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Today, for a few minutes, we're going to go back

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again on the Mount of Transfiguration. You know,

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I dare say that there has never been a minister

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who has ever stood behind the sacred desk, but

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what some time he has preached at least one sermon

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on this glorious portion of the Word of God.

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This portion of the Bible that is so very familiar

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to all of us is the glory of it. Jesus standing

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there, transfigured before the very eyes of Peter,

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James, and John, with Moses on one side of Jesus

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and Elijah on the other side of Jesus. All this...

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blender of it all, the glory of it all. But you

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know, I've often wondered how many fully realized

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that with every mountaintop experience, sooner

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or later, we all have to come down from the mountain.

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As surely, As Peter and John and James were standing

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there, beholding the glory of the Lord, there

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had to come a moment when it was necessary that

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they come down from the mount. The vision had

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passed. Moses and Elijah had gone. The voice

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was silent. Jesus only remained. You know, it's

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most interesting to trace what happened as these

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men left the mount. And I still contend that

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what happened after this experience is far more

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important than the glory of what they saw. I

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mean that. It's most interesting to see exactly

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what happened as these men left the mount. See

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something, and I give it to you from the word

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of God. The ninth verse of the 17th chapter of

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Matthew. And as they came down from the mountain,

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Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to

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no man until the Son of Man be risen again from

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the dead. First, notice as they were coming down

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with him, they're saying Jesus and Savior. the

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one that they had known so well during the three

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years of ministry, noticed that he charged them

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that they should tell the vision to no man. And

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I believe that there is deep significance in

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this command. I believe that he told them to

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keep silent about what they had seen. Because

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knowing human nature as he knew human nature,

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he knew good and well that they would never,

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they could not get the story right. They could

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not, as they told it to someone else, give the

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correct explanation of that which they saw. You

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know, I have often wondered, as perhaps you have

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wondered also, why Jesus didn't take all of the

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disciples with him. Why he didn't permit all

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of them to have this wonderful experience. Why

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was it that he just chose these two? Three. Only

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on the surface of things. One would have thought

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that he would have taken all of them with him

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on the mount, but he didn't. He even warned them

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in advance that there are some standing here.

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Not all. And when he referred to the some, in

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the final analysis, there were just three that

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he took. with him. You know what I believe? Jesus

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knows his children so well he knows just who

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he can trust. I believe that. I believe that

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Jesus is practical about the whole thing. I think

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of this so very often. Do you know that there

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are some of his children that he wouldn't dare

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trust? With wealth, he knows good and well that

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if he gave you more materially than what you

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have this very hour, you'd backslide in six months.

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Because you wouldn't know what to do with it.

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You would misuse it. That's right. I think of

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that so very often, you know. Folk always say,

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oh, if I only had a great amount of finance.

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If I just had a lot of money, what I would do

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with it? Beloved, you aren't even being obedient

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to God and paying the tithe on that which you

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have. That's right. If you only make $10 a week,

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if you aren't being obedient with the $10, how

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in the world do you expect God to give you more?

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Because he couldn't trust you with more. You

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wouldn't be obedient with more if you're not

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obedient with what you have. And it's like that.

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I do believe that when Jesus took these... three

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with him, he knew exactly that these were the

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three that he could trust. He could trust them

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in being silent when he asked them to be silent.

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God knows exactly what he's doing. He's smart.

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He's perfect wisdom. He's perfect knowledge.

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All right, it has been a matter of discussion

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as to why he told them not to tell. Don't tell

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until later. There was a limit put upon their

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silence. Tell the vision to no man until the

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son of man be risen from the dead. The real reason,

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undoubtedly, was that these men were to wait

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until the Holy Spirit himself should equip them

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for the telling of that story. I believe that.

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But other things lay within that injunction of

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silence. The theme for the coming days was not

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to be the theme of glory, but of the cross. And

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Matthew inserts here the fact that He told them

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again the story of the cross. That so alarmed

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Peter six days before the Transfiguration. The

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vision of the glory had its place and purpose,

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but it must pass away. For the multitude were

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waiting. The pneumatic was in the valley. The

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cross was in the future. There was something

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in the future. The mountain was the place of

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vision, but yonder lay the pathway of accomplishment.

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And in order that his heart might be set upon

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his exodus, and that they might come as much

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as possible into the comradeship with him and

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his great work, nothing was to be said of his

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vision. It was the one. that he asked them to

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keep silent about. After the triumph of his resurrection,

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after his glorious ascension, then it could be

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told in all of its meaning. But they were to

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keep their eyes. on the cross that was just ahead.

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Oh, sure, beloved. Remember, the mountain was

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the place of vision, but yonder was the pathway

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of accomplishment. God has no retirement plan.

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In God's great plan for man, in God's great government,

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he has made no provision for a retirement plan.

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How often I have seen men and women, precious

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Christians, who have been on the mountaintop,

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who've had the glowiest vision. They too have

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been on the Mount Transfiguration. Marvelously

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filled with the spirit. They have seen him. They

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have felt him. They have known him. They have

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seen him and all of his majestic splendor. And

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then I have seen them come down the mountain

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with a spirit. of spiritual bigotry, a better

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-than -thou attitude, folding their spiritual

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garments around about them, and by their very

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attitude putting themselves upon a little spiritual

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pedestal, shamed by their Attitude. We are one

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of God's precious favorites. We are a little

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more spiritual than those around about us. We

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have been filled with spirit. We have spoken

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in an unknown tongue. We have received the gifts.

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of the spirit beloved the mountain was the place

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of vision but yonder was the pathway of accomplishment

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know that you were filled with the spirit that

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you might serve and ye shall receive power After

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that, the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Why?

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That ye might be witnesses. We are saved to serve.

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You and I as his children are here as servants.

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I want you to see something that's very marvelous.

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I love this glorious portion of the Word of God.

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It's found in the 10th chapter of Mark. beginning

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with about the 32nd verse. You know it well.

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The very air is filled with expectancy on the

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road to Jerusalem. And as the disciples were

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walking with the master, he was telling them

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in confidence the thing that were about to happen.

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In confidence, he foretells his death. His treatment

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at the hands of the chief priests and the scribes.

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He told them that they would kill him, but that

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he would rise again. Watch what follows. And

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James and John, the sons of Debedee, come unto

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him, saying, We would that thou shouldest do

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for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said

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unto them, What would ye that I should do for

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you? And they said unto him, Grant unto us that

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we may sit one on thy right hand and the other

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on thy left hand in thy glory. In other words,

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they were asking for seats. Jesus said unto them,

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Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink the cup

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that I drink and be baptized with the baptism

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that I am baptized with? And they said unto him,

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We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed

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drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the

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baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be

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baptized. But to sit on my right hand and on

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my left hand is not mine to give, but it shall

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be given to them for whom it is prepared. What

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did Jesus really need in those words? They said

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unto him, Master, give us seats. They wanted

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the glory. Oh, the glory of that mountaintop

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experience. The master says, no seats but a cup.

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No seats. but a cross. Beloved, you cannot understand

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Christianity from a seat. Spectators are never

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healthy victorious Christians. Know that. In

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that cup that Jesus is talking about here, There

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may be sorrow. There may be heartbreak. There

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may be blood that'll stain your pathway. Rocks

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that'll bruise the tender skin. There may be

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bitter tears. There may be suffering in that

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cup for you. You did not receive that glorious

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mountaintop experience. To be given a seat to

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boast of that which you saw, no. The blowing

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come after the cup and after the cup. Do you

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want to know the tenderness of the man of sorrow?

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Go through a Gethsemane. Do you want to know

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the reality of his promises? Come to a Red Sea.

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Do you really want to know the thrill of feeding

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the hidden virtue of the Son, the very living

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God, flowing through your physical body? Then

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dare to believe. Do you want to know the thrill

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of being filled with the Holy Spirit? You'll

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never know if you're only a spectator. You'll

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never receive the glorious experience from a

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seat. Never. Do you want to know the joy of winning

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somebody to the Lord Jesus Christ? Then become

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meet for the Master's use. But many of you are

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so wrapped up in yourself. that you only see

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the lost as a spectator. You stand behind the

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sacred desk. Come down to where the people are.

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Step down. Come down from the mountain. You'll

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find them waiting for you. You'll find them in

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the cup. You'll find them in the cross. Your

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cross. For if any man will come after me, let

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him deny himself and take up his cross and follow

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me. If any man... Make up your mind. Let him

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deny himself. Give up yourself. He wants all

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of you. Take up your cross. It's going to cost

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you something. It may be a big price you'll have

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to pay, but it's worth the cost. God bless you.