Latest / CCC West Covina / May I Present Jesus (Part 6)

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May I Present Jesus (Part 6) · CCC West Covina

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If you've been here for any length of time at all and you
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know me as a person, you you know Christmas dies hard with
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me. I love Christmas, I love the
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season. In fact, I have a hard time even
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taking down my trees. So yesterday I finally took down
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the trees in my house. And that's because spring has
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sprung and so I figured it's probably a good time to take
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down my Christmas trees. But know this, that before you
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brand me a lunatic, understand that if there is no birth, there
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is no death. If there is no death, there is
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no life and you are still dead in your sins.
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So that's why Christmas dies hard for me.
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Everything is about the celebration of the the coming of
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the Messiah. And that's why John's gospel is
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so unique because he, he gives us the Christmas story from the
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divine perspective. Seven weeks ago we we told you
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about this, that that Matthew and and Luke give us the
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Christmas story from earth's perspective.
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But John does it from a heavenly perspective.
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He does in 4 words. The word became flesh, just that
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simple. The word of course, is God.
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And the God became flesh, and he dwelt among us.
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And everything about John's gospel introduces to us the
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Christmas story from a heavenly perspective.
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So the Word became flesh. So the question is, why did the
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Word come? Why did the Word arrive?
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Why? Why did God become man and dwell
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among us? That's a good question, and it's
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answered quite easily. He, he, the Word became flesh
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because he had to redeem humanity.
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He could not redeem humanity unless unless he died upon
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Calvary's cross. And the Bible tells us that God
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so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that
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whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting
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life. First Timothy chapter 2.
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Paul says this is good and acceptable in the sight of God
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our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the
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knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one
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mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave
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himself a ransom for all. So the Word became flesh because
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He simply had to redeem humanity.
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But but to redeem humanity had to remove iniquity.
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So John tells us in first John chapter 3 verse #5 these words,
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you know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in
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Him there is no sin. Why did the Word become flesh?
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So He can redeem humanity, but you can't redeem humanity unless
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you remove iniquity. So He came to remove iniquity.
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But in removing iniquity, He had to ravage the enemy.
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That's first. John 3 verse #8 He says the Son
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of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the
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devil. Very important statement.
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In order to redeem humanity, he must remove iniquity.
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In order to remove iniquity, he had to ravage the enemy, which
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he did at Calvary. Once He ravaged the enemy #4 He
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could restore, restore man's dignity.
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So John tells us in first John 3 verse #1 See how great a love
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the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
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children of God. Why did the Word become flesh?
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To remove iniquity, To redeem humanity, To ravage the enemy,
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to restore man's dignity. But there was another reason the
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Word became flesh, and that was to reveal Deity, God in the
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flesh. God dwelt among us.
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He is the exact representation of the Father.
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And so therefore He came to reveal God to us.
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The Word was God, the Word was with God, and the Word became
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flesh. And the only way to reveal deity
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was for the Word to become flesh and dwell among us.
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But note, he also came to reaffirm prophecy so he could
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rise in victory. Everything about His coming
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reaffirmed the fact that what was said about him is true.
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So it reaffirmed prophecy all about the coming of the Messiah,
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how he'd come and where he'd come and how he'd die.
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So his coming reaffirmed everything that was said about
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him prophetically so he could rise in victory.
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Mark 831. And he began to teach them, The
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Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the
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elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and
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after three days rise again. So not only did He reaffirm
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prophecy, but He rose in victory because He revealed Deity in
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order to restore man's dignity. To do so, we had to ravage the
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enemy, remove iniquity so that He could come and rescue
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humanity. But there's another rethinking.
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So He could return in glory. So he could return in glory.
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Listen to what Matthew says. Matthew 24.
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Verse #29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days,
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the sun will will be darkened, and the moon will not give us
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light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of
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the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of
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Man will appear in the sky. And then all the tribes of the
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earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the
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clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
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Why did the Word become flesh? So he could return in glory.
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And once he returns in glory He will reign in majesty.
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In Revelation Chapter 11 it says then the 7th Angel sounded in.
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There were loud voices in heaven saying the Kingdom of the world
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has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and it was Christ and he
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will reign forever and ever. So if someone says why did the
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word become flesh, you can tell them He came to to redeem
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humanity. He came to remove iniquity.
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He came to ravage the enemy, to restore man's dignity, to reveal
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deity, to reaffirm prophecy, to make sure you'd rise in victory
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so you can return in glory, so we can reign in majesty, so that
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he could rule for eternity. That's why the Word became
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flesh. Now all of that sums up John's
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last point in verse #5 of John chapter one, verse 5.
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Because everything is about the person of Jesus and his
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invincibility. He's absolutely invincible.
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He is sovereign. He rules over all.
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He cannot be defeated. He is King of kings.
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He is Lord of Lords. And so John says, I want to talk
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to you not just about his eternality, not just about his
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personality, not just about his deity.
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I want to talk to you not just about his creativity and his
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vitality, all the things that we've covered up to this point,
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but I want to talk to you about his invincibility.
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And that's where verse 5 comes in of John chapter 1.
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The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not
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comprehend it. This is his invincibility.
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This is why the Word became flesh and and dwelt among us,
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because he's the all powerful, all knowing, all sufficient God
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of the universe who was absolutely invincible.
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Again, he contrasts light and darkness.
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Note God is the infinite word, which is light because God is
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light and the first thing he created was light.
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Genesis chapter 1. So the infinite Word is light,
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the Incarnate Word is light, and the inspired word is light.
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Everything about God is light and life.
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He is the God who is light, who became flesh in his incarnation
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and enlightened every man that comes into the world.
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That's verse 9 of John 1, and he is the inspired word, the word
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of God. These are the very words of God
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that provide light. They are lightened to our path
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or a lamp to our feet and lightened to our path, and they
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lightened the way for us. So John once again is going to
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contrast life and light. Why?
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Because Satan is darkness, right?
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He rules the domain of darkness. That's why Colossians once says
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that when you're saved, you're transferred from the Kingdom of
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darkness into the Kingdom of light, the Kingdom of God's dear
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Son. And and note this that that
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Ephesians 612 says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
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against the evil forces, the spiritual forces of darkness.
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Everything about our our life resolves around a a continual
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wrestling against not your enemy in the flesh, but the forces of
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darkness that you cannot see. And that's why that's why Satan
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would describe or disguise himself as an Angel of light.
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Why? Because he's really dark.
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He's the Prince of darkness and he rules this world.
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So John once again is going to contrast life in light with
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death and darkness because Satan is Apollyon according to the
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Book of Revelation, which is the destroyer.
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So he wants to contrast light and life again to show you that
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this word that would become flesh is invincible.
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That's why the Bible says these words.
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Verse 5, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did
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not overcome it. That's the best translation.
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Not comprehend. I I have news for you.
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Every demon who's the subject of Satan completely comprehends the
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Messiah. They know Him better than you
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know Him. They know Him inside and out.
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They are so well acquainted with the Son of God that everything
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about their relationship to him on earth explains that.
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So we know. It doesn't mean that that the
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evil forces of darkness could not understand light.
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Oh no, they understand Him perfectly clear.
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They just can't overcome Him. See, it's not about accepting
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the Messiah, because they accept Him for who He is, but they will
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not bow in subjection to Him. That's why they rebelled against
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Him. In fact, listen to this.
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They understand so much the truth about the Messiah.
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Matthew 829 says that the demons cried out, saying, what business
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do we have with the Son of God? Have you come here to torment us
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before the time? Know what that verse tells you?
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They understand His Christology and they understand His
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eschatology. They understand who Christ is.
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He's the Son of God, the Son of the Most High, and they
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understand that there's a time for their judgment.
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So they have a really good clean understanding of eschatology as
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well as Christology. So it's not that the darkness
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doesn't understand the Messiah or this word.
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Oh no, they understand him completely.
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They just can't overcome him. And then it says in Mark 134
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that Jesus cast out many demons and He was not permitting the
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demons to speak because they knew who He was.
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They understand him, but He would not permit them to speak.
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Why? Because demons and Satan can't
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do anything without permission. Satan can do whatever he wants
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as long as he asks permission. From who?
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The invincible king of the universe.
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Please understand that Satan is subject to the sovereign King.
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Listen to what it says in Luke 441.
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Demons also were coming out of many shouting You are the Son of
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God. But rebuking them, He would not
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allow them to speak because they knew him to be the Messiah.
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Interesting. It says this in Luke 434.
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Let us alone, said the demon. What business do we have with
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each other? Jesus of Nazareth, have you come
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to destroy us? I know who you are.
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You are the Holy One of God. See that the demons comprehend
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the Messiah. They know exactly who He is.
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They are not taken by surprise concerning His identity, His
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ministry, His eschatology at all.
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And yet, although they believe God, they tremble, and because
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He is life and light, they have tried to destroy his life and
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extinguish his light. They are relentless at trying to
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do that. That's why in the Old Testament,
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Satan did all he could to destroy the messianic line, but
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he could not because of the invincibility of God.
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But he tried. So desperate.
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And then when you come to the New Testament, he incited Herod
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to to to kill all the children two years and younger, thinking
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that the Messiah would would be killed and could not go to the
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cross. But Herod or Satan failed at
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that as well because of the invincibility of the Son of God.
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And then at his temptation in Matthew chapter 4, Satan tried
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to tempt the Christ. Just fall down before me.
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Worship me. I will give you all the kingdoms
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of the world. You don't have to go to the
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cross. Why die?
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Why go through all the pain? Just worship me.
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I'll give you everything. And of course, Christ resisted
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temptation. Satan failed again because
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Christ is invincible. And then of course, you have
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Peter in Matthew chapter 16, who, having voiced the identity
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of the Messiah and Christ fulfilling prophecy, tells him
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that he's going to suffer and die and rise again.
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And Peter says, Oh no, that's not who you are, that's not
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going to happen to you. And Christ says, get thee behind
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me, Satan. Does he get behind me, Peter?
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Because Peter, his best friend, was being used by Satan to
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detract him from his ultimate mission, which was to die in
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Calvary. Satan tried those tactics as
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well, but he failed. He could not.
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And so Satan seemingly triumphed at the cross, thinking the
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Messiah was dead. That's why, in between his death
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and his resurrection, where did Jesus go?
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He went down to Hades first, Peter tells us.
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To do what? To make a public proclamation
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that he's invincible. He is the living one who died
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and is alive forever more because the demons that were
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taken captive way back at the flood had no idea about the
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death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah.
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So he goes down to make a public proclamation, not to preach the
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gospel, but to make a public proclamation that I'm the
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victor. I win, you lose because I'm
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invincible. See, Satan has tried so
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desperately to defeat Christ, but he cannot because he's
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invincible when Christ comes and returns in glory.
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Satan will be bound for 1000 years, then released at the end
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of those thousand years, and then he'll be cast into the lake
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of fire. Why?
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Because the because hell go to Matthew 25 was prepared for
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Satan and his angels. Why?
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Because he was going to ravage the enemy.
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That which was prophesied in Genesis 315 was proven in first
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John 3 verse #8 when he destroyed the enemy at the
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cross. Remember Genesis 315?
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Satan will bruise, the seeds heal, but the heel will crush
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the serpent's head. That was a prophecy, but it was
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proven at Calvary and then it will be perfected the very end
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when Satan is cast into the lake of fire.
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So John wants us to know at the outset, because John is not
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going to do anything about demon possession in his gospel, but he
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wants you to know from the very outset that he's invincible
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because the darkness cannot overcome, cannot defeat, cannot
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be victorious over the light because the light is invincible.
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Determine your Bible, if you would to Mark's Gospel, the the
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5th chapter, Mark chapter 5 and as you're turning there, listen
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to the words of Mark one verse 27.
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These are the statements of the religious leaders.
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What is this a new teaching and authority that he commands even
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the unclean spirits and they obey him.
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They obeyed Him immediately, instantaneously and totally.
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The Pharisees were taken back when Christ cast out demons.
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What new teaching, what new authority?
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And Christ did no rituals, no routines.
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He would just speak the Word and they'd be gone because He's
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invincible. So in Mark chapter 5, which is
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also recorded in Matthew 8 and also in Luke 8, read along with
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me, they came to the other side, verse number one of the sea into
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the country of the Garris scenes.
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When he got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs
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with an unclean spirit met him and he had his dwelling among
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the tombs. And no one was able to bind him
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anymore, even with a chain, because he had often been down
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with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart
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by him and the shackle was broken to pieces and no one was
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strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he
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was he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains and,
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and gashing himself with stones. You can imagine the scene.
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Nobody can take a walk at night. Nobody can go for an evening
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stroll with their children for fear that this one who was demon
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possessed what would come out of the tombs who's who's gashed
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himself and has blood all over him and, and no one can bind
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him. He, he is, he is put to the
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locksmith or the chain maker out of business completely because
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he he destroys all the shame chains that that they try to
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shackle him with. He is powerful.
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He is demonic. He is relentless.
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He's scary. He lives in your town.
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I mean, when you think about this, that the homelessness in
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your town is, is the Ritz Carlton compared to the land of
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the garrisons where this man lived.
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And everybody was afraid for not knowing what what happened to
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them. But notice this, seeing Jesus
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from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before him.
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Why would he do that? He hates Jesus, he despises
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Jesus. He does not want to subject
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himself to Jesus. So why does he run up to him and
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bow down to Jesus? Because they can't do anything
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else, for every knee will bow and every tongue will confess
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that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
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They have to. They're not bowing down.
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And the word is proscanuo, which means to worship.
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Were they really truly going to worship the King?
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No, but but they but they had to bow before him because of who he
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was, because of who he is. They're in subjection to the
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King of kings, the invincible King of kings.
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And it says this shouting with a loud voice, he said, what
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business do we have with each other?
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Jesus, the son of the most high God.
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See they, they recognize his deity.
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They recognize that he's Christ. Now remember, they've never seen
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the second person of the Godhead in the flesh.
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They they only know Him from eternity past.
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They're not omniscient, they're not omnipresent.
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So this was their first glance of the second person of the
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triune nature of God in the flesh.
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And yet, even though they had never seen him in the flesh,
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they knew exactly who he was. Whom exactly, Son of the Most
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High God, El Elian. They knew that.
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Why? Because they comprehend the
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Messiah. They understand the second
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person of the Triune God. They understand who Jesus is.
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They just can't defeat him. They can't overcome Him, but
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they know exactly who he is. And so they say, what business
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do we have with each other? Jesus, son of the Most High, I
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implore you, by God, do not torment me.
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Or when you look at Matthew's account in Matthew chapter 8, it
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says these words. What business do we have with
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each other? Son of God, have you come here
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to torment us before the time? Not only do they recognize His
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deity, they recall their destiny.
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They know where they're going. They know they have no hope in
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the future. You come to torment us before
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the time. What time?
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The time of judgement, the time in which people would be cast
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into the lake of fire. Listen, they know it's coming.
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Their eschatology is sound. Their Christology sound.
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Their identity of the Messiah sound.
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They know exactly who he is. They're not taking by surprise.
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Have you come 12 minutes before the time?
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It's not time yet. We know what the time is.
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It's not yet. So why are you here?
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Don't torment us again. Subject to his sovereignty.
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And so maybe, maybe they think that in his humanity they can
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diffuse his power. Maybe they think that in his
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humanity they're able to influence Him to sin.
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That's why Satan tinted him in Matthew chapter 4.
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Maybe he's weaker in his humanity than he was before the
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incarnation. Remember, Satan is not
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omniscient. He doesn't know everything.
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He knows what's revealed to him and what he can see, and he
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can't see the future all the way.
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He knows the future based on the fact that the time has not yet
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come. How interesting.
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So it says in verse 8, if we've been saying to him, come out of
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the man, you unclean spirit, and he was asking him, what is your
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name? What is your name?
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He said to him, my name is legion for for we are are many.
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They began to implore him earnestly not to send them out
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of the country. Now there was a large herd of
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swine feeding nearby in the mountain.
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The demons implored him saying send us into the swine, said we
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may enter them. Jesus gave them permission
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again. See, Satan can't do anything
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without permission. Ask Job.
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Satan can do anything to Job without asking permission.
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Because Satan is completely subject to the invincible King
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of the universe, he has to ask permission.
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And so not only they recognize his deity, not only do they
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recall their destiny, but they realize His authority.
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They understand that he is the all authoritative God of the
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universe. And so while they bow before
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him, not because of anything other than the fact that they
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recognize who he is, they are asking for permission to go into
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the swine. And so the Lord grants them
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permission, and coming out the unclean spirits into the swine,
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and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about
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2000 of them, and they were drowned in the sea.
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Hard for me to resist. They just took a swine dive off
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the cliffs and committed suicide.
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I'm sorry, I need to stay in my own lane and forget about the
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comedic act, but it's hard to resist.
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Verse 13. Their Hersman ran away and
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reported in the city and in the country.
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And the people came to see what it was that happened, that they
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came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon possessed
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sitting down clothed and in his right mind the very man who had
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the legion. And they became frightened and
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those who were terrorized, but they were not transformed,
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redone. Those who had seen it describe
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to them how it had happened to the demon possessed man.
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And all about the swine can imagine the stories that were
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told. And they began to implore him to
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leave their region, Get out of here.
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What? The man who just saved them from
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the terror of the town? The man who had just exercised
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the demons in this man. But you see, they they valued
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their material loss more than their spiritual gain.
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They had lost 2000 swine into the sea and they didn't want to
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lose anything. But they did.
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And they did not want to worship the king.
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That's just incredible. They implored him to to leave
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their region. How, how sad is that?
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They they, they, they preferred swine to a savior.
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But you see, that's the way the world functions.
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If the darkness crisis, if the light in the is darkness, how
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great is that darkness? Well, for them it was great, but
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but read on it the story gets even better.
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As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon
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possessed was imploring him, begging him that he might
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accompany him. Now I want you to know
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something. Here's a man who was demon
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possessed. Here was a man who was totally
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in chains. Now he's changed because
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everything that Christ does in the physical realm is symbolic
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of what He does in the spiritual realm.
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You've been taken captive by Satan, Second Timothy 224 and
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25, to do His will. And yet when you are born again,
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when you're saved by God, you are transferred from that
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Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light, which is the
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Kingdom of God's dear Son. There has been a breaking of all
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chains because you have been totally changed.
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Now note this, when that happens, you want to be wherever
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Jesus is. When you are changed, you can't
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wait to be wherever Jesus is. I want to go with you.
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I want to be with you. Wherever you're going, I'm
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there. I want to be with you.
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Because when you come to know Christ, your love for Him is
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overwhelming. Oh, what manner of love the
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Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children
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of God. Here's a man whose life was
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completely and totally changed. And all he could say was, I just
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want to accompany you wherever you go.
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And you think that Jesus would say, come on, we can travel the
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circuit. You can give your testimony.
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You can be on CNN, Fox News, give your testimony for all the
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world to hear. You'd be the perfect testimonial
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for the saving grace of the living God.
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But that's not what happens. He did not let him, but he said
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to him, go home to your people and report to them what great
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things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.
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Go home. Go home and be a living
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testimony to the power of God in your life.
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You would think that that the Lord would say to them, you want
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me gone? OK, Famine all across the land,
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No plague. I'm going to corrupt you with a
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plague. So you'll beg for me to stay?
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No, no, God and his graciousness and compassion left them a
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living testimony to the power of God.
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So the message would always be before them, constantly.
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He'd always be there. Who's that guy?
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That's the guy remember, who used to cut himself, who break
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broke the chains? That that's the guy who lived in
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the tomb. Remember that guy?
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He's not there anymore. He's not chained anymore.
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He's free, He's known the truth, and the truth has set him free.
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He he's, he's good to go. Christ left them a living
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testimony, but redone and he went away and began to proclaim
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in Decapolis. What great things?
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What's the next phrase Jesus had done?
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What did Jesus say? He said tell them what great
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things the Lord has done for you.
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So what did he do? He proclaimed the deity of Jesus
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that Jesus is Lord to everybody. What great things Jesus had done
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for him. And everyone was amazed.
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What? I tell you that story.
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Why don't we tie that into John one verse #5 to show you that
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the light is invincible, all powerful, all authoritative,
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That everything in the World of Darkness is subject to the world
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of light. Everything.
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And to let you know what happens next, because the first 5 verses
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are simply May I present to you Jesus, having seen him in his
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eternality and having seen him in his personality, having seen
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him in His deity and in His vitality, having seen Him in His
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creativity and His invincibility.
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Now what? Well, verse 6 tells you now what
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for verse 6 says these words. There came a man sent from God
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whose name was John, and he came as a witness to testify about
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the light, so that all might believe through him.
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He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.
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Having presented Jesus to you, what is your responsibility to
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testify to the light? Like John, you are not the
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light, but John would shine bright as he reflected the
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light. And John the Baptist, well.
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He was the greatest man ever born of a woman, according to.
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Christ's words in. The Gospel of.
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Luke, the Gospel of. Matthew Nobody.
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Greater than John. And.
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John was the last. Old Testament prophet, first New
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Testament preacher. And John would testify about the
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light. That was his ministry.
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He. Was not the light.
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But he wanted to. Testify about the light.
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And so he would. He would be the one who pointed,
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Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
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John 129. He would point.
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People to the Messiah. He would testify to the light.
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Because he knew. He knew Jesus.
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We've introduced Jesus to you. So now what's your?
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Responsibility to point. People to the Messiah.
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To testify to the light so that John 20 that I believe.
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That Jesus is the. Christ, the Son of God.
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The Bible says in John 2021. As the Father has sent me, so
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send I you. John had a unique ministry.
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How unique? Was John's ministry.
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His ministry was uncompromising. His ministry was unorthodox.
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His ministry was unequalled. His ministry was unlimited.
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His ministry was uninhibited. His ministry was unpopular.
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But his ministry was unforgettable.
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You can have. That kind of ministry.
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If you testify to the light, But that's next week's lesson.
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Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for today.
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We thank you for the opportunity to be here.
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I pray for. Everyone in the room.
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They would. Not just recognize.
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Who? Jesus.
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Is, but they would. Turn and repent of their sin
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based on His identity and follow you fully.
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We do thank you for. Today and the opportunity.
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We have to be together. Truly Lord you are great and
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truly Lord you are worthy of praise.
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Thank you for the 1st 5. Verses of the Gospel.
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Of John that present the beauty and brilliance of the Son of
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God. The Word became flesh, and we
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have seen. The beauty of Christ.
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Maybe leave this place today knowing our marching orders,
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that we might testify to the light in Jesus name, Amen.