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Christian Joy and Communion With God · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Father and with the Son Jesus Christ and we are writing these things so that our
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joy may be complete and so on down to the rest of this chapter. C.S. Lewis wrote a
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book a great book called Surprised by Joy and I guess a sequel to that book
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could quite easily be surprised by how soon joy is lost and if we're honest with
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ourselves this evening I'm sure we would all share the sense of why do I have so
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little joy in the Lord and why have I lost the rejoicing that I found in our
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God and we look at the way in which there is a focus in these verses in verse 4 we
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see that John is writing so that joy may be complete. It's a wonderful desire that
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he is writing to them in the midst of the crisis that they are facing with regard
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to the doctrine and the teaching around them with regard to the way in which
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people are living their lives in the world regarding the way in which people
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aren't loving them one another the way that they should write into that crisis
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as well as saying to them in chapter 5 that he's writing to them that they may
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know they are the children of God really important that we have that assurance but
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here writing for the purpose that they will have joy. The first question in the
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shorted catechism is very simple as all is familiar to us all what is the chief end of
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man man man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. When you read that
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catechism along with what the Bible says we understand that God does want us to have
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joy and that's God's purpose for us we want to think tonight about why is it that we have lost the joy and
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what is it that we can do in order to restore that joy into our lives and in
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looking at this passage you want to to think especially of Christian joy and
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communion with God. The first thing that we do see or want to see in the passages
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that there is a purpose and the purpose is to have that very communion. That which we
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have seen and heard and we proclaim also to you so that you too may have fellowship
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with us. John wants them to share it's something that he himself is sharing in and to
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correct myself he is wanting them to share an oppression with whom he has a close
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relationship. It's not it's not fellowship in a thing that he's talking about it's
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fellowship with oppression and he wants them to to join with him in that joy
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reminding us that the very joy that John himself has found in the revelation of
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Jesus and the the gospel that he was privileged to receive from Christ and know to
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write about that in in that very gospel what he has received he wants it to pass it on to
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them so that they will participate with him. In other words he wants them to have the
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fellowship the communion that belongs to the Christian church and this evening as we as
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we think of our own Christian joy we see that John's purpose and God's purpose is
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that all of the people of God will share and all that the message of the gospel
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brings and discover the joy that the people of God have in their hearts because God wants them to
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to have that and to have that sense of of sharing and of belonging and of participating in that sense of
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communion and therefore in that sense of joy. And we want to to think tonight of ourselves becoming part of
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of being restored to the enjoyment of of that very joy which comes from that
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communion that John is referring to. And he is referring to communion in a particular way.
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He is not in the first place referring to the communion that you and I can have with each other the fellowship that we can have with each other in the gospel.
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He is rather referring to an experience of a relationship with God.
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He wants them to come to the very near center of their relationship with God as their Savior.
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What is the kind of fellowship that he is wanting them to enjoy to to participate in and to rediscover their joy?
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What is the kind of fellowship that John has discovered their joy? It is a fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
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And there is a great depth and a great breadth in that whole expression that John uses here.
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But we can simplify and summarize the focus that John has here by thinking first of all of the fellowship with the Father
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as the God who is the God of love that John describes in chapter 4 himself.
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We think of love and we think of the fact that God is love and that love is from God.
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And he wants them to participate in such a relationship with God that they will share constantly in the great love of God,
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which God's Spirit pours out into their hearts, and to live in that sense of the wonder of the love of God.
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And in chapter 3, at the beginning, John speaks about the wonder.
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What kind of love is this with which God has loved us?
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He wants them to live and to participate in that love.
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He wants them to be filled with the wonder of seeing more and more of that love.
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And he wants them to feel a sense of that love in their own hearts.
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And that brings us to think of the experience of the child of God.
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And to think of the way in which our journey of faith should take our experience into the depths of the love of God himself.
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And instead of moving along slowly on the very surface of the ocean of the redeeming love of God,
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that through communion with them, through sharing in this love,
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our experience of God and of God's love deepens and is enriched.
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And the more it is, the more our joy is inspired.
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And that depth of experience gives to us the fountainhead of our joy that enables us to live as the children of God.
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And there is the fellowship with the Son, Jesus Christ.
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And Paul in 2 Corinthians 13, and in his benediction, he speaks of that God would bless the people of God.
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And he speaks of the love of God, the Father, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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And to summarize and to capture that, Paul says in that same letter in chapter number 8,
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We know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor,
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that we through his poverty might become rich.
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Communion in the grace of Christ that we see in the Christ who is full of grace and truth.
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The grace that brought him to Calvary's cross where he died in our place.
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And where we see the love of God who gave his Son coming to its greatest revelation,
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as Jesus laid down his life for his friends.
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Fellowship in his Son, Jesus Christ.
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That's where we ought to live.
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That's the environment that belongs to us.
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As the children of God to live in that place where the love of God comes through the passion of Jesus
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to the full enjoyment of the grace of Christ in our hearts day by day.
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The joy of peace with God.
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The joy of forgiveness of sin.
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The joy of being the children of God.
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God participating in that.
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Descending into the riches of the grace of God as it is in Christ Jesus.
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And although John does not include the Holy Spirit,
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we cannot exclude communion of the Holy Spirit himself.
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Sent out by Christ into our hearts to minister to our needs,
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to shine a light on the passion of Jesus.
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And to have that kind of communion with the Holy Spirit through which that light is always shining.
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Through which that connection is never broken.
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Through which that channel is never blocked.
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But that we may have that communion with the Holy Spirit.
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That binds everything together.
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And that gives us to live a life of joy.
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In the peace of God.
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In the blessing of the love of God.
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And in the grace of Jesus Christ.
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And is that not where we want to be as the children of God tonight?
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Taken from wherever we are.
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And taken in to where God has purpose that we should be.
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And in that moment.
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The experience of the love of God.
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The grace of Christ will be what will energize us.
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And what will inspire us.
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And what will give us to know.
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The power.
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The love of God.
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And the readiness.
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To be the kind of people that God wants us to be.
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The purpose.
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God wants us to have joy.
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And the only way to have joy.
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Is to have that close living relationship.
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With God the Father.
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God the Son.
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And God the Holy Spirit.
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But how are they now going to achieve that?
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What is required of you and of me.
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In order for us to have that joy.
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In order to live that life.
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And to be immersed in all that God is.
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That brings me to the second point.
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Which is the pattern.
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That John gives to them.
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And gives to us here.
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And we have the pattern.
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By focusing first of all.
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On the part of the person.
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With whom we are going to have communion.
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In verse number five.
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God is light.
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And in him is no darkness at all.
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It's that great image of God.
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The Old Testament never says that God is light.
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The Old Testament speaks about.
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God being the light of our salvation.
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And it's connecting very much.
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With God's relationship with his people.
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It speaks about that covenant relationship.
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But here.
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John focuses on the fact that.
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God is light.
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And we think of the light of God.
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At Mount Sinai.
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When God came down.
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We think of the light of God.
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Shining in Isaiah chapter six.
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Which we read.
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And we think of the light of the glory of God.
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Which is the radiance of the holiness of his character.
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And that immediately alerts us to the fact.
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That this is no ordinary oppression.
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That we are going to walk with.
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And have communion with.
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Here is the holy God.
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Who shines in the brightness of his glory.
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And whose brightness is blinding.
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And that blinding brightness.
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Which saw.
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Isaiah himself in that moment.
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Coming face to face.
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With his own sinfulness.
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With his own lostness.
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And with a sense of the fact that he could not live.
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Within the context.
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And the environment.
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Of the light of the glory of God.
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And.
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Sometimes.
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We are guilty of.
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Bringing God down to our own level.
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And.
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And seeking to.
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To personalize.
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And to.
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To give that sense of.
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Our personal relationship with him.
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That.
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That he becomes like somebody else.
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And he becomes a friend.
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In the wrong way.
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And he.
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Becomes a friend.
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By.
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Leaving behind.
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The very truths.
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That define his character.
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And when we think of the pattern this evening.
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We remind ourselves.
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Of.
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Who God is.
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And the kind of God.
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That he is.
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Here is.
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A loving God.
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He is the holy God.
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Who shines in.
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All the radiance.
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Of his holiness.
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And of his beauty.
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And we.
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We know as we come into the New Testament.
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That.
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That.
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Jesus is.
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Is.
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The brightness of the glory of God.
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The revelation of Jesus.
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Gives to us.
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A revelation of God.
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And John speaks in chapter one.
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Of seeing the glory of God.
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And.
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John speaks later on.
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Chapter 12.
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Of.
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Of.
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Isaiah.
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Seeing.
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His own glory.
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The glory of Jesus.
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In the temple.
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That's the partner.
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With whom.
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You and I.
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Are going to have communion.
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And for that.
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To take place.
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There is a condition.
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And the condition is simple.
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It's a condition that speaks about.
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Your life and mine.
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It's about.
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It's about lifestyle.
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It's about.
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Behavior.
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It's about.
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The things that we do.
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And the things that we.
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Don't do.
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He goes on to say.
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In version number.
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Seven.
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Seven.
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But if we walk in the light.
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As he is in the light.
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We have fellowship.
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With one another.
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And the blood of Jesus.
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Son.
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Cleanses us.
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From all sin.
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If we walk.
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In.
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The light.
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If we're going to.
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Have this joy.
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We're going to walk.
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With God.
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We read in Amos.
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Chapter three.
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Can any.
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Can any two.
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Walk together.
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Unless they are agreed.
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It's not going to happen.
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We follow it.
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With people.
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And we can't follow it.
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With people.
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We go our separate ways.
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That's.
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The end of a relationship.
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We can no longer.
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Walk together.
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They cease to be a friend.
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That's something.
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Of what Amos.
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Is referring to.
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With regard to the people.
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Of God.
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They have turned their backs.
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Upon him.
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And he is no longer.
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With them.
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Can two walk together.
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Unless they agree.
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No.
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It is impossible.
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We think back.
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To the book of Genesis.
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And we.
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Read about Enoch.
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Who.
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Walked with God.
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And.
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Was not.
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Because God.
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Took him.
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Here are the two.
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Options.
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We have.
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The children of Israel.
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Not walking with God.
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Because they have disagreed with God.
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And God has turned his back.
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Upon them.
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We have Enoch.
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Walking with God.
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He is the friend of God.
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As Abraham was.
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And because of that.
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He walks on his way.
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To be with God forever.
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Walking.
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In the light.
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As he is.
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In.
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The light.
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Not such.
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A challenge.
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Jesus speaks about.
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If you abide in my word.
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If you abide in my love.
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If you abide in the truth.
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If you make it your living.
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And if you make it your home.
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To abide in my love.
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And in my truth.
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And in my commands.
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Then you will be my people.
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It's all about consistency of life.
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And of lifestyle.
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A life that is consistent with the word of God.
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A life that is filled.
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With a sense of.
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Arriving upon God.
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And a sense of.
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Recognizing.
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Our great need of God.
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It's a.
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Relationship.
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Walking within.
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With him.
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Where we.
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Discover all that it means.
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To be the children of God.
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And as we.
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Think of.
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All that it means.
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And it means so much.
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There are two things in particular.
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That I want to think about.
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And that is.
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First of all.
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What we have here.
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The blood of Jesus.
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And cleanses.
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From all sin.
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And there is no greater joy.
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Than to know that my sins are forgiven.
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And as I walk with God.
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And discover my sin.
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Which is always with me.
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As I say I discovered.
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And to discover the forgiveness of God.
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Then.
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There is my joy.
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And no matter what else is true.
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What else is happening around me.
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If I have the joy of my sins being forgiven.
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I'm surprised by joy every day.
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And I'm filled with a sense.
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The great love of God.
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And of the grace of God.
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There is.
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That joy that comes.
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From knowing.
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Ongoing.
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Forgiveness.
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Ongoing.
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Ongoing.
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And along with that.
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There is.
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The joy that fuels my desire to serve.
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That's what happened to Isaiah.
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Whom shall I send?
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He says to Isaiah.
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Who will go for us?
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The instant response.
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Here am I.
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Send me.
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Send me.
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And we see that.
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Therefore.
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What.
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Communion with God.
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In its living lively sense.
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In the depths of our everyday experience.
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Can do for us.
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Can transform our.
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Personal experience.
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Can fill us with.
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With.
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Ongoing joy in the Lord.
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And can.
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Fuel us.
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With a real desire.
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To serve God.
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And how much that would.
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Transform our own lives.
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We all want.
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Joy.
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In the Lord.
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We all want.
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To serve the Lord.
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When we want to serve the Lord.
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We find so many.
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Excuses.
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As to why we cannot.
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But when we have.
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Communion with God.
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And know the joy of.
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Forgiveness with God.
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And peace with God.
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The excuses vanish.
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And.
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The call to serve the Lord.
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Becomes something.
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That's.
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Not only.
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Persuasive.
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It's.
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Irresistible.
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And I can't do nothing else.
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And if tonight.
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For all of us.
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If we.
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Came into.
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This.
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Arena.
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Environment.
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Of.
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Walking with God.
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In this way.
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How much.
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It would.
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Transform us.
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Individually.
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And personally.
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And how much.
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It would.
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Impact upon.
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The work of the gospel.
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In our desire to serve.
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And how much.
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It would impact upon.
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The community.
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Around us.
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And sensing.
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That here.
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Are a people.
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Who walk with God.
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Who have come.
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From that walk.
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And to go.
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And to serve.
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And to shine.
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As lights.
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For him.
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John Piper.
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Has written a book.
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About 21.
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People.
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Who.
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Had joy.
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In their lives.
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And he follows.
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The story.
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Of different people.
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And he comes.
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To the.
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Story of John Owen.
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And he speaks.
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About the way.
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In which.
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He had great joy.
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In the Lord.
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And this is what he says.
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About John Owen.
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John Owen.
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Was very intentional.
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About his.
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Commune with God.
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He said.
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Friendship is most.
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Maintained.
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And kept.
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By visits.
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And these.
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The more free.
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And less occasioned.
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By urgent business.
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In other words.
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In the midst.
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Of all this.
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Academic.
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Political.
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And ecclesiastical.
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Labour.
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He made many visits.
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To his friend.
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Jesus Christ.
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And when he went.
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He didn't just go.
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With petitions.
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For things.
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Or even for deliverance.
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In his many hardships.
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He went to see.
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His glorious friend.
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And to contemplate.
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His greatness.
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There are so many.
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Letters to be learned.
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From that.
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As we close.
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And one of them.
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Is to ask the question.
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How much.
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Do we see Jesus.
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As a real friend.
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To see.
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The kind of friend.
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That.
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We can live without.
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And make contact.
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With him occasionally.
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To.
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To kind of loosely.
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Maintain that friendship.
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Or is he a friend.
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That we must.
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See and hear.
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And speak with.
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Every day.
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It's a simple.
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Practical thing.
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In our everyday lives.
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We have.
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Variety.
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A variety of friends.
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And.
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Some closer than others.
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And because.
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Of.
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That.
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That variety.
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We don't.
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Have the same.
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Regular contact.
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With all of them.
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Some are more special.
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Than others.
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Where is Jesus.
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As a friend.
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Tonight.
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How close is he.
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And must we.
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Talk with him.
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And listen to him.
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Every day of our lives.
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And the second thing is.
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What is it.
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That sends us.
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To Jesus.
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John Piper.
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Makes the distinction.
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Between.
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Going to Jesus.
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Because he's my friend.
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Or.
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Because.
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Going to Jesus.
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Because I'm in a crisis.
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And I speak to myself.
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And I say.
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I wonder.
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Is it the case.
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That we go to Jesus.
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When we're in a crisis.
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And we really go to him.
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Because.
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We want to hear.
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And talk with our friend.
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And for sure.
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That the crisis.
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Will push us.
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And God.
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Works like that.
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To.
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To awaken us.
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And to drive us.
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Back to the Lord.
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The crisis.
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Does that.
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And God.
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Sends him.
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For a purpose.
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But as we close.
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Let's think about that.
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As we journey on.
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Seeking communion with God.
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Seeking Christian.
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Joy.
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Seeking.
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To serve the Lord.
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What is it.
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That sends me to Jesus.
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Is it.
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Because.
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He truly is my friend.
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And when I have no sense of need.
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I want to speak to my friend.
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Every day.
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To keep the relationship.
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Warm.
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And ongoing.
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And living.
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What is it.
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I can live without him.
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Until the crisis comes.
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And in that kind of situation.
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There is a drifting.
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That.
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Can only be.
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Reversed.
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And rescued.
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By.
25:29
Many of the things.
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That John goes on to say.
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In this passage.
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Let's ensure that.
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We don't let our lives drift.
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Let's ensure that we.
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Walk in the light.
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Rediscover our joy.
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And keep our joy.
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And let's ensure that.
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The kind of friend we have in Jesus.
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Is one.
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That we cannot live without.
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Every moment.
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Of every day.
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And every day of our lives.
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May God bless these.
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Thoughts to us.
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We are never going to sing.
26:00
In Psalm N climbing 51.
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At version number 7.
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you