Latest / Mount Eaton Church / The Word God Said - Confirm Your Calling & Election, By Reminder of Christ’s Return - 2 Peter 3:1-10 pt. 1

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The Word God Said - Confirm Your Calling & Election, By Reminder of Christ’s Return - 2 Peter 3:1-10 pt. 1 · Mount Eaton Church

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Isn't that nice? The reality of our responsibility
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to love God. Now you see, over the last few months
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when we were teaching about obedience, the importance
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of obedience. Because if we are truly obedient,
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Then we will love God with all our heart, with
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all our soul, with all our might, with all our
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mind. And we will be able to love our neighbor
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as ourselves or as he has loved us as Jesus gave
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a new commandment. Today's message, let's connect.
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All right. Today's message. confirm your calling
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and election by reminder of Christ's return.
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So interesting enough, what Peter does is he
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reminds us several times in his second letter,
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and there's a reason. It's not just a reminder
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to live holy and right lives. That's the idea
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of being prepared, but it's also the reminder
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of his return. That the calling and our election
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is confirmed when we not only continue to challenge
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each other, remind each other to walk in accordance
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to the word of God. But that we are also reminding
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each other of the importance of that life as
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being prepared for his return. Because he is
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going to come. And we're going to deal with that
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in chapter 3 of 2 Peter. So if you guys would
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turn there. 2 Peter chapter 3. I will read the
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first 10 verses, and then we will end up going
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on into the message. He says, this is now the
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second letter that I'm writing to you, beloved.
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In both of them, I am stirring you up. your sincere
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mind by way of reminder that you should remember
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the predictions of the holy prophets and the
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commandments of the Lord and Savior through your
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apostles. Let's pray. Father, I want to thank
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you so much for your faithfulness. Thank you,
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Lord, for your word. As we go through this second
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letter, this last chapter, I pray that you are
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honored and glorified and that we would... rightly
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handle the Word of God as workmen approve, but
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also that your full counsel of your Word will
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be taught as we dig into understanding what it's
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truly going to be like in the day of the Lord.
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Lord, we ask for your wisdom. We ask for your
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truth. And we pray that you are honored and glorified
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in and through it. In Jesus' name, amen. Verse
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3, knowing this, first of all, That scoffers
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will come in the last days with scoffing, following
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their own sinful desires. They will say, where
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is the promise of his coming? For ever since
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the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing
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as they were from the beginning of creation.
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For they deliberately overlook this fact. That
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the heavens existed long ago and the earth was
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formed out of water and through water by the
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word of God. And that by means of these, the
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world that then existed was deluged with water
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and perished. But by the same word, the heavens
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and the earth that now exist are stored up. for
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fire being kept until the day of judgment and
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the destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook
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this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one
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day is as a thousand years and a thousand years
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as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his
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promise as some count slowness, but is patient
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toward you, not wishing that any should perish,
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but that all Should reach repentance. But the
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day of the Lord. Will come like a thief. And
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the heavens will pass away. With a roar. And
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the heavenly bodies. Will be burned up and dissolved.
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And the earth and the works. That are done on
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it. Will be exposed. May the Lord bless the reading
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of his word. So the reason why we're only doing.
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Verse 1 through 10, technically. You could probably
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do an entire sermon just on verses 1 through
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4. But as you know, we've been going through
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these letters in an introduction, in a broad
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covering of the letters so you understand why
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it was written and what it was written for. And
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the reality is, it really does practically fit
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for today. There is a lot of nonsense. Being
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taught concerning the last days. A lot of prophets
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preaching as if they know why they had a dream.
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That the Lord was coming. Well, thank you for
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letting me know. I didn't, I thought God's word
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was true. I mean, thank you for the heads up.
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And this all started since the beginning. You
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guys probably remember one of our favorite false
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prophets was Howard Camping. That's facetious.
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I'm just being facetious, not a favorite. And
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so the reason why I think it's important that
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we handle this subject, since we do expository
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preaching, is that we must have a real good sound
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biblical overview. Of the Lord's return and the
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day of the Lord. And Peter does a very good job
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to summarize the reality of this truth. And it's
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kind of cool to see God's providential hand through
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the process of how we have gone through each
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letter. And each letter over these last four
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years have been exactly what we needed as a people.
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So principle number one. What is our responsibility?
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What's my responsibility? What's your responsibility?
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Let us stir up one another until his return.
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Our job, our responsibility is not just preaching
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the word, but it's to stir you to continue to
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preach the word. Right? I've said this before.
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There are many churches go, well, I have a vision.
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I'm glad. That's really nice. You know, and many
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times churches are looking for those pastors
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who are vision casters. When the reality is the
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one thing they should be focused on casting is
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getting the people to continue doing the mission.
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Preach the gospel. Pretty simple. But remember,
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we have all these other visions that we're trying
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to do. All those things are important. They matter.
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It's not that they don't matter. But if my vision
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is to do this and not preach the gospel, then
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I've lost the purpose of the mission. My mission
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is not to do the vision. My mission is to do
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the gospel. The vision is to help do the work,
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equip the saints. Very important. When a church
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is doing something outside of the gospel, then
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it's not a vision. It's a deception. So, how
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do we stir up one another until his return? Remind
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you. Of how you should live as a holy people.
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Obedient to the commandments of the Lord because
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you love him. The fact that God lives in you
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stirs you to move and live in such a way that
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I want to please him. And as a result, I am stirring
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you up until his return that you are busy doing
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the mission. Now, in Luke. 12, 35 says, stay
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dressed for action and keep your lamps burning.
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Do you hear that? Are you dressed for action?
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What does it mean to be dressed for action? Have
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you put on Christ? The helmet of salvation, the
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breastplate of righteousness, the buckle of truth.
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Are your feet fitted with the readiness of the
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gospel of peace? Are you carrying the sword of
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the spirit and know it well so you know how to
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handle your weapon? And do you have the shield
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of faith that you can extinguish the flaming
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darts of the evil one? Very important. Are you
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dressed in Christ? Have you put on his righteousness?
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It wasn't by an accident that this was mentioned
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today. We don't see Christ because of our own
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righteousness. We will see him because of his
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righteousness. He who knew no sin became sin
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for us that we may become the righteousness of
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God. Are you dressed for action? And are you
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keeping your lamp burning? What lamp are you
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burning? What lamp are you burning? Thankfully,
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we're a non -denominational church. But the reality
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is, Are you burning your lamp for your denomination?
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Are you burning your lamp for the gospel? Are
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you burning your lamp for America? Are you burning
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your lamp for the nation called the church? Which
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lamp are you burning? Are you burning your lamp
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at both ends? Christ says, burn your lamp. And
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it's interesting because Peter talks about that
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in chapter 1, does he not? 2 Peter 3, 1 through
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3. This is now the second letter. I'm writing
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you, beloved. And in both of them, I am stirring
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you up. I'm stirring up your sincere mind by
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way of reminder. So what happens in families,
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right? We get comfortable. Right? I got to tell
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you, my wife never lets me get comfortable. You
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know, come home, want to chill. She's like, you
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got to do the dishes. I'm like, well, yes, dear.
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It's a reminder that the work is never done.
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The work is never done. 1 Peter chapter 4, verse
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7. Notice what it says here. As a reminder, the
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end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be self
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-controlled, sober -minded for the sake of your
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prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly.
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Since love covers a multitude of sins. He reminds
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us there. He tells us how we should be living.
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And he's reminding us again. I am stirring up
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your sincere mind by way of reminder. That you
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should remember the predictions of the holy prophets.
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And the commandments of the Lord and Savior through
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your apostles. Interesting. What is he reminding
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us? Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the Psalms. Christ
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is and will return. There is that day. It will
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happen. And what he's doing here is he is letting
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them know, don't forget what the Lord had given
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you through his word, through the prophets and
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the apostles. Remember, they had talked about
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this. Why? Because God's word is true and you
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can take it to the bank. It will happen. It's
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giving Peter's statement authority. It is the
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word of God that claims this truth. Remember
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the predictions of his return. You know because
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he promised he would come the first time. And
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he did. Matthew 24, 44. Look what Jesus says.
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Therefore, you also must be ready. For the Son
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of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
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Are you ready? Are you ready? Because when we
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get to the other part of this chapter and we
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start to read what happens to the earth and everything
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that is ungodly, you want to be ready. It is
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a terrifying thing to be in the hands of an angry
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God. Not only does he have love and grace for
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his people, but he is angry towards sin and he
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will utterly destroy it. Down to the smallest
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particle. He actually says that here. Knowing
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this first of all, that scoffers will come in
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the last days with scoffing. Hear that. Are you
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ready? Can you, knowing fully the word of God,
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be able to defend the faith that God has faithfully
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entrusted to you? Can you handle the word of
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God in such a way that when someone comes to
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debate you or scoff you or to malign the reality
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of Christ's coming, can you defend it properly?
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You'd be surprised how many people aren't ready.
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Why? Because we had faithless men teaching a
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faithless gospel to a faithless people. What
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is faith? God's promises are true. And knowing
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that he will faithfully commit them to you on
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your behalf for the glory of Christ. Being sure
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of what you hope for and the evidence of what
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you don't see. I know God is faithful to keep
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his word and he will do it fully. It's an amazing,
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beautiful thing. Now, what's interesting about
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this word. Here in the last days was scoffing
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following their own sinful desires. Epithumia
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is the word here. It means desire what is forbidden.
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That these faithless preachers, these faithless
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teachers, they only seek the desires of the flesh.
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Why is this so important? I think because in
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the days that we live in right now, the leaders
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of the world are surrounding themselves with
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faithless people. Second principle. The fool
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says in his heart there is no God. He also says
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he's not coming. But history reminds us that
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there was a flood. Noah had flood insurance.
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And do you have fire insurance? Because this
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time, It'll be burned. What was Noah's flood
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insurance? The promise of the word of God. I
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will keep you through this wrath. And he did.
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Noah believed him and he built a boat. And we
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know because last week we talked about what happened
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to Noah. The scripture says that the day it started
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to rain. Noah was put in the boat, and God closed
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the door. Matthew 24, 37 through 39. For as were
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the days of Noah, so will the coming of the Son
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of Man be. For as in those days before the flood,
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they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
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into marriage, until the day when Noah entered
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the ark. Do you hear that? The reason why Jesus
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says it this way is a reminder that Noah entered
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the ark the day the wrath started. Get that.
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Forget about all the other crazy nonsense you're
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being taught. The day the wrath started, Noah
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was put into the ark. The very day. And God closed
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him in. And when they were unaware until the
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flood came and swept them all away, except for
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Noah, who was in the ark, so will be the coming
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of the Son of Man. Oh, thank God that you will
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be in Christ. That's the point of the removal
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of God's people. He is our ark. He is our security.
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He is our safety. And then in Peter 3, 4 through
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7, 2 Peter, they will say, where's the promise
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of his coming? Oh, don't you know? It's coming.
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They're going to say it. They're saying it now.
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For ever since the father fell asleep, I want
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you to notice how Peter uses this language. He's
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talking to, he's talking about the Jews. Making
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fun of the believers. Where's this coming? Reminds
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me of a prophet. We talked a little bit about
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that. Elijah and the 250 priests of Baal. Well,
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in the same way, they're going to try to say,
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ah, God's not real. Do you know what the percentage
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is of atheist Jews? It's over 65%. Did you guys
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know that? They don't believe in God. They believe
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in the law called the Talmud. That's what they
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believe in. That's their God. And that's why
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Paul says the God is their stomach. So they make
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fun of the reality of the deity of Jesus because
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they never believed. In the living God. It's
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a crazy statistic. Just look up Pew. Where is
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the promise of his coming? For ever since the
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father fell asleep, all things are continuing
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as they were from the beginning of creation.
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It's interesting. It's an atheistic view. John
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MacArthur puts it this way. It's immutable uniformitarianism.
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You're like, say that word. He just coined it.
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But it's so true. Immutable uniformitarianism.
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The unchanging uniformity. John MacArthur states,
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quote unquote. For they deliberately overlook.
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Thelo lanthano. They willfully keep hidden. Out
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of sight, out of mind is the idea. Romans chapter
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1. Turn there. Verse 19. For what can be known
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about God is plain to them because God has shown
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it to them for his invisible attributes, namely
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his eternal power and divine nature, having been
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clearly perceived ever since the creation of
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the world in the things that have been made so
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that they are without excuse. For although they
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knew God, they did not honor him as God and give
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thanks to him, but became futile in their thinking
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and their foolish hearts were darkened. Out of
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sight, out of mind. Thalo Lanzano. They don't
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really care. This fact, the reality of this truth,
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that the heavens existed long ago and the earth
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was formed out of water and through water by
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the word of God. I want you to get this. I don't
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know how it was taught to you. Hopefully you're
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not an evolution creationist. Doesn't exist.
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The reality is that God had brought together
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hydrogen and oxygen. Whether it's gas or liquid,
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no one knows. What we do know is that it was
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present. And out of that, God creates everything.
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What a powerful God we have. And that was his
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point. God destroyed the earth with water the
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first time by the very thing that he created
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it. Except this time, not so much. Verse 6. And
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that by means of these, the world that then existed
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was deluged with water and perished. We know
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what that looks like in Genesis 6 .13. And God
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said to Noah, I have determined to make an end
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of all flesh. For the earth is filled with violence
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through them. Behold, I will destroy them with
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the earth. With the earth. The very thing that
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I created for my glory that they may live and
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walk with me, that very thing I will destroy
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them with. Except this time, not so much. Look
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what it says in chapter 7, verse 23 and 24. He
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blotted out every living thing that was on the
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face of the ground, man and animals and creeping
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things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted
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out from the earth. Only Noah was left and those
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who were with him in the ark. And the waters
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prevailed on the earth for 150 days. If you want
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to know, was God making sure everything was dead?
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I don't know about you, but treading water for
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150 days is an impossibility. Now, if you're
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a great swimmer, maybe a Navy SEAL, you might
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be able to do it for like two days. But there
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comes a time when every muscle in your body is
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going to cramp up and you're going to sink. God
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made sure even the best of swimmers were sinking.
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But look what it says in verse 7. But by the
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same word, the same word that God created all
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things out of ex nihilo, out of nothing. The
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same word, by the same word, the heavens and
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the earth that now exist are stored up for fire,
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judgment, purification. There's one thing that
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water can't do. It cannot purify the soul of
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its sin. There's one thing that fire can do.
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Destroy everything. Being kept until the day
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of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly.
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Revelation 20. Verse 11. Then I saw a great white
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throne and him who sat on it. And from his presence,
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earth and sky fled away. And no place was found
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for them. And I saw the dead, great and small,
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standing before the throne. And the books were
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opened. And another book was opened, which is
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the book of life. And the dead were judged by
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what was written in the books according to what
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they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who
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were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead
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who were in them. And they were judged, each
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of them, according to what they had done. Then
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death and Hades were thrown into the lake of
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fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
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And if anyone's name was not found written in
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the book of life, they were thrown into the lake
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of fire. The idea of fire is a total annihilation.
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In Revelation, the scripture says that Jesus
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is a God of war. He has declared war upon all
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things that are ungodly and sinful. That is a
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reality. When Christ comes, he's not coming to
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save. He's coming to destroy. And those who are
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saved in him, he has promised to keep. Look what
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it says here. Christ will keep his promise to
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deliver his people from his wrath and to bring
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to nothing all that is wicked and corrupt. 1
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Thessalonians 5, 9 through 11. For God has not
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destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation
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through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.
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That whether we are awake or asleep, we might
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live with him. Whether we are walking this earth
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or we are buried in it, if you are in Christ,
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you are alive in him. Therefore, encourage one
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another and build up one another just as you
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are doing. Again, Paul states the same thing.
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Which Peter gives Paul recognition for the same
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thing. What's interesting in verses 8 through
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10, and we're done, is in the original language
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it says, but you not overlook this one. That's
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what it says in the original. I don't know why
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they use the word do not when it's specifically
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talking to you. But you as God's people. Do not
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overlook this one reality, this one truth, this
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one fact. And they use the word fact in the English,
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but it's not there in the Greek. And the point
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is, don't overlook this truth, this reality.
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That with the Lord, one day is as a thousand
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years, and a thousand years is as a day. And
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trust me, many believers get this wrong. To be
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like, see, you know. A day is as a thousand years
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and a thousand years is as a day. And they just
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decide to throw it into their ecclesiastical
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arguments. It's not what he means here. Peter
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clarifies what he means here. This idea that
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one day is as a thousand years and a thousand
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years is as a day just means with God, time doesn't
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matter. And he clarifies this truth. If you're
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God and you sit outside of time, a thousand years
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this way and a thousand years this way looks
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the same. As one day, the Lord is not slow to
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fulfill his promise as some count slowness. I
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got to tell you, the ESV has done a phenomenal
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job in translation here. Can't say it any better.
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The Lord not slow his promise as some count slowness.
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In other words, Time doesn't matter. What matters
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is his promise. And if we know that God keeps
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his promise, notice what he says here in the
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original, but patient toward you. He's talking
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to the church. When he says you, he's not talking
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to lost people because lost people don't read
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the word. It's specifically a message to you.
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This is what Peter's writing to them. This is
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a letter to the church. But is patient toward
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you. Not wishing, not willing, not pleased that
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any. The word any is tis. And I've looked at
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the BLB and I've looked at Step Bible, Strong's,
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all the concordances say the same thing. Certain
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one or some of many. Do you get that? He's not
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wishing that the certain ones, you. Not wishing
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that some of many, you, should be destroyed.
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In what? The fire. That's what he's talking about
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here. Context is everything. But we know, we
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got those favorite little messages we got to
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put together. Just to take things way out of
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context so that we don't understand. So that
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when you see things happening, fear is present.
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I don't live in fear of the day. I live in joy
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and expectation. That's what keeps me preaching
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the gospel. That's the point. I mean, knowing
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that I belong to him and that when he comes,
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I will be put, that I'm in him as Noah was in
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the ark, protected from his wrath. That he has
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not destined me for his wrath, but he is faithful
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to keep his promise that I will continue with
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him forever. What's interesting is this next
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word. Notice what it says here. But that all,
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pas, all the whole should reach, should proceed,
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should turn. All of what? All of tis, all of
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the certain ones, all of the some of many. All
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of you should turn, should come to the change
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concerning any and all. elements of life. That's
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the idea. Repentance is not turning away from
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sin by itself. Repentance is turning toward God
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away from sin. Not turning from sin to go to
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God. Listen, if God left me to my own demise
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to turn from the very thing that I love more
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than anything on the planet. That I gave my mind,
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my body, my money, my thoughts to. Why in the
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world would I leave the thing I love the most
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to go to the one I hate? Think logically. But
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God has presented himself to us in holiness and
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goodness. And in his justice has paid a price
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for us that we cannot pay. By placing his wrath
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on his son. And then we see the beauty of that
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reality because of the regeneration of the Holy
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Spirit in my heart. I turn him and I go, oh my
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gosh, that's beautiful. I want that. And I turn
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to God and I look at my sin and I go, I don't
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want that. That is repentance. Biblical repentance
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is a turning to God away from sin. That's what
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biblical repentance is. It's the change that
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happens by the power of the Holy Spirit in the
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entire life of the individual. They become a
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new creature. The doctrine of regeneration. But
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the day of the Lord will come like a thief. We
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know that. 1 Thessalonians 5. Everybody likes
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to quote these verses, I know. If you ever want
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to wreck your eschatology, Just read 1 Thessalonians
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5 and 2 Thessalonians 2. Read it. And you go,
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I got a conundrum now. What do I do with that?
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But look what it says, verse 4, 1 Thessalonians
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5, 4. But you are not in darkness, brothers,
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for the day to surprise you like a thief. And
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Peter again says the day of the Lord will come
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like a thief. And why are so many believers surprised?
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Why are so many believers surprised? And what
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do they do? They go to their churches and sit
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in their pews and are looking. But they do nothing.
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They're not ready. They're not doing the work.
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It should drive you to work. Jesus is coming.
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I want to work. Jesus is coming. I want to be
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found faithful. Jesus is coming. I want to be
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busy. Jesus is coming. You know the best way
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for you to look for his return is to do what
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he's commanded. Not sit on your bum looking up
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wondering, I wonder if he's going to come today.
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Oh, there's a cloud. I like that one. That looks
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like a chariot. Oh, he's not there. But that's
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what people do. And then the heavens will pass
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away with a roar. What should you be doing being
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busy? Why? Because when he returns, the heavens
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will pass away with a roar. Isn't that what it
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says in chapter 20 of Revelation at the judgment
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seat? This word roar means a crash or a loud
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noise. And the heavenly bodies, the natural universe,
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the elements, this word bodies means the smallest
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of things. The things you can't even see, he
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is going to burn up and dissolve, demolish. He
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will burn it up and demolish it. And the earth,
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the land, the world, and the works, all the accomplishments
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of men that are done on it will be exposed. They
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will be unhidden. They will be found out. So
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how should you live as a people? As we are reminded
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of the liberty that we have been freely given.
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Is our work just to be, attend church, go home?
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Or is our work is to preach the gospel to all
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creatures? Don't you want to be found busy working?
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My wife and I, I've got to use this. My wife
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and I was talking about Mary and Martha. And
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this will hit home for some of the moms. She's
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doing a great job mentoring them. Now, she shared
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with me, I want to be a Mary. I want to be at
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Jesus' feet. You ever notice that Jesus never
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rebukes Martha for her service? That's not why
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he rebuked her. He didn't go, you know, you should
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be like Mary and be sitting down. He never says
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that. Martha's problem is she's focused on Mary.
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It's like I'm doing all this work in the house
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and I'm left to do this by myself. Or tell her
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to get up. I mean, this is ridiculous. This is
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her responsibility. I mean, she's a woman after
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all. Because she's rebuking her sister for being
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lazy. But he never rebukes Martha for work. He
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says, Mary has chosen the better. What's the
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better? Not doing any work? No. She has chosen
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me. But Martha, if Martha served Christ and was
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busy for serving Christ because of her love for
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her Savior, for her God, she would have chosen
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the better. But Mary wasn't worried about Jesus
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and serving him. She was worried about getting
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the work done. So it's not by an accident that
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God calls us to be busy. The question is, what
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is your purpose and reason for being busy? To
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please him. When you settle in and lay at his
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feet, you do it because you want to please him.
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When you serve and work, you serve and work because
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you want to please him. What's interesting is
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you hear the second time Martha is found working
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is when Mary is before Jesus and she takes the
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alabaster jar and breaks it. And anoints him.
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And the disciples go, Judas, that's a lot of
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money. But you never know, what most people don't
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know is there's this little statement in there.
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It says, as Martha was serving, never rebukes
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her for not serving. Why? She learned her lesson.
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The service that she had rendered was for his
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service. She was focused on the Savior and serving
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him, not focused on her sister as she broke the
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jar. Are you busy? Are you serving? Because that's
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my challenge to you and your freedom. We don't
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just have a freedom to gather. We have a freedom
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to preach. And there are many brothers and sisters
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who are dying for preaching because they don't
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have the freedom. in their land, but they have
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the freedom in their spirit. Father, I want to
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thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness.
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Thank you for this word. May we always be busy
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knowing that you are and will fulfill your promise
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that you will return and that everything on this
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earth will be burned. Everything concerning the
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ungodliness of men will be Exposed and destroyed.
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That you'll be honored and glorified as the king
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who reigns and sits on the throne. We praise
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you and thank you in Jesus' name.