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Romans 15:7-13 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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  Good morning to everyone. Join me in your copy of God's Word in the book of Romans.
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  We're getting closer and closer to finishing this wonderful book we've been working through
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  ! Today we'll be in Romans chapter 15, starting in verse 7.
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  But as I usually like to do a really quick recap.
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  But throughout most of Paul's letter, he's been establishing the strong biblical and doctrinal
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  foundations of our salvation and our redemption in Christ.
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  And very important, like if you ever want like a legal argument for our salvation, it is the book of Romans.
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  That's like what you want to take in your heart and in your soul to God's court one day.
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  It is a wonderful, wonderful arguments for our salvation all from the Word of God.
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  And so in these latter chapters, chapter 12 all the way up to chapter 15 here,
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  Paul is working out the practical gospel implications of everyday living.
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  Like what does saving grace look like in the life of believers in light of all that God has done for us?
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  Namely, what he's written about up until this point.
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  All these wonderful things about salvation, redemption, justification, reconciliation,
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  all these wonderful things that Christ has brought to us.
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  Therefore, live this way.
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  And in fact, what I would argue is these are just as important chapters as the ones who have gone before.
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  They're linked because your ability to and desire to live out these things kind of display what you actually believe about the first few chapters.
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  So in light of these things, we live a certain way to glorify God.
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  And last week we talked about verses chapter 15, 1 through 6,
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  which Paul calls the strong believers, the mature believers,
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  those who are further along in their relationship with Christ,
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  to bear with the failings of the weak believers.
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  We talked about that at length last week.
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  To seek to please your brethren as Christ did.
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  And with the help of God, the scripture, be patient so that you will with one mind and mouth glorify God.
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  That was sort of where we were last week.
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  And where we're going today in verses 18 through 13,
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  Paul gives us more reasons for accepting one another
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  by showing mutual acceptance, not just between the strong and the weak, but Jew and Gentile.
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  I know it may feel like Paul has beaten this to death in Romans,
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  but he continues to, and there's a reason why he does.
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  To show mutual acceptance between Jews and Gentiles
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  is an essential outworking of God's great plan of salvation throughout history.
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  One commentator wrote,
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  Paul sets the local conflict in Rome against the panorama of salvation and history
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  in order to stimulate them to obedience.
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  So Paul is holding up these Jews and Gentiles in Rome
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  who are in danger of falling out of fellowship with one another because of differences.
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  And he brings them together, pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished.
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  So let's read our text today.
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  Romans 15, starting in verse 7.
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  Connecting it to last week.
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  Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God.
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  For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised
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  to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs
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  in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
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  As it is written,
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  Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.
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  And again, it said,
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  Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.
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  And again, praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let the peoples extol him.
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  And again, it says,
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  The root of Jesse will come,
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  even one who arises to rule the Gentiles.
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  In him would the Gentiles hope.
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  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
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  so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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  Let's pray with me.
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  Lord, so much in your word for us to treasure.
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  I pray that your word would be applied to my heart and the hearts of all who are here,
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  that you would have your desired effect,
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  that your word would pierce,
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  your word would convict and challenge and encourage and build up,
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  exhort,
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  that you would just have your way during this time.
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  In Christ's name, amen.
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  So we're going to walk through this with four points.
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  Didn't have five for you.
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  Just four.
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  So point number one,
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  how we can walk through this text together,
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  is receive one another in Christ.
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  It's verse 7.
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  Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God.
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  And Paul understands,
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  just like we see today,
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  that division in the church is a stain on the gospel.
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  Like true division in the church,
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  fighting among true believers.
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  And so this verse is the summary verse of the ones that he just talked about before.
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  So welcome means to accept,
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  to receive with the utmost special concern.
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  It's used in Acts 28 when Paul was shipwrecked off the coast of Malta.
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  And it says that the native people showed us unusual,
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  extraordinary kindness,
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  for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all,
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  because it had begun to rain and was cold.
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  So show one another this extraordinary,
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  unusual kindness that goes beyond what normally is expected.
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  Paul calling all believers to live in unity with not just the strong,
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  the weak,
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  the immature,
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  the mature,
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  the Jew,
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  the Gentile.
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  He's calling all of them to love and welcome,
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  to receive one another with the utmost concern.
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  So why are we to do this?
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  It's far easier,
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  even as believers sometimes,
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  just to ignore those people that get on our nerves,
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  or ignore people that we have minor differences with,
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  just to disassociate from believers that we have those disagreements with.
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  But why are we to have the utmost concern for our fellow believers?
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  Paul gives us the answer,
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  because of all that God has done for us in Christ.
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  So, a question for us.
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  What does your willingness to accept and be patient with other true Christians
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  reveal about your own faith in Christ,
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  and your understanding of the Gospel?
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  What does your willingness to accept and love one another reveal
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  about your understanding of the Gospel,
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  or lack thereof?
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  We have to be reminded of this.
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  Paul constantly is reminding us,
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  don't forget where you once were,
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  and where Christ has brought you from.
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  I have just one place for you to turn today,
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  outside of our main text,
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  but keep your hand in Romans,
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  and look at Titus chapter 3.
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  Titus chapter 3.
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  One of those great Gospel passages.
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  Titus chapter 3, verse 3.
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  Paul wrote,
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  So, do not forget that.
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  That's where we all once were.
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  Even if you quote,
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  were a good person before you became a Christian.
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  The book of Romans has thoroughly proven that no one is good.
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  We all lived this way.
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  This is once who we were.
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  Separator from God.
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  And then verse 4.
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  That great word.
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  But, when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
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  He saved us,
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  not because of works done by us in righteousness,
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  but according to His own mercy,
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  by the washing of regeneration, renewal of the Holy Spirit.
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  So, never forget where you come from,
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  that we all have our common origin in sin.
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  That's what brings us together in one way.
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  And the other way is to remember that we have been brought out of that together
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  by the mercy of God.
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  His mercy alone.
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  We're never to let that grow old in our minds.
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  So, we're to welcome one another,
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  to accept,
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  to show the utmost concern for our fellow believers.
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  Your willingness and mind to accept others in the body
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  correlates directly to your understanding and faith
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  of how God has graciously accepted you in Christ.
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  Do you see that?
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  It's connected.
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  If you aren't able and unwilling to love and accept others,
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  especially the ones that are hard to deal with sometimes,
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  Christ says it's easy to love those who love you.
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  So, that idea,
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  if you fail to do that,
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  that shows you,
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  it reveals that your understanding of the Gospel is weak.
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  Right?
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  That's what this reveals.
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  So, welcome one another in Christ.
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  Spurgeon wrote about this passage,
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  Christ did not receive us because we were perfect,
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  or because He could see no fault in us,
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  or because He hoped to gain something from us,
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  not at all.
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  But, in loving condescension,
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  He covered our faults and sought our good.
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  He welcomed us into relationship with Him.
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  So, in the same way,
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  and with the same purpose,
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  we as Christians must receive one another.
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  So, does your willingness to love and receive others in the church
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  reflect the faith of the One who has welcomed us unto Himself?
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  That's what is important to remember.
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  So, failure to accept or welcome one another in love and compassion
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  is an affront to the Savior who has welcomed us.
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  I hope you can see that.
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  At the very least, this indicates our immaturity,
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  if we're unwilling to do that.
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  Maybe we're the weak that Paul just spoke of.
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  And at the very most,
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  it might lead us to question our own standing with God
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  if we have no regard for our fellow believers.
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  So, in conclusion,
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  the strong, the weak,
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  the Jew, the Gentile,
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  are exhorted to accept one another,
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  for they have been graciously accepted by God in Christ.
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  Even though we were sinners,
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  even though we were separated,
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  He's welcomed us.
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  And such mutual acceptance brings,
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  look at the end of that verse,
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  great glory to God.
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  Look, nothing else matters, alright?
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  Nothing else matters.
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  Like, if you fail to grasp the concept of God's glory,
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  then you're lost.
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  You are lost.
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  You will never understand the Word of God
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  and what the purpose of history is.
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  My glory fades.
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  Yours fades.
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  And a few generations will probably all be forgotten.
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  There's many people, being a history guy,
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  I can name a whole list of names,
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  and most of you would have no idea who they are.
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  Most people.
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  And they did great things in their time.
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  Our glory is fading like the flower of the field.
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  And this life is brief,
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  but the glory of God remains forever.
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  Nothing else matters.
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  And so he's saying,
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  your unity,
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  your ability to love and accept one another,
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  is one of these ways that brings great glory to God.
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  point number two.
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  Point two.
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  Christ has fulfilled God's promises to save the nations.
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  Christ has fulfilled God's promises to save the nations.
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  Verse eight.
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  It goes on.
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  For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised
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  to show God's truthfulness
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  in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs.
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  So there's one of those startling phrases.
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  A phrase that confused many people in his own time.
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  Christ came as a servant.
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  He was the suffering servant that Isaiah spoke of
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  700 years before Christ came on the scene.
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  He was the servant who would act wisely and be exalted.
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  Jesus,
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  when he was with his disciples,
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  he said,
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  even the son of man came not to be served,
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  but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
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  Mark 10,
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  45.
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  So who did he come to serve?
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  In one regard,
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  all of us.
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  Yes.
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  But what is Paul referring to in this instance?
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  To whom?
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  Christ came to serve,
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  came as a Jew to serve the circumcised.
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  And he's just referring to the Jewish people there.
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  Thus demonstrating God's truthfulness.
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  That word means faithfulness,
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  trustworthiness.
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  He's demonstrating that
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  and keeping his promises of redemption
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  that he had made to the patriarchs,
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  to Abraham,
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  to Isaac,
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  to Jacob.
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  He had promised them.
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  And in displaying this immense faith
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  by showing his willingness to obey God,
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  even to the point of sacrificing his own son, Isaac,
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  after that happened,
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  God said to Abraham in Genesis 22,
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  it's one of those verses you've got to like,
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  it's one of those verses that you use
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  to read the rest of the Scripture a lot of the time.
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  You see like God fulfilling this promise.
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  Genesis 22,
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  verse 17,
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  God said to Abraham,
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  I will surely bless you
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  and I will surely multiply your offspring
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  as the stars of heaven
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  and as the sand that is on the seashore.
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  Your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.
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  And in your offspring
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  shall all the nations of the earth be blessed
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  because you have obeyed my voice.
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  So this promise was reiterated multiple times.
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  It continued to Isaac in Genesis 26
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  and it continued to his son Jacob in Genesis 28.
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  So in fulfilling God's saving promises to them,
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  God's truthfulness,
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  His faithfulness has been upheld.
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  It's been established for all time.
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  God's track record in keeping His Word is flawless.
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  And I hope that comforts you in our troubling days.
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  He is a perfect promise keeper.
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  It may not seem like it comes when you want it to,
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  or when we think it should come.
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  It comes when it's supposed to,
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  in God's perfect ordained time.
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  And so, in fulfillment of God's promise,
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  many, many Jews,
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  not all, but many,
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  would come to repent of the sin,
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  believe in Christ as the Messiah,
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  and as the days go by,
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  eventually even more and more will do that.
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  But this was a reminder for the Gentiles
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  to be humbly reminded
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  that even their faith
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  came in a way through the Jewish people.
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  And so they are to welcome
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  their Jewish believers in Rome,
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  where they are.
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  So it was a reminder to them.
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  So, it came through the patriarchs.
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  God fulfilled His Word.
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  Point number three.
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  Christ brought praise and glory to God
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  for His mercy.
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  Verses 9-12.
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  Christ brought praise and glory to God
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  for His mercy.
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  Look at verse 9.
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  In an order,
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  so that, right,
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  in order,
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  that the Gentiles might glorify God
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  for His mercy.
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  As it is written,
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  therefore, I will praise you
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  among the Gentiles
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  and sing to your name.
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  And again, it is said,
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  rejoice, O Gentiles,
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  with His people again and again.
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  Praise the Lord,
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  all you Gentiles,
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  and let all the peoples extol Him.
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  And again, Isaiah says,
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  the root of Jesse will come,
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  even he who arises
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  to rule the Gentiles,
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  and Him will the Gentiles hope.
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  So, furthermore, right,
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  Christ came as a servant
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  to the Jews,
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  but furthermore,
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  for the purpose of bringing
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  blessing and salvation
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  to the Gentiles.
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  what Paul described in chapter 11,
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  verse 11.
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  As Jewish Christians in Rome heard this,
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  they were being reminded
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  to remember this,
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  to accept and fully welcome
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  their Gentile brothers and sisters
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  who were in Rome,
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  which might be hard for them.
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  Think about that,
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  them,
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  and subdued them.
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  Now,
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  they're in Rome,
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  and they're being told,
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  hey,
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  don't look on Him
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  as that person.
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  Look at Him
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  as a brother
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  in Christ.
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  Look at them
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  with love
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  and compassion,
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  like you belong
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  to the same family
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  now.
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  And it was foretold
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  of old,
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  as you see here,
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  the Gentiles
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  might glorify God
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  for His mercy.
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  So,
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  great words
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  spoken by,
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  you know,
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  the ancient prophet.
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  Even those words
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  that ring true
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  even for us today
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  who are sitting here.
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  1 Peter 2, 10.
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  Once you were not a people,
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  but now you are God's people.
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  Once you had not received mercy,
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  but now you have received mercy.
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  If you're a Gentile today,
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  which I'm just going to assume
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  is most of us,
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  the majority of us,
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  if you recognize
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  that God's showing you mercy
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  was for the purpose
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  of being glorified,
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  to bring glory
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  to His great name,
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  to live for Him daily,
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  and to make everyday choices
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  that reflect
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  His greatness.
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  And so,
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  as usual,
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  this is testified
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  in the Scripture,
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  and man,
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  this is one of those times
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  where Paul just like
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  lays it on thick.
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  I remember
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  I like
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  killed a baby copperhead
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  with a huge load
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  of my shotgun.
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  It wasn't there anymore
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  once I shot it.
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  It was just gone.
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  This is kind of what
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  Paul desires to do here.
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  He's like,
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  in case you have any doubt,
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  I'm going to lay it on thick
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  to prove to you
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  that this is what God
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  was doing all along.
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  And I'm going to give you four,
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  not just one,
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  but four Old Testament passages.
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  And how about this?
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  How about one from each part
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  of the writings too?
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  Like each section
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  of the Old Testament.
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  Taking one quotation
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  from each of his part
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  and just lay it on thick.
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  Like,
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  here's one of your
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  Bible study tools.
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  Look at this.
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  As it is written,
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  and then you go a little further,
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  he says,
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  and again.
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  And then he says it again.
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  And again.
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  And again.
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  That's how he begins
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  like each verse.
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  He's like,
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  alright,
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  I'm going to lay it on thick.
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  Don't miss this.
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  So look how many times
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  he's saying that God foretold.
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  This has always been his plan.
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  That the Gentiles
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  would glorify him
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  and praise him
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  for his great salvation
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  over and over and over again.
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  That's what Paul
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  is trying to say.
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  This should be no surprise to you.
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  And this should make you marvel.
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  In verse 9,
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  he takes one from
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  the former prophets,
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  the older prophets.
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  From 2 Samuel 22.50.
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  Therefore,
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  I will praise you
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  among the Gentiles
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  and sing to your name.
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  So God's great salvation
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  would lead the Gentiles
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  to nations
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  singing songs
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  of deliverance
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  and great praise to God.
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  Describe the greatness
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  due his name.
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  Right?
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  Verse 10.
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  Now he takes one
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  from the law.
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  The Torah.
• 21:35
  He's like,
• 21:36
  well, okay,
• 21:36
  how about this part
• 21:37
  of our scripture?
• 21:39
  And he goes to
• 21:40
  Deuteronomy 32.43.
• 21:43
  Rejoice,
• 21:44
  O Gentiles,
• 21:44
  and don't miss this,
• 21:46
  with his people.
• 21:50
  So,
• 21:50
  such a great redemption
• 21:52
  from sin,
• 21:53
  darkness,
• 21:54
  and hell
• 21:54
  leads to
• 21:56
  the Gentiles
• 21:57
  rejoicing
• 21:58
  and celebrating
• 21:59
  on behalf
• 22:00
  of God's saving mercy.
• 22:01
  And then it says,
• 22:02
  with
• 22:02
  his people.
• 22:04
  So do this
• 22:05
  with the Jews.
• 22:06
  You see that?
• 22:07
  Like he's adding this in,
• 22:08
  like,
• 22:08
  with the salvation
• 22:09
  that the Jews
• 22:10
  can already have,
• 22:12
  the Gentiles
• 22:13
  will come alongside
• 22:13
  them as one people.
• 22:16
  One united people
• 22:18
  redeemed.
• 22:20
  And that
• 22:20
  they will
• 22:21
  rejoice.
• 22:22
  Great celebration
• 22:23
  over God's
• 22:24
  saving mercy
• 22:25
  along with those
• 22:27
  who are Jews.
• 22:29
  Verse 11.
• 22:30
  He takes this
• 22:31
  from
• 22:31
  the poetry,
• 22:33
  the writings.
• 22:34
  Psalm 117,
• 22:35
  which I found out
• 22:37
  interestingly
• 22:38
  is supposed to be
• 22:40
  like the very middle
• 22:41
  verse of your entire
• 22:42
  Bible.
• 22:42
  That's kind of
• 22:43
  interesting.
• 22:43
  I don't think Paul
• 22:44
  was thinking about that,
• 22:45
  but,
• 22:46
  like,
• 22:46
  that's the middle
• 22:47
  of the whole Bible.
• 22:48
  This is one verse.
• 22:49
  If you,
• 22:50
  like,
• 22:50
  cut it all up
• 22:51
  and all that.
• 22:52
  But Psalm 117,
• 22:54
  it says,
• 22:54
  Praise the Lord,
• 22:56
  all you Gentiles,
• 22:57
  and let the peoples
• 22:58
  extol Him.
• 23:00
  So all the nations,
• 23:01
  everybody together now,
• 23:03
  bless the Lord,
• 23:04
  bless His grace,
• 23:06
  extol Him,
• 23:07
  give Him law,
• 23:09
  right?
• 23:10
  And then,
• 23:10
  like,
• 23:11
  in the Old Testament.
• 23:12
  So,
• 23:12
  like,
• 23:12
  in case you've lost this,
• 23:14
  like,
• 23:15
  I'm going to,
• 23:15
  like,
• 23:15
  pick one right out
• 23:16
  of Isaiah for you,
• 23:17
  right?
• 23:18
  And he says,
• 23:19
  this is from Isaiah 11,
• 23:21
  verse 10,
• 23:22
  The root of Jesse
• 23:22
  will come,
• 23:23
  even he who arises
• 23:25
  to rule the Gentiles,
• 23:26
  and him will the Gentiles
• 23:28
  hope.
• 23:30
  And,
• 23:30
  right before that,
• 23:31
  just by way of reminder,
• 23:33
  in verse 9,
• 23:33
  previously,
• 23:34
  he says,
• 23:35
  For the earth shall be full
• 23:37
  of the knowledge of the Lord
• 23:38
  as the waters cover the sea.
• 23:40
  That's what Isaiah foretold.
• 23:41
  So that promise,
• 23:42
  the root of Jesse,
• 23:44
  Jesse was David's father,
• 23:46
  through David,
• 23:48
  right?
• 23:48
  Would be the one
• 23:49
  to whom all the nations
• 23:50
  would gather,
• 23:51
  and He would rule them
• 23:52
  in strength,
• 23:53
  in justice,
• 23:54
  in faithfulness,
• 23:55
  in love,
• 23:56
  in truth.
• 23:57
  The Messiah's resting place
• 24:00
  will be glorious.
• 24:01
  And all Gentiles,
• 24:04
  as Paul's addressing this,
• 24:06
  should humbly be reminded
• 24:08
  that their own salvation
• 24:09
  stems from that Jewish root.
• 24:13
  That's 1118.
• 24:16
  These are the right
• 24:17
  and proper responses
• 24:18
  to what God has done
• 24:20
  by redeeming us
• 24:22
  and saving us.
• 24:23
  But do you realize,
• 24:25
  you have to think about this daily.
• 24:27
  I try to and fail to,
• 24:30
  but there was a time
• 24:31
  that you were cut off
• 24:32
  from God,
• 24:34
  separated
• 24:34
  because of your sin.
• 24:36
  Think about Romans 5.
• 24:39
  Do you see that you once
• 24:40
  were on the outside
• 24:41
  of that saving knowledge
• 24:44
  that Israel possessed?
• 24:46
  That doesn't mean
• 24:46
  all Israel was saved,
• 24:47
  but it means that Israel
• 24:48
  possessed
• 24:49
  at least the ability
• 24:50
  and the knowledge
• 24:51
  to know God
• 24:52
  because God had manifested
• 24:53
  Himself to them.
• 24:55
  Think of Jesus speaking
• 24:56
  to the Samaritan woman
• 24:57
  at the well.
• 24:57
  He said,
• 24:58
  you Samaritans worship
• 25:00
  whom you do not know.
• 25:02
  We Jews worship
• 25:03
  who we do know
• 25:04
  because salvation
• 25:05
  is from the Jews.
• 25:07
  That's what he's trying to say.
• 25:08
  Like,
• 25:09
  God showed us
• 25:09
  who He was
• 25:10
  and we were to be a witness
• 25:11
  to the rest of the world.
• 25:13
  Like,
• 25:14
  He's reminding
• 25:15
  these Gentiles
• 25:16
  that they are connected
• 25:17
  to them.
• 25:19
  And so,
• 25:19
  we once were not a people.
• 25:21
  We were cut off
• 25:22
  of that knowledge,
• 25:23
  but now,
• 25:24
  do you realize
• 25:25
  that salvation
• 25:25
  has come to the nations?
• 25:28
  What does that do
• 25:29
  to your soul
• 25:30
  this morning?
• 25:32
  Ephesians 2
• 25:33
  reads this.
• 25:35
  Paul is reminding them,
• 25:37
  remember that you once
• 25:38
  at one time
• 25:39
  were separated
• 25:40
  from Christ.
• 25:42
  Like,
• 25:42
  there's only darkness
• 25:43
  and death
• 25:44
  and agony
• 25:45
  away from Christ.
• 25:47
  And he says,
• 25:48
  alienated
• 25:49
  or estranged
• 25:50
  from the commonwealth
• 25:52
  of Israel.
• 25:53
  You see that?
• 25:53
  The connections here?
• 25:54
  And the strangers
• 25:55
  to the covenants
• 25:56
  of the promise,
• 25:58
  having no hope
• 25:59
  and without God
• 26:00
  in the world.
• 26:01
  But now,
• 26:02
  in Christ Jesus,
• 26:03
  you who are once
• 26:04
  far off
• 26:05
  have been brought near
• 26:06
  by the blood
• 26:07
  of Christ.
• 26:09
  So rejoice.
• 26:10
  If you are a Gentile,
• 26:12
  you should never forget
• 26:13
  that God has chosen
• 26:15
  by His mercy
• 26:16
  to include us
• 26:17
  in His great salvation.
• 26:20
  And this would result
• 26:21
  in the praise
• 26:22
  of His great name.
• 26:22
  So in summary,
• 26:25
  these passages
• 26:26
  prove that the whole
• 26:26
  of Scripture
• 26:27
  testifies to the inclusion
• 26:29
  of the Gentiles
• 26:30
  into God's
• 26:31
  uniting,
• 26:32
  saving purposes
• 26:33
  to bring one nation
• 26:34
  under Him.
• 26:37
  Every kind of person,
• 26:38
  every kind of nation
• 26:39
  and tongue
• 26:40
  under His sovereign rule
• 26:41
  for the purpose
• 26:42
  of bringing great glory
• 26:44
  to His name.
• 26:45
  So if the believers
• 26:46
  in Rome,
• 26:47
  or if even we
• 26:48
  today truly understand this,
• 26:50
  what God is doing
• 26:51
  throughout redemptive history,
• 26:54
  this will make
• 26:55
  those little minor,
• 26:56
  puny,
• 26:56
  pathetic disagreements
• 26:57
  we have in the church
• 26:58
  just pale in comparison.
• 27:01
  We have so much
• 27:02
  more in common.
• 27:03
  If you truly are
• 27:03
  in Christ,
• 27:05
  you have more
• 27:05
  in common
• 27:06
  with anybody.
• 27:07
  Even if they might
• 27:08
  share a different
• 27:09
  political view,
• 27:10
  if they share
• 27:11
  a different skin color,
• 27:13
  this is what
• 27:14
  unites us all.
• 27:16
  That Scripture
• 27:16
  right out of Galatians 3,
• 27:18
  28 is what Paul
• 27:19
  is trying to say.
• 27:19
  Look,
• 27:19
  there's neither Jew
• 27:20
  or Greek.
• 27:22
  There's neither slave
• 27:23
  nor free.
• 27:25
  There is no male
• 27:26
  and female,
• 27:26
  for you are all one
• 27:27
  in Christ Jesus.
• 27:29
  Galatians 3,
• 27:30
  28.
• 27:32
  It's that you have
• 27:33
  all things in common
• 27:35
  if you are in Christ
• 27:36
  with your fellow believer.
• 27:38
  And you should dwell
• 27:39
  on those things.
• 27:42
  Recognize what God
• 27:42
  is trying to do here.
• 27:43
  Look at what Jews
• 27:44
  and Gentiles
• 27:44
  hated each other.
• 27:46
  Do you understand that?
• 27:46
  Like the animosity
• 27:47
  was there?
• 27:48
  Like you think
• 27:48
  that we have
• 27:48
  differences today?
• 27:51
  Not much in comparison
• 27:52
  to how they felt
• 27:53
  back then.
• 27:54
  But God's desire
• 27:55
  is to reach
• 27:58
  the nations
• 27:59
  for His glory.
• 28:02
  And recently,
• 28:04
  I was just
• 28:04
  reading some
• 28:06
  from Voice of the Martyrs
• 28:07
  and ran across
• 28:09
  this story
• 28:09
  from a man
• 28:11
  named Waleed.
• 28:12
  And he's from India.
• 28:14
  and he grew up
• 28:15
  in the Muslim part
• 28:17
  of India
• 28:17
  and was recognized
• 28:20
  very early
• 28:21
  as this guy's smart,
• 28:22
  this guy's gifted.
• 28:23
  We're going to
• 28:24
  get him to be
• 28:25
  an Islamic scholar.
• 28:27
  So they sent him
• 28:27
  away to Mecca
• 28:28
  to study the Quran.
• 28:32
  He became just
• 28:33
  a great teacher.
• 28:34
  He was there
• 28:34
  for four years,
• 28:36
  fully paid for,
• 28:37
  and he became
• 28:37
  a sheikh.
• 28:39
  He was an Islamic
• 28:41
  teacher that taught
• 28:41
  at one of the mosques.
• 28:43
  And he wore
• 28:44
  the white robe
• 28:45
  and had great dignity
• 28:46
  and respect
• 28:47
  of the culture.
• 28:48
  He said,
• 28:49
  at that time,
• 28:51
  I was very proud
• 28:52
  and I thought
• 28:53
  that I was just
• 28:53
  like the best person
• 28:54
  ever.
• 28:56
  And here's
• 28:57
  what's interesting.
• 28:59
  Because he was
• 29:00
  a scholar,
• 29:00
  he was reading
• 29:01
  the Quran
• 29:01
  and he got to
• 29:02
  the part of the Quran
• 29:02
  that talks about
• 29:03
  Jesus.
• 29:05
  And he recognized
• 29:06
  there was just
• 29:06
  something tremendously
• 29:07
  different about
• 29:08
  Jesus that just
• 29:10
  struck him,
• 29:10
  the details.
• 29:12
  It talks about
• 29:13
  how the man
• 29:15
  who does these
• 29:16
  things that Jesus
• 29:17
  is being spoken of,
• 29:19
  he is incomparable.
• 29:20
  This is from the Quran.
• 29:21
  He is incomparable
• 29:22
  because no other
• 29:23
  prophet written
• 29:24
  about in the Quran
• 29:25
  is doing those
• 29:26
  things.
• 29:27
  So he was just
• 29:27
  mind blown by
• 29:28
  Surah 19.33.
• 29:31
  You can look that up.
• 29:32
  But he dealt
• 29:33
  deeper into the Quran
• 29:34
  and just trying to
• 29:35
  figure out
• 29:36
  who Jesus was.
• 29:37
  And he started
• 29:37
  asking his fellow
• 29:38
  sheiks like,
• 29:39
  we should probably
• 29:40
  pay more attention
• 29:41
  to this.
• 29:42
  What does this
• 29:42
  actually mean
• 29:43
  about Jesus?
• 29:43
  As someone who
• 29:44
  does the things
• 29:44
  that he does
• 29:45
  is supposed
• 29:48
  to be incomparable.
• 29:49
  Like,
• 29:49
  what about him?
• 29:51
  So they began
• 29:51
  kind of blowing
• 29:52
  off his questions
• 29:53
  and eventually
• 29:54
  got to be
• 29:54
  kind of hostile
• 29:55
  towards him.
• 29:57
  They didn't have
• 29:57
  any good answers
• 29:58
  and eventually
• 29:58
  they started
• 30:00
  turning away
• 30:00
  from him
• 30:01
  and he said,
• 30:02
  they started
• 30:02
  to hate me
• 30:03
  and at one
• 30:05
  point they
• 30:05
  ambushed him
• 30:06
  and attacked him
• 30:07
  and threw stones
• 30:08
  at him
• 30:09
  and the shrieper
• 30:09
  just inquiring
• 30:11
  more about
• 30:12
  Jesus.
• 30:13
  But he says,
• 30:14
  this served
• 30:15
  only to drive
• 30:17
  me closer
• 30:18
  to Christ.
• 30:19
  After the attack,
• 30:20
  I prayed
• 30:21
  to Jesus
• 30:22
  for the first
• 30:22
  time.
• 30:24
  His prayer
• 30:24
  was just simply,
• 30:25
  Jesus,
• 30:26
  if you are above
• 30:27
  and you see
• 30:28
  how I am,
• 30:28
  please help me.
• 30:30
  And eventually
• 30:32
  he was kicked
• 30:33
  out and rejected
• 30:34
  and he kind of
• 30:34
  fled his community
• 30:35
  and he sought
• 30:37
  Christians.
• 30:38
  He's like,
• 30:38
  I've got to find
• 30:38
  Christians to tell
• 30:39
  me about Jesus
• 30:40
  and oddly enough
• 30:41
  he fled to
• 30:42
  Ethiopia
• 30:43
  and wasn't able
• 30:45
  to find many
• 30:46
  people even there
• 30:47
  to tell him
• 30:48
  who Jesus was
• 30:49
  and answer
• 30:49
  the questions
• 30:50
  he had.
• 30:51
  But eventually
• 30:52
  he began to
• 30:53
  read the Bible
• 30:53
  and he says
• 30:55
  that the Bible
• 30:57
  greatly increased
• 30:58
  his knowledge
• 30:59
  of salvation
• 31:00
  and he kind of
• 31:01
  wrote something
• 31:02
  he said,
• 31:02
  I know everything
• 31:03
  on earth
• 31:04
  shall pass away
• 31:05
  but God's word
• 31:06
  will never
• 31:07
  pass away.
• 31:08
  I am learning
• 31:09
  more and I
• 31:10
  love to learn.
• 31:12
  And as he
• 31:13
  became a believer
• 31:14
  and he got
• 31:15
  connected to
• 31:16
  the church
• 31:16
  and began to
• 31:18
  see where he
• 31:19
  had come from,
• 31:20
  he says,
• 31:21
  when I came
• 31:21
  to Christ,
• 31:22
  I lost my
• 31:23
  position,
• 31:24
  my health,
• 31:25
  my job,
• 31:26
  my community
• 31:27
  and my family
• 31:28
  but God
• 31:30
  gave me
• 31:31
  double now
• 31:32
  I am so
• 31:33
  blessed.
• 31:34
  So meaning
• 31:35
  it sounds like
• 31:35
  what Jesus
• 31:36
  told his
• 31:36
  disciples
• 31:37
  like when
• 31:37
  they're like
• 31:37
  we've sacrificed
• 31:38
  so much
• 31:39
  to follow you
• 31:39
  and he goes
• 31:40
  no one
• 31:41
  has sacrificed
• 31:42
  to follow me
• 31:43
  they will not
• 31:44
  be repaid
• 31:45
  right?
• 31:46
  And so
• 31:47
  now
• 31:48
  he has shifted
• 31:49
  his focus
• 31:49
  to reaching
• 31:50
  young Muslims
• 31:52
  with the gospel
• 31:53
  and this is
• 31:54
  what he said
• 31:54
  and this ties
• 31:55
  into what
• 31:55
  we're reading
• 31:56
  about in
• 31:57
  Romans
• 31:57
  I believe
• 31:58
  I have a
• 31:59
  responsibility
• 32:00
  I remember
• 32:02
  the reason
• 32:03
  I am saved
• 32:03
  is to be
• 32:04
  his witness
• 32:05
  I live
• 32:06
  for his
• 32:07
  glory
• 32:07
  to witness
• 32:08
  his glory
• 32:09
  to the
• 32:10
  unreached
• 32:10
  people
• 32:10
  that's what
• 32:12
  he said
• 32:12
  so even
• 32:13
  today
• 32:14
  this is being
• 32:15
  carried out
• 32:16
  and I hope
• 32:16
  that that
• 32:17
  challenges
• 32:17
  you
• 32:17
  in
• 32:18
  the busy
• 32:20
  but often
• 32:21
  comfortable
• 32:22
  and easy
• 32:22
  life
• 32:22
  that we
• 32:23
  can have
• 32:23
  he says
• 32:25
  I'm here
• 32:26
  I'm saved
• 32:27
  to be a
• 32:27
  witness
• 32:28
  to bear
• 32:28
  witness
• 32:29
  to the
• 32:29
  glory
• 32:30
  of God
• 32:30
  especially
• 32:31
  to the
• 32:31
  unreached
• 32:32
  peoples
• 32:33
  in conclusion
• 32:35
  our last
• 32:37
  and fourth
• 32:37
  point
• 32:38
  Paul gives
• 32:40
  us a
• 32:40
  benedictory
• 32:41
  prayer of
• 32:41
  intercession
• 32:42
  in verse
• 32:43
  13
• 32:44
  he goes
• 32:47
  back to
• 32:47
  prayer
• 32:48
  and he
• 32:48
  says
• 32:48
  may
• 32:49
  the God
• 32:50
  of hope
• 32:50
  fill you
• 32:51
  with all
• 32:52
  joy and
• 32:52
  peace
• 32:53
  and believing
• 32:53
  so that
• 32:55
  by the
• 32:55
  power of
• 32:56
  the Holy
• 32:56
  Spirit
• 32:57
  you may
• 32:58
  abound
• 32:58
  in love
• 32:59
  and so
• 33:01
  back to
• 33:01
  prayer
• 33:02
  he's praying
• 33:02
  to the
• 33:02
  God
• 33:03
  of hope
• 33:04
  so
• 33:05
  hope
• 33:05
  here
• 33:05
  is the
• 33:06
  link
• 33:06
  word
• 33:07
  to verse
• 33:07
  12
• 33:08
  if you
• 33:08
  can see
• 33:08
  that
• 33:08
  in the
• 33:09
  passage
• 33:09
  as we
• 33:11
  just saw
• 33:11
  that before
• 33:12
  Christ
• 33:12
  he says
• 33:13
  remembered
• 33:14
  that you
• 33:14
  were
• 33:14
  separated
• 33:15
  alienated
• 33:16
  we just
• 33:16
  read that
• 33:17
  in Ephesians
• 33:17
  having no
• 33:18
  hope in
• 33:19
  the world
• 33:19
  and without
• 33:21
  God
• 33:22
  that's what
• 33:23
  we just
• 33:23
  read in
• 33:24
  Ephesians
• 33:24
  2
• 33:24
  but praise
• 33:25
  the Lord
• 33:26
  he is
• 33:27
  both
• 33:28
  the
• 33:28
  source
• 33:28
  of
• 33:29
  hope
• 33:29
  right
• 33:30
  and the
• 33:31
  supplier
• 33:31
  of hope
• 33:32
  it comes
• 33:32
  from him
• 33:33
  Paul is
• 33:33
  trying to
• 33:33
  say
• 33:34
  something
• 33:35
  about
• 33:35
  the
• 33:35
  character
• 33:36
  of
• 33:36
  God
• 33:36
  not
• 33:36
  just
• 33:37
  that
• 33:37
  God
• 33:37
  has
• 33:38
  some
• 33:38
  hope
• 33:38
  in
• 33:38
  his
• 33:38
  pocket
• 33:39
  like
• 33:39
  money
• 33:39
  and
• 33:39
  he
• 33:40
  just
• 33:40
  goes
• 33:40
  like
• 33:40
  that
• 33:40
  he's
• 33:41
  saying
• 33:41
  that
• 33:41
  he
• 33:41
  really
• 33:42
  is
• 33:42
  he
• 33:43
  in
• 33:43
  himself
• 33:43
  is
• 33:45
  hope
• 33:45
  and
• 33:46
  then
• 33:47
  if
• 33:47
  we
• 33:47
  flee
• 33:47
  to
• 33:48
  him
• 33:48
  we
• 33:49
  will
• 33:49
  have
• 33:49
  that
• 33:50
  hope
• 33:50
  biblical
• 33:51
  hope
• 33:51
  is
• 33:51
  this
• 33:52
  joyful
• 33:52
  confident
• 33:54
  expectation
• 33:55
  !
• 33:58
  God
• 33:59
  will
• 33:59
  bring
• 33:59
  about
• 34:00
  it's
• 34:01
  not
• 34:01
  wishful
• 34:01
  thinking
• 34:02
  and
• 34:02
  just
• 34:02
  hoping
• 34:03
  that
• 34:03
  things
• 34:03
  turn
• 34:03
  out
• 34:03
  well
• 34:04
  it
• 34:04
  is
• 34:04
  a
• 34:04
  grounded
• 34:05
  act
• 34:06
  of
• 34:06
  faith
• 34:06
  for us
• 34:07
  to
• 34:07
  hope
• 34:08
  in
• 34:08
  God
• 34:09
  so
• 34:10
  then
• 34:10
  he
• 34:10
  asks
• 34:11
  because
• 34:11
  we're
• 34:12
  weak
• 34:12
  Paul
• 34:13
  asks
• 34:14
  you
• 34:14
  look
• 34:14
  at
• 34:15
  the
• 34:15
  verse
• 34:15
  the
• 34:16
  power
• 34:16
  of
• 34:17
  the
• 34:17
  Holy
• 34:17
  Spirit
• 34:18
  to
• 34:18
  pour
• 34:18
  out
• 34:19
  to
• 34:19
  graciously
• 34:20
  feel
• 34:21
  right
• 34:21
  his
• 34:21
  people
• 34:22
  with
• 34:23
  this
• 34:23
  divine
• 34:23
  hope
• 34:24
  joy
• 34:24
  and
• 34:25
  peace
• 34:25
  he
• 34:26
  expresses
• 34:27
  his
• 34:27
  deep
• 34:27
  desire
• 34:28
  for
• 34:28
  all
• 34:29
  believers
• 34:29
  to
• 34:30
  have
• 34:31
  complete
• 34:31
  satisfaction
• 34:32
  in
• 34:34
  our
• 34:34
  beloved
• 34:35
  savior
• 34:35
  who
• 34:36
  makes
• 34:36
  us
• 34:37
  all
• 34:37
  one
• 34:37
  people
• 34:38
  so
• 34:40
  in
• 34:40
  conclusion
• 34:40
  we
• 34:42
  are
• 34:42
  to
• 34:42
  welcome
• 34:43
  to
• 34:44
  accept
• 34:45
  to
• 34:45
  show
• 34:46
  the
• 34:47
  utmost
• 34:47
  special
• 34:48
  concern
• 34:49
  for
• 34:50
  our
• 34:50
  fellow
• 34:51
  believers
• 34:51
  that
• 34:53
  stands
• 34:53
  out
• 34:53
  from
• 34:54
  a
• 34:54
  world
• 34:54
  of
• 34:55
  sin
• 34:55
  and
• 34:55
  selfishness
• 34:56
  and
• 34:58
  in
• 34:58
  light
• 34:59
  of
• 34:59
  that
• 34:59
  magnificent
• 35:00
  providential
• 35:01
  plan
• 35:01
  of
• 35:01
  God
• 35:02
  Jews
• 35:02
  can
• 35:03
  have
• 35:03
  no
• 35:03
  grudge
• 35:04
  against
• 35:04
  Gentiles
• 35:05
  because
• 35:06
  their
• 35:06
  calling
• 35:06
  was
• 35:07
  to
• 35:07
  reach
• 35:07
  the
• 35:07
  Gentiles
• 35:08
  for
• 35:09
  the
• 35:09
  salvation
• 35:10
  and
• 35:10
  glory
• 35:10
  of
• 35:11
  the
• 35:11
  Lord
• 35:11
  and
• 35:12
  on
• 35:12
  the
• 35:12
  other
• 35:12
  hand
• 35:13
  Gentiles
• 35:13
  can
• 35:14
  have
• 35:14
  no
• 35:14
  grudge
• 35:15
  against
• 35:15
  Jews
• 35:15
  because
• 35:15
  again
• 35:16
  it
• 35:16
  was
• 35:16
  through
• 35:16
  the
• 35:17
  Jews
• 35:17
  that
• 35:17
  God
• 35:17
  had
• 35:17
  brought
• 35:18
  that
• 35:18
  salvation
• 35:19
  so he
• 35:20
  concludes
• 35:21
  right
• 35:21
  going back
• 35:22
  to where
• 35:22
  he
• 35:22
  began
• 35:23
  therefore
• 35:23
  welcome
• 35:24
  one
• 35:24
  another
• 35:25
  as
• 35:25
  Christ
• 35:25
  is
• 35:25
  welcome
• 35:25
  to
• 35:26
  you
• 35:26
  for
• 35:26
  the
• 35:26
  glory
• 35:26
  of
• 35:27
  God
• 35:27
  so I
• 35:28
  want
• 35:28
  you
• 35:28
  to
• 35:29
  think
• 35:29
  about
• 35:29
  how
• 35:29
  this
• 35:30
  has
• 35:30
  a
• 35:30
  bearing
• 35:30
  on
• 35:31
  your
• 35:31
  soul
• 35:31
  this
• 35:32
  reflects
• 35:33
  what
• 35:33
  you
• 35:33
  truly
• 35:33
  believe
• 35:34
  about
• 35:34
  the
• 35:34
  gospel
• 35:34
  if
• 35:35
  we
• 35:41
  very
• 35:41
  least
• 35:41
  is
• 35:42
  just
• 35:42
  very
• 35:42
  weak
• 35:42
  our
• 35:43
  understanding
• 35:43
  of what
• 35:44
  Christ
• 35:44
  has
• 35:44
  done
• 35:45
  is
• 35:45
  weak
• 35:45
  so I
• 35:47
  pray
• 35:47
  this
• 35:48
  morning
• 35:48
  that
• 35:48
  we
• 35:48
  will
• 35:49
  grow
• 35:50
  in our
• 35:51
  understanding
• 35:52
  and knowledge
• 35:53
  of what
• 35:53
  Christ
• 35:53
  has done
• 35:53
  for us
• 35:54
  like man
• 35:54
  he has
• 35:54
  given
• 35:55
  us
• 35:55
  everything
• 35:55
  I
• 35:56
  pray
• 35:56
  that
• 35:57
  would
• 35:57
  fuel
• 35:57
  you
• 35:58
  and
• 35:58
  give
• 35:59
  me
• 35:59
  the
• 35:59
  strength
• 36:00
  to
• 36:00
  love
• 36:01
  those
• 36:02
  who
• 36:02
  are
• 36:02
  around
• 36:02
  us
• 36:02
  particularly
• 36:03
  those
• 36:04
  who
• 36:04
  are
• 36:04
  difficult
• 36:04
  like
• 36:05
  myself
• 36:05
  to
• 36:06
  love
• 36:06
  sometimes
• 36:07
  so
• 36:08
  let's
• 36:09
  pray
• 36:09
  !