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Repent & Believe in Jesus | Pastor Danial Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  Well, good afternoon. Meet me in your Bibles please.
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  I trust you have a copy of God's word in your hands and if you if
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  you don't own a Bible please come see us.
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  We would love to help you get a Bible. and it's a Mark chapter
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  1, where we were gathering teeth together today, and inverse,
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  Verse 14. Mark 114.
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  Two verses for meditation today. Now after John was arrested,
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  Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God
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  and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
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  God is at hand, repent, and believe in the gospel.
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  Lord, we ask you with such awareness of our neediness of
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  your help. Lord please.
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  It could be that. These two verses providentially
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  have come to us this day for it to be the moment that someone
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  would come to know you personally and we asked O Lord
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  that as your word Goes Forth, that people would hear your
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  voice and we asked O Lord, that the authority and the power that
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  this that the scripture here wasn't To convey may be known,
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  we want to know your power, we know that you've given us the
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  Blessed Holy Spirit and we know that he's been given to make us
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  powerful Witnesses and as your word is testified of today May
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  that power accompany it. We trust in you Lord Jesus Lord
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  we are very weak and we know Lord that weakness is all that
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  you need for your power to be made known and Perfection and so
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  Lord may your perfect power bi Known in this Sanctuary.
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  More importantly, in our hearts in Jesus name, we pray.
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  Amen. The two verses before us today,
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  Mark, the beginning of Jesus public Ministry more
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  specifically, his preaching Ministry and up to this point.
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  The Lord Jesus has been walking in perfect obedience, and he
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  will continue to do. So, by honoring the father, and
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  two, great, and tremendous Feats.
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  The first one was by willing to Humble himself.
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  By being baptized by the Baptist, the First Baptist, John
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  the Baptist. And the second was that great
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  victory, that great Conquest over Satan while being tempted
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  for 40 days in the wilderness. Now that first accomplishment by
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  going into the Waters of repentance is Jesus, symbolic
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  statement of identifying with sinners And the second one as he
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  traveled in isolation through the Wilderness, was his way of
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  identifying with our Temptation and early on.
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  In Mark, we have not even covered the first chapter.
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  Yet we learned something about the master so significant so
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  Sublime. The first is this that he is our
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  substitute for sin. He identifies with our sin in
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  that water and he is foreshadowing.
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  What he will do. You on our behalf and not just
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  the, the savior of our sin. But he's also the sympathizing
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  Savior that even for the redeemed, as we walk with him,
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  you heard it. He loves us to the end.
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  He knows what it's like to be tempted, and he's there ready to
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  hear us as we cry out to him, and he's ready to supply his
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  strength when we need it. So that stride by stride Christ,
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  would shine through us. And we would know the joy of
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  holiness. And now we come to this moment
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  here. We've learned so much.
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  I hope up to this point and we will continue to learn even
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  though, Mark seems to really enjoy being brief with his
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  explanation of these events. And that pace doesn't change
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  here. When we come to these two verses
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  because he seems to really summarize something here, this
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  transitional moment and what we want to know is what can we
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  learn from this transition between Jesus being in solitude
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  in that desert, to now, coming into the public scene and
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  speaking and Preaching the gospel of God and there are two
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  main observation that will help us organize our thoughts.
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  And they are very simple to remember the two categories that
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  we will look into. Number one, is the timing of
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  Jesus public Ministry. The timing of it, he chose to do
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  it at a certain point. Why and what does that teach us?
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  Not just the timing of Jesus public Ministry but the focus of
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  Jesus public Ministry. What was his purpose?
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  - what was the core reason why he did what he did, why did he
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  come? What did he what did he do
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  there? Why didn't he just come into the
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  world? Just to die in and then just go
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  back. Well there were these things
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  were going to consider. Look at this verse with me again
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  in verse 14 and realized something about the timing of
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  Jesus ministry. His public Ministry now after
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  John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee.
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  It's very simple. John was apprehended and that
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  was the signal for Jesus to go in and to begin to preach to the
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  crowds a more comprehensive study of John's arrest will be
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  in Mark chapter 6. It's very detailed we know their
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  why he was arrested and we know the result of his apprehension.
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  But for now we look at this and all we are told is that after he
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  was arrested, Jesus began to make his way to go.
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  These so that he could proclaim the word of God.
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  And the question that comes to mind is why now why this point
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  and I have other questions following this one, why was it
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  when John was arrested you go? But why do you go the opposite
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  direction of where John is he's going to the North of Israel?
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  You would think that Jesus knowing this man and knowing the
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  great sacrifices, he made would make his way to John.
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  And maybe at least visit him physically.
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  Or maybe do something to help his servant Escape.
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  Nothing of the sort. If anything we see him go into
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  the opposite direction and what's amazing about that one
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  just meditating on it. If you've read the gospels, and
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  you're honest with yourself, you will come to this conclusion.
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  Jesus does many things that are perplexing He makes the
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  decisions his timing on things seems to challenge us and our
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  reasoning. And for us, when we look at how
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  Jesus does things, we sometimes ask these questions out of
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  innocent curiosity. But if we're really, really
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  honest, a lot of the times Jesus ways.
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  They conflict with our human understanding.
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  They make us uncomfortable. They they actually tempt us to
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  think that perhaps, if Jesus really listened to my advice, he
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  would have better results. It sounds Blasphemous, but if
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  we're honest, that is a common contemplation among Christians.
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  Especially this is true, right? Especially when you, and I try
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  to study his interventions in our own lives We really try to
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  figure him out and we go beyond that.
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  We tend to give him some Council.
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  But time and time again, the Lord Jesus proves that his his
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  ways outshine, our Notions, and our Solutions every time, not
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  sometimes not a majority of time every single time.
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  And there are so many examples, so many illustrations, May
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  provide, you one that has been at the peak of my meditation
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  this week and I pray that it would be a blessing to you.
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  Go with me to the book of Acts very quickly to a common place
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  in chapter 3, verse 1. And notice something here that
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  ties into Jesus. Perhaps not directly because
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  Jesus has already ascended into Glory, but it is in relation to
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  him and consider something of the mystery of the Masters ways.
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  And actually, 1 & 2. We read now, Peter and John were
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  going up to the temple at The Hour of Prayer.
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  The ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was
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  being carried whom they laid daily at the Gate of the temple
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  that is called the beautiful gate to ask alms of those
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  entering the temple. What's interesting to note here
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  is that we're told that this meant unnamed, all we know is
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  his condition from birth, he was lame and he was being positioned
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  before a certain gate. Surely a very important gate
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  that brought in a lot of traffic so that he can beg and receive
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  some kind of alms. And we need to be careful with
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  this text because there is no mention of how long he was doing
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  this for. We don't know how long he was
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  brought by his friends to bring him to this place.
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  We don't really understand that the time frame but We do have
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  the impression that it was a regular occurrence Before Peter
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  and John came on the scene. In fact, if you look at verse
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  10, what do you see here? We learn here in Acts 3, 10 that
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  the crowd, recognize them after his healing, recognized him as
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  the, one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple.
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  What does that mean? He had a reputation?
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  The general public knew about him, especially attendees of the
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  house of worship. They knew this is the guy that
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  comes here every single day and he asks, for money.
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  And so that's what we know that this man was known people
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  understood him why he was there? I'm sure, they even knew his
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  name, and when you consider all of that, This is this is the
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  beauty of knowing the entirety of scripture, you put things
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  together and conclusions are made or at least questions are
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  asked that can bring about greater Revelation.
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  If this lame man was at the Temple Gate regularly.
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  If you were sitting there day after day, and you and I know
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  from the gospels that Jesus throughout his ministry, at
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  least a few times, went to the temple.
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  Have you ever wonder if he passed by him?
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  Have you ever wondered if he heard his cry?
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  For alms for help. Think about it.
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  And if there's any doubt about that, let me just read this to
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  you. From one gospel account, you
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  don't have to turn there. But listen to what I'm about to
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  read in Matthew 21, verse 12, and Jesus entered the temple.
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  And drove out all who sold and bought in the temple and he
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  overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of
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  those who sold pigeons, he said to them, it is written.
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  My house shall be called a House of Prayer, but you make it a den
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  of robbers. Now look at this verse 14 and
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  the Blind. And the lame came to him in the
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  temple and he healed them. That's significant.
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  Jesus was a faithful Israelite and part of being a faithful
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  Israelite is that he would honor the feast, which would call him
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  and the other men to make, pilgrimage to the temple, to
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  honor the feasts. So, we know with that, that he
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  at least throughout history years.
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  When a few times into the table, that is very probable, very,
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  very possible. And so because of that
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  probability and makes you wonder even if this lame man was placed
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  at that gate, Just a few months before Peter and John came.
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  There must have been some kind of some kind of Knowledge from
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  the Lord's part either passing by direct them or being among
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  the crowd who knew of him generally they recognized him.
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  if we walk with Jesus during his ministry, would we be tempted to
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  look at this man and look at Jesus and advise him to heal
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  him. Lord, you have the power.
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  And Lord, what a testimony. This would be of your
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  messiahship. This man has been lame from
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  birth. Everybody knows who this guy guy
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  is. If you do this, this will be
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  additional evidence undeniable concrete proof that you are.
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  In fact, the one that Isaiah spoke about Lord do it?
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  You're able you can do it like that.
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  Yet we see nowhere in the gospels.
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  Clearly that Jesus comes out of his way to find this man
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  directly to heal him. Nor does he answer him for his
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  unconfessed need the same way that Peter and John does Jesus
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  through his ministry does not heal this man and even though it
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  was very likely that he walked by him on different occasions.
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  He didn't do it. Why?
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  If it is true, that Jesus had some knowledge of this man or at
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  least even just walked by him. Why, didn't you do it?
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  Lord, and I believe the conclusion is this because
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  Christ knew that he would know a greater exaltation if he had
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  healed this man after his Ascension.
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  Think about him. There is no question that the
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  Lord would have received great, great, honor and praise.
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  If he had dealt with this man during his three-year itinerant,
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  but he had something else in mind and it would require this
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  man to remain as he was a little bit longer before realizing it.
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  Considerate. How would this men's delayed
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  Miracle bring about A peculiar glory?
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  And it is this healing him through the faith of Peter and
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  John would not only declare to that people that Jesus is.
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  In fact, the Messiah. It would also add to and sing
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  Jesus is Alive. Oh yeah, you crucified him not
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  too long ago, but faith and Power in his name brought about
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  this miracle in this man because he is in the heavens seated in
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  Authority. Able to answer the cries of his
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  people in his name to bring about such a great work.
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  And that is what this man could offer.
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  That is the platform that his delay so to speak, brought about
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  for the glory of Jesus Christ, that is the great privilege that
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  he was able to share in. And his story would be one of
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  the most Explosive statements of the reality of Jesus Christ.
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  Conquering. The grave of Jesus Christ.
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  Being able to hear people pleading with him, operating in
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  his name because he is alive today sitting at the right hand
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  of God, I find that to be a fascinating reality and that is
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  why you and I should never, ever, ever, ever be disappointed
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  in any kind of delay. And he kind of postponement, and
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  he kind of sense that the Lord is not really providing.
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  Am I suffering? My inquiries in my pain.
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  There's something he has in mind when he interacts and intervenes
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  in our lives. His, his providential means are
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  so precise. There's so precise.
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  And that is the invitation you have.
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  When you come to the word of God, to see how Jesus worked in
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  people's lives. Not so that you can have a
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  better Bible study so that you can understand how he works in
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  your lives, how he works. In mind, he makes everything
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  beautiful in its time at the right time.
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  The the very second of it. He has it all there, it's
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  ordained and we're called to trust them.
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  Would you keep this in your heart and Ponder on it like Mary
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  did, would you just meditate upon that truth?
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  How that is just one snippet of so many other Snippets of how
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  the Lord knows I me? It's everywhere when Lazarus was
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  sick. He says he loving Lazarus.
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  What does he do? He delays.
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  If you loved Lazarus, you drop everything and you go towards
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  him so that you can heal him. No, loving Lazarus, he delays.
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  We come to John, do you think Jesus loved John?
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  He loved them. He gave him such a wonderful
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  tribute while he was in prison. And there is no record of Jesus
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  ever visiting him. There is no plan or scheme that
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  Jesus has with his disciples or John's.
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  All right. Here's the Escape Plan.
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  We're going to do this. We're going to get John out.
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  He was faithful. He doesn't deserve this.
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  This is a right. We don't want to give Victory to
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  Satan. Nothing of the sort.
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  Here's John is arrested. Time to go to Galilee.
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  And he begins his public Ministry.
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  I wonder why is it because something greater is going to
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  happen and the near future? Just like the lame, man.
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  No one fact. This is the end for John. this
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  is it he's not coming out actually he will come up but
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  without his head How? This is this is a strange ending
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  to a faithful Men's Ministry. And the reason is because Jesus
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  goes public because it all is coming to an end for this man
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  and his service to the Lord, you're still in acts, right?
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  Go to acts 13:25 look at the language that the holy spirit
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  gives about John's Ministry. You want to know why Jesus went
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  to Galilee because the Baton has been passed.
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  And look how Paul speaks about the ministry of the Baptist acts
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  1325. And as John was finishing his
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  course. He said, what do you suppose
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  that I am? I am not.
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  He know, but behold after me, one is coming, the sandals of
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  whose feet. I am not worthy to untie.
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  Did you catch the phrase in the beginning?
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  And as John was finishing his course.
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  What language? Describe someone's life?
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  Christian, listen, hey, you don't go to church once a week.
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  That's not your Christian existence.
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  That's not the ceiling of what you do.
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  You are on a race. You have a lane and it has a
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  Finish Line. You're laying doesn't look the
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  same as the next person Lane, but you all are in a race whose
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  your competitor yourself. You're not trying to beat the
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  next Christian. Next, to you, you've been given
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  a responsibility, a call a gift, and there is a reward on the
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  other side of that finish line. That will be granted dependent
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  upon the faithfulness of how you ran that race.
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  Did you honor the rules? Did you give up?
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  Did you turn around and you go to the sidelines?
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  And we come to John and we were told that he was finishing his
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  course it was all now coming to an end and what's so incredible
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  is we're told he's finishing it and then we get a call from him
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  that that is at the peak of his ministry.
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  You remember that people were asking him?
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  Are you the Messiah? And he says, no he makes it very
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  clear. I'm not the one.
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  I'm the one that was coming before him.
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  And so here's what you learn from this that while we're told
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  it was coming to an end, it comes to an end almost when it
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  just really starts. His ministry was so brief and
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  his arrest and his death is so abrupt that just happened.
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  So suddenly and in the human perspective, we look at John,
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  six months older than Jesus. He was arrested at 30, he died
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  at 30. And even good-hearted Christians
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  would look of that. I mean think about a 30 year old
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  Minister dying. Any think how, how can God allow
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  this to happen? The prime of his life?
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  Look what John did in such, a short amount of time, how much
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  more could have John have done? If you had just lived another
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  decade and yet in God's perspective, he was finishing
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  his course. All that John needed to do was
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  coming to an end. He fulfilled it faithfully, and
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  Jesus knew that Jesus was the one before.
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  Eternity, who had ordained that this John would be the
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  Forerunner for the Messiah. And so when he hears that John
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  was arrested by Herod, it came to mind, it's time for John to
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  go home. It's time for John to go home
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  and it's time for me now, to run the race that my father has set
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  before me. And I think that is a beautiful
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  thing. Death for a servant of God, even
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  in the prime of life is not a waste.
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  It's not even a tragedy. John here was fulfilling what
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  God had told him to do. Even if his ministry was just a
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  few months and he will receive a full reward.
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  And when I look at this I don't you just notice the timing of
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  John's Ministry. I look at how he finished his
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  course, how it was all coming to an end?
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  What are we told? As he was finishing his course.
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  What was he doing? He was pointing people to Jesus
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  still maybe so viewing me. That is you and I come to the
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  final strides of life. That what would be said of us
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  was he was still, she was still pointing people to Jesus.
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  Still taking attention off self and bringing glory to Jesus
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  Christ. Still sacrificing.
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  In the Name of Christ, still proclaiming Christ still serving
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  in the name of Jesus Christ, as they were finishing their
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  course. Who cares about being known as a
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  wealthy persons, who cares about being known as this or knowing
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  who cares? All to be known that Jesus was
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  on that men's lips. Jesus is what he was all about.
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  She was all about. This was true of John.
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  What is Here in John Rather, Mark 114 Jesus moves on because
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  John is done. It was coming to an end for him
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  and it was the beginning for Jesus public Ministry.
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  I love to know this truth as well.
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  That though, John was imprisoned.
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  The word of God was not bound. God's work does not finish with
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  men. God's work is not paralyzed
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  because of the failures of men. You cannot bound the word of
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  God. You cannot arrest it.
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  You cannot apprehend it. You cannot do anything to it.
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  It will move on and fulfill the purpose that God has for it.
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  That is the timing of Jesus ministry.
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  But consider with me the focus of Jesus ministry and verse 15.
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  now that we know that John's arrest would serve as a
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  transition between the 4Runner and the one that was predicted
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  to come. Let us consider the purpose of
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  Jesus public Ministry. What do we see here?
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  Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God.
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  Now, you've heard so many times up to this point, you're going
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  to hear it more and more. That Mark in his desire through
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  his account, is to depict Jesus as a servant to show Jesus as
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  the perfect servant of God, who in lowliness came with Zeal and
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  promptness and dedication to honor, God, and practical ways,
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  that is why in Mark there is less Parables.
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  That is why I'm Mark there unless teachings and what you
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  see more and more as Jesus serving with his hands.
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  Jesus serving with a certain mode of an attitude.
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  Jesus touching people alleviating suffering and
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  bringing about good to show him in that light.
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  And why do I bring that up? Because as you come here to the
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  entrance of Jesus public Ministry, what you and I see him
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  doing is preaching. Jesus is preaching.
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  He is, proclaiming. He is telling people about
• 24:24
  something and now that may seem to contradict marks purpose and
• 24:28
  that is not a contradiction. The reason why we are seeing
• 24:31
  this and it is so important to understand.
• 24:33
  Is that all those Supernatural service will cover these
• 24:36
  chapters Mark wants us to know and to not forget that at the
• 24:40
  core of Jesus, ministry on the Earth was a message.
• 24:45
  It was not miracles. It was that great acts of
• 24:48
  kindness, it was not just being compassionate to crowds and two
• 24:51
  little children. The very reason the core of the
• 24:54
  heartbeat of Jesus. Ministry on the Earth was to
• 24:57
  proclaim the gospel. Was to tell people and to bring
• 25:02
  revelation of the father and who he was.
• 25:05
  See, this is important because you have many people outside of
• 25:08
  our faith, who would even come to Jesus and admire him and say
• 25:11
  Jesus is the Pinnacle. He is the greatest example of
• 25:16
  kindness and mutual, respect no matter what you believe.
• 25:19
  Hey, Jesus didn't, come to just show how to be nice.
• 25:24
  Jesus didn't come to just do good things and doesn't matter
• 25:27
  what you believe. Jesus didn't come just to offer
• 25:29
  us the Golden Rule. I've heard heathens quote, the
• 25:32
  Golden Rule, Yes, he is the utmost example of morality but
• 25:39
  Jesus came to Proclaim an exclusive message.
• 25:42
  That would determine your Eternal Faith, depending on how
• 25:45
  you answer to it. And when meditating upon us, I
• 25:49
  could not help. But realize, what an important
• 25:51
  reminder? Listen.
• 25:53
  For Servants of God, not for lazy Christians, Servants of
• 25:56
  God. Servants of God, have to
• 25:59
  understand this principle here, especially as they serve in the
• 26:05
  attempt to reach those who are unchurched, who don't know, the
• 26:08
  gospel who don't know, Christ what is it, many Ministries in
• 26:13
  the Evangelical. World are doing an incredible
• 26:16
  job. Bringing about good in their
• 26:18
  communities, helping provide serving people giving without
• 26:24
  receiving anything in return. But here's the problem.
• 26:27
  Many of Those do that thinking that such service alone is
• 26:30
  sufficient. Such service alone is sufficient
• 26:34
  whether or not people know the motive behind it.
• 26:38
  And it's a concept that suggest if we just if we just help
• 26:41
  people's immediate needs, if we just kind of just provide for
• 26:45
  them and put a sandwich in their hands or give them backpacks
• 26:47
  when they go back to school. If we just do that then we have
• 26:50
  done our part as Christians to serve our world.
• 26:55
  But the example of the perfect servant here tells us something
• 26:58
  else, such a different standard and this is what he is.
• 27:00
  Informing us that that all that we do.
• 27:04
  All that we do is with the aim of letting them, know the
• 27:10
  message of the Gospel. Because if we don't have that
• 27:15
  motive that we're no different than the community Charities
• 27:17
  here, we're no different than secular services that offer help
• 27:21
  to people if they need help. Why we do.
• 27:24
  What we do is not just to represent the kingdom but to
• 27:28
  give people the way to know how to get a citizenship into it.
• 27:32
  And that's what Jesus is doing here.
• 27:34
  He's not just showing what the father is.
• 27:37
  Like he's not just demonstrating what love incarnate as like he
• 27:41
  wants them to know how they can be saved.
• 27:45
  He has a message behind his miracles.
• 27:49
  And now some might say that our service does has a message, what
• 27:51
  we do, we go to people, and we tell them as we serve them.
• 27:55
  That Jesus loves them, Jesus loves them, Jesus loves them.
• 27:58
  Yes, that's part of it. But that's not what Jesus,
• 28:00
  preached. Jesus didn't go around telling
• 28:02
  people. I love you.
• 28:03
  I love you. I love you.
• 28:05
  Repent. And believe in the gospel.
• 28:10
  That's what Jesus preached. Jesus preached, repent.
• 28:16
  And believe it was his first cry as you see in Mark 1.
• 28:21
  And it is the very message that he gives to his Apostles before
• 28:24
  he ascends into heaven. In fact, it is this beautiful
• 28:27
  transition from John, to the apostles, John preached,
• 28:30
  repentance. And now we come here to the
• 28:33
  transition, the Baton comes into Jesus hands, he preaches
• 28:36
  repentance. And as he's about to leave the
• 28:38
  scene, he brings out baton and puts it in the hands of the
• 28:40
  Apostles, go and preach repentance.
• 28:42
  And forgiveness of sins and the apostles.
• 28:45
  What do you think it ended with them?
• 28:49
  Where is the message of repentance in 2022?
• 28:55
  What happened to the word repent?
• 28:59
  What happened to calling people to repent?
• 29:03
  There's a lot of believe. A lot of believe believe believe
• 29:06
  believe, but where is repent? You know, there's a camp among
• 29:12
  evangelicals called cessationist and cessation is what they
• 29:17
  adhered to is that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit
• 29:20
  have ceased at the completion of the Canon of scripture.
• 29:22
  Once the Bible was completed, we don't need these certain
• 29:24
  miracles to be an operation. So they go under the name of
• 29:27
  cessationist or cessationism. That's a different topic for a
• 29:31
  different sermon. Okay.
• 29:33
  I believe there's another cessationism Among evangelicals
• 29:37
  they probably wouldn't call himself cessationist and they
• 29:39
  probably wouldn't even understand what I'm about to
• 29:41
  say. But I'm going to clarify in a
• 29:43
  moment. There are those who are
• 29:44
  cessationist unknowingly because for some reason, apparently the
• 29:48
  message of repentance ceased at some point.
• 29:53
  At some point, we don't need to tell people to repent anymore.
• 29:54
  Apparently, And I am much more concerned about that sensation
• 29:59
  is. And then the one about the gifts
• 30:00
  or any other one. Where did this message go?
• 30:05
  I remember when I first got saved, I jokingly with tell my
• 30:07
  fellow believer friends, the r word, I would use as a the
• 30:12
  r-word repents almost like it's a bad word now.
• 30:15
  We don't want to offend people like yes, but if we understood
• 30:17
  what repentance really was we would say it a lot more often.
• 30:22
  And if it's not a word that is altogether ignored, it is a word
• 30:25
  that is by many been attempted to be redefined, not by the
• 30:30
  unbelieving, but by those who would even call themselves
• 30:32
  evangelicals so much so that it is created a camp with in
• 30:37
  evangelicalism. And what is that camp all about?
• 30:40
  Well, it is a camp that adheres to the idea that to to tell
• 30:45
  people to repent from their sins is not right.
• 30:50
  You cannot tell people to repent from their sins because the word
• 30:53
  repent in the original. Greek means to change your mind,
• 30:56
  metanoia change your way of thinking and so here's the
• 31:01
  argument to tell people to repent.
• 31:05
  To be saved. By saying You must turn from
• 31:10
  your sin is false. It's a false gospel.
• 31:15
  And the argument continues and is expanded to say that because
• 31:19
  salvation is by faith, that is by grace alone.
• 31:22
  To suggest that someone would stop to do something in order to
• 31:25
  be saved, what would suggest that they are innocence working
• 31:28
  for their salvation. And so with their Zeal that
• 31:32
  would say, this is an assault on Grace.
• 31:34
  This is an assault on God, receiving all glory for his
• 31:36
  redeeming power in someone's life.
• 31:38
  And so what we need to say is that belief and if we're going
• 31:42
  to use the word repent, because it's there, you got to deal with
• 31:44
  it in their minds, their word repent is synonymous with faith.
• 31:49
  They mean the same thing. Repent and Faith are the same
• 31:53
  thing. So we see, repent, and believe
• 31:55
  it's change your mind and believe the right thing about
• 31:57
  God, you believe the wrong thing about God, you believe the wrong
• 32:00
  thing about what it means to be saved, change that and believe
• 32:03
  in Jesus Christ. So, what is sin play in all of
• 32:07
  this? Where does turning from
• 32:09
  iniquity? Well, it happens after you
• 32:11
  believe. And it's something that we don't
• 32:15
  tell people to do something that the holy spirit will tell them
• 32:17
  to do. But to say that you must turn
• 32:20
  from sin is to present a false gospel to those who hold to this
• 32:24
  view. Do you know what's at stake
• 32:26
  here? I'm sure you already know.
• 32:30
  But here's what's at stake, Jesus said, repent and believe.
• 32:36
  And if we're only telling people to believe, we're only giving
• 32:40
  people half the call, and if we're only giving people half
• 32:43
  the call, you know what, the fruit of that is in my
• 32:45
  estimation you have churches filled with half converted
• 32:48
  Christians. That's what you have and the
• 32:52
  church in, the west is plagued with half, converted Christians.
• 32:59
  Because they were told believe but they were not told to
• 33:03
  repent. And so I remember this coming to
• 33:10
  me early on in the ministry. Even meeting people.
• 33:17
  Meeting people who really believe that that would, that
• 33:20
  would call me right now, a false teacher.
• 33:25
  Because we proclaim a gospel of repentance.
• 33:30
  And here's the idea. To say that repent simply means
• 33:36
  to change one's mind, without the implication that it will
• 33:40
  change the direction of your ways is completely foreign to
• 33:45
  those who preached repentance in the New Testament.
• 33:51
  To Simply say, change your mind, no matter how you live because
• 33:53
  that is the fruit of it. Just it doesn't matter how you
• 33:55
  live if you just believe that's fine, doesn't matter what
• 33:58
  happens. Afterwards doesn't matter if
• 33:59
  you're the same carnal, worldly devilish person It's a message
• 34:07
  of Grace and Faith. These people would have great
• 34:12
  trouble and coming before John Jesus.
• 34:16
  And the apostles because when they preach repentance, there is
• 34:20
  no arguing that. It means change of thinking but
• 34:23
  they knew what that would bring about in someone's life if it
• 34:26
  was sincere. Okay, let me prove that to you.
• 34:30
  Luke chapter 1 verse 77 may we be equipped to help those who
• 34:35
  would hold to this View. Actually, Luke 176.
• 34:43
  This is John, the Baptist's. Father in the spirit prophesying
• 34:48
  about his son and here is one of the facets of John.
• 34:52
  The Baptist's Ministry that is extremely insightful.
• 34:56
  Remember here's what we're trying to do The idea is to say,
• 35:00
  repent means to Simply change your mind, which is synonymous
• 35:04
  with believing the right thing about God has nothing to do with
• 35:07
  sin as nothing to do with bearing.
• 35:09
  Fruit has nothing to do with cutting off the flesh.
• 35:12
  It has everything to do with just believing in your heart,
• 35:16
  keep that in mind. So when John preached repent,
• 35:19
  just disbelief when Jesus preached repent just belief when
• 35:23
  the apostles just have faith. Look what the father of John.
• 35:28
  By the spirit says about his son, and Luke 176.
• 35:31
  And you child will be called the prophet of the most high for you
• 35:37
  will go before the Lord, to prepare his ways.
• 35:40
  Look at verse 77 to give knowledge of Salvation to his
• 35:43
  people. And just in case there's any
• 35:46
  confusion. This is not talking about a
• 35:49
  political salvation for the nation of Israel.
• 35:51
  A much more needed salvation in the Forgiveness of their sins.
• 35:56
  When you, my son will be raised up the right time.
• 35:59
  You will preach and you will teach the nation of Israel, how
• 36:02
  they can acquire salvation forgiveness for their sins.
• 36:07
  Now, that is incredible. Here's why it's incredible.
• 36:11
  If that is The revelation of John's preaching.
• 36:17
  And you go to John's preaching, it makes an incredible
• 36:21
  connection. Remember, John will teach and
• 36:24
  preach the people, how they can be, what saved, how they can be
• 36:28
  forgiven. For their sins.
• 36:32
  And then you come to Luke 38 and what do you see John saying with
• 36:36
  that? As the backdrop?
• 36:38
  What do you see? John saying to people Luke 38
• 36:43
  bear fruits and keeping with repentance.
• 36:48
  Bear fruits. And keeping with repentance.
• 36:54
  What does Luke 1? Tell us and 77 to give knowledge
• 36:56
  of salvation? And what is John and the
• 36:59
  preaching? Yeah, repent.
• 37:01
  But that repentance is going to bring about some fruit.
• 37:04
  True salvation will bring about a change.
• 37:09
  There will be a transformation. It will be noticeable.
• 37:11
  It will be observable. It will be seen.
• 37:14
  There will be a fragrance to suggest that somebody just
• 37:18
  repents and in your thinking changes.
• 37:20
  But you continue to do what you do.
• 37:22
  Before you met Christ is alien. It makes no sense with John,
• 37:28
  because he said, your repentance your change of mind.
• 37:32
  About Christ, your sin, your need For savior would produce
• 37:36
  fruit. So Jonah, false teacher now, Or
• 37:42
  perhaps you would argue with John.
• 37:43
  Okay, fine. Let's now come before the Lord
• 37:46
  himself, what did Jesus mean? When he said repent, What did
• 37:51
  Jesus have in mind when he called people to repent?
• 37:54
  What connection was there? When he used that word or were
• 37:58
  still in Luke Wright? Go to Luke 11 and look at verse
• 38:01
  32. And notice how he teaches about
• 38:04
  repentance and indirect way, what he is conveying when he
• 38:09
  uses the word. Luke 11:32 he says the men of
• 38:15
  Nineveh will rise up at the Judgment with this generation
• 38:20
  and condemn it for they what? Repented at the preaching of
• 38:27
  Jonah and behold something greater than Jonah is here.
• 38:34
  If you've read that short book in the Old Testament, the Book
• 38:36
  of Jonah. Then a light bulb should have
• 38:40
  gone off. when Jesus says they repented, According to the
• 38:46
  argument that we are trying to defend against that means when
• 38:51
  Jonah came in and they repented, he said, oh yeah this is send,
• 38:54
  this is wrong. Thanks Jonah.
• 38:56
  Thanks for coming by take care and they go right back into what
• 38:58
  they were doing before. Is that what you see in Jonah?
• 39:02
  Or did you see a visible Brokenness?
• 39:05
  Did you see a fasting that you see, Ash, even to the greedy, to
• 39:09
  the degree where they invited their animals too fast?
• 39:14
  That's what Jesus had in mind. When he, when he sought
• 39:16
  repentance, when he declared repentance In fact, if there's
• 39:21
  any confusion when you go to Jonah, let me just read you the
• 39:25
  reference and it will seal the deal in my opinion, and Jonah
• 39:29
  3:10. We are told, when God saw, what
• 39:33
  they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of
• 39:41
  the disaster. They had said he would do to
• 39:42
  them and he did not do it. How can you argue against that?
• 39:46
  Like where's where's the loophole?
• 39:48
  When Jesus said they repented you go back to Jonah and what
• 39:51
  did we're told In Jonah, when they turned from their evil way,
• 39:57
  now they saw, thank you. I didn't know adultery was
• 39:59
  wrong, I guess it's wrong. Now, let me go back to my
• 40:00
  adultery. That doesn't make sense.
• 40:04
  The actually turn from their way because in the mind of Jesus,
• 40:08
  that's what repentance means. And so in that famous him, we
• 40:14
  have a beautiful definition quote repentance is to leave the
• 40:18
  sins We Loved Before and show that we in Earnest grieve by
• 40:23
  doing so no more. Let me challenge our view
• 40:29
  repentance because when you hear repentance, the first thing that
• 40:31
  comes to mind, if you have a sound understanding of the
• 40:33
  scriptures as turn from your evil ways turn from your sin,
• 40:35
  turn from the vileness that you enjoyed at one point, but
• 40:40
  repentance is much deeper than that.
• 40:43
  To repent also means to repent, not just of your evil, but of
• 40:46
  your good. To repent means not just to let
• 40:53
  go of your sin. It also is a call to let go of
• 40:57
  any of your own righteousness. So you see it's much broader
• 41:03
  than how we would understand it and this was particularly
• 41:06
  difficult for the Jews and Paul gives us an understanding of why
• 41:12
  many of the Jews were not saved and are not saved to this day
• 41:16
  and Romans 10:3 just listen to these words for being ignorant
• 41:20
  of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own,
• 41:24
  they did not submit to God's righteousness.
• 41:30
  Repentance is not just for the prostitute and the drug dealer
• 41:35
  and the gang. Banger repentance is just as
• 41:39
  much for the Pharisee. And for the lovely church lady,
• 41:43
  who doesn't do harm in society but has never really repented
• 41:47
  because she trusts in her good works to get into heaven.
• 41:51
  When you put these things together, when you really
• 41:53
  understand that all the things that pertain to repentance,
• 41:57
  here's a beautiful way of understanding it to repent,
• 41:59
  means to just give up. Just stop just fall at his feet.
• 42:07
  Bring before, I'm your sin and bring the form your
• 42:09
  self-righteousness and just submit to his righteousness.
• 42:12
  And that's why Jesus could say, repent and believe, you can't
• 42:16
  separate those things. They're twins conjoined twins.
• 42:21
  See when you understand what true repentance is not just stop
• 42:24
  doing that. It stop it.
• 42:25
  And then now receive the faith that brings about forgiveness
• 42:31
  surrender to what he has done for you.
• 42:34
  Not just in the ugliness of sin, but even in whatever Beauty you
• 42:38
  thought you had in your own Holiness, stop all of it and
• 42:41
  just come to Christ fall at his feet and receive his Mercy.
• 42:45
  Just give up. Stop and surrender.
• 42:50
  You can't have true repentance without believing you can't.
• 42:55
  And you can't have true believing without repentance you
• 42:58
  need both you need both. And the reason why I'm hammering
• 43:02
  on repentance is because what we are struggling with today.
• 43:06
  Is that we emphasize belief and not repent.
• 43:12
  And so you have a lot of people here.
• 43:13
  Have no different of a faith than demons.
• 43:17
  Who acknowledged that there is a God but are still workers of
• 43:21
  iniquity. I got saved at 20.
• 43:26
  Why? Because up to that point, you
• 43:29
  asked me, do you believe? I would say yes.
• 43:32
  But at 20, I repented, It was not a repentant faith.
• 43:42
  It was just an acknowledgement of the reality of God.
• 43:45
  Perhaps that someone in this place today.
• 43:50
  You're not a menace to the culture.
• 43:52
  You don't break laws, you have, nice Christian parents.
• 43:57
  You believe that there is a Jesus you believe that there is
• 44:00
  a heaven but you have not repented And if you do not
• 44:09
  honor, the directives, you will not know the blessing and the
• 44:12
  reward that is on the other side.
• 44:14
  Only, listen, only. When I came to the point Where I
• 44:19
  said this isn't the way it should be based on my study of
• 44:23
  scripture. The verse that prick my heart
• 44:26
  was they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far
• 44:29
  from me. I'm like, that's me.
• 44:31
  And I knew it and only then listen, only.
• 44:35
  Then when I said, I don't want my sin, this sin put Christ on
• 44:40
  the cross. I don't want.
• 44:41
  When my iniquity I want Christ. I want to turn from this.
• 44:46
  I want to embrace his love. I want to know his forgiveness.
• 44:48
  No relation. With only then, the spirit from
• 44:52
  above flood, my heart and change it.
• 44:56
  Some of you here. Perhaps you've been riding on
• 44:59
  believe, believe, believe and nothing has changed.
• 45:03
  You love the world. You love your sin.
• 45:05
  You have no victory over it. No strength over it.
• 45:07
  Your desire is no different than the appetite of the carnal
• 45:10
  neighbor or your carnal school friends, or your carnal
• 45:13
  employees. Because you have not repented
• 45:17
  and he's waiting for you to repent.
• 45:20
  And again, repentance is not you trying to do better, remember
• 45:22
  you have to repent of you trying to do better?
• 45:25
  Saying, I don't want my sin, I don't want righteousness of my
• 45:27
  own, I want Christ. Give up.
• 45:31
  Why do you repent? Why do we repent?
• 45:37
  I'll tell you why, Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of
• 45:42
  his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's
• 45:46
  kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.
• 45:51
  God's kindness. Is meant to lead you to
• 45:54
  repentance. So only when, you know something
• 45:59
  of his goodness, will you be the most motivated to actually
• 46:03
  repent? We cannot misinterpret this to
• 46:06
  say that we should not proclaim the warnings, repent or perish.
• 46:11
  That is still appropriate. Because the goodness here of
• 46:14
  Jesus, the forbearance of our God is that with one hand, he
• 46:19
  stays the wrath of God and with the other hand, he extends us to
• 46:23
  us to be forgiven. And there is a Time coming as
• 46:27
  one preacher said, we're both hands will come down.
• 46:30
  But it is not yet the forbearance, the willingness to
• 46:34
  wait is enough kindness for us to say, I Repent, but all the
• 46:38
  other kindnesses that you and I have experience in God, whether
• 46:41
  you are a direct recipient of it or an indirect, the sun today,
• 46:46
  kissing your skin on your way into here is God's.
• 46:49
  Kindness. Your full belly or the belly.
• 46:52
  You will be filling after this is God's kindness.
• 46:56
  All these things should, woo, you to say.
• 46:58
  Oh, how can I Repent. How can I hold on to the things
• 47:04
  that grieve him? He's been so good to me.
• 47:08
  How can I sit there and watch this filth?
• 47:11
  When I know that, the one that breaks his heart has been so
• 47:15
  wonderful to me? And you repent. if you repent
• 47:21
  solely out of fear, That fear will will not be enough for you
• 47:26
  to know sustaining relationship with Jesus Christ.
• 47:31
  No, his kindness and the ultimate climactic expression of
• 47:35
  his kindness. Is that Christ died for you.
• 47:39
  For you, he wants you, he wants you, he wants you to be saved.
• 47:43
  He wants you to be washed with his blood so that you would have
• 47:47
  right standing with God forever and ever and ever.
• 47:53
  And when you do repent, don't expect a perfect repentance.
• 47:59
  Don't be frustrated with, you know, you meet some people too
• 48:02
  because they don't become a saint immediately, they question
• 48:06
  their salvation, there's the Other Extreme now.
• 48:08
  Not the believing part where there were pattern of I repented
• 48:10
  enough. I don't know if I've given up
• 48:11
  and I don't know if I have enough Victory.
• 48:13
  How much Victory should I had before?
• 48:14
  I know, I really repent. Just take a breath.
• 48:19
  The measure of your repentance being sincere, is not the amount
• 48:22
  of Victor you have over certain since it is your attitude
• 48:25
  towards that sin. So, let me ask you this, you
• 48:29
  want to know if you have truly repented.
• 48:31
  Do you want your sin? Do you love your sin?
• 48:37
  Do you enjoy your sin? Do you wish that you can have
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  Jesus, and your send, you feel like Jesus and intrusive person
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  with your lifestyle with your desires?
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  Or is there something in your eyes says, I wish he can clothe
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  me with that resurrected body. Now, I never want to hurt him.
• 48:54
  I never want to misrepresent him, I hate the sin.
• 48:56
  Do I feel the Temptation towards it sometimes?
• 48:59
  And though I may even slip into at times, I abhor it, I want to
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  be free from this. Do you see?
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  It's the attitude because the change of mind, right?
• 49:12
  Repent means change your perspective on this and then it
• 49:15
  will translate in the way you interact with it.
• 49:20
  That's what I'm calling you today.
• 49:22
  So don't get up here and with a your shoulders now and your head
• 49:25
  low and say, I must not really repented because I'm still
• 49:28
  struggling. I'm not asking if you struggle
• 49:30
  or not. I'm asking if you have the same
• 49:34
  desire for it, And if you can say and your hard and honestly,
• 49:39
  looking the eyes of a fellow brother, I don't want this, I
• 49:43
  want to be free, I love the Lord.
• 49:46
  This this breaks my heart. Oh brother, you have repented
• 49:51
  and you are walking and repentance.
• 49:53
  Don't doubt that for a moment. I will doubt your repentance if
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  you can come in here week after week, sing and preach and play.
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  And have not one ounce of concern with the sin that seems
• 50:03
  to be dominating your life. There, I'm concerned.
• 50:08
  But I have more confidence. When I see a bruised up brother
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  with spiritual crutches, sometime who's able to come into
• 50:16
  this place and say it's been a war, but I'm still fighting by
• 50:20
  the power of the spirit. Oh, brother, you have repented,
• 50:23
  and you are, walking and repentance.
• 50:26
  How do you repent? Two simple words that came to
• 50:31
  mind, there may be more, I'm not as clever as other preachers.
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  Rethink. Rethink about your sin rethink
• 50:42
  about what your send it to Christ.
• 50:43
  What sin is in God's eyes rethink about his righteousness
• 50:48
  and your righteousness, how yours will fail to the standard
• 50:51
  of his. And once you re think once you
• 50:55
  acknowledge, he is Holy, I am not, I'm in debt, he has the
• 51:00
  payment that is the first step into repentance and then you
• 51:03
  follow with not rethinking but rejecting.
• 51:07
  And now you look at that and you say, I don't want That anymore.
• 51:10
  I renounce it. I confess it and I will daily
• 51:14
  deny it. And turn my back to it and that
• 51:20
  repentance can be against a disgusting sin or even what you
• 51:23
  think is righteousness that will secure your salvation, you
• 51:26
  reject both day by day by day and you grow in that repentance
• 51:31
  and the holy spirit gives you greater strength over those
• 51:33
  sins. And you go to war with it.
• 51:35
  Repentance is not a one-time thing.
• 51:37
  It is a lifestyle, it is a lifestyle.
• 51:42
  I've been repenting for 10 years, I've been repenting, you
• 51:47
  have been repeated repenting, the moment that you've made that
• 51:49
  decision, but here's the call that I want to make in this
• 51:52
  simple message. Hey listen, you can't fool me.
• 51:56
  Okay, I know what it's like to sit in a pew.
• 52:02
  And think that I am fine when in fact.
• 52:08
  I have never repented my question to you today is not
• 52:12
  just if you believe Did you repent?
• 52:17
  Jesus, preached repentance and those who would occupy the place
• 52:22
  of representing him as I do today from this Pulpit must
• 52:26
  preach it as well. Are you convinced of the
• 52:31
  kindness of God to the degree that you would say?
• 52:34
  I renounce this world. Mon young person.
• 52:40
  Be honest with yourself. Don't fall asleep.
• 52:42
  Just. Yeah, we're almost there.
• 52:44
  Your soul is at stake. Have you come to the place that
• 52:50
  you are convinced that this world has nothing to offer you?
• 52:54
  And even if it did, you would gladly turn your back on it
• 52:57
  because Jesus bids you to come and die.
• 53:02
  So that you may live. Have you done that?
• 53:07
  One preacher said something so powerful and I've never
• 53:09
  forgotten it since. He said it, he's long gone now.
• 53:13
  He says, I don't even look at people and ask them if they're
• 53:17
  saved anymore. he's a I look at them straight in the eyes and I
• 53:21
  say this Christ live in you Get much of different answers from
• 53:28
  that this Christ live in you. And that's what I want to look
• 53:33
  out to this group of people today and ask thus Christ live
• 53:37
  in. You has he taken up residence in
• 53:40
  your heart. Does he live here?
• 53:44
  How do you know if he lives here?
• 53:45
  Well, you can't do what you want to do.
• 53:46
  You're not the owner anymore. You've given him the keys and
• 53:50
  how did you give him the keys? How did you and the deed of your
• 53:53
  soul? I repent and believe I'm done.
• 53:58
  You take it. This Christ live in.
• 54:00
  You all my Mom and Dad loved. That's fine.
• 54:03
  That's beautiful, great. Okay, I did vbi is fine.
• 54:06
  I wanna great. I wanna is not salvation.
• 54:08
  All right? Missions trips is not salvation.
• 54:12
  Okay, preaching doesn't get you into the kingdom.
• 54:15
  Repent, repent and believe if you want to know.
• 54:19
  If you've truly repented the passes are here.
• 54:23
  We want to help you. We want to be there with you.
• 54:27
  Because I believe that there are people on different levels.
• 54:30
  Remember that man, where Jesus says, you are not far from the
• 54:34
  kingdom. I love that.
• 54:36
  Jesus is so realistic with people's Journeys.
• 54:40
  But I would say today, if you even have a doubt about whether
• 54:42
  you've truly repented, not talking about you very
• 54:45
  introspective people, you question you whether you repent
• 54:47
  that every second of the day I'm not talking about you.
• 54:51
  I'm talking about those four for the first time hearing a message
• 54:53
  like this, you've actually questioned the authenticity of
• 54:55
  your faith because you've been confronted with the reality of
• 54:58
  what it means to be saved. Don't brush it off.
• 55:03
  Jesus calls you to repent and he's waiting with his kindness
• 55:07
  for you to make that decision. Oh maybe so in his name let's
• 55:11
  pray. Lord.
• 55:29
  Your word has taught us today that the primary purpose of your
• 55:33
  ministry. Even in a book that seeks to
• 55:37
  display. You as a wonderful servant is
• 55:39
  that people would hear loud and clear.
• 55:45
  To repent and believe. Lord, if there's even one who
• 55:54
  has not done that. Only your Holy Spirit.
• 55:59
  Can convince us of sin. And for those who have repented
• 56:04
  and are repenting and are believing, Lord give us greater
• 56:07
  strength to continue to walk, not for us to attain anything.
• 56:11
  Lord we have been accepted in the Beloved but look to walk out
• 56:15
  in a way that would bring joy to you.
• 56:17
  Joy To Us. Lord, would you revive the
• 56:21
  message of repentance in America?
• 56:24
  Would you bring a Revival of the message that John the Baptist
• 56:27
  preached that your son preached, that the apostles preached?
• 56:32
  Lord baptized as a fresh with a revelation of the need to
• 56:35
  repent. And Lord we just glory in your
• 56:39
  name or God that you have given us access into the kingdom.
• 56:43
  Lord that you've made it so simple.
• 56:47
  Did you just give up? To submit to your righteousness,
• 56:52
  to reject unrighteousness. To receive the payment and to
• 56:58
  allow that love to so changes that we walk out bearing fruit,
• 57:01
  keeping with repentance, Thank You O Lord, that the moment we
• 57:04
  confess and believe and repent we are saved and that is not
• 57:08
  vacillate based on our performance we thank you for
• 57:11
  that and we pray O Lord that for those who doubt the sincerity of
• 57:15
  their salvation that even a message like this would seal the
• 57:18
  deal and they would know that they are secure in your love.
• 57:22
  We bless you now as we worship you in song in Jesus name, we
• 57:24
  pray. Amen.