Latest / HBCWestminster / Church Matters • Sunday Sermon 3.30.25 • 1 John 2:19

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Church Matters • Sunday Sermon 3.30.25 • 1 John 2:19 · HBCWestminster

• 0:17
  Begin turning, if you would, in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2.
• 0:22
  1 John chapter 2.
• 0:23
  We continue our action and truth study through the book of 1 John.
• 0:31
  Those are some great songs.
• 0:33
  Maybe some of the best that have ever been written.
• 0:36
  Several times in the scriptures, it says that the Lord also likes new songs.
• 0:40
  It says that in the Psalms too.
• 0:42
  It says it in Revelation as well.
• 0:44
  That the Lord is blessed by new songs.
• 0:46
  But sometimes there is just nothing that resonates in our hearts and minds and souls like old songs.
• 0:51
  Songs that the church has been singing for generations.
• 0:55
  My grandpa, who was both barrel-chested and beer-bellied, had a really deep and just resounding baritone voice.
• 1:07
  And my grandpa taught me two things.
• 1:09
  He taught me how to fish.
• 1:10
  He was the guy who introduced me to fishing for the first time.
• 1:14
  He was quite good at it.
• 1:15
  And I fell in love with it.
• 1:16
  And he also taught me the words to How Great Thou Art.
• 1:19
  I can remember his voice just booming out through his house.
• 1:24
  Sometimes when we're just walking along paths, going to fishing holes and other things, hearing him singing How Great Thou Art.
• 1:30
  It was my grandma's favorite song.
• 1:32
  And those were the two things that I can remember him teaching me.
• 1:37
  And what a legacy that has left in the Gardner family.
• 1:41
  Love of worship and specifically worship of God and the goodness of God.
• 1:46
  How great he is and also fishing.
• 1:49
  And so I hope that those songs bless you as well.
• 1:51
  Would encourage you to sing them.
• 1:52
  Sing them in your homes.
• 1:54
  You know, sing, teach them to your kids.
• 1:55
  Teach them to your grandkids.
• 1:57
  And also teach them how to fish.
• 1:59
  Amen.
• 2:00
  Those are the two things.
• 2:02
  I read your Bibles.
• 2:03
  The Lord had a special place in his heart for fishermen.
• 2:05
  We'll just leave it at that.
• 2:06
  But 1 John chapter 2 beginning in verse 18.
• 2:09
  And if you would stand in honor of God's word as I read our text this morning.
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  The focus of our study will be verse 19.
• 2:14
  But I'm going to read.
• 2:15
  Read the entire section from 18 to 27.
• 2:19
  And the word of God says this.
• 2:20
  Children, it is the last hour.
• 2:23
  And as you have heard that Antichrist is coming.
• 2:25
  So now many Antichrists have come.
• 2:27
  Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.
• 2:29
  They went out from us, but they were not of us.
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  For if they'd been of us, they would have continued with us.
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  But they went out that it might be complained that they all are not of us.
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  But you have been anointed by the Holy One.
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  And you all have knowledge.
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  I write to you, not because you do not know the truth.
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  But because you know it.
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  And because no lie is of the truth.
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  Who is the liar?
• 2:50
  But he who denies that Jesus is the Christ.
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  This is the Antichrist.
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  He who denies the Father and the Son.
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  No one who denies the Son has the Father.
• 3:00
  Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
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  Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.
• 3:07
  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you.
• 3:09
  Then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
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  And this is the promise that he has made to us.
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  Eternal life.
• 3:15
  I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
• 3:18
  But the anointing that you have received from him abides in you.
• 3:22
  And you have no need that anyone should teach you.
• 3:25
  But as his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and is no lie.
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  Just as it has taught you.
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  Abide in him.
• 3:32
  And church, would you pray with me?
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  Our precious Lord.
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  You have called us out of darkness.
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  And into your marvelous light.
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  And we praise you for your mighty deeds.
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  And we commit our ways to your mighty word.
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  And so.
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  So bless us, oh Lord.
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  Every time our Bibles and our ears are open.
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  In Jesus name.
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  Amen.
• 3:53
  Amen.
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  Thank you church.
• 3:55
  Well our last Sunday together in 1st John.
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  We talked about the many antichrists who are already at work in the world and in the church.
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  Preaching cancerous gospels.
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  Which are really no gospel at all.
• 4:07
  We were reminded that there is always the spirit of the antichrist.
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  Trying to hijack the church's jukebox.
• 4:15
  Trying to hijack the church's jukebox.
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  Trying to hijack the gospel.
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  To twist it.
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  To warp it.
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  And to send the world into gospel confusion.
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  This morning I've titled our message.
• 4:23
  Church Matters.
• 4:25
  And if you're taking notes.
• 4:27
  It's going to be easy this morning.
• 4:28
  Because the sermon title is Church Matters.
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  Point number one will be Church Matters.
• 4:33
  Point number two will be Church Matters.
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  It's going to be a study of what the church's focus should be.
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  And why not only the universal body of Christ is important.
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  But also why not only the universal body of Christ is important.
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  That everybody who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  Is a member of his body, the church.
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  But it will also be a call to participate in the local body of Christ.
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  It will be a challenge to take a step forward.
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  In your engagement.
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  Not just with the church.
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  But also with your church.
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  And so let's get into it.
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  Point number one.
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  If you're taking notes.
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  Church Matters.
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  And notice the author.
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  Who in case you've forgotten.
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  Because it's been a few weeks.
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  Is the apostle John.
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  Writing.
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  To the church at Ephesus.
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  The author here issues two important reminders.
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  Regarding the universal church.
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  These are true of every.
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  Member of Christ's body.
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  Around the world.
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  And through the church age.
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  These are two important reminders.
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  For all believers.
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  Through all of time.
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  And the first one is this.
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  And we actually find it in verse 18.
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  We'll have to back up a verse.
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  The first reminder is not to be surprised.
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  Don't be surprised.
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  He says.
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  That there is indeed.
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  A spiritual war being waged.
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  Don't let it shock you.
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  That there is an actual.
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  Battle for souls.
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  Happening around us.
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  Every single day.
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  Look back up at verse 18.
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  Children it says.
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  It is the last hour.
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  And as you have heard.
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  You see that phrase.
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  The author saying.
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  You've heard that this was coming.
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  You've heard that Antichrist is coming.
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  You've heard that there are enemies of the church.
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  You've heard that there are enemies of the gospel.
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  It's as if the author is asking his church.
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  What did you expect?
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  You knew this was going to happen.
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  Did you really think.
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  That after the Lord.
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  Predicted so many times.
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  That he would be handed over.
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  We're going to hike up that hill.
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  He says.
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  I'm going to be handed over.
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  Into the hands of the Gentiles.
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  And they're going to put me on a cross.
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  They're going to crucify me.
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  They're going to bury me.
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  And on the third day I will rise.
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  He said that over and over.
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  I'm going to be crucified.
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  He predicted it.
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  And then he said.
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  If you want to follow after me.
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  Luke chapter 9.
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  If you want to be my disciple.
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  Do you remember how he worded it?
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  Take up your cross and follow me.
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  He says I'm going to be crucified.
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  If you want to follow me.
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  You're going to be crucified.
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  And then that prediction came true.
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  And he was crucified.
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  The apostle John is saying.
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  Did you really think that you would.
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  Be above your teacher.
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  In that regard.
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  That he suffered.
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  But that we who follow him.
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  Will not.
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  Or that after he rose.
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  And then ascended into heaven.
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  That somehow all of the problems of the world.
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  Would just ascend with him.
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  So that the church from that point on.
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  Would just ever be on the increase.
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  With no troubles whatsoever.
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  Until all nations on earth.
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  Have heard the good news and been saved.
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  Did you really think.
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  That the enemy would give up territory so quickly.
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  And without a fight.
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  Of course not.
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  And since that fateful day.
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  In the garden of Eden.
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  When Adam and Eve rebelled against their creator.
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  And then were expelled.
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  Do you remember that?
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  Thrown out of the garden.
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  What was the first thing they tried to do?
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  After getting kicked out.
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  What was the first thing they tried to do?
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  Tried to get back in.
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  And so the first thing the Lord had to do.
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  After kicking them out.
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  Was what?
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  Post a guard.
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  He said an angel.
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  At the entrance to the garden of Eden.
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  With a great flaming sword.
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  To keep Adam and Eve out of the garden.
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  The first thing.
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  After they sinned.
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  And were cursed.
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  And been expelled.
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  The first thing they tried to do.
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  Is get back into the garden.
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  They wanted back in.
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  Even though they were cursed.
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  And sinful.
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  They wanted back into the garden of Eden.
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  And did you know.
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  That every one of their descendants.
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  Since that day.
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  Namely you and I.
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  Have been trying to do the same thing.
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  We have been trying.
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  To weasel our way back into.
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  Into the garden of Eden.
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  There is a certain trend.
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  In American evangelicalism.
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  The trend is to despair.
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  Over the state of our politics.
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  Have you heard that people.
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  Despair.
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  Over politics.
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  Has maybe this crept into your own heart at times.
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  Or you're like you know what.
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  This whole thing is broken.
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  And you know what we should do.
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  We should just all pile up in one place.
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  And we'll just.
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  Get a whole bunch of dirt.
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  And we'll buy a whole bunch of houses.
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  And we'll just put up bigger fences.
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  Right.
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  Has this not been.
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  Maybe a temptation in your own heart.
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  It has in mine.
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  The last five years.
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  I'm like this place has gone out of their minds.
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  You know what we need to do.
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  We need to move.
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  We need to move neighborhoods.
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  We need to move counties.
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  We need to move states.
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  What we need to do is surround ourselves.
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  With people who think like us.
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  And who vote like us.
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  And you know what we can almost kind of create.
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  We can kind of create.
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  Create a second little miniature Garden of Eden.
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  Even if it's only on a local scale.
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  But did you know that is not what the scriptures teach.
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  Friends the garden is gone.
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  It's gone.
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  Even if we knew where it was we couldn't get back in.
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  There's a guard with a big giant flaming sword keeping us out.
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  If it exists anywhere.
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  It exists in heaven.
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  Not on Earth.
• 10:11
  And so those who read their Bibles honestly should not be surprised at all at the state of the world.
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  It's broken and cursed.
• 10:17
  We shouldn't be surprised at all at the state of our government.
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  It's broken and cursed until it stands on his shoulders.
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  The Prince of Peace.
• 10:24
  It's going to be broken that nor should we even despair at the state of the church.
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  Because we ourselves as individuals are broken and cursed.
• 10:35
  There's nothing in the scriptures that says that the church which was birthed at Pentecost will be ever on the increase.
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  Decade after decade always reaching new Heights.
• 10:45
  Until the entire world is suddenly an entirely Christian.
• 10:49
  That is not what the good book says.
• 10:52
  In fact, it kind of says the opposite.
• 10:54
  Have you noticed that?
• 10:56
  Acts chapter 14 when they had preached the gospel to that city made many disciples.
• 11:00
  They returned strengthening the souls of the disciples encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations.
• 11:08
  We must enter the kingdom of God if you're going to follow after Christ if you're going to be part of his kingdom.
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  It will hurt.
• 11:16
  That's what he says.
• 11:18
  James chapter 1 blesses of the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test.
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  He will receive the crown of life.
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  John chapter 16 the words of our Lord Jesus in the world.
• 11:29
  You will have tribulation.
• 11:30
  What an awful prophecy that is.
• 11:34
  He just says, you know what?
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  They crucified me.
• 11:38
  They're not going to like you either.
• 11:40
  Then he says but don't despair take heart.
• 11:42
  I have overcome the world.
• 11:43
  There is victory in the end.
• 11:45
  1st Peter chapter 4.
• 11:46
  I love this one beloved.
• 11:47
  Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you.
• 11:54
  In fact, it's not strange at all.
• 11:56
  Rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings that you also may rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
• 12:02
  If you are insulted for the name of Christ you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
• 12:10
  If you wanted to sum up what the New Testament says about Christians.
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  The suffering it can be summed up this way.
• 12:16
  The normal Christian life is the suffering Christian life.
• 12:19
  If you're going to follow after a crucified Lord expect tribulations and trials.
• 12:26
  The entire New Testament from the Gospels through the book of Acts through the epistles concluding with Revelation says we are engaged in a lifelong fight not only for our own souls but also for the souls of our loved ones.
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  It says that we have a mighty and subtle adversary.
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  Who stalks us like a lion is stalking its prey.
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  Who is going to fight to ruin and destroy the church.
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  And then you add to that.
• 12:52
  Do you remember Christ's statement in Matthew chapter 7?
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  The Sermon on the Mount.
• 12:58
  And he just says you know what there is a big broad road.
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  And it leads to destruction.
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  And there are many people on it.
• 13:07
  Do you remember him saying that?
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  And then there is this little narrow path that leads to eternal life.
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  But few find it.
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  And so you take all of what I just said.
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  There is war.
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  There are lions trying to eat us.
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  There are trials making us suffer.
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  And then Jesus says and on top of all of that you're horribly outnumbered.
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  Your group is small compared to a great big world.
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  And if you believe that if you believe that the odds are stacked against the church and the Lord's elect.
• 13:38
  If you believe that the God of this age the devil hates the church and will do anything in his power to destroy it.
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  If you believe those things then you must also believe the scriptures to be true.
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  Because the very existence of the church.
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  2,000 years later.
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  The fact that all of that is true.
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  That the world is against us.
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  That there is a spiritual war.
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  That there are lions trying to eat us.
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  That there are tribulations and sufferings and persecutions.
• 14:05
  The fact that we are still here 2,000 years later can only have one explanation.
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  And it's a supernatural one.
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  That when the Lord promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church.
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  That promise continues to come true.
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  Because we are outnumbered.
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  And yet the church continues to thrive.
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  Amen.
• 14:29
  Here we all are.
• 14:31
  What are we doing here?
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  You know if there was no God.
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  If these scriptures are not true.
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  The church should have been exterminated centuries ago.
• 14:39
  You know how many people have tried?
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  Far more powerful people than us.
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  Have tried to put their boot on the neck of the church.
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  And have come out losing again and again and again.
• 14:52
  The only explanation can be a supernatural one.
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  And here the apostle John says.
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  Don't be surprised.
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  Don't be surprised at the war.
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  And don't be surprised at the victory.
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  Second.
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  The second reminder to the church.
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  Is that our occupation as believers.
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  As individuals.
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  Our job is to evangelize.
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  Isn't that true?
• 15:14
  Your job as an individual.
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  Within the body of Christ.
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  Is to share the gospel.
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  That is your job.
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  If you get through your entire life.
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  As a Christian.
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  Then you say.
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  You know what?
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  I never shared the gospel.
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  Then guess what?
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  You didn't do your job.
• 15:30
  Your job is to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
• 15:33
  That's our job as individual members in the body.
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  But.
• 15:37
  It is the occupation of every local church.
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  To sanitize.
• 15:43
  Your job as an individual is to evangelize.
• 15:46
  The church's job is to sanitize.
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  And what I mean by that.
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  Is to ensure the purity.
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  Of the gospel that we preach.
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  So when you go out to share the good news with your neighbor.
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  You come back here.
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  To make sure you're sharing the true good news.
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  Right?
• 16:03
  It is your job to evangelize.
• 16:05
  It is the church's job to sanitize.
• 16:08
  To make sure that we are indeed.
• 16:10
  Sharing a pure doctrine.
• 16:12
  And notice verse 19.
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  Verse 19 begins.
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  They went out from us.
• 16:18
  This is a funny phrase.
• 16:21
  And I'm about to say something.
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  That is so counter cultural.
• 16:25
  To the American church model.
• 16:26
  Okay.
• 16:27
  So buckle up.
• 16:30
  Sometimes it's fun in your Bible study.
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  To note.
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  Not only what is being said.
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  But also.
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  What is intentionally not being said.
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  And in verse 19.
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  The apostle John says.
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  Guess what?
• 16:42
  People are leaving your church.
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  Do you catch that?
• 16:45
  Verse 19.
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  They're going out from you.
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  People are leaving your church.
• 16:50
  And notice what he does not say.
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  What is it?
• 16:55
  What does he not say?
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  Stop them.
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  Go get them back.
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  Chase after them.
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  What are you doing?
• 17:02
  The church is shrinking.
• 17:04
  He doesn't say that.
• 17:05
  Why?
• 17:06
  Why does he not say that?
• 17:07
  Remember the context.
• 17:08
  Go back and read verse 18.
• 17:09
  If you need to.
• 17:11
  Who is the they referring to?
• 17:15
  Antichrists.
• 17:16
  They were enemies of the gospel.
• 17:19
  In the church at Ephesus.
• 17:21
  And they began to leave.
• 17:23
  And the apostle John said.
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  Good.
• 17:29
  Let them go.
• 17:31
  They should leave.
• 17:32
  Enemies of the gospel.
• 17:34
  Should not feel comfortable here.
• 17:38
  Right?
• 17:39
  At some point.
• 17:40
  If they've determined.
• 17:41
  that they are going to remain enemies of the gospel, at some point they should say, you know
• 17:46
  what? I've had enough of these people. They won't stop telling me what they think is true. And I
• 17:54
  think, you know what? In that case, we're doing our job. It's interesting to note the apostle John
• 17:59
  does not seem concerned in the slightest that those who prove not to be believers are leaving
• 18:04
  the church. In fact, he almost commends the church for allowing them to go. The author's main concern
• 18:11
  in verse 19 is not about the church's size or about how they can grow or about new and better
• 18:16
  programs or the more efficient systems for assimilation. It doesn't seem concerned at all
• 18:22
  about their numbers. They're shrinking. The author's concern is rather about the purity
• 18:27
  of the message of the church. And so it's like he's saying, you know what? It's actually good news
• 18:34
  when enemies of the gospel leave, let them go. You know, friends, we also needn't be concerned
• 18:41
  with the church's size. We need to be concerned with the church's size. We need to be concerned
• 18:42
  with the church's size or the fact that we are, like I said, so outnumbered. We needn't assume that
• 18:48
  because the church or Christians, American Christians on a whole appear to be losing
• 18:53
  on certain social issues or losing certain elections that somehow the church is losing
• 19:00
  because that's not true. I've heard in a podcast this week, somebody say that the Christian church
• 19:07
  in America is fighting for her life. And then this guy quoted,
• 19:12
  a recent Pew research statistic from this month, which stated that since 2007,
• 19:18
  the American church attendance year over year has been ever diminishing.
• 19:23
  Less and less people in the last 20 years are going to a church to church. And so the assumption
• 19:28
  that he made, the conclusion that he drew was that the American church must somehow be losing
• 19:33
  the fight, but not necessarily. So better a handful of people who believe that Jesus is the Christ
• 19:41
  than a crowd who are uncertain about it.
• 19:44
  Better a few devoted followers to Jesus Christ, willing to offer anything and to sacrifice
• 19:51
  anything, willing even to lay down their very lives for the truth of that message than for
• 19:56
  thousands who say, nah, I don't know. I could take it or leave it. We've been picking on Christians
• 20:02
  in name only the last several months, right? CNOs, we've been calling them Christians in name only.
• 20:09
  You know, those CNOs are not actually effective for the kingdom. I think about how many times the
• 20:15
  Lord had great numbers at his disposal. I think about how many times the Lord had great numbers at his disposal.
• 20:17
  I think about how many times the Lord had great numbers at his disposal. And then quite intentionally
• 20:20
  sent most of them home before the battle began. Right? Do you remember Gideon? 10,000. He's like,
• 20:26
  nah, that's too many. What do you mean that's too many? We're going to war. Nah, that's too many.
• 20:30
  Sent half of them home. So he sends them all home. If you want to leave, leave. We'll continue to pay
• 20:37
  you. You should continue to get all your VA benefits and all that. You don't have to go to war. They all
• 20:41
  take off. And then he goes back to the Lord. Well, what about this many? Nah, way too many. He gets
• 20:45
  them all the way down to 300 guys.
• 20:47
  Stand in there with flashlights and pitchers. Yep. My army, right? Gideon's like, what are you,
• 20:54
  what are you talking about? No, these are the guys that I'm going to use just to prove my point.
• 20:58
  Gideon, what's your point? God, I don't lose. I don't lose. I don't need your armies. I don't
• 21:07
  need your masses. I don't need your numbers. I don't need any of it. Give me 300 guys with a
• 21:12
  flashlight and we'll win.
• 21:17
  And remember the church began in catacombs. Catacombs were graves, holes in the ground.
• 21:21
  And in fact, when the church was underground, it thrived. And if a time is coming, when we've got
• 21:27
  to return there underground, the church will thrive there. Once again, you read through the
• 21:32
  new Testament, the church through the ages has always met in the home of so-and-so. And if
• 21:37
  there's a day that we've got to give up this comfortable building, I hope that day doesn't
• 21:40
  come. But if there's a day that we've got to give up the comfortable building to meet in homes once
• 21:44
  more, then guess what? To God be the glory.
• 21:47
  He knows, you know, this is actually how our connect homes ministry began
• 21:54
  as hard as it is to believe five years have passed since the COVID lockdowns. In fact,
• 21:59
  it was five years ago yesterday. It was March 29th, 2020. It was the first Sunday that Highland
• 22:05
  had closed. We stayed closed for 10 straight Sundays, two and a half months. I was approached
• 22:12
  the following kind of summer when we reopened and all of that. One of our elders who,
• 22:17
  it was here at first service walked right up to me. He says, pastor, Danny, you're going to have
• 22:20
  to figure out how to ensure that we're ready in case this ever happens again. I said, okay.
• 22:27
  He said, figure it out. How are we going to take care of our people? If the government mandates
• 22:33
  against church gatherings again. And so it took us about six months with the help of many others,
• 22:39
  we decided what we needed was a framework, which would allow Highland to go old school quick.
• 22:46
  And so with an,
• 22:47
  with an email, that's all it would take with one email. Highland can go underground.
• 22:52
  You already know where to meet. You already know the elder who will become your pastor and who
• 22:57
  will care for you. You already take the Lord's supper together. Once a month, we have the
• 23:01
  infrastructure in place to broadcast worship announcements and sermons with one email.
• 23:06
  It would take me about 60 seconds. Highland can become 20 house churches. All of that was
• 23:13
  intentional. Now until that day, connect homes are just fun, right?
• 23:17
  We get together. We eat with our friends. We enjoy one another. We play games together. We pray for
• 23:22
  one another. We take communion together. All of that is true, but we're ready to go in case we
• 23:27
  lose this blessing of our building and comfortable chairs and all of those things. And this is why
• 23:33
  it's so important for your family to become involved in a connect home. If you do, you'll
• 23:37
  have an elder whose job it is to care for you. He will know your name. He will know your spouse's
• 23:41
  name. He will know your kid's name. He will know your prayer requests. He will help. He'll keep
• 23:46
  track of you. He will.
• 23:47
  Advocate for you to the rest of the board. He will ensure it will be his job to ensure that
• 23:52
  your family is thriving spiritually. We've got about 15 of them. Currently, we're starting two
• 23:57
  new ones next month. Seve and Brooke Carbajal who are just sitting right over here are starting one
• 24:01
  starting in May. Brian and Carrie Bowen are starting one as well. We're getting two new ones
• 24:06
  going. If you don't have a connect home yet, this is a good time to join one. It's a couple of brand
• 24:10
  new ones coming up. And that's the second reminder. The church's purity is more important than her
• 24:15
  size.
• 24:17
  Point number two, if you're taking notes, point number two, church matters. Church matters. And
• 24:23
  continue in verse 19. He says, they went out from us, but notice they were not. What are the next
• 24:29
  two words? Of us. Do you see that? For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us,
• 24:36
  but they went out that it might be complained that they all are not of us. The author simply
• 24:42
  states they are either of us or they are not of us. And again, they are not of us. And again,
• 24:47
  this sparks an interesting idea. What does it mean to be of a church or not of a church? What does
• 24:55
  the author mean by us? Is it possible that like in the church at Ephesus, there may be those in
• 25:02
  the midst of any church congregation who are attending, who are not actually of that church.
• 25:11
  The scriptures use the word church in two different ways. First and foremost, the one that is most
• 25:17
  probably refers to the universal church. This is the body of Christ through the ages. Any person who
• 25:22
  believes on the gospel, who has been saved by the grace of God through their faith of Jesus Christ
• 25:26
  in Jesus Christ belongs to the universal church. The day you accepted Jesus as your Lord and
• 25:32
  savior, you became a member of his body, the church that is the universal church.
• 25:38
  But the new Testament also uses that word church in a more local way. The church in Rome,
• 25:47
  the church at Ephesus, the church who meets in the house of Appia.
• 25:52
  This usage refers to a specific body of believers over whom elders have been appointed. It is
• 25:59
  comprised of those who attend worship and serve that local congregation. Now, listen to this.
• 26:03
  The assumption of the scriptures is that if one belongs to the universal church,
• 26:09
  that same one will also belong to a local church. In fact, never in the scriptures is a believer in
• 26:16
  Jesus Christ.
• 26:21
  You may say, well, prove it. You know how many times I've heard people say that local church
• 26:30
  membership is not in the Bible. Now, granted it's not as pronounced as other doctrines, like
• 26:36
  the atonement, for instance, the atonement is bigger. It's talked about more often or
• 26:40
  the justification by faith that's talked about more often, but the local church membership is
• 26:45
  in there. And so allow me to say, well, prove it. Prove it. Prove it. Prove it. Prove it. Prove it. Prove it.
• 26:47
  Just a few moments to build a case for membership in your local church. And I'm going to start with
• 26:53
  my simplest point. There are multiple examples in the new Testament where members of local
• 27:00
  congregations were counted. They were tracked and they took votes. They were counted. They were
• 27:08
  tracked and they took votes. Acts chapter one, right after the crucifixion and now ascension of
• 27:13
  Jesus Christ, the very first church meeting in the upper room says,
• 27:17
  numbered about 120. They knew how many people were there. A chapter later at the end of Pentecost,
• 27:23
  Peter preaches that unbelievable sermon. People start coming forward in droves to receive the
• 27:28
  word and get baptized. And it says there were added that day about 3000 souls. They knew how
• 27:33
  many people were making commitments. They were tracking them. And not only that first Timothy
• 27:40
  chapter five talks about kind of an interesting ministry of the early church. They had a widow's
• 27:46
  ministry. They had a widow's ministry. They had a widow's ministry. They had a widow's ministry.
• 27:48
  First Timothy chapter five, let a widow be enrolled. You're like, wait a minute. There was a
• 27:53
  role. Apparently let a widow be enrolled. If she is not less than 60 years old of age, having been
• 28:00
  the wife of one husband. If you've got a faithful woman who has been in the church, faithful to the
• 28:04
  church, faithful to her family, she's older than 60. And now she has become a widow enroll her in
• 28:10
  the widow's ministry at your church. Now our church calls this helping hands. A bunch of people get
• 28:14
  together once a month on a Saturday. We keep them in the church. We keep them in the church. We keep
• 28:17
  track of our widows. We know who they are and we know what they need. We really do. And we measure
• 28:23
  them against that standard, right? Let's keep track of them. Let's make sure if they need their
• 28:28
  gutters cleaned out, we clean them out. If they need their dishwasher swapped out, we swap them
• 28:32
  out. If they need to work on their garage door, we help them with their garage door. We send people
• 28:35
  out to take care of our widows. And apparently the first century church that was doing the same
• 28:39
  thing. Second Corinthians chapter two is an interesting one. There was a guy in the church
• 28:45
  of Corinth that never mentions his name.
• 28:47
  There was a guy in the church of Corinth who was apparently causing problems.
• 28:51
  All right. So many problems. In fact, that he had actually caused damage to the church.
• 28:56
  He had, he had caused them some pain. Okay. And now here's what the apostle says for such a one,
• 29:02
  that is the guy who's caused pain to the church body. This punishment by the majority is enough.
• 29:12
  So what the church decided to do, they got together and they said,
• 29:15
  okay, how should we punish the guy?
• 29:18
  Who is causing pain? How do we get them to stop? And they, and they decide on a certain
• 29:23
  course of action. Again, it's never talked about, but then the apostle says you should rather now
• 29:27
  that that was enough. Okay. You've punished him enough. So now turn to forgive and comfort him,
• 29:33
  or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. What I want to point out is that that phrase
• 29:36
  by the majority, what does by the majority imply? They knew how many people were voting.
• 29:44
  They knew how many people should be voting, right? And they knew how many votes,
• 29:51
  were taken. They said, what are the majority of you think we should do with this guy?
• 29:54
  They take a vote. They decide, yep, that's the course of action. We're going to take
• 29:58
  that. They not only were counted and tracked, they actually took votes together. No,
• 30:02
  I think it's pretty clear. The new Testament church kept track of its members.
• 30:07
  It may have looked different from body to body, but they knew who belonged
• 30:10
  and they knew who didn't belong. That's first. Second, the new Testament line of demarcation
• 30:16
  between those within the church and those outside of the church is membership.
• 30:21
  The line of demarcation between those in the church and out of the church is membership.
• 30:26
  In Matthew chapter 16, Christ gave the apostle Peter and by extension, the church, the keys to
• 30:32
  the kingdom. Now by doing so, Christ was entrusting to the church, the responsibility of governing
• 30:38
  those who would become followers of Jesus Christ. If you say this one is in, they're in. If you say
• 30:43
  this one is out, they're out. You can go back and read it. It's Matthew 16. Now, of course,
• 30:48
  the church will not do that perfectly.
• 30:51
  No doubt there will be some who are members of their churches who may not be genuinely saved,
• 30:56
  but the local church is calling. If you want to think of it this way is to vet the members of
• 31:02
  the universal church, but on a micro level, check them out, make sure they believe the true gospel.
• 31:08
  Ephesians chapter four says that it is my job, the job of the pastor to equip the church's
• 31:14
  members for ministry. It's my job to make sure you're good at your job.
• 31:21
  First Peter chapter five says it is the job of church elders to shepherd the flock as under
• 31:26
  shepherds. They will give an account to the chief shepherd one day for how they shepherded the flock
• 31:32
  of God. But if there is no formal church membership, then who am I supposed to equip?
• 31:41
  If there's no formal church membership, then who are we as elders responsible to shepherd?
• 31:47
  For whom will we give an account? Is it every single person who ever sits here,
• 31:51
  one time and then never comes back? Am I responsible for that person?
• 31:55
  Is it every Christian who claims the name of Christ in the whole city of Westminster or Adams County?
• 32:00
  I'm not responsible for them. I'm responsible for here, Highland Baptist Church. And the easiest
• 32:07
  way for me to know who I'm responsible to equip and to shepherd is to know who is of us and who
• 32:13
  is not of us. Third, church discipline cannot take place apart from church membership. Church
• 32:20
  discipline cannot take place apart from church membership. Church discipline cannot take place apart from church membership.
• 32:21
  Church discipline cannot take place apart from church membership. And church discipline is
• 32:25
  biblical. Churches are called to do it. 1 Corinthians chapter 5, it is actually reported,
• 32:32
  he says, that there is sexual immorality among you and of a kind that is not tolerated even among the
• 32:36
  pagans. Whoa, okay. Right into the church at Corinth and he says, there's stuff going on with you that
• 32:42
  even the pagans blush over. All right, well, what do we do? What does it say? Let him who has done this
• 32:50
  be removed. Be removed from among you, he says. It continues the same chapter, 1 Corinthians 5. I
• 32:57
  write to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. And then he says this,
• 33:01
  and this is awesome. Not at all meaning the sexually immoral of the world. Since then,
• 33:06
  you need to go out of the world. He says, I'm not surprised at all that the pagans act like
• 33:11
  pagans. That's not the problem. The problem I'm talking about and the ones you are not to
• 33:15
  associate with are people who claim the name of Christ. They bear the name of brother,
• 33:20
  and are yet participating in this sexual immorality. Don't even eat with such a one.
• 33:26
  What do I have to do? What do I have to do with judging outsiders? That's not my job.
• 33:30
  Is it not those inside the church whom the elders are to judge? God judges those outside. So he says,
• 33:37
  purge the evil person from among you. Titus chapter 3 and verse 10. As for a person who stirs up
• 33:46
  division after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him. It is clear.
• 33:52
  They were to go through to ensure the purity of the church. And church discipline, we know,
• 33:58
  does a couple of different things. First, it holds believers accountable to sanctified living.
• 34:02
  We know that the goal of church discipline is repentance. It is not punitive. It is restorative.
• 34:09
  But without church membership, church discipline cannot exist. How do we discipline out of the
• 34:15
  church those who don't belong to the church? Those who are entangled in persistent and unrepentant sin,
• 34:23
  are to be removed from membership. Make sure you catch this, for their own good. For their own good.
• 34:31
  Why? So that they'll know by their persistent sinning that they're not actually redeemed.
• 34:37
  Without church discipline, we run the risk of myriads of souls perishing for eternity who
• 34:43
  thought all along that they were saved simply because they were sitting in the pews every Sunday.
• 34:48
  Do you know how many of our neighbors think that they're Christians because they come to church?
• 34:52
  It has nothing to do with that. It has nothing to do with that. It has nothing to do with that.
• 34:53
  It has nothing to do with Jesus. Repentance from sin. I go to church. Therefore, I'm a Christian.
• 34:59
  Church discipline ensures that that does not happen. I'll look again at the wording in verse 19.
• 35:05
  Of us, of us, of us. Notice he doesn't say in, in the church, in the church. He says of the church.
• 35:12
  The many are in churches, attending week after week, hearing sermons, singing songs, but never
• 35:16
  commit to anything. They don't participate. They don't sacrifice. They don't serve.
• 35:22
  They're not willing to repent. They're not willing to repent. They're not willing to repent.
• 35:23
  Roll up their own sleeves and help build up the church, which is the call of Ephesians four.
• 35:28
  They're in the church, but they're not of the church. It's the same language that Christ uses
• 35:32
  of us be in the world, but not of the world. And so he says in the same way, there are many
• 35:37
  in the church who are not of the church. I've noticed modern churches are tempted to remain
• 35:46
  as inoffensive as possible. There would be some who are offended at this message. Don't you know,
• 35:50
  visitors might not come back, right? The tendency is the trend is to welcome all exactly as they are
• 35:57
  regardless of who they are to avoid disruptive messages, which would repel visitors from
• 36:02
  visiting. I ran across another church's website this week on the homepage. We're putting in a new
• 36:07
  website. So I'm just looking at all these other churches website. We're building a new one and
• 36:10
  whatever this week I noticed on the homepage, it said big block letters. You belong here.
• 36:17
  And I thought, wait, really?
• 36:20
  I'm an enemy of the gospel. What if I'm a false teacher? I belong there. Another church's home
• 36:27
  page, very first words you read, this is a home for anyone. I thought, wait, really?
• 36:35
  What if I'm a child molester? Really? I saw a billboard on I-70 day before yesterday,
• 36:43
  quote, we have a place for you. And I thought, what if I'm an enemy of the cross?
• 36:49
  The goal seems to be to build a place for you. And I thought, what if I'm an enemy of the cross?
• 36:50
  The goal seems to be to get as many people as possible to sit in their building compared to
• 36:53
  other buildings on Sunday morning. That seems to be the goal. How many people can I convince to
• 36:58
  come and sit here on Sunday mornings? But my question is why? What if that's actually causing
• 37:03
  confusion because unrepentant sinners are convinced that they're on their way to heaven
• 37:07
  simply because they're allowed to attend forever with no real commitment.
• 37:12
  Vance Havner said it this way. He said, today, the world has so infiltrated the church
• 37:17
  that we are more beset by traitors within than by sinners.
• 37:20
  Satan is not fighting churches. He's joining them. Can you, can you imagine Satan going to
• 37:26
  our church website and saying, you belong here? Great. This is a home for anyone. Fantastic. I'm
• 37:33
  in. We have a place for you. Awesome. How do I join Oswald chambers today? The world has taken
• 37:41
  so many things out of the church and the church, so many things out of the world. It's difficult
• 37:44
  to even know where you are. What is the difference between us and them? And church discipline draws
• 37:49
  that clear line.
• 37:50
  Between those who are of us and those who are of the world and church membership empowers that
• 37:56
  discipline forth. And finally, and we're done. It is impossible to ensure the purity of our
• 38:04
  church's doctrine. If we have no standard for who can teach and train, it's impossible to make sure
• 38:11
  we're teaching the truth. If we have no idea who's teaching the truth to those who question local
• 38:16
  church membership, I would just ask this. What should we do?
• 38:21
  Amen.
• 38:30
  If you ask me what I see in my blouse, I would say, okay, I need to say that the truth is
• 38:32
  church church, the church church, you know, the church church, it's going to be told to the
• 38:36
  church, and that's because we're teaching the truth, because we're teaching the truth,
• 38:37
  right? If we're teaching the truth, we're teaching it.
• 38:48
  So what does that mean?
• 38:50
  right? The assumption is Danny knows who you are and he knows where you live and he's heard you
• 38:57
  say the gospel and he's heard you commit to preach the true gospel. And by the way, you've been
• 39:03
  background checked, right? All of that. Now we call that church membership. That's church membership.
• 39:10
  It is interviews with our people to make sure that our Sunday school teachers are teaching the truth
• 39:15
  that our youth chaperones down at winter camp who are staying in the same cabins as our kids
• 39:20
  aren't scumbags, right? We call that vetting process church membership.
• 39:28
  We get a consistent phone call here from a man who does not come to our church. He doesn't come.
• 39:32
  He's never attended. His name is Randy. He calls often called me one time. You're the pastor. I'm
• 39:39
  the pastor. I'm going to show up this coming Sunday. Great. I'm going to play a piano solo
• 39:44
  in your service. I said, no, you're not.
• 39:49
  Who are you? No, you're not. He got so offended at me. How dare you? He said this, show me in the
• 39:57
  Bible where it says I can't play piano in your church. And I said, you show me in the Bible
• 40:02
  where it says you can. All right. He got very offended. He hung up. He's called back. Then he
• 40:07
  calls back. I'm going to show up on Sunday. I'm going to play piano. So no, you're not.
• 40:11
  All right. Eventually I went to Lori and I said, start forwarding his calls to pastor Sam.
• 40:16
  And that is pastor. Sam's the one who deals with them now.
• 40:20
  Another guy comes up to me one time. I don't know this guy. I'm called to preach in your church
• 40:24
  youth group. Well, maybe someday, but not yet. I don't even know who you are. Another guy. Do you
• 40:32
  guys remember the Sunday I announced we were planting a church down in Wheat Ridge? Do you
• 40:36
  guys remember that about two years ago? We're planting a church. The Lord has opened a door
• 40:39
  to be praying. We need, you know, obviously the finances for it. We need people to go
• 40:43
  and we're praying about a pastor to send. We hired member Michael and Brittany and all of that. Man,
• 40:47
  they just knocking it out of the park that same Sunday. This guy,
• 40:50
  first Sunday here, first Sunday, he's never been back probably because of what I said to him, but
• 40:55
  he comes down and he says, I've got great news for what I am called to be the pastor at that church.
• 41:00
  And I said, well, I know you're not. No, you're not. We don't even know you. I'm not saying you're
• 41:06
  not called to ministry. Maybe you are. That's something you're gonna have to work out with
• 41:09
  the Lord, but not this one because we're going to make sure that the true gospel is preached.
• 41:14
  And that's going to take us some time to figure you out. I've got great news, right?
• 41:20
  Who are you? You know, membership can vary from church to church, but here at Highland,
• 41:25
  the membership is comprised of those people who have committed their lives to the Lord Jesus
• 41:28
  Christ, but have also committed their devotion resources and services to this local church body.
• 41:34
  They've affirmed our statement of faith. They said, yes, that's what I believe. Yes, that's what I
• 41:39
  will church. I will teach. We've committed together to regular and faithful attendance
• 41:43
  of worship services, Wednesdays, Sundays, and connect homes church events as we're able.
• 41:50
  They've willingly submitted themselves to the leadership of Highland elders. We'll follow your
• 41:54
  lead as the Lord leads you. We will follow you. They've agreed to give up their finances, their
• 41:59
  time, their talents. There are 304 adult members of Highland Baptist Church. We count them. When
• 42:09
  we gather as elders, we pray over them. If you're a member of the church, you are prayed for.
• 42:14
  We talk about your spiritual growth, your health. We want you to do well.
• 42:18
  We ask you to do well. We ask you to do well. We ask you to do well. We ask you to do well.
• 42:19
  Ask the Lord for wisdom to lead them well.
• 42:21
  Listen, if you're here with us this morning
• 42:23
  and you're not a member of the church,
• 42:24
  we're so glad that you're here.
• 42:26
  We are so glad that you're here.
• 42:28
  We want you to come.
• 42:29
  We want you to stay.
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  We really do.
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  Check us out.
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  Test drive us for a while.
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  Come to the welcome lunch.
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  Hear about the church's history.
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  Hear my own testimony.
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  Don't commit to this church until you know who I am.
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  I could be one of those guys.
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  You don't know.
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  Figure out how we teach and how we do things.
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  And if this is a family you want to link arms with,
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  then don't just kind of linger forever.
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  At some point, say, yep, we're in.
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  My family's in.
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  We're linking arms and we want to be a part
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  of what this church is doing.
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  I want me to pray.
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  And Lord, thank you for the privilege that it is
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  to be called the pastor of this church.
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  Lord, thank you for your word, which speaks so clearly.
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  And God, I pray that we would represent you well
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  to a lost and dying world,
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  which means following your word as it's written,
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  which means accepting,
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  expelling those who are enemies of the cross
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  and refuse to repent.
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  It means drawing lines sometimes, which are hard lines,
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  but Lord, nevertheless, the ones that you've led us to make
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  so that people can see that there's a difference
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  between us and our unbelieving neighbors.
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  And God, as we look forward now to Resurrection Sunday,
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  three weeks from today,
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  God, we pray that you would open doors for the gospel,
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  that we would be able to invite people to come in
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  and to join your kingdom
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  and to join your people in Jesus' name.
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  Amen.