the sixth month the

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angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin

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engaged to a man named Joseph for the house of David the Virgin's name was

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Mary okay now we have the mother of Jesus and the angel came to her and said

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rejoice favorite woman the Lord is with you but she was deeply troubled by this

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statement wondering what kind of greeting this could be what does that

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mean exactly the Lord is with me boy is so that's a tough one that's kind of

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scary then the angel told her do not be afraid Mary for you found favor with God

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now listen you will conceive and give birth to a son and you will call his name

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Jesus now remember she's detrode at this time so she's thinking she's gonna get

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married so that part of it might not necessarily be a big deal because she's

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thinking well I'm gonna get married and have a baby but then we start finding

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out that it's gonna be God's baby that's the problem he will be great and will be

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called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give him the throne of his

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father David he will reign over the house of Jacob notice that word rain

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there over the house of Jacob forever in his kingdom will have no end Mary asked

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the angel how can this be since I'm I have not been intimate with a man so

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she's realizing God's hand this is God's gonna give her a baby how can that be I

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have not had any sex there's not any of that going on I'm gonna have a baby and

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the angel replied to her the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the

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most high will overshadow you therefore the Holy One to be born will be called

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the Son of God it's gonna be your baby but it's also gonna be God's baby and

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the Holy Spirit is gonna make that happen consider your relative Elizabeth's

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and now she's gonna get a sign and I submit to you this sign first has come

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to Elizabeth Elizabeth already knows that there's going to be someone coming

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right first she knows John and then John's gonna be a forerunner for

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somebody and consider your relative Elizabeth even she has conceived a son

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in her old age no one would believe that normally but it's happened and this is

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the sixth month for her who was called barren for nothing will be impossible

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with God I am the Lord's slave said Mary may it be done to me according to your

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word then the angel left her so there is a warning of what God's gonna do and then

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she says okay God you do that still going on in those days Mary set out and

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hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah where she entered Zechariah's

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house and greeted Elizabeth now these two women are gonna come together one is

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over six months pregnant and one is maybe a month at most when Elizabeth

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heard Mary's greeting the baby leaped inside her and Elizabeth was filled with

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the Holy Spirit then she exclaimed with a loud cry in other words she broke the

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silence that's that same Psalm verse we looked at last week from Psalm 100 then

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she exclaimed with a loud cry you are the most blessed of women and your child

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will be blessed how could this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should

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come to me for you see when the sound of your greeting reached my ears as soon as

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I heard you coming in and saying hi the baby leap for joy inside me she who has

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believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be

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fulfilled and Mary said now this is Mary's song and Mary said my soul

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proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior

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because he has looked with favor on the humble conditions of his slave surely

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from now on all generations will call me blessed because the mighty one has done

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great things for me and his name is holy his mercy is from generation to

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generation and those who fear him he has done a mighty deed with his arm he has

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scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts listen to what

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she's saying is happening just because she's pregnant with Jesus just because

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she's pregnant with Jesus she's saying that the mighty she's done a mighty deed

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with his arm he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts

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he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly he has

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satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty he has

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helped his servant Israel mindful of his mercy just as he spoke to our ancestors

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to Abraham and his descendants forever so Mary does this song talking about how

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the coming of Jesus rewrites all of humanity and then it says in verse 56

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and Mary stayed with her about three months then she returned to her home so

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as Elizabeth's gonna ready to have the baby Mary goes back home okay this is

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getting right up there to where we need to be now the time had come for Elizabeth

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to give birth and she had a son then her neighbors and relatives heard that the

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Lord had shown her his great mercy and they rejoiced with her this is awesome

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you've got a son that's awesome when they came to circumcise the child on the

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eighth day they were going to name him Zechariah after his father I mean that

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would be awesome to do right this is son born the old age name him after his dad

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Zechariah jr. that makes good sense but his mother responded no he will be called

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John they said to her none of your relatives has that name so they mentioned

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to his father and found out and find out I'm sorry try this again they motioned

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to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called he asked for a writing

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label and wrote his name is John and they were all amazed immediately his

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mouth was opened and his tongue set free and he began to speak praising God fear

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came in all those who lived around them and all these things were being talked

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about throughout the hill country of Judea all who heard about him took it to

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heart saying what then will be I'm sorry what then will this child become for

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indeed the Lord's hand was with him this is the song that we're talking about

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today Zechariah the father of John then his father Zechariah was filled with the

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Holy Spirit and prophesied verse 68 praise the Lord the God of Israel

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because he has visited and provided redemption for his people what do you

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think he's talking about the coming of Jesus he has raised up a horn of

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salvation for us in the house of his servant David just as he spoke by the

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mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times salvation from our enemies and

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from the clutches of those who hate us he has dealt mercifully with our fathers

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and remembered his holy covenant the oath that he swore to our father Abraham

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he has given us the privilege since we have been rescued from our enemies

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clutches to serve him without fear that's what Tony Tate was talking about

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when he said just do it and if you die doing it you'll go you'll be with God

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anyway he has given us the privilege since we have been rescued from our

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enemies clutches to serve him without fear in holiness being completely

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different and righteousness receiving the righteousness of Christ in his

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presence all our days and child you will be called a prophet of the Most High now

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he's talking to John for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways to

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give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins

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and these are our two verses for today because of our God's merciful

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compassion the dawn from on high will visit us to shine on those who live in

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darkness and the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace

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three things I want you to see in here and so that is the overview I had to do

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what I did I know that was a long text I hope you followed it all the first thing

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is that God is a warning God God is warning something always been warning

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always been predicting always been telling all creation glorifies God and

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warns us that there is a God in heaven who created all of this and deserves

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our respect has all authority has existed for all time he is an eternal

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being that goes back to before human thought would have been possible because

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not even light existed God God is a warning God and through his creation he

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has given everything that he needs to tell people you are headed for a cliff

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edge you'd better stop before you run over the edge God's creation reminds us

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we see death frankly we see it all the time literally all the time every time

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you have an ache in a joint or an illness every time you have something

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like that that is death reminding you this life is not forever as RJ said

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during an inspirational moment tomorrow is not promised creation reminds us of

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that you know how many species of animals have gone extinct since Noah no

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you don't far more than we can imagine and mankind is groping through history

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trying to figure out what was lost all creation testifies that next Sunday one

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of us might not be able to be here God is a warning God God sent the prophets

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over and over again when there were no prophets he prophesied to Adam and Eve

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himself about the son who would come about the biting of his heel about the

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destruction of the enemy God sent the prophets and the law of the Old Testament

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existed and he testified God did through Moses and in person to a lot of those

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people about what he was going to do about what he was in the process of

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doing God has been warning people and some people throughout that time have

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been hearing and heeding the warnings and some have not in Noah's day he and

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his family were the only ones to heed the warning and the results of that were

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everyone on the earth drowned great imagery of that at the Creation Museum

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and now at Noah's Ark exhibit down in Kentucky and they show an actual real

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time computer-generated image of the flood and how it flooded all the earth

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and in the last moment you see people clinging to high rocks and mountains as

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the water comes up and just washes them away you think that they didn't know

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they knew they had been warned God warned them and for those who cracked on

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Noah about what he was doing building that their big Ark they had been warned

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Adam only died a few hundred years before Noah built the ark the two men

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were probably alive at the same time they had been warned they had the

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teaching God sent the prophets in various forms and all the way up to Malachi

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400 years before the birth of Jesus during which time that 400 years there

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were no prophets and God prophecy that there will be no prophets for 400 years

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and the next one who would come would be the one God has always been warning

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through the prophets and the law and here now we have an angel who foretold

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the coming of the Messiah and the coming of the one who would come before the

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Messiah the whole thing laid out in prophecy God has been warning and the

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angel foretold and Mary could have said oh come on please use somebody else are

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you serious but she did she said as you have spoken so let it be for I am the

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Lord's servant God warned and Christ himself is a foreteller a warner of what

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God would do in fact there's a great story that Jesus tells about two men who

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died and Lazarus and the rich men one guy we get his name one guy we don't

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Lazarus goes to heaven for eternity the rich man goes to hell and the rich man

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is begging the angel there at the gates he's saying please just just let

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Lazarus come and dip his finger in the water that man he was in this the ashes

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and amongst the beasts and dirty his whole life and disease let him come and

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dip his finger in some cool water put it on my tongue just a bit of sustenance

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what do you think Jesus was doing he was warning those who were listening about

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where the rich man went he doesn't want to go there the rich man said but at

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least if you can't spare me send someone from there to go back and warn my

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brothers because they'll surely believe and what did Jesus say Jesus said no

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for if they will not listen to the law and the prophets they will not listen

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even if a man should come back from the dead and warn them and who do you think

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he was talking about Jesus the ministry of Jesus on earth was largely warning

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God is a warning God through creation through the prophets to the angel

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foretold through Christ and you could probably break your Bible down better

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than I can and find some additional ways that God was warning other tragedies

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those who died in the wilderness those who fell into the opening earthquake

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because they resisted Moses when the Levites strapped on their swords and

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every one of them massacred other men in the tribes because they were not

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listening to God those are all warnings God's been warning realize God can do

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whatever he wants to to help us to understand or to stand under his

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teaching and some of what he will do to warn us is not pleasant you may be here

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today suffering under the effect of some your mortality your mental state your

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money your finance your relationship your job state where you live you may be

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suffering under the effect of a warning you may be facing a warning and gotta

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say and look you are heading to a cliff you have got to react but God's warning

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over all is thus first of all it can be broken down this way the further from

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the light you are the greater there will be the darkness the further from the

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light you are the greater there will be the darkness now this light darkness

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thing is not geographical but interestingly enough if you use light

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as an example in real life actual life over geography you can see the

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difference I have a flashlight that is painful to look at it's got bright LEDs

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in there I saw one online I don't know if it's real or not but someone line that

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you can shine it you can shine it on the clouds like a mile away a flashlight not

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talking about a laser beam but a flashlight and you can see it on the

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clouds I submit to you that that flashlight that you can see on the

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clouds if you look at it from 10 feet away it will instantly blind you in a

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moment later hopefully you'll recover but quite bright enough you might not

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the closer you get to light in geography the brighter it is the further away from

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light you get the dimmer it is but here now in a spiritual context God is warning

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us that the further from the light we are greater there shall be the darkness

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this is relational and it's about your identity in Christ we are supposed to be

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identifying with Jesus Christ who in a sense is the light and the light in us

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and as we do that the closer to him we walk the greater the light the less the

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darkness the further from him we walk the greater the darkness the less the

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light if you go into a dark room and turn on the light the darkness will

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recede you thought I was gonna say go away but it actually doesn't look at the

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chair the person in front of you look on the floor what do you see you see a

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shadow there is darkness there it's a gradient of darkness it's not total

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darkness but there is darkness there under brother Tony brister's wearing a

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collar shirt under his collar is darkness now here's what's amazing if you lift up

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the collar can you see the darkness no because you will be exposing it to the

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light so we see that this this darkness light combination is not only

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geographical because his collar is not all that far from that ceiling light

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that that for example our days shoulder is completely bathed in the light from

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the ceiling but the collar shading part of his shoulder part of his shoulder is

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darkness but as soon as he turns over the collar expose it to light it's

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play close enough to the light to be seen so we understand in real life that

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our relationship to life is to light is both geographical and relational but in

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spiritual existence it is not geographical at all in fact if you come

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into the presence of Jesus right now and if you're not saving your in this in this

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room then your geographical relationship to the God of the universe would

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probably see you destroyed if you came geographically into his presence while

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still clinging to your sin but if you're saying you'd come into his presence and

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you would become abundantly aware of all the things about you and maybe even

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ashamed you become abundantly aware of all the things about you that you know

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are not quite right they've not been exposed to the light of Jesus as you

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come geographically into his presence and you might think you're about to be

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destroyed but in truth in Christ if you really have been saved those things can

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be dealt with in Christ's light would then cover them and all would be good I'm

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not talking about geographical relationships to the light I'm talking

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about relational and identity relationship to the light it is a

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calling in fact you cannot have it you cannot approach God become like God

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walk with God unless God calls you the word says no one comes in him unless he

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be called however if you are willing to hear the call then you will hear the

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call which is why the word says over and over again the one who has ears to hear

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let him hear in other words God is calling you into a closer doesn't matter

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if you're saved or not but he is calling you into a closer relationship with him

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so those who are far far away from God so far because they think they can't

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even be close to God God is calling them into a closer relationship with him and

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they'll cross the line and they'll start realizing hey I crossed out of the

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darkness into the light God translated me out of the darkness into the light so

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now I feel like I can be close to God and the encouragement there is that you

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will then work to do so it's a relational identity in Christ that is

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arises from the calling of God on our lives Jesus tells a parable in Matthew

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22 we don't we're not going to read the whole thing but there's just a couple

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verse I want to be able to quit quote so I'm gonna go there myself and look at

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Matthew 22 beginning in verse 2 Matthew 22 if you're following in your Bibles I

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do recommend you do that because if you read it and also listen to me you will

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get word intake which is a spiritual discipline twice instead of only once

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you get it in your eyes and in your ears and you'll hear you'll remember twice as

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much of it that's what I'm trying to say so Matthew 22 22 beginning in verse 2

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here we go the kingdom of heaven maybe compared to a king who gave a wedding

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banquet for his son he sent out his slaves to summon those invited to the

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banquet but they didn't want to come and he sent out other slaves and said tell

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those who are invited look I prepared my dinner my oxen fatted cattle have been

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slaughtered and everything is ready come to the wedding banquet but they paid no

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attention now you know how this goes right without don't read on just yet you

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know how this goes those who were asked to come who made excuses and didn't come

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they're not allowed to come and God says they will never see my banquet I'll never

427
00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:25,440
allow them to come in right but he says go and request other people call others

428
00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:31,080
I'm gonna paraphrase it here go call anyone who will listen anyone who has

429
00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:36,760
ears and have them come in right that's that's the synopsis of the parable as we

430
00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:40,120
have it but I want you to cue in on a couple of verses here that we usually

431
00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:45,640
leave out when we're thinking about this all right verse 6 says and the others

432
00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:50,960
seized his slaves those were those who were unwilling to come treated them

433
00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:55,320
outright outright justly and killed them so the messengers that he sent out

434
00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,800
there were some who really didn't want to come and they seized the slaves and

435
00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,960
they treated them badly and even killed them some of them verse 7 says the king

436
00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:08,200
was enraged so he sent out his troops destroyed those murderers and burned

437
00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:12,280
down their city so there were those who wouldn't come made excuses he sent

438
00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:16,440
others he sent his messengers to some others some of those killed some of his

439
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,520
messengers whether that rather than treating them with respect and he the

440
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:24,560
king and race sent soldiers his soldiers to destroy those people who hurt his

441
00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,720
slaves and then burnt down their city verse 8 says then he told his slaves

442
00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:31,520
the banquet is ready but those who were invited were unworthy therefore go to

443
00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:35,200
where the roads exit the city invite everyone who want to the banquet the

444
00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:39,120
slaves went out in the roads gathered everyone the next verse but then the

445
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:43,280
king came in to view the guests he saw a man there who was not dressed for a

446
00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:48,360
wedding so he said to him friend how'd you get in here without wedding clothes

447
00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:55,480
and the man was speechless then the king told the attendants tie him up hand and

448
00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:59,640
foot and throw him into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and

449
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,240
gnashing of teeth several things that are obvious there to me first of all if

450
00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:07,680
there's an outer darkness there's an inner darkness and if there is an outer

451
00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:11,040
darkness and an inner darkness then there is a place of light to contrast it

452
00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,800
with right we know the light switch is on because when it's off it looks

453
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:18,200
different in the room we don't go look at the bulb every time stare into the

454
00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,080
little filament and see if it's on or not we flip the light switch on the room

455
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:25,200
gets light we know it's on right when we flip the lights which off the room gets

456
00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:28,920
dark we know it's off so we know darkness we understand there's an outer

457
00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,640
darkness there's an inner darkness and if there's an inner darkness there's a

458
00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:35,320
place of light and I submit you if there's a place of light there is a

459
00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:39,200
place where light permeates everything like if you were standing in a spotlight

460
00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:44,240
and buck naked and twisting in the wind versus there is a place where light only

461
00:34:44,240 --> 00:34:48,120
permeates some like if you were wearing a cloak and carrying around with you a

462
00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:52,560
shadow right so we understand that there is a grave from the bright light that

463
00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,800
touches everything out to the great darkness where the light does not touch

464
00:34:55,800 --> 00:35:00,080
at all but notice who winds up in the great darkness where the light does not

465
00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,480
touch at all first of all God warns everybody says come to my wedding feast

466
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:07,560
the time is now some people attack the messengers and kill them and God

467
00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:11,400
destroys those people and their city those who are against those who are

468
00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:15,200
being used by God to warn they get destroyed that's what happens to them

469
00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:20,000
then some people do come and some people come not really know why they come

470
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:24,560
right and this guy's like that he winds up in the wedding feast kicking back

471
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:28,600
having a nice steak or grapes or whatever he's eating and the master king

472
00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:31,560
comes walking through and he finds this guy there and he says why are you there

473
00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:36,320
now all the guys got to do is say well because your servants warned me because

474
00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:40,880
your servants called me anything like that will do but that's not what he does

475
00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:47,000
he is speechless remember last week's sermon break the silence

476
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:53,320
Rua mar destroy this guy has not learned how to draw near to the light he's not

477
00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,040
learned how to relate to the king he's not he to the king's warning to those

478
00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:01,840
who came to the feast that he is the king rather he's just heeded the warning

479
00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:06,040
that there is a feast there is something and so he comes a little closer maybe

480
00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:08,720
from the outer darkness to a little inner darkness maybe or from the inner

481
00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:11,360
darkness to the edge of the lighting starts to be able to see now he's in the

482
00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:15,240
wedding banquet there's light here to see but he's not letting that light affect

483
00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:18,840
him he hasn't changed inside doesn't have an answer for why he's there and

484
00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:24,200
what do they do they take him up and they put him back in the outer darkness

485
00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:29,720
which has an interesting characteristic the outer darkness in the long term is

486
00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:37,080
only for those wait for it who heard the warning there's not weeping of Nash

487
00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,840
weeping and gnashing of teeth in the outer darkness because they're angry

488
00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:44,640
where they wound up there's weeping and gnashing of teeth in the outer darkness

489
00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:50,680
because they heard the warning either responded to it but then failed to go

490
00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:55,880
further failed to walk it out or they never responded to it at all but they

491
00:36:55,880 --> 00:37:00,400
knew what they needed to do and they wind up in the outer darkness weeping

492
00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:05,440
and gnashing their teeth because they said I was so close there's a bounty

493
00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:10,080
commercial on TV guy just won a lottery ticket a lottery ticket there won a

494
00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:14,480
million dollars or whatever and there's drink approaching the lottery ticket

495
00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,800
they've spilled it it's gonna run up and they show bounty slap it right there

496
00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:20,320
and stop the drink before it ruins the lottery ticket that lottery ticket is

497
00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,280
worth ruin they wouldn't get the claim the million of dollars or whatever it

498
00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:28,080
was that they won right and so if you in that case you really want a good paper

499
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,640
tile to protect your lottery it's not that you just can like reach out and

500
00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:34,840
pick up the lottery ticket so I'm saying you just pick it up and then but it's a

501
00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,000
goofy commercial but the point is the bounty comes down it saves it and like

502
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,480
that if you understand that the great blessing that you have received you've

503
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:46,560
been warned by God that your transformed existence better means

504
00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:50,640
something to you or otherwise you're going to be in trouble on that day if

505
00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:53,800
that's part of the warning of God and I submit to you that it is then you're

506
00:37:53,800 --> 00:38:00,300
going to do what's necessary to walk out what you now understand God was warning

507
00:38:00,300 --> 00:38:05,320
not only that this is a relational identity in Christ you can only be there

508
00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:08,520
if you're called but you can be called if you're just willing to listen but here

509
00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:14,920
in this parable he says there are those who have ears they hear they start to

510
00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:18,320
come and they start to kind of like edge out of the darkness coming into the

511
00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:21,560
light but they don't know why they're coming they don't know what they're

512
00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:26,080
doing and they don't care meanwhile there are those who are making excuses

513
00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,560
and why they're not coming and they're making there there are those who even

514
00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:35,160
attack those who say you must step up you must speak out you must do what is

515
00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:40,360
right you must let the light permeate every area of your life and then there

516
00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:45,220
were those who heard this parable that Jesus told and they have such

517
00:38:45,220 --> 00:38:52,120
interesting responses the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap him by what he

518
00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:56,800
said they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians teacher they said we

519
00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:59,560
know that you are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God which must

520
00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,280
have been the lie because otherwise they would have been responding to the

521
00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:07,080
warning you defer to no one you don't show partiality tell us therefore what

522
00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,520
you think is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not you know how many times

523
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:13,960
I've been talking to somebody about Jesus telling them they need to respond

524
00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:17,320
to the love of Jesus and the warning of God and they have come up with some

525
00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:21,560
question about should I pay taxes or not or should I do this or not or what about

526
00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:25,000
that or not well my old church they used to do this isn't that sin and what

527
00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,960
that's why I don't go to church because and all these excuses basically and why

528
00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:32,320
they're not responding to the warning of God and that's what they did and they

529
00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:36,760
were the Pharisees the evangelical proselyters which means winning people

530
00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:40,920
over to Judaism of the day they knew the word almost better than anybody the

531
00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:43,080
other people probably knew better with the scribes because they were the one who

532
00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:45,800
physically wrote it over and over and over again they knew it better but they

533
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:49,800
didn't know the law better or the oral tradition which was created by the Jews

534
00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:54,360
to protect the law the Pharisees knew all of that and what did they do when

535
00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:58,480
Jesus warned them that it is possible that you may not come to the wedding

536
00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:02,600
feast unless you come when called stop making excuses that it is possible that

537
00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:06,000
you might even wind up in the wedding feast and then be cast out into the

538
00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:09,600
outer darkness where we'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth when Jesus warned

539
00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:13,920
them of that what do they do they begin to ask him questions to try to trick him or

540
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:17,760
catch him up so that they can ignore what he said ignore the warning of God

541
00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:22,400
and I submit to you that people in this room probably but certainly people in

542
00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:27,280
quote-unquote the church and definitely people in the world fit into those

543
00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:33,360
categories I'm asking you what are you going to do when God warns you that what

544
00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:38,920
you are doing is not honoring him I'm not talking about the moment you tell a

545
00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:44,320
little white lie I'm talking about the way you're handling your internals the

546
00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:50,040
way you're handling what's inside you it's relational and identity you

547
00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:54,240
remember my story to open my sermon today about taking the BB gun and going

548
00:40:54,240 --> 00:40:59,040
and looking in every closet I mentioned I took the BB gun but I also took

549
00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:03,800
something else with me to be able to see in every closet what was it

550
00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:07,600
flashlight good you're listening I like that okay so I took a BB gun in a

551
00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:12,000
flashlight because I knew what I would find in a closet with shadows and

552
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:16,640
darkness I took the light into the darkness with me so that I could see

553
00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:20,920
when I got there it would be stupid to go look in the closet in the dark and

554
00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:24,120
only be able to see like halfway back the room lights don't reach many of the

555
00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:27,400
time spots don't have lights a lot of times in our house anyway that's the way

556
00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:32,040
it is so I took a flashlight funny thing is I got to some of those closets and

557
00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:36,320
there were boxes and clothes hanging right the closet upstairs and in that

558
00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:41,480
house have rails and behind the rails is a three foot by four foot space and if

559
00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:45,560
it's not full of stuff somebody could easily fit in fact I had done it playing

560
00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:49,160
hide-and-seek or my brother and I set up a little club one time we put a table up

561
00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:54,120
behind the hanging clothes in the closet we only we were allowed in there things

562
00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:57,880
like that so I shine the flashlight in there and then when I couldn't see when

563
00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:01,320
the light of the flashlight would not penetrate into the small spaces you know

564
00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:07,040
what I did I moved things around moved the clothes over pull the box out look

565
00:42:07,040 --> 00:42:10,040
behind I made sure and I was having a hard time doing that holding the

566
00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:14,280
flashlight and the BB gun because there could be a demon behind a bin in a two

567
00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:18,680
foot by one foot space but I can't see into listen to me this is what God is

568
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,160
calling you to do with your life the time that you have while you were here

569
00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:25,760
on earth from the time of your birth the time of your death has this one purpose

570
00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:30,120
respond to the warning of God and then having done so and being transported

571
00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:34,640
into born again into the area of the light then take the light that is Jesus

572
00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:40,800
Christ and look in every dark area of your soul every burnt out area of your

573
00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:46,200
brain every failed area of your personality take the light there and see

574
00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:53,880
what is there and transform it to the glory of God and Jesus spoke again

575
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:58,840
reading from John chapter 8 he said this I am the light of the world he that

576
00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:05,680
follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life and we

577
00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:09,960
just dismissed that yo Jesus got it across my sins so glad he paid that bill

578
00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:14,520
oh Jesus has right to be Lord of my life and I do go to church and I do type and

579
00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:17,680
I do serve and I'm a member of a ministry team where I take care of my

580
00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:22,520
family I tell people if it comes up if we get into conversation I basically

581
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:27,000
tell people if anyone would come and ask me how to get saved I know what to tell

582
00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:31,260
them at least because I've been saved so I'm walking in the light that's not

583
00:43:31,260 --> 00:43:36,320
walking in the light that's being in the light you've been called out of the

584
00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:40,760
darkness into the light of Jesus Lord and Savior great here the rest of God's

585
00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:48,480
warning wake up oh sleeper the rest of God's warning is you must take the light

586
00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:54,040
that is Jesus into every dark part of your life and dispel those shadows I

587
00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:58,320
thought there could be a demon in the closet don't you realize that even the

588
00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:02,400
world is understanding this concept because they know a demon could be

589
00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:07,240
anywhere they are understanding this concept better than we are they would

590
00:44:07,240 --> 00:44:12,560
love to have a life that's under their control that they can take whenever they

591
00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:16,080
want and look into the dark that's what therapy is it's what psychology is it's

592
00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:20,400
what medicine for different problems it's what friendship encouragement is

593
00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:23,360
it's not biblical encouragement but just friends tell you oh you know you're

594
00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:26,800
awesome you're pretty and you're smart and everything will work out in the end

595
00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:29,640
that kind of empty encouragement that doesn't actually mean anything that in

596
00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:35,520
fact goes contrary to the warning of God I'm here to tell you today if you don't

597
00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:38,920
number one come to the light who is Jesus Christ and accept him as your Lord

598
00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:43,680
and Savior in actuality it will not work out well in the end and you know number

599
00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:47,720
two then take that light into the dark places of your life whatever you look

600
00:44:47,720 --> 00:44:54,200
like and overcome the darkness that is there turn over every systematic glee by

601
00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:57,660
the time you die you should be getting into the nitty-gritty I'm not talking

602
00:44:57,660 --> 00:45:01,740
about legalism but you should be looking at every little dark spot wondering

603
00:45:01,740 --> 00:45:08,240
wondering how do I turn that over for Jesus and if you don't do those two

604
00:45:08,240 --> 00:45:14,920
things then understand God is a warning God and God's warning is thus his

605
00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:22,760
warning is first of all there is a light when you are close to God and a darkness

606
00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:26,800
when you are far from God you were in the darkness or maybe are in the

607
00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:29,640
darkness right now and you need to become a Christian you need to be a

608
00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:32,580
follower of the Lord Jesus Christ you need to let Jesus be Lord of your life

609
00:45:32,580 --> 00:45:37,480
you let Jesus be the light of life that John 8 told us and then take it into

610
00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:42,800
every area of your life it's relational and it's in identity buck naked in front

611
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:45,800
of a spotlight twisting in the wind there's nothing about you that would not

612
00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:50,560
be seen and that's the kind of relationship we have with Jesus you think

613
00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:55,440
God doesn't know the word says don't be critical of other people you think God

614
00:45:55,440 --> 00:45:58,240
doesn't know that you sit around and you're frustrated because someone said

615
00:45:58,240 --> 00:46:01,600
something you didn't like because something didn't go the way you like

616
00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:06,440
now we're specifically admonished not to be complainers as they were when Israel

617
00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:11,040
was coming out of Egypt right and so many of them died in the sand so then we

618
00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:15,000
just hold it back we say well I'm just but we don't let the light of Jesus

619
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:19,120
infiltrate that critical nature of us and transform it and say you know look

620
00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:21,760
I'm sitting here being critical of so-and-so because they did what I don't

621
00:46:21,760 --> 00:46:26,080
like so then I'm gonna look so this is the process you go okay the light of

622
00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:28,720
Jesus right first of all I can't criticize them or complaining it's on

623
00:46:28,720 --> 00:46:32,040
the word literally says that James for you cannot criticize other believers

624
00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:36,760
look it up James for it literally says that I said it last two weeks ago when I

625
00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:39,160
was talking about the love if you have something bad to say about another

626
00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:43,080
believer that is not love it is hate James says you cannot criticize another

627
00:46:43,080 --> 00:46:46,880
believer verbally all right so then I'm sitting here I'm going I'm not gonna do

628
00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:53,640
that I've now let God transform my mall right good enough wrong the warning of

629
00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:57,320
God then extends to now you need to let God transform your inner being because

630
00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:00,840
you have a tendency you would have a tendency to be critical and criticize

631
00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:04,640
that person so now you've got to let your insides be transformed so that when

632
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:10,760
you go well I feel and you're not saying you just kind of grunting it or or maybe

633
00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:13,120
you're throwing something around or you're just trying to figure out how do

634
00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:19,600
I get control of that or whatever Jesus comes in and you go okay well here's the

635
00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:25,080
question do I have a legitimate reason has this person actually sinned against

636
00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:31,600
me or against God and I'm aware of it do answers hey yes I do what is the Bible

637
00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:35,560
tell me I have to do about that so I sit around and feel this way and say nothing

638
00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:39,520
because I can't criticize no the Bible says I must go hold that person

639
00:47:39,520 --> 00:47:42,680
accountable and talk to them and say look this is what I think I think what

640
00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:45,480
you've done is sin against me and against God or against so-and-so and

641
00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:49,120
against God and so you talk to them beginning of Matthew 18 accountability

642
00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:53,800
and if they turn from their sin the word the word says then you have saved a

643
00:47:53,800 --> 00:47:57,400
brother I submit to you may have saved a brother from outer darkness because

644
00:47:57,400 --> 00:47:59,960
they may not have been a brother they might have been winding up in the bright

645
00:47:59,960 --> 00:48:02,480
light in the long run instead they might have one of in the outer darkness

646
00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:04,920
because they just came not knowing what they're doing and they clearly not

647
00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:08,400
exposing that particular part of their life this is what it means to walk in

648
00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:12,080
the light it doesn't mean let's go air our dirty laundry in front of everybody

649
00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:15,680
it means Jesus Christ is the light I'm gonna take the light and I'm gonna take

650
00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:18,880
it to every area of my life when I'm feeling critical about somebody I asked

651
00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:23,320
a do I believe they've sinned against me against God okay then what if the

652
00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:29,000
answer is no the answer is no then I immediately repent if my anger my

653
00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:34,200
criticism my critical nature about what they've done is not justified based on

654
00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:38,720
sin is involved then I let it go so what is my pet peeve I just don't like it

655
00:48:38,720 --> 00:48:42,280
when they do that that's where you need to let Jesus come in and fix you because

656
00:48:42,280 --> 00:48:45,320
you have a problem because you would think critical of somebody else because

657
00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:49,520
they stepped on your pet peeve this is how it's done and you'll find a million

658
00:48:49,520 --> 00:48:54,120
places in fact I submit to you there are it's not infinite you know we think the

659
00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:58,880
human soul and eternal is infinite but it's not infinite it's lifelong not

660
00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:05,880
infinite lifelong is infinite if you include resurrection right but we're

661
00:49:05,880 --> 00:49:08,400
talking about you're here for 50 years you're here for 80 years you're here for

662
00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:13,560
20 years 120 years whatever God with you with the light you go into every dark

663
00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:19,840
place in you and dispel meanwhile we are called as human beings to then take

664
00:49:19,840 --> 00:49:25,320
Jesus as the light of the world and let that light which is shining so brightly

665
00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:29,920
out of us now because we've been letting it go everywhere inside us take that

666
00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:33,680
light into the world so others can hear the warning and be transported from the

667
00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:37,360
darkness to light here's what's happening people aren't doing that they're

668
00:49:37,360 --> 00:49:40,280
not taking the light of Christ and affecting every last area of their life

669
00:49:40,280 --> 00:49:44,760
and so there that area of your life that you're not letting be affected by Christ

670
00:49:44,760 --> 00:49:51,680
is bumping into other people's lives and that's where the connection is instead

671
00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:54,360
of it being the area of your life where you have affected so like maybe you've

672
00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:57,120
turned your mouth over to God you're talking about God a lot or talking for

673
00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:00,460
God a lot or whatever but then there's areas of your life that have not been

674
00:50:00,460 --> 00:50:05,020
affected by Christ they bump into that area instead of your mouth and now they

675
00:50:05,020 --> 00:50:09,320
know enough to know what that the light of Jesus is not actually capable of

676
00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:13,120
affecting everything inside of a person only certain things maybe and only maybe

677
00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:16,840
for eternity and then we have all these supposed Christians that are out there

678
00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:19,800
in the world they're not living for Jesus at all they're gonna wind up in

679
00:50:19,800 --> 00:50:22,240
the outer darkness of the end because they don't know why they're at the feast

680
00:50:22,240 --> 00:50:25,820
and they're not allowed the light to do anything in them and they think they're

681
00:50:25,820 --> 00:50:30,880
still saying and they think they're not gonna be in the outer darkness because

682
00:50:30,880 --> 00:50:35,120
those who are in the light who understand the warnings of God are not

683
00:50:35,120 --> 00:50:39,640
applying the light of Jesus to every area of their life that's why those

684
00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:44,520
unbelievers call the church hypocrites because we have these areas of our life

685
00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:47,160
that were not affected what now am I saying that you need to become a

686
00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:50,720
legalist from my saying that you need to go like there's nothing else you can do

687
00:50:50,720 --> 00:50:56,300
to serve God until you pick out your little problems and whatever or you know

688
00:50:56,300 --> 00:50:59,940
you can't possibly help someone get the splinter out of their eyes you get the

689
00:50:59,940 --> 00:51:05,240
beam out of your own eye I understand the parables of Jesus are there you have

690
00:51:05,240 --> 00:51:09,440
a command to walk and take that light into every place that you go but you

691
00:51:09,440 --> 00:51:14,100
also have a warning by God that if while doing that you don't put it to work in

692
00:51:14,100 --> 00:51:21,000
you the end will not be good our God is a warning God and the warning is thus

693
00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:26,440
that closer to the light there is much light closer or further from the source

694
00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:32,160
of light who is God there is deep and great darkness I submit to you it is the

695
00:51:32,160 --> 00:51:37,080
kind of darkness that you and I nobody in this room probably has ever felt you

696
00:51:37,080 --> 00:51:39,480
go in a dark room you know I gotta be careful don't want to stub my shin I

697
00:51:39,480 --> 00:51:42,880
gonna be careful oh I can't find what I'm looking for so you understand

698
00:51:42,880 --> 00:51:46,920
darkness but this is a deep and penetrating darkness in which the only

699
00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:53,760
defining characteristic is weeping and gnashing of teeth a few verses in

700
00:51:53,760 --> 00:51:57,440
support of what we've been learning today John 12 46 Jesus said I am come a

701
00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:02,320
light into the world that whoever believeth in me should not abide in

702
00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:06,000
darkness in other words if wherever you are if you realize it's dark get out of

703
00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:10,760
there you don't belong but more than that if there's darkness inside you then

704
00:52:10,760 --> 00:52:13,840
that means wherever you go there's gonna be darkness and you don't get to abide

705
00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:17,200
in darkness if you're a follower of Jesus so you need to apply the light of

706
00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:23,220
Jesus Luke 11 29 to 36 is that passage of Scripture where it talks about a

707
00:52:23,220 --> 00:52:27,440
light and it says does anyone put it under a bushel and then there's that

708
00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:32,320
children's song right this little light of mine right hide it under a bushel no

709
00:52:32,320 --> 00:52:36,440
right and what does everybody sing when they're singing that what are we saying

710
00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:40,920
what is that message about the light of Jesus we all think it's about evangelism

711
00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:47,400
right so I take in your light so people can see about Jesus am I gonna hide my

712
00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:51,400
light under a bushel so that other people can't see my light and come to

713
00:52:51,400 --> 00:52:54,160
Jesus that's what we see what that's what you think the song is about right

714
00:52:54,160 --> 00:52:57,600
but that isn't what the song is about at least not only what the song is about

715
00:52:57,600 --> 00:53:02,840
actually he's talking about letting the light of Jesus shine into all the dark

716
00:53:02,840 --> 00:53:07,920
places of you does anyone who has a light in the house put it under a bushel

717
00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:12,760
keep it just in one area maybe that's what Christians are doing we're

718
00:53:12,760 --> 00:53:16,280
compartmentalizing our lives and lighting up the areas of G and then the

719
00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:18,400
rest is that we're kind of putting it away we're just not paying any attention

720
00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:22,720
to it when in actuality what Jesus says we're supposed to do is go into all

721
00:53:22,720 --> 00:53:30,160
those places and let Jesus fix them let me read the verses upon which that song

722
00:53:30,160 --> 00:53:35,600
is based real quick and we are in the conclusion and then I think you'll get

723
00:53:35,600 --> 00:53:45,680
it Luke chapter 11 beginning in verse 29 he says this don't keep striving for

724
00:53:45,680 --> 00:53:50,640
what you should eat or you should drink don't be anxious hold on that's 12

725
00:53:50,640 --> 00:53:57,680
wrong verse here we go 11 I'm almost there 29 all right as the crowds were

726
00:53:57,680 --> 00:54:00,560
increasing he began saying this generation is an evil generation it

727
00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:04,320
demands a sign but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah for

728
00:54:04,320 --> 00:54:07,760
justice Jonah became a sign of the people of Nineveh so also the son of man

729
00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:11,760
will be to that generation the Queen of the South will rise up against in the

730
00:54:11,760 --> 00:54:17,240
judgment with the man of this generation hold on and condemn them

731
00:54:17,240 --> 00:54:20,280
because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and

732
00:54:20,280 --> 00:54:24,160
look something greater than Solomon is here the men of Nineveh rise up at the

733
00:54:24,160 --> 00:54:27,000
judgment with the generation condemn it because they repented at Jonah's

734
00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:31,040
proclamation and look something greater than Jonah is here what is it what's

735
00:54:31,040 --> 00:54:33,880
the something greater than Jonah is it you just want to say it's Jesus don't

736
00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:37,920
you he's talking about himself and why you say it instead of someone but he

737
00:54:37,920 --> 00:54:42,320
says something is greater then it goes to this it says no one lights a lamp and

738
00:54:42,320 --> 00:54:48,120
puts it in the cellar or under a basket but on a lampstand so that those who

739
00:54:48,120 --> 00:54:51,640
come in may see its light and that's why everybody thinks we're talking about

740
00:54:51,640 --> 00:54:54,720
the light of Jesus and winning people to Jesus so that those who come in may see

741
00:54:54,720 --> 00:54:58,400
its light and I already explained that to you when you affect all the areas of

742
00:54:58,400 --> 00:55:01,480
your life with the light then people will see the light affecting the areas

743
00:55:01,480 --> 00:55:08,080
of your life right but listen he says your eye is the lamp of the body when

744
00:55:08,080 --> 00:55:15,600
your eye is good your whole body is also full of light but when it is bad your

745
00:55:15,600 --> 00:55:20,520
body is full of darkness still think he's only talking about evangelism here

746
00:55:20,520 --> 00:55:24,120
this is the same pastor he's still talking about the lights under the lamp

747
00:55:24,120 --> 00:55:31,280
take care then that the light in you is not darkness still talking about a light

748
00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:35,840
in you that that leads people to Jesus so people can come see you and see Jesus

749
00:55:35,840 --> 00:55:39,120
is that what he's talking about or is he talking about putting Jesus's light in

750
00:55:39,120 --> 00:55:43,320
you to work in every area of your life he says this is therefore your whole

751
00:55:43,320 --> 00:55:51,720
body is full of light with no part of it in darkness the whole body will be full

752
00:55:51,720 --> 00:55:59,320
of light as when a lamp shines its light on you see it the little light of mine

753
00:55:59,320 --> 00:56:02,960
you could say that it's about telling people about Jesus if you want and

754
00:56:02,960 --> 00:56:06,320
children may want to think that it's kind of romantic in a way kind of fun

755
00:56:06,320 --> 00:56:11,400
exciting whatever don't take it from them but in these verses it's really

756
00:56:11,400 --> 00:56:17,200
about that little light of Jesus that is as a candle inside us touching every

757
00:56:17,200 --> 00:56:21,360
area of our lives because we have not stuck it on a bushel but put it on a

758
00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:26,280
lampstand where it can shine everywhere in the house

759
00:56:26,280 --> 00:56:32,360
John 1 5 Jesus said and the light shineth I'm sorry John wrote in the

760
00:56:32,360 --> 00:56:37,600
light shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehended that not loop 22

761
00:56:37,600 --> 00:56:42,520
53 this is this we read or no we didn't either when I was with you daily in the

762
00:56:42,520 --> 00:56:48,760
temple this is when Jesus being arrested he said you stretched not out your hand

763
00:56:48,760 --> 00:56:55,520
against me but this okay hold on a second look it up because I wrote

764
00:56:55,520 --> 00:57:00,960
something down wrong I apologize everybody is a normal person okay loop

765
00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:06,440
22 53 I don't want to misquote it you're really not supposed to miss quote

766
00:57:06,440 --> 00:57:11,440
scripture if you can help it here we go every day while I was with you in the

767
00:57:11,440 --> 00:57:16,560
temple complex you never laid a hand on me but this is your hour listen this is

768
00:57:16,560 --> 00:57:24,280
your hour and the dominion of darkness or the reign of darkness God is

769
00:57:24,280 --> 00:57:31,000
predicting God is warning and Jesus himself was warning second Christmas 46

770
00:57:31,000 --> 00:57:35,720
for God who commanded the light to shine on the darkness have showed in our

771
00:57:35,720 --> 00:57:39,840
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the

772
00:57:39,840 --> 00:57:45,120
face of Jesus Christ Ephesians 5 8 for you were sometimes darkness but now are

773
00:57:45,120 --> 00:57:49,840
you light in the Lord walk as children of light Ephesians 5 11 so a little bit

774
00:57:49,840 --> 00:57:54,240
later and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather

775
00:57:54,240 --> 00:58:01,000
reprove them the process is there and described in other words don't don't be

776
00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:05,200
wrapped up in bad stuff darkness the wrong thing rather through the light of

777
00:58:05,200 --> 00:58:11,200
Jesus correct those things check them put a stop to them if he's in 612 and

778
00:58:11,200 --> 00:58:16,360
that's in the kind of spiritual warfare passage right is telling who we're

779
00:58:16,360 --> 00:58:21,440
fighting yes and in there is listed the rulers of the darkness of this world

780
00:58:21,440 --> 00:58:26,600
those are amongst our enemies classes 113 who have delivered us from the power of

781
00:58:26,600 --> 00:58:30,440
darkness and have translated us into the kingdom of his dear son talking about

782
00:58:30,440 --> 00:58:35,120
God first Peter 2 9 but you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood and down

783
00:58:35,120 --> 00:58:41,040
at the end of that he says who called you out of darkness into his marvelous

784
00:58:41,040 --> 00:58:45,040
light first John 1 6 if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in

785
00:58:45,040 --> 00:58:53,320
darkness we lie and do not the truth when Jude he talks about those who were

786
00:58:53,320 --> 00:59:02,360
chosen versus those who are putting God off making expre excuses and so on headed

787
00:59:02,360 --> 00:59:07,120
they were headed permanently for the fire but those who were chosen listen to

788
00:59:07,120 --> 00:59:14,400
what God says and God is it says this is healing even the bits of the soul

789
00:59:14,400 --> 00:59:25,200
let that light in you reach into all your dark places but he that saith that

790
00:59:25,200 --> 00:59:34,880
he abideth in Jesus ought himself also to walk even as he that's Jesus walked

791
00:59:34,880 --> 00:59:43,160
but he that walketh in darkness knoweth not where he goeth so to the willing God

792
00:59:43,160 --> 00:59:50,480
is saying this be warned a day is coming where you will answer for your choices

793
00:59:50,480 --> 00:59:56,120
in this life be warned and that day coming if you have now responded to

794
00:59:56,120 --> 01:00:01,200
Jesus and Lordship he is in charge of you if he has become the light of your

795
01:00:01,200 --> 01:00:09,000
life you now need to allow that light to affect every area of your life so you

796
01:00:09,000 --> 01:00:13,140
don't spend a dollar unless you know that God will want that dollar use that

797
01:00:13,140 --> 01:00:18,200
way don't waste a minute don't use it for something else unless you know that

798
01:00:18,200 --> 01:00:22,080
God would you say but I'm not ready for that kind of commitment I'm not ready

799
01:00:22,080 --> 01:00:28,200
for that kind of challenge to everything that I do God knows that God's warning to

800
01:00:28,200 --> 01:00:34,480
you is this ultimately that is his goal ultimately that is his goal to affect

801
01:00:34,480 --> 01:00:45,560
every area of you so that the light of God can shine in every dark place inside

802
01:00:45,560 --> 01:00:51,240
you every broken moment every hurting every feeling you know what the great

803
01:00:51,240 --> 01:01:00,400
wonderful amazing powerful effectiveness is sometimes people do very mean very

804
01:01:00,400 --> 01:01:06,880
bad things to other people and you may have the unfortunate experience of

805
01:01:06,880 --> 01:01:11,280
going through something like that but if you have allowed when you reach that

806
01:01:11,280 --> 01:01:18,080
moment the light of Jesus to touch every area what's gonna happen is evil spirits

807
01:01:18,080 --> 01:01:23,760
the world your enemies are gonna try to drop a bit of darkness in you they're

808
01:01:23,760 --> 01:01:27,880
gonna go I like to put it there but I can't put it there it's too bright I like

809
01:01:27,880 --> 01:01:32,720
to put it there can't put it there it's too bright I like to put it there I can't

810
01:01:32,720 --> 01:01:37,840
put it there it's too bright man this light of Jesus it's like everywhere we

811
01:01:37,840 --> 01:01:42,960
wonder how when a man was forced to dig the graves of his wife and children they

812
01:01:42,960 --> 01:01:45,920
put his wife and children down in there and the soldiers were pointing the guns

813
01:01:45,920 --> 01:01:52,600
down at them but he was able to say father help me and his wife was able to

814
01:01:52,600 --> 01:01:56,800
say children don't cry for we are right now being invented invited to the

815
01:01:56,800 --> 01:02:02,360
greatest wedding feast ever how could she say that standing in her own grave

816
01:02:02,360 --> 01:02:06,480
with her two children with guns pointed down to them how could she say that

817
01:02:06,480 --> 01:02:11,320
because the light of Jesus had permeated inside her to the area that they were

818
01:02:11,320 --> 01:02:17,160
trying to get to they couldn't do it and they shot her and they killed her and

819
01:02:17,160 --> 01:02:21,240
they made her husband bury her and then they took him back and they threw him in

820
01:02:21,240 --> 01:02:27,040
a blubbering pool of his own spit and tears in the front room of his house and

821
01:02:27,040 --> 01:02:31,160
they said it'll be greater punishment for you that you survived your wife and

822
01:02:31,160 --> 01:02:36,360
children than if we had shot you today too but he got up and the next day he

823
01:02:36,360 --> 01:02:41,480
began preaching Christ again two weeks later one of the soldiers that shot his

824
01:02:41,480 --> 01:02:44,400
wife forced him to dig their grave and then shot his wife and children came and

825
01:02:44,400 --> 01:02:47,920
he said how can you still be talking about this Jesus after you went through

826
01:02:47,920 --> 01:02:52,680
what you went through and he shared the gospel with that soldier and that

827
01:02:52,680 --> 01:02:57,560
soldier got saved one of the guys that made him dig his wife and children's

828
01:02:57,560 --> 01:03:03,520
grave ultimately that man's church would begin to grow and it is now mind you

829
01:03:03,520 --> 01:03:07,720
they meet in small sections but it is understood to be the largest church in

830
01:03:07,720 --> 01:03:13,600
the world it's in Korea with 10 with tens of thousands of people meeting in 12 to

831
01:03:13,600 --> 01:03:19,440
15 people groups in every restaurant coffee shop tea house everywhere they

832
01:03:19,440 --> 01:03:24,520
can and it all started because that man faced with the death of his wife and

833
01:03:24,520 --> 01:03:28,880
children forced to dig their grave had allowed the light of Jesus to permeate

834
01:03:28,880 --> 01:03:34,600
throughout him and because his wife had done the same now you or I in that

835
01:03:34,600 --> 01:03:38,440
situation that's me in that situation I'd have been like him blubbering like an

836
01:03:38,440 --> 01:03:46,240
idiot begging begging God begging my attackers but can't you believe it for

837
01:03:46,240 --> 01:03:51,680
one second just for a moment can't you believe that Jesus loves you this much

838
01:03:51,680 --> 01:03:55,680
that he would come and die on the cross to pay the price for your sins to be

839
01:03:55,680 --> 01:04:00,760
Lord of the light Lord of your life and light inside you to deal with all your

840
01:04:00,760 --> 01:04:05,040
dark areas do everything that's wrong with you systematically moment by

841
01:04:05,040 --> 01:04:11,040
moment day by day because he actually wants to do something amazing not just

842
01:04:11,040 --> 01:04:19,200
in eternity but as an effect of the warning he wants you to be living

843
01:04:19,200 --> 01:04:23,960
internally in a bright light that's so bright that if the enemy wants to do

844
01:04:23,960 --> 01:04:33,040
something in you he just that my friends is Christianity amazingly Zachariah knew

845
01:04:33,040 --> 01:04:40,240
it before his son John was born and so did Elizabeth so did Mary and ultimately

846
01:04:40,240 --> 01:04:45,400
so will Joseph that the Messiah the one who was coming was coming for that

847
01:04:45,400 --> 01:04:53,600
purpose if you think Jesus came to die on the cross you're kind of short-sighted

848
01:04:53,600 --> 01:05:00,460
it was necessary that he do so planned for maternity Jesus came to become the

849
01:05:00,460 --> 01:05:06,280
light of men because no flashlight no spotlight and no burning candle can

850
01:05:06,280 --> 01:05:12,160
penetrate the darkness inside you but the light that is Jesus can penetrate

851
01:05:12,160 --> 01:05:18,680
all the darkness inside you but it's a calling but fortunately it's a calling

852
01:05:18,680 --> 01:05:25,320
for any who will listen if you are here today and you have ears here God's

853
01:05:25,320 --> 01:05:32,880
warning and his in treaty that means he wants you and James 4 says this draw

854
01:05:32,880 --> 01:05:39,240
near to me draw near to God and he will draw near to you what do you want today

855
01:05:39,240 --> 01:05:44,080
I'm gonna be comfortable you want everyone to think you're okay is that

856
01:05:44,080 --> 01:05:47,520
your role or you want everybody to think that you're too broken so that they'll

857
01:05:47,520 --> 01:05:51,560
kind of stay out of your bubble not mess with you too much do you want to believe

858
01:05:51,560 --> 01:05:55,040
that the scene that's been set for you so far with the job that you have or the

859
01:05:55,040 --> 01:05:58,800
income you have or the relationships you have or whatever but that's the best

860
01:05:58,800 --> 01:06:07,440
that can be right now because it's not true you're headed for a cliff you're

861
01:06:07,440 --> 01:06:14,120
headed for a crash if you don't allow the light that is Jesus the work is work

862
01:06:14,120 --> 01:06:20,680
in you to affect every dark and broken area and just as you were reborn if you

863
01:06:20,680 --> 01:06:23,960
have been if you haven't been except him now and be reborn but just as you were

864
01:06:23,960 --> 01:06:34,160
reborn you can redeem all your lies all your excuses all your unexplained anger

865
01:06:34,160 --> 01:06:42,120
you can redeem all your illnesses all your failings on the job all your

866
01:06:42,120 --> 01:06:48,720
mistakes all your failure to speak up you can redeem it all in the light that

867
01:06:48,720 --> 01:06:54,040
is Jesus wouldn't be nice to stop making excuses Jesus I have come that they may

868
01:06:54,040 --> 01:06:57,720
have life and have it more abundantly I submit to you that that life more

869
01:06:57,720 --> 01:07:01,920
abundantly is filled with light I'm asking you today

870
01:07:01,920 --> 01:07:07,560
repent and turn to God you say well what would I have to do I don't even know I

871
01:07:07,560 --> 01:07:12,040
mean I know the things that are commanded spiritual disciplines study your

872
01:07:12,040 --> 01:07:20,440
Bible pray maybe fasting service giving all the things that we do to work for

873
01:07:20,440 --> 01:07:25,520
the Lord praising God truly worshiping breaking the silence sharing the gospel

874
01:07:25,520 --> 01:07:28,680
ultimately all those things people like why I just can't bring myself to share

875
01:07:28,680 --> 01:07:33,760
the gospel you will if you live long enough you will why just can't bring

876
01:07:33,760 --> 01:07:38,000
myself to when someone lies to me I just have a hard time forgiving them you'll

877
01:07:38,000 --> 01:07:41,760
get to the point where you you've forgiven them so fast you almost didn't

878
01:07:41,760 --> 01:07:48,280
notice you will because the light of Jesus is just like that but let me say

879
01:07:48,280 --> 01:07:54,600
it from God's point of view you had better God is predicting his reign

880
01:07:54,600 --> 01:07:58,880
ultimately it will be only God and everywhere that God is is anywhere you

881
01:07:58,880 --> 01:08:03,800
want to be and anywhere that God is not is nowhere you want to be ultimately he

882
01:08:03,800 --> 01:08:09,960
will be the only one he will be in charge and if you do not submit now and

883
01:08:09,960 --> 01:08:15,600
consistently and allow that light to go everywhere in your life and you may be

884
01:08:15,600 --> 01:08:18,440
like that man and God says well how'd you get to be here why are you in here

885
01:08:18,440 --> 01:08:20,920
and you're not all cleaned up why are you in here and you're not holy and

886
01:08:20,920 --> 01:08:25,560
white and light like everybody else and you will be speechless you'll say but I

887
01:08:25,560 --> 01:08:32,640
did I believed I believed in Jesus that's why I'm here he said well if you

888
01:08:32,640 --> 01:08:36,840
believed in Jesus and you should have listened to me take him out take her out

889
01:08:36,840 --> 01:08:43,000
and the truth is in that day you won't actually want to be there because that

890
01:08:43,000 --> 01:08:46,360
light that you failed to make friends with that yet that light that you failed

891
01:08:46,360 --> 01:08:50,800
to utilize inside you will be so uncomfortable you'll be there no one

892
01:08:50,800 --> 01:08:55,200
look at everybody around me has white wedding clothes I'm the only person you

893
01:08:55,200 --> 01:08:57,840
ever been in the room and you were the only person underdressed you'll be like

894
01:08:57,840 --> 01:09:02,560
I don't look clean I don't I didn't do it I didn't walk I said I believe but I

895
01:09:02,560 --> 01:09:07,960
didn't do it and when he walks up to you you'll be speechless because you know

896
01:09:07,960 --> 01:09:13,680
you're out of place and then you'll be cast into outer darkness that's what God

897
01:09:13,680 --> 01:09:20,600
says or alternatively you could heed the warnings of God and let the light of the

898
01:09:20,600 --> 01:09:26,160
Lord work in you in every area and there are many I understand and it's a lifelong

899
01:09:26,160 --> 01:09:30,720
journey you may identify some that it'll take a while to get there but doesn't

900
01:09:30,720 --> 01:09:37,920
mean you can't try or allow please on behalf of the God of the universe I beg

901
01:09:37,920 --> 01:09:45,560
you consider yourself warned and called and respond I'll ask the praise team to

902
01:09:45,560 --> 01:09:48,680
come forward to the line and lead us in this final hymn of our service but you're

903
01:09:48,680 --> 01:09:52,520
here today you have not accepted Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior and you need to

904
01:09:52,520 --> 01:09:55,880
speak out and say I want to do that I want to be born again if you're here

905
01:09:55,880 --> 01:09:59,840
today and you have accepted Jesus Christ maybe you've spoken out before and told

906
01:09:59,840 --> 01:10:03,680
others to say look that's me I am a follower of Jesus and I commit myself to allow the

907
01:10:03,680 --> 01:10:06,880
light of Jesus to affect every area of my life not just the areas he's

908
01:10:06,880 --> 01:10:10,240
thus far you might be here decades of Christian and I'm so different than I

909
01:10:10,240 --> 01:10:13,480
was before I got saved I'm nothing like I already said in this

910
01:10:13,480 --> 01:10:18,400
operational moment I've changed so much great but those changes are both a warning

911
01:10:18,400 --> 01:10:21,960
of God that so more changes needed there are also the power of God the

912
01:10:21,960 --> 01:10:30,240
tree of God the question won't you allow this to continue and even more so