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Our Heavenly Father, as we come before your word,

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would you give us the ears to hear what you have to say to us?

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Help us to see the Lord Jesus and all that he has come to do.

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Help us to turn our eyes and our hearts to you.

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We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Well, good morning.

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It's great to be here with you and this is why I want to ask by asking you a question.

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If you were to ask your neighbor or your friend or your coworker,

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what is the single most frightening problem that the world faces today?

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What would they say? What would you say?

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Maybe you'd say it's the rising cost of living, the inequality of wealth,

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the threat of war, global warming, or just physical and mental health.

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Now the problem with this question is that they're all kind of true, aren't they?

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They're all real and very significant problems that the world faces today.

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But the thing about that is that it's like treating cancer.

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It can always come back.

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It's in part why we always fear cancer, because you can treat as much as you can see,

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but you never quite know when it will reappear.

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In the same way, even though we deal with these issues that we've thought about earlier,

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the rising living costs, inequality, wars, global warming, we can fix all those things,

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but they just keep coming back in one way or another.

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Now the problem lies much deeper,

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and that's why we must consider the problem that the Bible puts before us,

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the problem of sin and Satan's grip over humanity.

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Because as you read the Old Testament part of the Bible,

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what we see repeatedly is that humanity could never overcome him.

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They kept falling for his liars, receiving what he is tempting them to do

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time and time again in the Old Testament and even now.

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And it's because of Satan's deception that we see the results of sin in the world today,

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and indeed even in ourselves,

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because this is the result of rejecting God and choosing our own ways.

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This is the consequence of rebelling against a holy, perfect God.

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But this morning I hope that we'll see, as we look in this passage in Matthew,

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as we continue this series in Matthew, I hope that we'll see that there is hope.

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It's not all lost.

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Even though we are guilty of sin, even though we have rejected him,

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we can still have hope because of this one man, Jesus.

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And that's what we're going to be exploring this morning.

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So if you have your Bibles with you, please keep it open.

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We're going to work through three parts of this sermon.

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So first section from verses 12 to 17, what we see is the light has dawned.

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Let me read it again.

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When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee.

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Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali,

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to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah,

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land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

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The people living in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of the shadow of death.

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A light has dawned.

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From that time on, Jesus began to preach, repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

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So immediately we'll put into Matthew's Gospel, we see Jesus reacting to John the Baptist's imprisonment.

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He was the forerunner for Jesus. He said, prepare the way for the king.

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And now he's put into prison. And what does Jesus do?

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Well, he withdraws to Galilee.

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It's like a starting pistol goes off and you see the signal for Jesus to go and he kind of disappears, doesn't he?

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He withdraws to Galilee.

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But why?

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Well, according to verse 14, to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah.

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That's why he withdrew.

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But to understand why Jesus is reacting in this way,

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we have to understand what the prophecy that Jesus is fulfilling, right?

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What was the promise that was made in the past

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that Matthew, the writer of this Gospel, that he sees Jesus now completing?

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Well, as Chess has mentioned, it is a reference to the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah,

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and it is taken from Isaiah chapter nine.

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One of the striking things of Isaiah is the chapter before that is a very, very dark chapter.

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Well, even as we look throughout the history of the Old Testament, the people of Israel who were,

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they were special people for God, God chose them himself, blessed them, led them.

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And here is Isaiah. He's a prophet.

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He's a spokesperson for God to the people.

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That was his role.

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He told them about what was going to happen as a result of what they did.

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And he warned them and he called them to take action lest this happens.

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So let me paint a scene of chapter nine.

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Chapter nine talks about hope, but in chapter eight,

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let me paint the picture of where the people of Israel are at at this point.

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We have the people of Israel, God's chosen special people of God.

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He blessed them. He cared for them.

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A real rags to riches story because they were obedient to God.

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And as a result, the nation flourished.

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It prospered under kings such as David and Solomon.

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And God continued to provide for them and care for them.

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But over time, when King Solomon passed away, when King David died,

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when new kings came in, they didn't want to follow God.

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They turned their backs on him. They rejected God.

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And they worked their own ways.

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Over and over, the people, God's special people, rejected God.

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And Isaiah comes and warns them of judgment that is about to come before them

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because of their actions.

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And he says a force called the Assyrians are going to come

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and they will wipe you out.

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And so you have this huge force, the Assyrians, marching into Israel.

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And this is what eventually happens.

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The Assyrians come into Israel in their chosen and their promised land.

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And they are taken out.

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They are torn away from the land of God,

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dragged into slavery and captivity.

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And it is at this point of darkness,

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this point of hopelessness that the shadow of death is cast on all the people.

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And that's where Isaiah 9 comes in.

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That's when this prophecy of hope comes in.

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Now you can read about these stories in 2 Kings 15.

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These are real stories that have happened in the history of Israel.

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And then the prophecy is in Isaiah 8 and 9.

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You can have a read because they are really such a devastating story.

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And yet that is our story that we're part of.

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But thank God that it didn't stop there.

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Isaiah points in chapter 9, he tells them that there is a promise of hope.

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There is a time where there will be no more gloom for those who are in distress.

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A great light will come upon the people.

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But now it's not just Israel.

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Now it's a hope that comes to the Galilee of the Gentiles.

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And now this is a place in Israel that has a significant portion of not just Israelites,

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but people from all other nations, so the Gentiles.

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And so this hope God promises to all people now.

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In the midst of that darkness there is hope.

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A great light has dawned, Isaiah says.

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But what is this hope? What is this great light?

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How is this prophecy being fulfilled?

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Well, look back in Matthew if you would.

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And after quoting this prophecy in Isaiah 9, verse 17, Matthew writes,

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From that time on, Jesus began to preach,

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Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

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When we had our first daughter Micah,

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one of the many things we had to buy when you have your first child is a blackout screen.

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I don't know if you've ever had one of those, like blackout curtains.

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It's similar to that.

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It was one of those amazing tools where it completely blackens out the room.

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There's no light at all, which was excellent because we lived underneath a street light,

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so it was always just glaringly bright.

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And with a newborn, that was very problematic.

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And so when we installed it, it was like night and day.

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It was completely black.

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You couldn't even see your hand. You couldn't see anything.

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You had to grasp around to see where you were.

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And every now and then when you have the lights on and you're waking up,

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you're trying to find the light switch.

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Maybe you've experienced this, but once you hit that light switch from being in pure darkness,

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it's actually pretty blinding.

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And you have no choice but to kind of flinch in reaction.

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It's kind of like when you walk out of a cinema in the daytime,

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and as you head to the car park, you flinch because the light is so bright.

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And it's that brightness that Jesus speaks these words.

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In that bright light, that flinchingly light, Jesus says, repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

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You see, if heaven, if the kingdom of heaven is all about healing the symptoms of death,

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whether it's fixing the problems of inequality,

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whether it's about fixing the health of the people,

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if that's what it's all about, why is Jesus calling us to repent?

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What does repentance have to do with the kingdom of heaven?

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Well, firstly, surely you have to understand what repentance means.

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And Chester has helpfully explored it earlier in looking at the Westminster Confession,

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because simply it is turning away from something completely.

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It's a transformation of your outlook on something and a completely new way of seeing.

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But what is it that Jesus is calling us to turn away from?

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Well, if Jesus is here to fix the problem of the world, why do we have to turn away from everything, anything?

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Surely he could just fix the problem, and that's right, he can.

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That's exactly what he's doing by calling us to repent.

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Because you see, the problem isn't there are external things happening.

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No, no, it's internal.

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Because we've rejected God.

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Because we were overcome.

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We were engulfed in darkness.

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We were living a life in the darkness.

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Satan had us ensnared in sin.

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Satan led us to rebel against God, and there was no way out.

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No human could ever overcome him, and we see it over and over again in the Old Testament and even today.

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No human could overcome what Satan had done.

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And so we face the judgment that is to come, the judgment due for this rebellion.

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And just how Israel faced certain destruction from the Assyrians, we too face destruction because of our sin against God.

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And that's where this prophecy comes in.

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But now the light has come.

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This light now calls us out of darkness.

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Repent.

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Turn away from living in the darkness.

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Stop living in rejection of God.

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Stop living in rebellion to God.

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Here is this great light that takes on the judgment of God that we deserve, nailing it on his body on the cross.

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This is why it's so amazing as we looked at, as Michael looked at last week when you see Jesus overcoming Satan.

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It's amazing because he's doing something that no one ever could.

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Here now is a man who could defeat Satan.

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And that's why he calls us to repent.

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Because the kingdom of heaven has come near.

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Because now there is hope.

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There is rescue.

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There is a Savior and his name is Jesus.

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He is the one who can and has overcome Satan and the darkness.

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All the other issues of the world are byproducts of sin.

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And we can't fix them unless we fix that sinful, rebellious heart problem that we all have.

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That's the root of the problem.

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That's why even if we put a bandaid on cancer, it still comes back.

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But if you want to walk in the light, if you want to come to the light, you must walk towards it.

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That's what it means to repent, to turn away from, to make a radical change.

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No longer are you going to walk into darkness, but instead walk towards the light.

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Instead of rejecting or rebelling against God, you follow him.

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You follow Jesus who is the light.

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Because this is the light that has dawned upon the world.

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Just as God promised the Israelites that there is hope, here Jesus says it is fulfilled in me.

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Now how do we respond to this man who could push away the darkness?

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How do we respond to the one who can overcome Satan and his snares?

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Well, we repent, tell me.

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We repent and we follow him.

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So let me ask you that.

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Have you repented of sin?

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Have you repented from going your own ways instead of following Jesus?

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Because we were once captives of Satan. We were enslaved to him.

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But now this light has come to free you and me from Satan's grasp.

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And so we live continually repenting, continuing living in the light because the light has dawned.

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And as this great light calls people to himself, well we need to look at how he's actually going to do that.

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How does this light call people to himself?

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Well that's our next section in verses 18 to 22.

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Have a look with me in verse 18.

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As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.

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They were casting a net into the lake for they were fishermen.

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Come and follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people.

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At once they left their nets and followed him.

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Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

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They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets.

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Jesus called them and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

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Before I worked at the church, I worked as a tax accountant.

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And what I did, I had a boss who oversaw all the jobs that I did.

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And often he would give feedback, but not directly.

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He would give it to the receptionist who would pass it on to me.

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Now when I got that feedback, it was very tempting to go, actually, I don't want your feedback.

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You're a receptionist, I'm actually an accountant.

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But I couldn't, could I?

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Because the feedback that I was getting wasn't actually from the receptionist, was it?

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No, it was from the boss who had the authority to give me feedback.

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And might I suggest not doing that because it's not a good idea.

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It's a bad practice to tell the receptionist not to give you feedback.

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Always welcoming.

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But when we're considering this light that's coming into the world,

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when we consider the good news of Jesus that's been passed across generations,

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and we think about how, how is it that Jesus is still calling people to himself thousands of years later?

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I mean, he's not here with us, is he?

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Well, let's have a look at our passage.

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And the first thing we see is Jesus approaching the fishermen, Peter and Andrew.

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And what are they doing in verse 18?

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They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

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I don't know about you, but that sounds like a strange statement, doesn't it?

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It's a bit like saying, Sean was driving because he was a driver.

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Or perhaps Sean was sharpening his knife, for he was a chef.

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You think, okay, doesn't add much.

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But actually, it's quite important to note this, particularly because of the way they respond in verse 20.

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In verse 20, Jesus calls them to follow him, and he will make them fish for people.

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And verse 20 says, at once they left their nets and followed him.

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Do you notice the urgency that Matthew puts on the call?

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They were working, they heard the call from Jesus, and they left.

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How different would it be if, say for example, they were kind of sleeping on the shore and their father was doing all the work,

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and then Jesus calls them, and they're like, yep, we're good to go.

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How different would it be if they were writing their CVs, not that they had CVs back then,

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but they were preparing to leave their job.

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What does that tell you about their work?

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Well, it tells you that they were already kind of looking for a way out.

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But that's not what's happening in this text, is it?

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No, no, they're preparing their nets, they're preparing for their normal duties.

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They were committed in doing their jobs.

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And yet, when they heard the demand of Jesus to come and follow him, they dropped it.

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It was a complete abrupt, a complete change of lifestyles, leaving their work, and even leaving their family.

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But this is what you do when someone with all authority commands you to do something.

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Like when a king commands his subjects, he's not looking on a debate about whether this is a good idea or not.

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No, you drop your nets and you follow.

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And here, what we see particularly is the disciples are being particularly called in this section.

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This is Jesus calling his disciples. But later in Matthew 28, let me read to you verses 18.

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This is at the end of the letter, it says this in Matthew 28.

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Then Jesus came to them, and this is the 11 disciples, and he said,

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All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

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Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

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and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

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And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.

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Do you see that? All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus.

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And that's why these men, therefore, go and make disciples.

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Here, the mission of bringing the light into the darkened world is now done by Jesus' disciples

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to reach all the nations of the world, not just to Israel, the world.

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And that includes you and me.

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But surely the Lord is, Jesus is with us always.

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You see, by the Holy Spirit, Jesus is with us.

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Jesus is carrying on his mission through the church, through you and through me.

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So what have we seen so far in Matthew?

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Well, in this section, we've seen that a great light has dawned.

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It has come upon this world, illuminating the darkness, and it has come through his followers,

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through the followers of Jesus, calling people to repent and to follow Jesus.

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And so let me close.

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In this last section, we look at the light shining.

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So verses 23, back in Matthew chapter 4.

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Jesus went through Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom

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and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

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News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought him all who were ill with various diseases,

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those suffering pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.

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Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan followed him.

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As you see here, what we see is the kingdom of heaven coming near.

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What we see is the natural effects of the kingdom of heaven, the natural effects of light shining in the darkness,

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shining brightly throughout Galilee.

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Look at it. Look at what he's doing.

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He's teaching, preaching, and healing every disease, every sickness.

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His name spreading all over Syria.

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All who are ill are healed. All who are suffering pain are healed.

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All who are possessed are freed.

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This is a picture of the new creation, where there is no more tears, no more pain, no more suffering, no more sadness.

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Isn't this what the kingdom of heaven is like?

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This is the effect of the light that has come upon the world.

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Here is an image of the Lord Jesus piercing through the brokenness of sin.

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Piercing through the darkness of Galilee.

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The curse and the disease of sin now gone.

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It is holistic. It is complete.

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And it is the answer to the greatest problem of humanity.

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For the devil had us ensnared to death.

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That's why there is suffering in the world. That's why there's brokenness in the world.

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But now it's pushed back.

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In Jesus the curse has been removed.

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Taken on the cross of Christ.

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And so, brothers and sisters, I hope that you're relieved.

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I hope that you're encouraged by this great momentous news.

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Because the darkness is gone.

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Satan cannot hold us before God and demand judgment.

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Penalty, retribution for sin.

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Satan can't do that anymore.

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Like finding the cure to cancer.

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Like finding the solution to climate change.

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Finding the answer to the most frightening problem of the human race.

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How do we respond to this?

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With joy and with hope.

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May this be the hope that spurs you on as you follow King Jesus.

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May we look forward and long for the coming of the new creation.

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When all things are made right.

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Because this is the great light that has dawned upon the world.

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Calling followers to repent and follow Jesus.

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For the kingdom of heaven has come near.

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Would you pray with me?

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Our Father in heaven,

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we give you thanks for the great light that is Jesus.

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That despite our rejection, despite our rebellion from you,

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you still send your son Jesus into the world.

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To bring about the kingdom of heaven to us.

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Such is your great love for us.

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Father, would you work in our hearts that we would see you.

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See your love and your grace in the Lord Jesus.

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Would you change our hearts?

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Would you help us to see sin as detestable, as evil as it is?

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Lord, would you help us to put sin to death?

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Help us to turn away from the ways that we have rejected you.

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And help us to rejoice in living a life for you.

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For your honor, for your glory.

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Help us to repent and to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Even in our sin, Lord, we thank you that you have included us in your great salvation plan.

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And so we ask that you would help us to then be bold.

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Not because of anything that we do, but because of the authority you have bestowed upon us.

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We ask all this in Jesus' name, Amen.