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Chosen and Loved | Pastor Darren Palmer | Faith Church · Faith Church Podcast

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Well, when I heard that Pastor Joel and Angela
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were going to be here this morning, I had to
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rewrite a whole new sermon. I realized that what
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I was going to preach was not appropriate. A
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child went to his father and said, How did babies
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get here? And the father said, well, Adam and
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Eve had babies, and they had babies, and they
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had babies, and here you are. He said, okay.
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So he went to his mother and said, where do babies
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come from? And she wasn't quite so saved as all
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of us. She said, well, a long time ago. There
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were monkeys. And monkeys evolved. And eventually,
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they became us. And the child ran back to his
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father and said, you lied to me. And the father
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said, she was talking about her side of the family.
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Dale, did you like that one? No, you did, you
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did, you did. Thank you, Father. I would like
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you to turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 21.
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Deuteronomy chapter 21. And having dedicated
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our sons and daughters to the Lord this morning,
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I want to turn our attention for a few moments
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before we go today to our Heavenly Father. And
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I want to believe God to speak to each one of
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us this morning about who he is, about who we
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are, about what his word declares. In Deuteronomy
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chapter 21, it's kind of an obscure passage.
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Don't know if you've ever heard a message preached
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out of this passage before. But to get some context.
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I'd like us to back up to verse 15. If a man
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has two wives, intercede for that man. That's
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all I have to say. One loved and the other unloved,
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and this could happen in those days. And they
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have borne him children, both the loved and the
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unloved, and if the firstborn son... is of her
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who is unloved, then it shall be on the day he
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bequeaths his possessions to his sons that he
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must not bestow firstborn status on the son of
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the loved wife in preference to the son of the
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unloved, the true firstborn. But he shall acknowledge
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the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn
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by giving him a double portion. Everybody say
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double portion. Of all that he has, for he is
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the beginning of his strength. The right of the
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firstborn is his. Father, I just thank you for
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your word today. And I just ask that you would
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just speak to our hearts in these moments as
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we examine your word. In Jesus' name, amen. One
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of the great passages in this church is Isaiah
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chapter 61. The spirit of the sovereign Lord
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is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to
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preach good news to the poor. And then there
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is a list of things that we're believing God
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for in our ministry, amen? For captives to be
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set free, for prison doors to be open, for those
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that are clothed in mourning to find the oil
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of joy, for beauty to come from ashes. Have you
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seen those things in your life? Amen. But if
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you read further down in Isaiah chapter 61, in
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the verse that we don't often get to, in verse
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7, God in restoring things says this, Instead
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of your shame, you shall have double honor. And
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instead of confusion, they shall rejoice in their
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portion. Therefore, in the land, they shall possess
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double everlasting joy. What is Isaiah referring
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to? The right of the firstborn son. The right
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of the firstborn son is the double portion. And
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Israel, being the firstborn son, God was saying,
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I am going to restore to you your rightful place.
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Hallelujah. and God is a restorer of everything
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that has been taken away. When the enemy has
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stolen from you over and over and over again
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in your BC days, sometimes he comes against you
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even as a believer, and he steals from you. Aren't
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you glad that God is a restorer? Hallelujah.
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He puts things back together. He puts you back
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in positions. He takes things that were broken
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and he heals them. There was another moment in
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the scripture where the double portion became
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incredibly important. And it's in 2 Kings chapter
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2. And again, for the sake of context, I want
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to take the time to read this story. Is everybody
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okay this morning? Cammie told me that I had
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to make sure I got my preaching done in 30 minutes
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today. And so she put her foot down. So when
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I get to 30 minutes, and I've already used two
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minutes. Verse 1. And it came to pass, when the
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Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven
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by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha
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from Gilgal. Then Elijah said to Elisha, Stay
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here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to
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Bethel. But Elisha said, As surely as the Lord
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lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave
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you. So they went down to Bethel. Now the sons
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of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to
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Elisha and said to him, Do you not know that
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the Lord will take away your master from over
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you today? And he said, Yes, I know. Keep silent.
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And Elisha said to him, Elisha, stay here, please,
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for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho. But he
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said, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives,
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I will not leave you. So they came to Jericho.
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And now the sons of the prophets who were at
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Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, Do you
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not know that the Lord will take away your master
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from over you today? So he answered, Yes, I know.
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Keep silent. And Elisha said to him, Stay here,
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please, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.
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But he said, As the Lord lives and as your soul
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lives, I will not leave you. So the two of them
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went on, and 50 men of the sons of the prophets
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went and stood facing them at a distance. And
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while the two of them stood by the Jordan, and
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Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, struck
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the water, and it was divided this way and that,
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so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
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And so it was when they had crossed over that
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Elijah said to Elisha, ask, what may I do for
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you before I am taken away from you? And Elisha
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said, please let a double portion, everybody
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say double portion, of your spirit be upon me.
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So Elijah said, you have asked a hard thing.
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Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from
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you, it shall be so for you. But if not, it shall
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not be so. And then it happened as they continued
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on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire
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appeared with horses of fire and separated the
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two of them. And Elijah went up by whirlwind
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into heaven. And Elisha saw it. And he cried
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out, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel
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and its horsemen. And so he saw him no more.
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And he took hold of his own clothes and tore
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them into two pieces. And he took up the mantle
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of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back
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and stood by the bank of the Jordan. And he took
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the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him
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and struck the water and said, Where is the Lord
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God of Elijah? And when he had also struck the
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water, it was divided this way and that. And
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Elisha crossed over. We're going to stop right
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there. A double portion. A double portion. When
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we look at this story, we often talk about the
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anointing that was transferred from Elijah to
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Elisha. And it certainly was. Elijah, in fact,
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anointing Elisha as the prophet to come after
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him is the only time in the Old Testament when
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we see that a prophet was actually anointed like
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a king or a priest. Elijah anointed Elisha with
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oil and Elisha knew that he was going to be the
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prophet that would carry on after Elijah was
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gone. And so we talk about the double portion
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in a manner of miracles, in a manner of power,
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and we bring out the fact that Elisha recorded
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twice as many miracles as Elijah did. core. In
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fact, the last miracle of Elisha, Elisha wasn't
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even alive. A man was thrown on his bones, on
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Elisha's bones, and came back to life. And that
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was the miracle that gave Elisha exactly twice
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as many recorded miracles in the scriptures as
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Elijah. That's pretty cool, isn't it? But the
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double portion, when Elisha asks for a double
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portion of your spirit, what is he really asking
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for? And I believe, considering what the double
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portion meant in the context of the culture,
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and what it meant... to the firstborn son that
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even more than miracle power and even more than
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the ability to prophesy, what Elisha was asking
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for is this. Can I call you my father? Can I
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be your son? Will you consider me? To be your
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son. And Elijah said, that's a hard thing, but
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if you see it, me, if you see me when I go, it
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will be granted. And when Elisha lifted up his
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eyes and saw Elijah, what did he cry out? He
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cried out, My father. My father. And that mantle
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that he picked up, it was no longer just a symbol
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of my role as a prophet. It wasn't just a symbol
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of the anointing in my life. But that mantle
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that rested upon him, it became a symbol of sonship.
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I'm carrying the mantle of my father. And he
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went out. And see, just a few minutes before.
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He had watched the one he wanted to be his father.
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He had watched him take that same mantle, and
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he had struck the Jordan, and Elijah did it,
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and they walked together across dry ground. And
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Elisha, having the same mantle, walked up to
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the Jordan, and remembering what he had seen
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his father do, struck the Jordan in the same
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way. And the river did the same thing. And Elisha
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walked across on dry ground. Jesus was a rabbi.
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He waited until the age of a rabbi, 30 years
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old, to begin his ministry. And he chose 12 young
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men to follow him. And as we know Jesus to be
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the Son of God, these young men would have been
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looking to their new rabbi, Jesus, to be their
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spiritual father. To be their spiritual father.
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And in that role, Jesus... as their spiritual
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father, gave them a front row glimpse into his
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relationship with his father. It was the father's
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voice at his baptism in Matthew chapter 3 verse
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17 that spoke as Jesus came up out of the water
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and the dove came down. This is my beloved son
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whom I love. With Him, I am well pleased. It
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was interaction with the Father in prayer that
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motivated Him in how He should operate in ministry.
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Listen to this from John 5, 19. Most assuredly,
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I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself,
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but what He sees the Father do. For whatever
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he does, the Son does in like manner. Does that
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remind you of anybody? You see, Jesus had the
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mantle of his Father, and he did the things he
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saw his Father do. Just like Elisha. He had his
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mantle. This is a mystery. Because the doctrine
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of the Trinity, we opened up a song that said,
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Praise the Father, praise the Son, praise the
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Spirit, three in one. The mystery of the Trinity,
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the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And so we tend
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to compartmentalize the functions of the three
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in our lives. But the mystery is that the three
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are actually one. In fact, in John chapter 10,
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Jesus declared, I and the Father are one. In
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John 14, Jesus declared, if you have seen me,
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you have seen the Father. That's pretty awesome.
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And it's no wonder that the messianic prophecy
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that we often quote during the Christmas season,
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which I am here to tell you that the Christmas
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season is not here yet. I just want you to know
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that. Some of you quit listening to me. That
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messianic prophecy, for unto us a child is born,
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unto us a son is given, the government will be
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upon his shoulder, and his name will be called
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Wonderful Counselor Everlasting Father. The son,
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The baby, one of his names, is Everlasting Father.
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You see, this is where they are three, but they
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are one. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is
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one God. Everlasting Father, the name of the
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Messiah. And so it's no wonder that... Paul described
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Jesus by saying this, he is the image of the
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invisible God. And so that's a beautiful description
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of who Jesus is. He's the image. Jesus is the
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image of the Father. And he's also the image
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of the Spirit. One of his other names is Counselor.
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And do you know who the Holy Spirit is? Counselor.
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And so this image of Jesus is also the Father.
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And the Spirit, He's the image of the invisible
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God. That's a powerful description. Jesus is
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the Son, but He embodies the Spirit, and He embodies
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the Father. Christ is definitely our firm foundation.
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Note what Jesus... told the women. I love that
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opening this morning about Joseph of Arimathea.
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Wasn't that powerful? And the women after his
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resurrection listened to what Jesus said to them
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when they tried to cling to him in John chapter
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20. Jesus said to her, Jesus said to Mary, do
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not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to
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my father. But go and say to them, I am ascending
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to my Father and your Father, to my God and your
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God. That's a powerful statement. Because what
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Jesus was saying is, hey, what just happened
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these last three days? The cross, the tomb, the
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stone being rolled away, the resurrection. What
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all of that did is this. I have been teaching
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you about my father for three years. But I want
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you to know that now because of the cross and
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because of the resurrection, he's not just my
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father. He's your father too. Hallelujah. Go
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and tell them. the disciples. He's your father
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too. Hallelujah. The cross made a way for you
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to experience the father just like Jesus did.
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And Elisha picked up the mantle as he cried.
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My Father, my Father. As Pentecostals, we talk
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a lot about anointing and authority and power
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over the enemy. But the anointing of God on your
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life for ministry, may it ever represent your
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relationship to the Father. I am not here just
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to preach the gospel. I am not here just to see
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blind eyes opened and miracles happen. I love
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all of those things. Hallelujah. I am not here
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just to function in a capacity. I have taken
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up the mantle because I have seen my Father.
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And He has touched my life in a powerful way.
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And I belong to Him. And He belongs to me. Hallelujah.
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You know what was radical in the days of the
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Bible? For Jesus to call God His Father. Did
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you know that this is one of the reasons that
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He... was put on the cross, they said it's blasphemy.
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It's blasphemy of you, Jesus, to call God your
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own father. You can read about that in John chapter
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5. But how did he even teach us how to pray?
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This was radical. They did not do this. You know,
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for us, it's just, we've heard it, you know,
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if you've been in church a long time, you've
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just heard it. If you grew up Catholic, you heard
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it. You just say, and our Father. And it's just
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part of your religious experience. But in the
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moment that Jesus taught it to the people, it
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was a radical, radical teaching. You can't call
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God your Father. But Jesus did. And he taught
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us to do the same thing when you pray. Go and
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close the door. Get with God. And say this. Our
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Father, who art in heaven. As a church family,
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he's my Father. And you can declare that. He's
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my father. But as brothers and sisters in the
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family of God, we declare he is our father. And
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friends, that's so healing because some of you
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sitting out here, you did not have a good earthly
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father. And for you to be able to look up into
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the heavens and say, oh God, I thank you that
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you're my father. And for you to be able to call
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him your dad. I feel the anointing of the Lord
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right now. You want to see the Trinity at work?
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Galatians chapter 4. I'm almost done. And now
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for my first conclusion. But when the fullness
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of time had come, God sent forth His Son. Born
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of a woman. Born under law to redeem those who
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were under law that we might receive adoption
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as sons. And because you are sons and daughters,
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I'm putting that in there. God has sent forth
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the Spirit of His Son. into your hearts, and
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it makes you cry out, Abba, Father! Can you feel
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that this morning? Can you feel your heart? Because
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if you're redeemed, if you're a child of God,
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if you've been forgiven, you're going to meet.
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God as somebody different. You might have believed
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in a God. You might have believed that he was
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out there somewhere. You might have believed
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that he was expressed equally just across all
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religions. I don't know what you believed, but
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when you come to Christ, the Spirit of the living
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God, the Spirit of the Son of God comes into
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you. Hallelujah. and something changes inside.
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God is not just a being anymore. God is not just
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out there. He's not just somewhere. No, He is
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mine, and I am His, and my heart says of Him,
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Abba, Father. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Now,
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what does this mean? 1 Peter chapter 1. You just
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write these verses down. I'm not going to read
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them all. You're taking notes. 1 Peter 1, 17.
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When you call God your Father, it causes you
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to fear Him. And the fear of the Lord is the
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beginning of wisdom. Friends, the creator of
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the universe is your Father. And Jesus taught
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us to fear him. That's a healthy respect for
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God. And it keeps you. The fear of the Lord brings
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wisdom. It brings you into deep friendship with
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God. Psalm 25 says that God shares his secrets
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with people that fear him. And the fear of the
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Lord keeps you from giving in to temptation.
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In Proverbs 14, 27, you can write that verse
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down. God being your father causes you to fear
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him. And along those lines, God being your father
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causes you to receive correction. And I simply
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want to say this. Stop resisting. the correction
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of the Father that loves you. Yield to him. Because
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in the correction of the Father is life. And
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when you keep saying yes to the Father, yes,
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Lord, I'll change. Yes, Lord, I'll repent. Yes,
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Lord, I'll forgive. Yes, Lord, I'll obey. There's
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life in that. The father does not correct you
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because he just is controlling. He corrects you
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because he loves you. And he's perfect. And I
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want to challenge fathers here that have young
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kids at home. To seek out how God corrects. He
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is patient. He is slow to anger. He is slow to
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wrath. He is abounding in mercy and love. And
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we need to correct our children with the same
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demeanor. God, make me more like you. And so
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if God is correcting you and teaching you and
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calling you, don't be one that says, well, those
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rules are for somebody else. Don't resist the
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Father. And then it causes you, friends, to experience
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the love and acceptance of God that you never
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knew before. Blessed be the Father. Of our Lord
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Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual
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blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just
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as he chose us in him before the foundation of
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the world. That we should be holy and without
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blame before him and love. Having predestined
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us to adoptions as sons by Jesus Christ to himself
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according to the good pleasure of his will. I
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could spend all day unpacking that passage. But
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I hope that you got the message of that passage.
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That God has chosen you because he loves you.
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And it made him happy to have you on his team.
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When we chose sides on the playground as kids,
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do you know what kids are? Ruthless. Some of
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you remember. Some of you know what it's like.
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To have the captain say, okay, you're the last
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one. I guess you're on my team. Some of you look
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at your father and you think that he merely tolerates
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you. Your father, he loves you. He loves you.
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I want you to look at the person next to you
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and say, the Father loves you. He has asked you
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to be on his team because he delighted in it.
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And he has not picked you last. And in fact,
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we. Somehow, following Christ, who is the firstborn
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over all creation, he's the firstborn, but we
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have entered into that adoption as sons. And
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we can come before the Lord, having been chosen
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by him, and say, Father, give me a double portion.
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Give me a double portion. Let me be your child.
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Let me be your son. Let me be your daughter.
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That's who you want me to be. Well, what about
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my failure, Pastor? Shouldn't that disqualify
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me? The cross behind Brianna is on this platform.
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Because the cross qualifies you. Has made you.
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I didn't read the most important part of that
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Ephesians chapter. I stopped before the end.
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But that portion ends by this. He has made us
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accepted in the beloved. He's qualified you.
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Can we just bow our heads together? So Father,
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I just thank you for the people in this room
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right now. And I thank you, God, for sons and
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daughters of the King whose hearts cry out, Abba.
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If you're here this morning and you've really
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never received the Lord and you've really never
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known God as your father, I want to tell you
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we've all been in that place. And what you, all
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you need to do is open up your heart to the Lord.
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Say, God, can you make me your son? Can you make
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me your daughter? Can I be part of the family?
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Can I start following Jesus? Can I be your disciple?
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When you come before him and just lay your junk
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down, we've all got it, and just say, Jesus,
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thank you for the cross. I just receive your
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gift. And I want to follow after you. If that's
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you this morning, just lift up your hand so I
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can see it. I want to pray for you. Anybody here
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this morning say, Pastor, that's me. Pastor,
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that's me. I need to give my life to Christ.
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I recognize the gift that he has. Just wait a
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moment. There's more of you here. Thank you for
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that. Thank you for that. Thank you, Jesus. Thank
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you. Anybody else? Anybody else? For these that
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have raised their hands right now, can we just
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all pray a prayer together to the Lord? And if
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this is your first time praying this prayer,
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just pray it from your heart. These aren't magic
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words, but it's your heart going out to God that
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makes the difference. Let's pray together. Dear
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Lord Jesus, thank you for the cross. Thank you
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for forgiving me. Thank you for making me your
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child. Thank you for choosing me, for making
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me accepted and a part of your team. Help me
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turn away from the old. And help me turn to you.
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And help me follow Jesus. Amen. Amen. Can we
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give the Lord praise right now? Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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Hallelujah. I want to pray one more thing. Because
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some of you, even while I'm preaching, you're
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feeling something inside. And what you're feeling.
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is the healing touch of the Father's heart going
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into you. And you want others to pray with you
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right now. You just sense that this is the family
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of God. And your heart is just saying, Father,
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and I want to join with you. I'm not going to
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drag this out, but I believe God wants to do
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one more work this morning. And if that's you,
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if you're just saying, I felt that healing and
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I want God to just continue that in my life.
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I want you to just raise your hand where you
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are. I believe there's a lot of you that God
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has been touching. Thank you. Anybody else? Come
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on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Thank you. Thank
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you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Father.
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Can we all stand together? Lord, these that have
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raised their hands, I just want to pray over
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them right now. And I just want to ask that the
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love of the Father will go into them. God, four
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or five, six people raised their hands for this
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call. And Lord, I just ask that you would continue
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the work of healing in their lives. Thank you,
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Lord. Thank you, Lord. The worship team is going
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to lead us in a song. And anybody that you would
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like me to pray with you before you go this morning,
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I'm going to just be right down here at the altar.
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There's some of you that need prayer. And so
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just as we go this morning, hug somebody, bless
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somebody, but I want you to come and I want you
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to receive prayer. this morning and believe God
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to touch your life. Amen.