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John chapter 19 verses 28 through 30. We'll read through the text then we'll

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pray and then we will jump in. John 19 28. After this when Jesus knew that

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everything was now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled he said

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I'm thirsty. A jar full of sour wine was sitting there so they fixed a sponge

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full of sour wine on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the

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sour wine he said it is finished. Then bowing his head he gave up his spirit.

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Let's pray. Father God we come to you today and we thank you for your word. We

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come to you today and we thank you for Jesus Christ. As he uttered those

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words that we just read dear Lord he hung on a cross for the forgiveness of

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our sins dear Lord let us not not overlook the significance of that today

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dear Lord maybe there are some today here that do not know who Jesus is and I

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pray that today that your Holy Spirit would speak to us that your word would

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speak to us dear Lord that you would hide me behind the cross that you would

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help me to preach and teach in a way God that's gonna bring glory to you and I

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pray God that you just would be with us in these next few minutes and I ask

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these things in Jesus name amen. These were the last words that Jesus spoke

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before his life was gone. Jesus had suffered and bled and died and there he

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hung on the cross and Jesus said it is finished. But there was a lot that had

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gone on before we got to this part of the scripture. I wish we could stay here

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for five or six hours today and really dig through the scriptures. I'm probably

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the only one that would love to do that. But we'll go through this in a reasonable

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amount of time but but we have to go back a little bit and see what got us to

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this point. You see Jesus had had come into town there the triumphal entry we

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call it when Jesus humbly came into town and riding on a donkey and there the

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crowds gathered and they sang and they praised and they worshiped and they laid

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the palm branches down and they laid their robes in the street and Jesus came

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into Jerusalem for the final week of his life and there is the end was approaching

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and his days were drawing near to come to a close. There he had the last supper

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with his Apostles and there with him he told them about a new covenant that he

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was making with them something greater that was soon to be established through

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his death and through his resurrection and there as he ate with his Apostles

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and there as he began to tell them the things that would that would take place

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and that and that they would they would all run and that they would they would

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flee from him when this time come Peter boldly spoke up and he said even if I

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have to die for you Lord I will not deny you perhaps some days we are like Peter

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maybe today some of us in this room are like Peter we are very zealous for the

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Lord and praise the Lord on those days that we are that we are so so zealous

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for the Lord that we are ready to do anything for the Lord there are some

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days that we are like that and Peter was he was assured he knew that he loved

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Jesus he loved the Lord and he was not going to deny him he would never flee

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from him he said and not only Peter the scripture says and all of them said the

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same thing and so here at this last meal that Jesus was having with his Apostles

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they were all out of it Lord Jesus whatever happens we will not flee from

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you we will not deny you under any circumstance and soon the meal would end

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and Jesus would go to the Garden of the Gethsemane where he would begin to pray

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to the Lord father if there is any other way let this cup pass from me God if

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there's any way to accomplish your plan if there's any way to bring about

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salvation if there's any way to save these people dear Lord let it be because

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Jesus knew what was before him he knew the cross was before him and it wasn't

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going to be long that he would soon be arrested and there Jesus sat and there

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Jesus prayed and in the text Jesus said my soul is swallowed up in sorrow

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perhaps we can relate to Jesus perhaps there are seasons in our life where our

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souls are swallowed up in sorrow where the task that is before us is so heavy

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and it's so hard and we pray to God and we seek God and and we just feel that

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perhaps there's some of you today in this room and you can relate to Jesus

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you know what that prayer is like to cry out to God and say God I need you father

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I need you our souls are swallowed up in sorrow and we need to follow the example

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of Jesus Christ that's one of the beautiful things I think about this

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passage in this story is as we read through these last few hours of Jesus's

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life and we see these different characters we can relate to them even

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Jesus himself we can connect with this with this story and these people in some

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way because there are days that we are like Peter that we are zealous for the

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Lord and ready to do anything for the Lord and then there are days in our life

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where our souls are swallowed up in sorrow and we don't know if we're going

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to be able to accomplish what God has placed before us but nevertheless God is

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with us God has our best interest in mine and whatever we do we need to do in

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obedience to the Father and Jesus prayed that prayer let this cup pass from me

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but Jesus also said father not my will be done but your will be done Jesus knew

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who he had come to serve he had come to serve the father he had come to die on

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the cross for you and I and he knew that time was short and if there was another

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way let it be but father if there's not another way Jesus says I am ready to

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live in obedience to you and in our days of sorrow and our times of pain we need

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to follow Jesus's example and say Lord deliver me and help me but God if

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there's no deliverance I will not deny you God I will not give up on you God I

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will not quit my mission God I will do what you've called me to do and soon

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after that the soldiers would come and Jesus would be arrested and just as

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Jesus had said all of his Apostles they all fled just so quickly just hours

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before they said we will never leave you Jesus we'll never flee from you and oh

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how quickly things change the disciples all fled from Jesus Jesus was taken into

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town for a trial we can call it a mock trial the the sentence had already been

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passed they already decided what they wanted to do the ones who were passing

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sentence on Jesus had already decided he needed to die they didn't like Jesus

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they didn't like who he was they didn't like how he preached they didn't like

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the things that he taught he had an authority and he had something about him

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that when Jesus would speak that people would flock to him and they would listen

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to him and Jesus would do miracles that were unexplainable and and many in the

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crowds and many in the communities thousands would come and listen to what

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Jesus said and there were some who were very religious and they were threatened

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by Jesus he marched to the beat of a different drum and the people knew that

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when Jesus preached the Bible says that he spoke like one who had authority

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unlike the other leaders who were there and these leaders hated Jesus and these

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are the very ones that brought Jesus in that night and put him on trial but it

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was already determined he would be guilty guilty of what guilty of nothing

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but guilty of whatever they decided that could bring him to death and there is

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that mock trial was taking place there was Peter he was standing there and Jesus

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had told him you're gonna deny me three times before the rooster crows well

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Peter had already been adamant that he would never deny Jesus but but he was

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keeping his distance because even though he had fled when Jesus was arrested he

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still was curious enough and he still cared enough that he he wanted to see

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what was going on in there as Peter was watching in the distance he was asked on

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three occasions wait a minute don't don't you know Jesus aren't aren't you one of

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his disciples weren't you with him and and every time Jesus Peter said I don't

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know the man I don't know the man look I don't know the man and one who was so

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zealous for the Lord only a few hours later was completely denying who Jesus

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was perhaps if we are honest we can relate to that side of Peter as well

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there are some days perhaps that we are so zealous for the Lord and there are

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other days that we deny who Jesus is that we did not a stand-up for him that

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we did not Jesus by our actions by our choice to sin that we deny Jesus one day

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we're close to Jesus and the next day where we're fleeing from Jesus perhaps

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there are some today who were like Peter was during the trial maybe you've been

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denying who Jesus is maybe you know Jesus Peter knew Jesus he knew who he

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was he believed who he was but yet when things got difficult he began to not to

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deny who Jesus was we don't want to be those today if you relate to Peter today

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then we need to repent even Peter was restored when he came back to Jesus

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Christ after Jesus was resurrected there's restoration for you and I today

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brothers and sisters in Christ those who were once zealous for the Lord and have

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denied the Lord there is restoration and there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ and

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there Peter stood and watched in the distance as he denied Jesus and the

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sentence was passed that Jesus was guilty and deserving of death and so

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there Jesus was taken he was taken before Pilate who was the kind of the

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governor of the area who oversaw things and and they brought Jesus before Pilate

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and and the Jews had their charges and said this man needs to die he says he's

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the king of the Jews and and and there's no other king but Caesar they said now

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they didn't care anything about Caesar but they would say whatever they had to

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say to make sure that Jesus was going to be killed and and Pilate listened to

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them and and Pilate said look this man has done nothing wrong and Pilate talked

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with Jesus and and he listened to the people and he even sent Jesus to Herod

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and even Herod said look Jesus has done nothing deserving of death and and

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Pilate made lots of efforts to try to deliver Jesus but eventually he gave in

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to the cries of the people there before Pilate that day and before Jesus that

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day stood a mob an angry mob who hated Jesus with every fiber of their being

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and Pilate said look I'll take him he'll be beaten that'll be enough and we'll

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let him go and the crowd said crucify him crucify him

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Pilate didn't want to give in to their requests but the crowd grew louder and

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louder and louder the crowd said his blood be on us and our children what a

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powerful statement what a powerful statement that they're these these very

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ones who wanted to kill Jesus the very ones who wanted to shed his blood are

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the very ones that he died so that his blood would be shed and their sins could

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be forgiven his blood be on us they said that is to say his blood be on our hands

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we will be guilty of his murder we will be guilty of his death but Jesus

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willfully went to that cross that day and his blood was shed so that their

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sins could be covered and that our sins could be covered perhaps we can relate

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to those in the crowd perhaps there are some of us today that have denied who

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Jesus is perhaps there are some of us today who are still living in our sin

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and our blood his blood is on our hands we're we're guilty Jesus died for the

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forgiveness of sins perhaps if we would have been in the crowd that day we would

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have been the ones who would have been yelling crucify him crucify him perhaps

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we would have been the ones that day with his blood on our hands and yet

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today we are those with his blood on our hands because we are the very ones that

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he died for it is our sin that he died for when we sin and sin and sin we're

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choosing sin it's our fault that Jesus went to the cross but you know Jesus

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doesn't want his blood to be on our hands he wants his blood to be on our

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hearts we want to be those who are covered by the blood of Jesus that our

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sins are washed away that we're not charged with our sins but that they have

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been covered by his precious blood and the crowd that day the people had a

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choice Pilate said wait a minute I'll release somebody it's the tradition that

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every year I release a prisoner for you look here's this Barabbas over here

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he's a murderer he's he's part of a rebellion how about how about I release

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Jesus and and the people said wait a minute wait a minute we don't want we

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don't want Jesus release Barabbas release the murderer release the

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rebellious one and there the crowds chanted all the more and there that day

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the crowds chose a sinner over a Savior it would be a tragedy for us to make the

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same mistake today because before us today we have the same decision that they

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had before us today and every day when we wake up we have a decision before us

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are we going to follow sin are we going to follow a Savior in Jesus Christ and

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that day is Jesus was before them they chose their sin over the Savior let us

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not be those who make that mistake today oh if you've been living in sin and

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you've been choosing sin today is the day that we need to repent that we need

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to choose the Savior who shed his blood for us that even knowing that we were

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rotten dirty nasty sinners that Jesus said I'm going to take all of the

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ridicule pilot knew he couldn't calm the crowds down that they had made their

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decision it was decided that Jesus would be crucified now this is reserved for

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the worst of the worst of criminals and Jesus had done nothing wrong

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nevertheless the sentence was passed by pilot and Jesus began to carry his cross

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as far as he could until he could carry it no more

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eventually someone would help Jesus carry his cross all the way to Calvary

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all the way to Golgoth all the way to the place of the skull where his death

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would take place and there Jesus would be nailed to the cross with a crown of

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thorns placed on his head standing there for the crowds watching some were there

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mourning some were there sad some were followers of Jesus who were watching in

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the distance at what was taking place others were there praising what was

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taking place they were rejoicing in Jesus's crucifixion they were rejoicing

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in his pain they were rejoicing in his suffering and they were mocking Jesus oh

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if Jesus is so good then let's see if God wants him let's see if God's gonna

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come to his rescue it didn't appear as though God was present in this situation

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after all that had taken place the one who had claimed to be the Messiah the

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Son of God had been beaten and he'd been mocked and now he was

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nailed to a cross and it didn't appear as though God was at work and the crowd

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says you know where is God at if he wants him he'll come get him perhaps

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sometimes we're like the crowd in that respect perhaps sometimes when some of

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God's most beautiful plans are unfolding it doesn't appear that God is at work it

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didn't appear that God was at work that day how could God be at work with Jesus

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being beaten and mocked and nailed to a cross how could God be at work yet that

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was part of God's plan that was part of God's plan there was pain and there was

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suffering but that is the way that salvation was going to be accomplished

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and there was no other way that it could be accomplished and perhaps in our life

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today we can relate perhaps for some of us today we are going through things

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things that that are hard that are difficult things that we just we really

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believe and we have believed that they're part of God's plan but now it's

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gotten really really hard and it doesn't appear as though God is at work but God

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is at work even when we don't see God even when we don't recognize it God is

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at work and we must be obedient even Jesus knew that is he hung on the cross

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he knew that God was at work he knew that God had not abandoned him he knew

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that God was there the crowd didn't know that the crowd mocked but Jesus knew

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that he was accomplishing the mission of God no matter how difficult and painful

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it would be Jesus knew what he had to do and it was there on the cross that

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Jesus looked to crowd looked at those who had nailed him to the cross and

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uttered really some of the some of the strongest words that I think anyone has

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ever uttered father forgive them for they know not what they are doing now

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that takes a lot of power that takes a lot of humility that takes a lot of

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strength for those who have beaten you and those who have mocked you and those

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who continue to mock you and those who have nailed you to a cross that you can

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stand that your enemies above your enemies hanging on that cross and say

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father forgive them but Jesus knew why he was hanging on that cross he was

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hanging on the cross so he could say those words so that those words could be

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a possibility because had Jesus have not hung on the cross that day there would

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be no possibility of forgiveness but yet Jesus did hang on the cross that day and

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he forgave those who wronged him perhaps we need to learn from Jesus in that way

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there are probably some people in your life that have wronged you that have

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not been very nice to you that don't treat you right they've cheated and

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stolen lied to you and there are probably some of you today that say I

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can't forgive that person but the Bible calls us to forgive and if Jesus Christ

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can forgive then so can we and you may say this morning we you don't know what

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they did to me no I don't but they didn't beat you and mock you and nail

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you to a cross and even if they do that we need to forgive them because that's

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what Jesus did in the last moments of his life he offered forgiveness for

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those who had nailed him to the cross if they would only put their trust in it if

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they would only put their trust in him even that day even in that moment there

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could be forgiveness and as Jesus hung on the cross there were two criminals

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who were hung beside him one of the criminals was mocking Jesus but the

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other criminal he recognized who Jesus was he recognized what was going on and

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he told the other criminal he said look he said we deserve what we're getting

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we're criminals we broken the law he said but this man doesn't deserve these

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things he's done nothing wrong and the one the one criminal called out to Jesus

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and Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise I hope that we are like that

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criminal today that we would recognize who Jesus is because he got it he got

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the basics of what we all need to recognize today he got the basics of

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salvation we are sinners we have done wrong and we are deserving of punishment

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but Jesus is perfect that criminal on the cross understand understood the

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truth of the gospel that day the truth that you and I need to realize that we

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are sinners but Jesus Christ is perfect that he takes the sin and the

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punishment that that we are deserving of he takes our sin on himself so that we

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may be forgiven of that sin I hope that we are not like the one criminal today

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who rejected who Jesus was who denied who Jesus was but let us be like the

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criminal who got it who understood that Jesus is perfect and there is salvation

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in no other and when all this was said and done after several hours of hanging

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on the cross we arrive at the passage we started out as all things were drawing

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to a close Jesus asked for something to drink as he was thirsty and it says he

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asked this so that all things would be fulfilled so that the scripture would be

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fulfilled all things are accomplished and when all things were accomplished

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Jesus said it is finished everything that needed to take place everything

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that needed to occur for the forgiveness of our sins for salvation for you and I

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today it was all accomplished on the cross of Jesus Christ there is nothing

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left for you to accomplish there are too many times that we are trying to get our

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own lives in order and we are trying to accomplish things on our own and we're

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trying to figure out this and we're trying to figure out that and we're

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trying to make it through and do it when Jesus has already done it there is

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nothing left to be accomplished because Jesus has accomplished it all that is

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left for us to do is to trust in Jesus and who he is he is the one who wants to

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be with us and we need to be zealous for him and on the days that we are not we

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need to repent and we need to seek him we need to be those who choose a Savior

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over our sin we need to be those who recognize that we are not worthy of sin

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but that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and when Jesus died on that cross

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it is finished all the work that needed to be done is finished everything that

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God wanted to accomplish has been accomplished in Jesus Christ and three

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days later God raised Jesus from the grave and Jesus is seated at the right

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hand of God Jesus has conquered death he has conquered sin Jesus is victorious

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today and Jesus wants to give you that victory perhaps there are things you're

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trusting in yourself things you're trying to accomplish on your own when

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you just need to trust in Jesus Christ who has accomplished all things through

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the cross through his death and through his resurrection do you know who Jesus

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is today are you trusting in him today maybe you've sit in a church pew for years

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of your life maybe you've heard this story a hundred times maybe you know

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full well who Jesus is but maybe you have never put your faith and trust in

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him maybe you've never followed him maybe you've been living for yourself

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maybe you've been denying him your whole life but maybe today you realize like

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that criminal on the cross wait a minute there's something about this Jesus

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there's something about him there is no joy there is no happiness there is no

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deliverance there is no forgiveness of sins apart from Jesus Christ grace comes

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through Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected and that's what will get us

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through our days it's through Jesus that we are forgiven is through the grace of

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God that we're able to make it every day if it were not for the grace of God our

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life would be too difficult too much of a struggle but when our life gets

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difficult we remember who Jesus is we remember what Jesus has done we

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remember that he is our strength we remember that he is our victor and so we

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will find victory Jesus shows us the example of what it is to live for the

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father and that's the example that Jesus calls us to Jesus gave up everything he

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did everything he could to live for the will of the father and when we put our

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faith and trust in Jesus Christ that's what he calls us to do that's what it

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means to be a Christian to say Lord I choose you and I'm going to live for you

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above and beyond all other things if you've never put your faith and trust in

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Jesus Christ today I pray that you would let's pray dear Lord we come to you this

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morning we thank you for your good words and I pray God that as we reflect on

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this story maybe for some it's the first time they've ever heard it God maybe for

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others they've heard it 50 times but dear Lord it's good it's good dear Lord

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and I pray that we would not overlook the power in this passage that we would

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not we would we would not fail to see dear Lord what it means that Jesus

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Christ died on the cross for us so that we would be forgiven God we thank you

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for sending Jesus we thank you that Jesus was faithful all the way to death

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on the cross dear Lord God our sins are many we are so rotten we say and we do

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and we think so many things that are horrible dear Lord but what a beautiful

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thing it is God that Jesus seeing all of our our wretchedness he still chose to

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die on that cross dear Lord maybe there are some today that your Holy Spirit's

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already beginning to work on them God I pray that today that they'd know that you

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love them that Jesus loves them that no matter how how many their sins may be

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that the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse them all dear Lord God maybe

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there's some here today that do not know you I pray that they would repent God

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that is to turn away from our sins that we say no more that we're not living for

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ourselves that we're not living for this world but God that we're ready to live

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for you that we repent God we ask you to forgive us and that forgiveness comes

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dear Lord through Jesus Christ God maybe there's some today and they are yours

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but maybe they're just in a in a tough place maybe they're like Jesus was in

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the garden dear Lord maybe there are some today whose souls are swallowed up

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in sorrow God I pray that you give them grace your grace is sufficient dear Lord

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I pray that you'd give them strength I pray that you would help them never to

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to stop doing the work that you've called them to do dear Lord sometimes

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it's hard what you call us to but dear Lord let us let us trust you and seek you

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in the same way that Jesus did God maybe there are some that are like Peter today

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maybe they know you maybe they've walked with you but maybe they've denied you

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here in their life recently dear Lord maybe they've been denying you with

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their actions and denying you with their words dear Lord but praise the Lord

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there's restoration God even for Peter dear Lord there was restoration God maybe

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there are some here today in their years and they just need to be restored I pray

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that they would call out to you this morning but God if you spoke into

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anybody today I pray God that you just would help them to seek you in the next

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few minutes and I ask these things in Jesus name amen