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Romans 11:17-24 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please take out your copy of God's Word and turn to Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 11.
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!
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And we did so in this way to talk and kind of to bring to some finality Paul's discussion of the Jews and what's happening with them now and what will eventually be the case for them.
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And I don't have time to recap everything that I said last week, but essentially I showed in a pattern throughout chapter 11 that I believe in verse 26 when he says,
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And in this way all Israel will be saved, he's talking about the process by which his grace is still being extended to the people of Israel, to the nation of Israel.
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That he is talking present day and that this grace has not left Israel as a nation, but that it has been extended to Gentiles as well as Jews.
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And so his grace is running prevalent across the earth this day.
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Either way, the result's the same.
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Some believe that this text is talking about a final, full salvation of Israel.
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And we talked in brief about that.
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But either way, the point remains that what he's trying to say to Gentile believers, which I will presume that every single one of us are,
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is that we ought not be proud.
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We ought not become haughty towards the Israelites.
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We ought not be anti-Semitic in any way whatsoever because it's by grace that we're saved.
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Not works, right?
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It's not because we're Gentile that we now have the grace of God.
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And so I want to talk about that.
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I want to kind of rewind into chapter 11 and talk a bit more about that, focusing on verses 17 through 24 and particularly 20 through 22.
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So let's pray together and then I'll begin reading that.
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Father God, I love you because you first loved me.
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And I thank you for the great grace that you've poured out on my life and on the lives of so many in this room.
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Surely, us coming together this morning is a picture of your loving kindness toward mankind.
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I pray we don't miss that this morning.
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And Father, you know what a mess I am generally.
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And certainly this morning, frantic.
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Even with an extra hour in my day, I'm running around.
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And I just pray, Father, that you will work through my frailty by your Spirit.
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That you will be powerful in me.
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And that you will work in the hearers of your word.
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That they might know and understand who you are.
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That they might serve you best this coming week.
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And we pray this in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Alright, so let's read together.
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Beginning in verse 17 through verse 24.
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But if some of the branches were broken off.
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And you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others.
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And now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree.
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Do not be arrogant toward the branches.
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If you are, remember it is not you who support the root.
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But the root that supports you.
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Then you will say, branches were broken off.
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So that I might be grafted in.
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That is true.
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They were broken off because of their unbelief.
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But you stand fast through faith.
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So do not become proud, but fear.
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For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
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Note then the kindness and the severity of God.
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Severity towards those who have fallen.
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But God's kindness to you.
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Provided you continue in his kindness.
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Otherwise you too will be cut off.
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And even if they do not continue in their unbelief.
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Will be grafted in.
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For God has the power to graft them in again.
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For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree.
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And grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree.
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How much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree?
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So Paul uses this beautiful analogy of grafting.
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And as I was thinking this week through the analogy.
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I actually thought about not talking about it at all.
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But then realized that there is a really good chance.
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That many of you have no idea what he's talking about.
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When he speaks of grafting.
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What that means.
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It's to cut off a branch.
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This happens in cultivation all the time.
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You cut off a branch.
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And you take another branch.
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And you cut it in just such a way.
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I almost showed you guys a video of it happening today.
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But you cut it in just such a way.
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So that it can be inserted into the root, the tree, whatever that may be.
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And it will then get its sustenance from the tree.
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And you will have then a new tree.
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The practice happens as farmers try to cultivate a better product.
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So it happens with olives.
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Quite often, in fact.
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There's a trait in a wild olive that is beneficial.
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Let's say drought tolerance to the cultivated tree.
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And so the farmer cuts and grafts in the other part.
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Now obviously in this case, he's not saying that in some way the Gentiles had something to offer to the kingdom of God.
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Therefore, they were a better version.
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And he needed to graft them into the old version.
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But that's the picture that we're seeing here.
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Is that because of their unbelief, because of their unfruitfulness, parts of Israel were trimmed away.
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And new, wild olive branches were grafted in.
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That they might bear fruit.
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And so here's the analogy that he gives us.
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And he calls us in this to humility.
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And he does it three times in chapter 11.
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Look at verse 18.
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He says,
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Do not be arrogant toward the branches.
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Verse 20.
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So do not become proud, but fear.
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Verse 25.
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He says,
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Lest you be wise in your own sight.
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Do not be haughty.
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Just because you're part of the tree now,
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do not be arrogant, proud, boastful, haughty towards those who have been cut off.
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And why?
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It's because you stand fast through faith.
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Faith.
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Not because of your works.
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Isn't that the great message of Romans?
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Justification by faith alone.
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Not because of works.
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Not because of anything we could have ever possibly done to earn God's favor.
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But because of the faith that he has given us to believe in his son.
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Faith is the opposite of pride.
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Thinking that we can somehow do anything is the opposite of faith.
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Because faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God, the person and his work, his death and resurrection for us, brings nothing but humility.
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It impedes pride.
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You cannot be proud if you truly believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
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So faith then is set in juxtaposition to pride.
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And we stand fast through faith.
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So we see then in verse 20 through 22 that they were broken off because of their unbelief.
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But we stand fast through faith.
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So we shouldn't become proud.
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But instead, we should fear.
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For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
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Note then the kindness and the severity of God.
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The severity of those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness.
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Otherwise, you too will be cut off.
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You see the warning here.
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Is that if we become proud, if we think that we have obtained our justification before God by our own doing, what does that mean?
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We weren't Christians to begin with.
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Somehow, we made our way into the tree, but we too will be cut off.
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The analogy breaks down at that point, right?
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But that is what he is saying.
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Truly regenerate believers, those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, will not be proud.
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And he calls us to fear.
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And the challenge here is putting in proper balance fear and faith.
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Trembling, being in awe at the holiness of God.
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And then believing that we can stand before him justified.
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There's a challenge in that.
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And it's a challenge that's talked about all throughout scriptures.
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Turn with me, if you will, to Matthew chapter 20.
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This is a parable.
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Jesus is talking to a Jewish audience at this time.
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Those who had the privileges of the Old Testament, the prophets, the temple, the sacrificial system,
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had all these things giving them windows into the ultimate and final culmination of God's grace to mankind.
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However, I don't want to find myself in this position.
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Verse 1, chapter 20.
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Jesus says,
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The kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
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After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, or a day's wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
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And going about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
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And to them he said,
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You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right, I will give you a day's wage.
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So they went.
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Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.
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And about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing.
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And he said to them, Why do you stand here idle all day?
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They said to him, Because no one has hired us.
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He said to them, You go into the vineyard too.
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And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
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Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last up to the first.
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And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
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Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more.
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But each of them also received a denarius.
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And on receiving it, they grumbled at the master of the house, saying,
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These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.
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But he replied to one of them, Friend, I am doing you no wrong.
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Do you not agree with me for a denarius?
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Take what belongs to you and go.
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I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.
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Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?
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Or do you begrudge my generosity?
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So the last will be first, and the first last.
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And this is Paul's warning, just turned to the Gentile believers.
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That we might see that God's grace to people is not deserved, but he pours it out because he's God.
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That we might not be proud in any way that we've received it,
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but that we pray for those who have not yet received it.
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There's another great story, an Old Testament story, of who I don't want to be in the book of Jonah.
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Jonah is called and sent to go to the Ninevites, but yet he runs away.
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And why does he run away onto a ship to Tarshish?
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Because he knows God is good.
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He knows God loves even the evil and wicked Ninevites.
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He knows that if he goes proclaiming the judgment of God,
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that there's a good chance that God's going to pour out his grace on these people,
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who in his mind don't deserve it.
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And if that's the case, then he did.
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In his own mind, he was so proud to think that he deserved God's love toward him.
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And so in Jonah 3, 4, he says,
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Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey.
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And this is the message he proclaimed.
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So when God finally swallowed him up in a big fish, spit him out onto the beach,
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he goes to Nineveh and he calls out,
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Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
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He goes proclaiming a message of God's wrath to the Ninevites.
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And then in 4, 1 and 2, it's recorded,
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But it displeased Jonah exceedingly,
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and he was angry after the repentance of the whole city of Nineveh.
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And he prayed to the Lord and said,
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O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country?
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That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish,
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for I knew that you were a gracious God and merciful,
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slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love
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and relenting from disaster.
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I don't want to have the heart of Jonah.
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I want to believe that God is a good and loving and kind God.
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I want to have that type of faith
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that properly balances in the case with fear.
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So we ought to have fear and faith in proper measure.
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And you could put other words on that as well,
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like in our text, severity and kindness,
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mercy and wrath,
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justice and forgiveness.
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You can put the two things anywhere you would like to in there,
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the words that you prefer.
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In this case,
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we see both fear and faith,
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as well as severity and kindness.
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So what is the prescription that he gives to us
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to not be proud,
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to not be boastful,
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to not think in this way
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about those who have not yet received
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the grace of God?
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He tells us
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to note.
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We're told to note
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the severity and kindness of God.
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Verse 22.
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Note then the kindness
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and the severity of God.
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That word note
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is most commonly
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translated in our scriptures
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as behold,
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look.
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In the ESV,
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which is the translation I'm preaching from,
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it's found 1,061 times.
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Look, look, look.
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Over and over and over again,
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which leads me to believe
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that God must think
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that we're not very good
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at seeing things.
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Right?
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Note, look,
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behold the kindness
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and the severity of God.
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And if we do this properly,
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we have no room
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to be proud.
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None.
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Whatsoever.
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Where do we do that?
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Where do we look?
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Where do we behold?
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How is it that we note this?
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From our scriptures.
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Isn't this the record
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of God's,
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both His severity
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and His kindness
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toward mankind?
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It all culminates,
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it all comes together,
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converges
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in the personal work of Christ
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as Christ bore
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the full wrath of God
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for the sins of the church,
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giving to them justification,
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giving to them the grace
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because of what He did.
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It all comes together.
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We see that
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in the scriptures.
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the Bible
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in its entirety
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speaks of Christ.
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I challenge you
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in your reading of it
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to see that
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to be the case.
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Shows us
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who we are
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and who God is.
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And that in the middle
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stands in that
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vast, vast,
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unfillable gap
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the one who could,
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Jesus Christ.
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That is how
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we note.
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That is how we look.
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That's how we gaze upon
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the severity
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and the kindness
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of God.
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Do you do that?
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Do you value
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your scripture?
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Do you read
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your scriptures?
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One of the great challenges
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of the American church
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is that we are
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biblically illiterate.
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We are at a place
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in American Christianity
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much like the days
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of the Reformation.
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Reformation.
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Recently,
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as a nation,
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we celebrated
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Halloween.
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It's also known
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as Reformation Day.
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October 31st,
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1517
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is when Martin Luther
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nailed the 95 Theses
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to the door of the church
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in Wittenberg.
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That's when it happened.
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October 31st.
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And what was happening
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at that time
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is that the church at large,
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the Catholic church,
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had led the people astray
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because the Bible
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was only written
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in Latin.
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In fact,
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the priests preached
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in Latin.
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And nobody knew
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what was going on.
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In the same way,
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we now have the scriptures
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in our own language,
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in multiple translations
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with study notes.
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Right?
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And yet,
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many people this morning
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sit across our country
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entirely biblically illiterate.
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A pastor can stand up
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and because of his position
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can say anything he wants
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and it's swallowed
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hook, line, and sinker.
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And many people
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are going to be dragged
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onto shore
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and they're going to die
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because he's not
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preaching the truth.
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God himself
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has penned words
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for our lives.
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Why do we not
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read it
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more?
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Right now,
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our Sunday school class,
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the men's and the women's,
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are reading through the Bible
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in a year.
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And that has
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posed itself
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as a challenge
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for people to
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spend the time
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it takes
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to read
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the assigned reading
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to get through
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the entire Bible
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in a year.
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I put myself
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in the same boat.
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I'm not judging you.
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Right?
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It can be
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a challenge.
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Can't it?
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We're so busy.
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We have so much
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going on.
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Will you get
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less done
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if you read
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your scriptures more?
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Quite possibly.
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But I believe
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you'll get the right
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things done
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and they'll be done
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well
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if you read
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your scriptures
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more.
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That you will be
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properly fueled
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by a proper
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balance of
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fear and faith,
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severity
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and kindness.
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Let me give you
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an example.
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If you've been
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around here long,
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you know that
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George Mueller
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is one of my heroes.
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A man who
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pastored a church
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in England
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as well as
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ran an orphanage.
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Reached
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thousands and thousands.
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He ran a missionary
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society,
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funded all kinds
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of mission efforts
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around the world.
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In his last days,
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he spent his time
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traveling around
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the world.
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An amazing man
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of faith.
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And this is where
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it kind of all
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rooted in.
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It was in his
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diligence in
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studying the
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scriptures.
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Four years
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after he became
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a believer,
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this was written
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of him by A.T.
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Pearson,
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who wrote the
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best biography
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on him.
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It says,
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after a true
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relish for the
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scriptures had
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been created,
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he could not
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understand how
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he could ever
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have treated
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God's book
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with such
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neglect.
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It seemed
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obvious that
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God,
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having condescended
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to become
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an author,
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inspired holy
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men to write
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the scriptures.
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He would in
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them impart
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the most vital
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truths.
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His message
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would cover
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all matters
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which concern
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man's welfare,
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and therefore,
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under the double
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impulse of duty
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and delight,
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we should
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instinctively
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and habitually
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turn to the
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Bible.
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Moreover,
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as he read
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and studied
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this book
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of God,
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he felt
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himself
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admitted to
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more and more
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intimate
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acquaintance
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with the
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author.
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During the
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last 20
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years of
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his life,
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he read
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it carefully
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through four
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or five
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times annually
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with a
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growing sense
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of his own
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rapid increase
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in the knowledge
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of God
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thereby.
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In the last
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20 years of
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his life,
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George Mueller
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lived,
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I'm pretty
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sure,
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to the age
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of 92.
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At the
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age of 71,
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in his own
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writing and
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his journaling,
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he said that
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he had read
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the scriptures
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through a
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hundred times.
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So in the
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last time of
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his year,
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it increased
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even,
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even more
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so.
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It's a great
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story of Mueller
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when he was a
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young Christian
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who went to
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a meeting
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and spoke
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about infant
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baptism.
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You know,
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we're not on
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board with that
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here as a
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Baptist church.
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We're credo
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Baptists,
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and he
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spoke in
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defense of
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infant baptism
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and afterwards
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an old lady
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sitting in the
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group said to
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him,
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Mr. Mueller,
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I would
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encourage you
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to never
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speak on
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such a
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topic until
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you've
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searched the
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scriptures in
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regards to
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it.
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And he
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felt so
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pricked by
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that that
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he spent
21:32
his studies
21:33
from there
21:33
reading the
21:34
entire
21:35
scriptures
21:35
with
21:36
baptism in
21:37
mind.
21:38
At the
21:39
end of that
21:39
process,
21:40
he was a
21:40
credo
21:41
Baptist.
21:42
Praise God.
21:44
As you
21:46
should be.
21:47
And he
21:48
began a
21:48
habit of
21:49
doing that
21:49
with any
21:50
topic that
21:51
vexed him.
21:51
He would
21:52
read the
21:52
entirety of
21:53
the scriptures
21:54
with that
21:55
topic in
21:55
mind,
21:56
trying to
21:56
search the
21:56
counsel of
21:57
God in
21:58
regards to
21:59
that.
22:00
A man who
22:02
loved the
22:03
scriptures,
22:04
read it
22:04
through over
22:06
200 times
22:07
in his life.
22:08
And we're
22:10
challenged to
22:11
even get
22:11
up and
22:11
spend any
22:12
time in
22:12
the word
22:13
of God
22:13
in the
22:13
morning.
22:15
It's worth
22:15
the sacrifice.
22:17
It's worth
22:18
the sleep.
22:19
It's worth
22:20
putting something
22:21
else off.
22:22
You know
22:22
what?
22:23
The dishes
22:23
can stay
22:24
dirty.
22:25
We must
22:26
know our
22:27
scriptures to
22:28
see these
22:29
things in
22:30
proper
22:30
balance.
22:32
Fear and
22:33
faith,
22:33
severity and
22:35
kindness.
22:35
God
22:36
proclaims his
23:00
name when
23:01
Moses is on
23:02
Mount Sinai.
23:04
He says,
23:04
the Lord
23:05
passed before
23:05
him and
23:06
proclaimed,
23:06
the Lord,
23:07
the Lord,
23:07
a God
23:08
merciful and
23:09
gracious,
23:10
slow to
23:11
anger and
23:11
abounding in
23:12
steadfast love
23:13
and faithfulness,
23:14
keeping steadfast
23:15
love for
23:15
thousands,
23:17
forgiving iniquity
23:18
and transgression
23:18
and sin,
23:20
but who will
23:20
by no means
23:22
clear the
23:22
guilty,
23:23
visiting the
23:24
iniquity of
23:24
the fathers
23:25
on the
23:25
children and
23:26
the children's
23:27
children to
23:27
the third
23:28
and the
23:29
fourth
23:29
generation.
23:30
So in
23:30
God's very
23:30
presentation of
23:31
his own
23:31
character,
23:32
he says,
23:33
I am
23:34
merciful,
23:34
I am
23:35
good,
23:35
I am
23:36
kind to
23:37
thousands,
23:38
I'm
23:38
forgiving
23:38
iniquity,
23:39
I'm
23:39
being
23:40
gracious
23:40
to
23:41
sinners,
23:42
yet,
23:43
yet,
23:44
I'm
23:45
also
23:45
wrathful,
23:46
I'm
23:47
vengeful,
23:47
I will
23:48
punish
23:50
sin.
23:51
And we
23:52
see the
23:52
two things
23:53
together,
23:54
severity of
23:55
God and
23:56
his kindness.
23:58
Matthew
23:58
10,
23:59
28-31,
24:00
Jesus said,
24:02
and do
24:02
not fear
24:03
those who
24:04
kill the
24:04
body but
24:05
cannot kill
24:06
the soul,
24:06
rather fear
24:07
him who
24:08
can destroy
24:09
both soul
24:10
and body
24:10
in hell.
24:12
Are not
24:12
two sparrows
24:13
sold for
24:13
a penny?
24:14
And not
24:14
one of
24:15
them will
24:15
fall to
24:15
the ground
24:16
apart from
24:16
your father,
24:17
but even
24:17
the hairs
24:18
of your
24:18
head are
24:19
all numbered.
24:20
Fear
24:20
not,
24:21
therefore,
24:22
you are
24:22
of more
24:22
value than
24:23
many sparrows.
24:25
Interesting
24:26
language.
24:26
Jesus
24:27
says,
24:28
do not
24:28
fear
24:29
those who
24:30
kill the
24:31
body but
24:31
can't kill
24:31
the soul,
24:32
rather,
24:32
fear him,
24:33
being God,
24:34
who can
24:34
destroy both
24:35
soul and
24:35
body in
24:35
hell.
24:37
The severity
24:37
of God,
24:38
right?
24:39
Fear God.
24:41
He can
24:41
destroy you.
24:44
That's what's
24:44
due you
24:45
because of
24:45
your sin.
24:46
He can
24:46
destroy you.
24:48
But then
24:48
look at the
24:49
kindness.
24:50
Are not
24:51
two sparrows
24:52
sold for
24:52
a penny,
24:53
and not
24:53
one of
24:54
them will
24:54
fall to
24:55
the ground
24:55
apart from
24:56
your father?
24:57
Even the
24:58
hairs on
24:58
your head
24:59
are numbered.
25:00
So,
25:00
fear not
25:01
the severity
25:03
and the
25:04
kindness
25:04
of God.
25:06
We are
25:07
owed
25:08
destruction.
25:10
We were
25:11
enemies
25:12
of God,
25:13
but now
25:13
we're called
25:14
his friends.
25:16
So,
25:17
we ought to
25:17
both
25:18
fear
25:19
and then
25:20
be comforted
25:21
by his
25:22
kindness
25:22
to us.
25:24
Romans
25:25
chapter 2.
25:27
verses 4
25:27
and 5.
25:29
Paul wrote,
25:30
Or do you
25:30
presume on
25:31
the riches
25:32
of his
25:32
kindness
25:32
and forbearance
25:34
and patience,
25:35
not knowing
25:36
that God's
25:37
kindness is
25:37
meant to
25:38
lead you
25:38
to repentance,
25:39
but because
25:40
of your
25:40
hard and
25:41
impenetent
25:42
heart,
25:43
you are
25:44
storing up
25:44
wrath for
25:45
yourself on
25:45
the day of
25:46
wrath,
25:47
when God's
25:47
righteous
25:48
judgment
25:48
will be
25:49
revealed.
25:50
Again,
25:51
the kindness
25:52
of God
25:52
to us,
25:53
meant to
25:53
lead us
25:54
to repentance,
25:54
set against
25:56
the wrath
25:57
when God
25:57
will judge
25:58
the world
25:59
and those
26:00
who are not
26:00
found in
26:02
him.
26:04
So,
26:05
it's a
26:05
simple
26:06
gospel message,
26:07
right?
26:08
The faith
26:09
that should
26:11
be preventing
26:12
us from
26:13
being proud.
26:16
We ought
26:17
not be
26:18
proud,
26:18
but we
26:19
should fear
26:20
because if
26:22
we continue
26:23
in the
26:24
kindness
26:25
of God,
26:27
we are
26:28
his.
26:30
You see
26:30
how the
26:30
two things
26:31
can live,
26:32
exist
26:33
together,
26:33
that we
26:34
can both
26:34
fear him,
26:35
but continue
26:36
in his
26:37
kindness,
26:37
because we
26:38
are his.
26:41
So,
26:42
then how
26:43
do those
26:43
two things
26:44
kind of
26:45
press
26:45
together?
26:46
How do
26:46
they increase?
26:48
How do
26:48
they cause
26:49
us to
26:50
live
26:50
rightly?
26:51
And this
26:52
is the
26:52
practical.
26:55
Number
26:55
one,
26:57
fear
26:57
causes
26:58
your
26:58
faith
26:59
in the
26:59
kindness
27:00
of God
27:00
to grow.
27:03
It
27:03
causes
27:04
your
27:04
faith
27:04
in the
27:05
kindness
27:06
of God
27:07
to grow.
27:07
Verse 22,
27:08
provided you
27:08
continue in
27:09
his kindness,
27:10
severity
27:11
is meant
27:12
to lead
27:13
us
27:13
to
27:14
kindness.
27:15
Understanding
27:16
the weight
27:17
of our
27:18
sin
27:18
leads
27:20
us
27:20
to
27:20
understand
27:21
the
27:21
kindness
27:21
of
27:22
God
27:22
to
27:22
us
27:23
in
27:23
Jesus
27:24
Christ.
27:25
It's
27:26
a fear
27:27
of mine
27:27
that the
27:28
church,
27:28
that even
27:29
our
27:29
church,
27:30
doesn't
27:31
quite
27:32
understand
27:33
their
27:34
just
27:34
condemnation
27:35
before
27:36
they were
27:37
justified
27:37
by Christ.
27:38
That we
27:39
think,
27:40
well,
27:41
I mean,
27:42
I wasn't a
27:42
good person,
27:43
but I wasn't
27:43
really a
27:43
bad
27:44
person.
27:45
Compare me
27:46
to the
27:46
others
27:47
around
27:47
me.
27:48
I was
27:48
doing
27:48
okay.
27:50
Many of
27:51
us probably
27:51
grew up
27:51
in Christian
27:52
homes.
27:52
We were
27:53
moral,
27:54
but we
27:55
were not
27:56
righteous.
27:59
Understanding
28:00
God's
28:01
severity
28:01
towards
28:02
sinners,
28:03
how much
28:04
he hates
28:05
sin,
28:07
leads you
28:08
to increase
28:09
your faith
28:10
in the
28:10
kindness
28:11
of God,
28:13
cause you
28:14
to hold
28:15
fast to
28:16
that love
28:17
towards us.
28:19
I'm
28:20
familiar
28:20
with 1
28:21
John 4
28:22
18 that
28:22
says,
28:23
perfect love
28:23
casts out
28:24
fear.
28:26
I know
28:26
the text.
28:27
I understand
28:28
it.
28:29
Do you?
28:30
If there's
28:30
a question
28:30
in your
28:31
mind,
28:32
this side
28:33
of heaven,
28:34
this side
28:34
of glory,
28:35
none of
28:36
us will
28:37
experience
28:37
love
28:39
perfected.
28:39
fear.
28:40
So fear
28:41
will always
28:42
play a
28:43
part in
28:43
our
28:43
living.
28:45
After our
28:46
death,
28:47
glorification,
28:47
one day,
28:48
it will no
28:48
longer anymore,
28:50
but for
28:51
now,
28:52
fear and
28:53
faith must
28:54
combine that
28:55
our faith
28:56
in the
28:56
kindness of
28:56
God will
28:57
grow.
28:58
Number
28:59
two,
29:00
fear brings
29:01
joy to
29:03
our faith
29:03
in the
29:04
kindness of
29:04
God.
29:06
So if
29:06
we're further
29:07
believing that
29:08
this is true,
29:08
that the
29:09
severity of
29:10
God is
29:11
what was
29:11
due us,
29:12
and yet
29:13
the kindness
29:13
of God
29:14
is what
29:14
we've
29:14
received,
29:15
we will
29:16
find great
29:17
joy in
29:18
that.
29:19
The
29:20
doxology
29:20
found here
29:21
at the
29:21
end of
29:22
chapter 11,
29:23
which I'm
29:23
looking forward
29:24
to preaching
29:24
on next
29:24
week,
29:25
we read
29:27
the scriptures
29:28
so horribly
29:29
at times,
29:30
and it's
29:30
difficult,
29:31
of course,
29:31
to read
29:32
tone and
29:32
inflection
29:33
into things.
29:34
I think we
29:34
all experience
29:35
that to be
29:35
true with
29:36
text messages.
29:38
What did he
29:38
mean by
29:38
that?
29:39
But the
29:42
translators have
29:43
helped us,
29:43
they've given
29:44
us punctuation,
29:45
they've helped
29:45
try to emphasize
29:46
some things,
29:48
and many people
29:48
read this,
29:49
oh the depth
29:49
and the riches
29:50
of the wisdom
29:50
and knowledge
29:50
of God,
29:51
how unsearchable
29:52
are his
29:52
judgments,
29:53
and how
29:53
inscrutable
29:53
his ways.
29:55
But they're
29:55
ignoring the
29:56
exclamation
29:57
points on
29:58
the end of
29:59
this type of
29:59
thing.
30:00
Paul, as he's
30:01
talked through
30:02
us, this
30:02
whole process
30:03
introduced the
30:05
doctrine of
30:05
election to
30:06
us in
30:07
chapters 8
30:07
and chapters
30:08
9, and
30:09
moving through
30:10
what's going
30:10
to eventually
30:11
happen to
30:12
his people,
30:13
the people
30:13
that he
30:13
loves and
30:14
desperately
30:15
wants to
30:15
see come
30:16
to Christ,
30:16
he finally
30:17
at the end
30:17
of all of
30:18
that says,
30:19
oh the
30:19
depth of
30:20
the riches
30:21
and the
30:21
wisdom and
30:22
knowledge of
30:22
God, how
30:23
unsearchable
30:24
are his
30:24
judgments and
30:25
how inscrutable
30:25
his ways,
30:26
for who has
30:27
known the
30:27
mind of the
30:28
Lord, or
30:28
who has
30:29
been his
30:29
counselor,
30:30
or who has
30:30
given a gift
30:31
to him that
30:32
he might be
30:32
repaid.
30:33
For from
30:34
him and
30:34
through him
30:35
and to
30:36
him are
30:36
all things,
30:37
to him be
30:37
glory forever.
30:39
Amen.
30:41
I think that's
30:42
how Paul would
30:42
have read it.
30:44
Right?
30:44
Moved to
30:45
joy because
30:47
he understood
30:48
the severity
30:49
of God, the
30:50
fear that he
30:51
should have in
30:53
his relationship
30:53
with God, and
30:55
therefore he was
30:55
moved to joy in
30:57
the kindness of
30:59
God.
30:59
God.
31:01
And those two
31:02
things, our
31:03
faith increasing,
31:04
our dependency
31:05
on God, and
31:06
our joy increasing
31:07
in his kindness,
31:09
should move our
31:10
faith into action.
31:11
So fear, thirdly,
31:12
fear moves our
31:14
faith into action
31:15
for the sake of
31:18
others.
31:19
For the sake of
31:20
others.
31:22
If you have
31:23
wrapped your mind
31:24
around, as much
31:25
as you can, the
31:27
severity of God
31:27
towards sinners,
31:28
sinners, you
31:29
know that you
31:30
stood in that
31:31
place, but
31:32
because of the
31:33
justification of
31:33
Christ, you no
31:34
longer do, because
31:35
you've experienced
31:35
his kindness, you
31:36
no longer do, it
31:39
will grieve you
31:40
that others still
31:41
stand in that
31:42
place.
31:43
Knowing what
31:44
their final
31:45
destination is,
31:48
knowing how
31:49
severe the
31:50
severity of God
31:51
is going to
31:51
be, he hates
31:54
sin.
31:56
He's going to
31:56
pour out his
31:57
wrath on
31:59
sinners.
32:00
It's going to
32:01
be bad.
32:02
It's going to
32:03
be really, really
32:04
bad for those
32:06
who don't have
32:07
faith in Jesus
32:08
Christ.
32:09
Understanding that
32:10
should move our
32:12
faith into action.
32:14
How selfish of
32:16
us, how
32:17
Jonah-esque
32:19
to sit on our
32:21
hands and say,
32:22
these people don't
32:23
deserve the grace
32:24
of God.
32:25
God, I
32:25
deserved it.
32:26
They don't
32:27
deserve it.
32:29
God is loving
32:30
and kind and
32:31
wants to pull
32:33
people into
32:34
his hand where
32:35
he can hold
32:36
them for
32:37
eternity.
32:39
Fearing God's
32:41
retribution,
32:42
his wrath on
32:45
those who don't
32:45
know him ought to
32:46
move us to
32:47
share our faith.
32:49
2 Corinthians 5.11,
32:50
Paul wrote,
32:52
therefore, knowing
32:53
the fear of the
32:54
Lord, we
32:56
persuade others.
32:59
Is that true of
33:00
you this morning?
33:01
Do you have a
33:03
proper view of
33:04
the fear of God
33:06
and your faith,
33:07
the severity and
33:09
kindness?
33:09
righteousness?
33:10
And are these
33:11
things working
33:12
themselves out into
33:13
increasing your
33:14
faith and bringing
33:15
you great joy and
33:16
moving your faith into
33:18
action for others?
33:20
If not, some
33:22
self-examination is
33:23
necessary.
33:24
Some time spent in
33:27
the scriptures that
33:28
you might see who
33:29
God is and who you
33:31
are and see that
33:33
Christ comes in the
33:34
middle of all of
33:36
that.
33:36
Christ.
33:38
It's a great
33:38
adage.
33:40
I can't remember
33:41
who said this.
33:42
I'll just take some
33:43
credit for it this
33:43
morning.
33:45
We have been saved
33:46
from God, by God,
33:51
to God.
33:52
Isn't that good?
33:53
We've been saved
33:53
from God's wrath, by
33:56
God's work in Jesus
33:58
Christ, to God.
34:00
He himself is the
34:01
end goal of the
34:03
gospel, that we
34:04
might experience him,
34:05
enjoy him,
34:06
forever.
34:09
Are you being
34:10
shaped in this way
34:11
as a Gentile
34:12
believer?
34:14
If not, let's pray
34:16
together.
34:17
Amen.