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God in the Flesh? Answering 5 Common Objections | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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I want us to just pray one more time as we open God's Word and
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seek His voice at this time for us as His people.
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Father, it is with great gratitude that we get to gather
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here and to reflect upon Your love in the person of Christ and
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Lord. We just ask that the familiarity
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of this time would not allow us to sleep, but that we would be
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attentive and that we would be alert to hear what your word has
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to say to equip us. And so, Lord, we seek you, and
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we trust that you will indeed with precision and power,
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minister to our hearts. In Jesus name we pray.
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Amen. Amen.
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It's not difficult to imagine how the festivities and the
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commercialization of this time can distract and even dilute the
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spiritual significance of the season.
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That is not the case for us because we as Christians
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understand that this time of the year, this month, traditionally
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invites us to turn our attention with greater focus and
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meditation upon the person of Jesus Christ.
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God the Creator. God, the Sustainer of the
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universe, entered into His creation 2000 years ago to
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rescue us from the power, to rescue us from the penalty, and
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to rescue us ultimately from the presence of sin.
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But listen, even as believers who understand that truth can
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lose our grasp on the significance of what we know to
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be the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is
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it to understand and believe this truth?
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What kind of contribution does this reality, this historical
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event, make on our faith? So important is this truth of
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God becoming man that it has been viciously assaulted and
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contended against since the inception of the Church.
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It was the Apostle John and Second John who tells us the not
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few but many have gone out into the world to deceive and to
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attempt to disprove the reality of this truth that you and I are
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celebrating today. And I want you to see his words
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for yourself in the Epistle of Second John in verse 7, to look
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at this in detail and to understand just how serious it
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is to understand, believe, and adhere to this foundational
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tenet of our faith. And second, John verse 7.
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The apostle of love writes for many deceivers have gone out
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into the world those who do not profess or confess, rather the
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coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.
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Such a one is the deceiver and the Antichrist.
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Highlight that last part in your mind, the last part of the first
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sentence, that there are those who do not confess the coming of
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Jesus Christ. Three important words in the
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flesh. Now some would say that John is
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explaining that there are some then and even now who do not
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believe, who deny that Jesus Christ, though eternally
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existing as God, was never born to be a true human, and if there
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was any manifestation of this Jesus Christ in our world, then
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it was merely a human appearance and not an actual embodiment.
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There are others who would say What John is explaining is that
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there are those who I do not believe that Jesus Christ
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currently possesses a body, and they base that out of the fact
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that when he says coming in the flesh, that word coming is a
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present participle which would translate as still being
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manifested in the flesh. While there are others that John
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is warning about who would say that Jesus Christ is not
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returning in the flesh, He's not coming back physically, and our
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friendly Jehovah Witness neighbors adhere to that truth
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that when Jesus resurrected, it was a spiritual resurrection, it
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was an invisible ascension, and his return also was invisible.
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So this is not just some ancient thing that has no relevance,
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this is something that is affecting people today.
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And what are all those explanations have in common?
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One simple foundational concept there is an ultimate rejection
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of the notion that God he became a man.
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That God took on flesh, a denial of what John testified in his
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Gospel account, that the Word became flesh, and later in that
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same gospel account that he rose in the flesh again.
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This is not a denial of the existence of the person of Jesus
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Christ, but rather that he never became truly human.
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And if there was historically a person named Jesus Christ, then
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he's not what Christians claim him to be, namely, God
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Incarnate. And so serious again is the
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attempt to dispute that or to deny that willingly, that John
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goes on to say in concluding with that explanation that such
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a person is the deceiver and the Antichrist.
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This is not merely a matter of opinion, innocent subjective
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understanding. This is a matter of dangerous
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satanic influence. That is not to say that such a
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person is the anticipated Antichrist of the last days, but
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it is to say that who the he who propagates this heresy then and
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now, they reflect the opposing spirit and the evil nature of
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the Antichrist to come. So John is using familiar
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language, something that you and I might have heard or even said
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when we try to maybe describe or point out the vileness of
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someone's behavior or character, and we say that person's the
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devil himself, that person is Satan.
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What John essentially is saying by the Holy Spirit, the person
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who says that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh, is the
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deceiver, is the Antichrist and the evil.
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One hates this truth to such a degree that he even attempts to
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go into our Holy book, the truth of God's Word to try to disprove
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it. And the objections concerning
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Jesus Christ becoming flesh are objections that still are
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resounding today and are sweeping the masses to believe a
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false Christ. And this is going to be a
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different kind of Christmas message.
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I know usually Christmas messages are are more light and
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warm hearted. But listen, Jesus being in a
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Manger is not just a fuzzy idea. It's not just to make us cozy
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and comfortable and to and to feel kind of pure hearted and
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light and to kind of forget our troubles.
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This is essential to our faith. This is concrete.
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This is a mission. This is something that from
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eternity past has been planned and was ultimately performed for
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a purpose greater than you and I having more holidays out of the
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year. This is about salvation.
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This is about eternal life. This is about the redemption of
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man's soul. And so today, and I want to
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speak to you about 5 common objections to God being man to
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God becoming man. 5 common objections to what you and I are
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celebrating today. And hopefully this will make you
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and I equipped. It will cause you and I to
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rejoice that the Bible in fact declares this truth, And that
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more than that, in God's goodness and favor and grace, he
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would probably use this to help others see the light as well.
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Concerning this. But before you and I established
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this, before we answer these five common objections, let me
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let me just explain something else.
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Christ becoming man was not a temporary stunt.
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It was not something that he did for a moment and then shut it
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off and then continued where he began.
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The extent of his sacrifice in Redeeming Man includes the fact
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that Jesus Christ, glorified, immortal, indestructible, is
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body. Now he's in the flesh as we
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speak, ascended, seated at the right hand of God.
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Yes, sharing in the same divine glory of the Father, yes, but
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forever embracing and displaying the tokens of his love with a
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body, with the pierced hands and pure side and pierced feet for
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us to marvel at for ages and ages to come.
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And I want to show you that from the Bible.
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I just want to do a quick rapid fire explanation of how it is
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that Jesus Christ believed in the Bible and to believed on by
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Christians that he is in fact man today.
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That God, man, not purely man, not less God, but God, man.
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Acts 1730 and 31. I encourage you take note of
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these references. I'm sure that they will come in
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handy at some point and I'm sure that they will build your faith
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even now. Acts 1730 and 31 Paul is
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preaching, and he says the times of ignorance God overlooked.
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But now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he
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has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness
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by a man, by a man whom he has appointed.
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And who is that man? Of this he has given assurance
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to all by raising him from the dead.
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So there is a man coming to judge the world in
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righteousness. Not a spirit body, not a spirit
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being, but a real man. A unique man, Yes, not purely,
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merely man, sure, but man, the God.
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Man, Jesus Christ. Paul also says in First Timothy
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chapter 2, verse five and six. For there is one God, and there
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is one mediator between God and man.
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The man. The man Christ Jesus.
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Not merely the Savior, not merely Lord, not merely God.
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The man Christ Jesus. He is currently today the
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mediator between God and men. The man Christ Jesus, who gave
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himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at
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the proper time. Here's one of my favorite ones
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at the end of our divine library, Revelation 2216.
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This is Jesus himself speaking and Revelation 2216.
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He says, I, Jesus, have sent my Angel to testify to you about
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these things For the churches, I am the root and the descendant
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of David. I am the root and the descendant
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of David, the bright morning star.
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Now I would understand if Jesus says I am the root of David.
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I am the foundation of David. I am the source of David.
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I am before David. But he's not just the root.
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He is also the descendant of David, implying physical
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lineage, implying that he came down from the seed of David.
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Did Jesus say this in the Gospel of John?
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No, he said this in the Book of Revelation.
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Where's Jesus in the Book of Revelation?
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He's not on earth. He declared this from heaven,
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again implying what? That he is still the descendant
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of David? Meaning what?
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That he is still flesh. That he's still connected to the
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lineage and the heritage of David.
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I am the root, and I am the descendant of David now.
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And if it doesn't get any clearer than that, that may we
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look to the upper room where Jesus appeared shortly after his
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resurrection and looked at those terrified disciples who were
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baffled at the site. And Jesus says in Luke 2439, see
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my hands and my feet that it is I myself.
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Touch, touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh
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and bones as you see that I have A spirit does not have flesh and
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bones in Luke 2439. So you can touch me and you will
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touch flesh. You can touch me and you will
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feel bone. This is Jesus after his
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resurrection, and with that same body he went up into heaven.
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Jesus Christ is the God man, not was he is the God man.
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And here's a taste of the significance of that for us
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today. The resurrection of the Lord
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Jesus Christ is the unquestionable statement of
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God's approval that the payment of the Son of God has been
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approved has been accepted. Think about it this way.
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Since the wages of sin is death, including the death of our
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bodies, then Jesus Christ raising from the dead is the
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proof that his redemption was able to effectively cancel that
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curse. He overcame the grave with a
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body, and this is for you and I to be assured that in Jesus
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raising from the dead with a body, he was able to nullify
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what has overwhelmingly kept us bound.
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And now you and I, looking to the resurrection of Jesus with a
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physical body, can be guaranteed that we will have the same grave
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conquering fate. I too will be resurrected.
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I too will be not partially but completely redeemed.
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You see, the extent of Jesus salvation is not just to redeem
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your soul and your spirit, but even your body, that body that
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has been corrupted, that body that has been polluted with
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filth and rebellion and sin, also that body, it won't be put
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away with. It will be transformed,
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incorruptible, immortal, indestructible, with our God,
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man, Jesus Christ, forever and ever.
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Five common objections to Jesus Christ coming in the flesh.
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You ready? Number one, God cannot be a man.
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God cannot be a man. And the Scripture that's often
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used for this is Numbers 2319. And with that, if you're taking
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notes for Samuel 15, verse 29, and Hosea 11, verse 9.
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But the main one is Numbers 2319.
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And here's what is said in Numbers 2319.
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God is not man, that he should lie or a son of man.
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That he should change his mind. God is not man.
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Here's the objection. You Christians claim that Jesus
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Christ was truly man, and you also claim that he is truly God.
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Then how is it that you can also, with this verse, reconcile
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those things? If we were told that God is not
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man, then how can you say a man is God?
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The quick answer to this is very simple.
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We do not believe a man became God.
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We believe God became a man. And there's nothing in this
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verse that would deny the possibility that God could
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become a man, that God could become flesh, and interestingly,
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no true Christian would ever claim if they understand their
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Bible right? I hope that God eternally
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existed as flesh. No.
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We know by nature he is spirit, but we also know that at one
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point in history he descended into our world and he became
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flesh and blood for a very specific purpose.
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So keep in mind that this also is an Old Testament scripture
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along with the other references I mentioned.
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Christ does not become man till much later.
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So you can even say at this time, yeah it's true, God is not
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man. But with the incarnation in
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view, no one disagrees that God's essential nature is spirit
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and not flesh. God is not man.
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What do you think Moses even trying to say?
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What do you think the narrator is trying to explain by saying
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this? Is he trying to denote that it's
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impossible for our God again to become man?
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Now he is making a case that God's character is not that a
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fallen, inconsistent, corrupt humanity.
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That is what he is trying to explain.
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And that's why he follows that statement with what God is not
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man, that he should lie, that he should lie.
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Unlike man, he keeps his word in his faithful.
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Unlike man he does not deceive or manipulate.
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Unlike man, he has no need to repent of sin.
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This is what Moses is saying. And as we know, hundreds of
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years after the time of Moses we are told of a prophecy, one that
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you and I are very familiar with in Isaiah 9/6.
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For to us a child is born, a son is given, and all these amazing
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titles are ascribed to this child, and one of them being
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what mighty God? A child, mighty God, how can
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this me? I had a conversation with a
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Muslim about this and when I brought up the scripture I said
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explain this. I may not be able to explain the
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intricacies of the Trinity and even the complexities of the
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dual nature of Jesus Christ, but I believe it because I see it in
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my Bible. So explain to me how a child can
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be born and be called Mighty God.
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You know what his response was? No, no, no.
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That's a prophecy about Hezekiah.
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OK? Even if it's about Hezekiah.
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So Hezekiah is God. That didn't answer anything.
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This is in fact about the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's
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irrefutable if you're honest and humble to receive it as it is
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declared. God cannot be a man.
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Remember Christian, we do not believe, and you have to be very
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careful with your wording. We do not say a man became God.
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We say God became a man. God cannot be a man.
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The second common objection is this.
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God cannot change. God cannot change.
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In other words, if Christians believe that God at some point
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chose to become a man, then that would necessitate A drastic
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change of some sort and would be irreconcilable with the
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assertion of His unchanging nature.
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And one of the go to versus proof texts for this argument is
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in Malachi chapter 3, verse 6, where the Lord Himself says
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something that you and I are familiar with, for I the Lord do
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not change. Therefore, you or children of
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Jacob are not consumed. I, the Lord do not change.
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And I've had people bring this up to me as well.
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Your God says He doesn't change. Well, isn't the fact that he
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becoming man demonstrated in a very obvious and explosive
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manner that he did change? And then they'll quote Malachi.
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Do you know how you can clarify a lot of confusion and even
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arguments from those who do not believe in our gospel?
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One simple thing, Context. You can make a cult out of
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taking one verse from the Bible and separate it from its
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surroundings. You can you can come up with a
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whole different religion if you want.
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What's the context of Malachi? A majority of Malachi is mainly
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describing Israel's sin and God's declaration of judgment
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toward them. And when you read this book, you
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realize that there are many ways that Israel has heaped up
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offences against God to the point that eventually called for
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divine chastisement. And yet, with all the
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indictments that God declared through Malachi, you come to the
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near the end of this book and the Lord all of a sudden says,
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I, the Lord do not change. What's the relevance?
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Why is God, in the midst of this very intense confrontation with
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his people, wants to profess his changeless nature?
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Well, there is relevance when you connect it to the rest of
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the verse, for I, the Lord do not change therefore.
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Therefore, you, O children of Jacob are not consumed.
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So there's something about the changeless nature of God and the
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fact that as a result of that, the children of Jacob are not
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consumed. Well, it makes sense now when
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you understand the broader text. Here's what is being
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communicated. The One would be weary of your
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constant wickedness and would be content to cast you off forever.
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I have made a covenant with your Father's.
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I made a promise to them. And because of my changeless
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nature, even though I will punish you, even though I will
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refine you, I will not ultimately allow you to be
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consumed. You will not be consumed even
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under my loving chastisement, because I, the Lord, do not
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change Again. It's it's echoing what we read
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in Numbers 2319. God, when He says something, He
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means it. He doesn't.
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He doesn't take back his promise.
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He doesn't change his mind. He is somebody who is reliable,
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someone that we can look to and believe that if he said it, he
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will, He will keep it. And for those who would go to
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Malachi 36 to try to disprove the deity of the Lord Jesus
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Christ don't realize, I have a feeling they don't realize that
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the same text actually confirms the deity of Jesus Christ.
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So you look at Malachi 36. The Lord says I the Lord do not
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change. You just scroll back a few
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verses and we're told of another prophecy in Malachi 31.
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Behold, I send my messenger now. This is the Lord speaking, this
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is Yahweh speaking. Behold, I send my messenger and
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he will prepare the way before me.
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This is God speaking that messenger that I'm going to
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send. He's going to prepare the way
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before me. And how is the Lord going to
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appear? What is this preparation for?
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And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.
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So there's going to be some kind of a manifestation, something
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that they're able to see and witness with their own eyes.
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And the Lord says, there's going to be a time where there's a
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messenger who's going to go before me, the Lord Yahweh, and
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I will suddenly come to the temple and you'll be able to
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recognize it. And the messenger of the
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covenant, in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the
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Lord of hosts. So the Lord of hosts says
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somebody's coming, and he's going to prepare the way before
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me. And you will know because he
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will suddenly come to his temple who was a speaker.
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God and Jesus Christ, our Lord, our precious Savior, paraphrase
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this prophecy when he sought to clarify and confirm the identity
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of his good friend and relative John the Baptist.
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And if you want to take this down as a reference, you can but
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listen to these powerful words as Jesus pays homage to John.
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He says here in Luke 727 an incredible thing.
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This is he Jesus says in Luke 727.
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This is he of whom it is written.
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Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will
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prepare your way before you. And then he goes on to say, I
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tell you, among those born a woman, none is greater than
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John. Why is John greater?
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John is greater because he served a role in redemptive
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history where he would prepare the way he would fulfill Malachi
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3 one and preparing the way for Yahweh.
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If the one who is leasing the Kingdom of God is greater than
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he saying how does that confirm the deity of Jesus Christ?
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Well think about it. If John is the messenger who
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prepared the way for Yahweh, and we know that Jesus was the one
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who followed the ministry and the message of John the Baptist,
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then how and who do we identify Jesus with?
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He's Yahweh. He is Yahweh.
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Do you understand what Jesus is declaring about himself as he's
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paying homage to John? John is the one who was sent to
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prepare the way for God. He is that messenger.
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Did you get the hint? If he's the messenger and I
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followed him and he rejoiced in me eclipsing him, then realize
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who I am in light of Malachi's prophecy.
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So don't go to Malachi 3 and say God cannot change.
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God cannot become a man when Malachi says that the God of
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this book, the Hebrew scriptures, will one day visit
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his people and he would show it and prepare the people by
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sending a messenger First, God cannot change.
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Yes, he cannot change in terms of his character, his nature,
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and his essence, but that does not mean that he cannot manifest
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himself the way he pleases. Third objection.
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Third common objection to God taking on flesh.
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God cannot be tempted. God cannot be tempted according
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to who? Apparently, according to James.
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We're in James one verse 13. We are told, Let no one say when
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he is tempted. I'm being tempted by God.
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For God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no
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one. And here's how people try to
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draw a contradiction from James's statement.
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Jesus. If you claim Jesus as God, you
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also believe that he was tempted in every way.
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In fact, there are there are chapters in different gospel
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accounts where Satan himself tempts Jesus.
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And yet later in your same book we are told indefinitely that
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God cannot be tempted. So then how can Jesus be God if
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Jesus himself was tempted? You want to make it more
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complicated when you read the Hebrew scriptures.
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In some instances you will actually read that God was
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tempted. This will be especially clear if
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you hold the King James Version in your hands, and maybe the NHB
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and the new King James. The ESV uses the word test, But
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for the longest time the English world had only one translation
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and so it would read this way. Listen to these references in
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Psalm One, O 6 verse 14 But lusted exceedingly in the
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wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
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Tempted God in the desert. Deuteronomy 616.
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In the King James. Ye shall not tempt the Lord your
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God, as ye tempted him in Masa. God cannot be tempted.
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Well, I had my devotions in Psalm One O 6 14 and I felt like
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using the King James today. And I read that God was tempted
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in the desert. Earlier I was reading
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Deuteronomy 616. I realized that they were
26:57
commanded not to tempt the Lord your God because they did tempt
27:00
him earlier in master. So never mind this issue of
27:04
Christ now we probably have a contradiction in our bibles.
27:08
That is not the case. The way we make sense of this is
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simply in the following manner. The answer lies in our
27:14
understanding of the function of temptation and the function of
27:18
temptation. There are two ways you and I can
27:21
be enticed to sin. There's an internal enticement
27:26
and an external enticement. The internal enticement comes
27:31
from our sin nature. You have evil and I have evil
27:35
imaginations. We have lustful inclinations.
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We have fantasies. We have plots.
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We have visitations of ideas that break God's law, and we are
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not in need of external sources to arouse those temptations,
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right? They can be further inflamed and
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excited through external means. But stick man on an island with
28:01
no technology and leave him there just with his heart and
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his mind, and he can indeed feel temptation.
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This is the internal and testament enticement.
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There is the external, of course, that comes from the
28:13
enemy of our souls, namely Satan, the world, other people.
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And what James is explaining here concerning God not being
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tempted is solely the description of the impossibility
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of an internal enticement. God cannot be tempted in that
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there are no inclinations in him to sin.
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The ones that you and I are familiar with are completely
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foreign to God because he is perfectly good and perfectly
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holy. And so God cannot be tempted and
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succumb to sin in the way you and I can through what's
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happening inside of here. Because inside of God is pure
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and clean and without spot or blemish, saying, well, that's a
28:56
very nice way of explaining it. But is that what the text says?
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Yes. James says in in James 113 God
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cannot be tempted. And then he continues to thought
29:04
in James 114. What is he saying?
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James 114 in light of temptation, this conversation
29:09
about sin. But each person is tempted when
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he is lured and enticed by what his own desire.
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So what James is focusing on now in this, in this idea of
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temptation and God not being tempted is internal allurement,
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internal enticement, internal stirrings.
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Those things are not true of God.
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And so it's totally possible to understand that Jesus, while
29:36
walking on the earth, was tempted externally, that there
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are outside sources trying to bring him to a place of
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dishonouring the Father, with his heart being completely pure
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and clean before his Father and before the world.
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God cannot be tempted, of course, internally.
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But men have attempted to test and tempt God in the Old
29:59
Testament. They try to do it when he came
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in the flesh. So this is no objection when you
30:04
understand the depth of Scripture.
30:07
Now when these basic arguments are usually given, enemies of
30:11
the gospel will tend to reach further into their arsenal and
30:14
pull out ammunition from the doctrine of the Trinity.
30:19
And they try to cast doubt and to cause confusion.
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And those who believe this truth, the truth that this Bible
30:25
testifies of. And so with that is this 4th
30:28
common objection about God becoming flesh.
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One. We talked about God cannot be a
30:32
man. Two, we talked about God cannot
30:35
change. Three we talked about God cannot
30:37
be tempted. 4th God cannot be multi personal, God cannot be
30:46
multi personal and one of the go to proof texts though we cannot
30:50
spend too much time under this category.
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One of the things that people love to latch onto and bring
30:55
before Christians is what Jesus says in many instances and one
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of the things that he said it was in John 1428.
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Let me read it to you, and you can turn there if you'd like.
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And in John 1428, Jesus declares you have heard me say to you, I
31:10
am going away, and I will come to you.
31:12
If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to
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the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
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The Father is greater than I from the lips of Jesus himself.
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I don't mean to challenge you. I don't want to come off
31:36
aggressive here, but I want you to be stirred at this time.
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If somebody comes up to you says how do you believe Jesus is God?
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Jesus himself said God is greater than him.
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How would you explain it? We need to know what we believe.
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We need to understand these things.
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Somebody asks you, hey, Jesus says God is greater than
31:56
himself. How can he be God?
31:58
Here's the objection. No one is greater than God
32:00
himself. You Christians claim that Jesus
32:02
is God. Then how can Jesus assert that
32:05
there is someone greater than him, namely God?
32:07
Isn't it clear? So we read this and we might be
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disturbed. And I would say if God, if God
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is one in essence. Listen very carefully.
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If God is one in essence while also being one in person, then
32:26
such an objection is valid. But that's not our understanding
32:30
of God. We believe God is one in
32:31
essence, but he is also three Co equal Co eternal yet distinct
32:37
persons. And if that is our view of the
32:39
Godhead, then what Jesus is doing here makes complete sense.
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With the biblical view of God, we understand that no one is
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greater than Him, but that does not negate the possibility of
32:52
there being a ranking structure within the Godhead without one
32:58
of the persons being pinned against the other as being
33:01
greater in value or worth. Because the word greater, as you
33:07
know, not just in the original language.
33:08
The word greater, and even in the English language, can mean
33:11
something besides someone being superior in terms of nature and
33:15
essence, right? I can use the word greater.
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And it doesn't have to mean that this person is worth more.
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This thing is greater in value. And you have that in the same
33:28
text in John 1428. This is what Jesus says.
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But he says something earlier in John 1412 with the same word
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greater that he used in the verse that we just read in John
33:37
1412. Look what he says to the same
33:39
disciples. Truly, truly, I say to you,
33:42
whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and
33:45
greater works than these will He do greater works?
33:50
The same word will will they do because I am going to the
33:54
Father. Now here's, here's what we have
33:56
to conclude. We have to make a decision.
33:58
Here is Jesus explained that after His resurrection,
34:01
ascension, and the empowerment of His church that the disciples
34:05
and the apostles will go out into the world and do greater
34:07
works in terms of quality, that they'll perform greater
34:12
miracles, greater demonstrations of divine power.
34:17
Or is Jesus explaining by saying they will do greater works that
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they would do so in greater not quality but quantity, That being
34:26
more in number and having more time on the earth, they would be
34:30
able to reach more people and have more opportunity than the
34:34
Lord Jesus did with his three-year tenure?
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Which one makes more sense? So already we can understand
34:40
here that the word greater does not necessarily mean greater in
34:43
terms of quality, but in quantity.
34:46
And Jesus even makes that clear here.
34:48
There's there's no debate around those two possible explanations.
34:51
Because what What does he say? He says whoever believes in me
34:54
will also do the works that I do.
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That's the quality. They're going to do the same
34:59
works that I've done. They're going to heal the sick.
35:02
They're going to cast out devils.
35:03
They're going to raise the dead. But here's where they're going
35:05
to do it in a greater way, Greater works in terms of
35:08
numeric value. They will spread across the
35:11
globe and reach places that I have not reached, and they will
35:13
do much more than I did while on earth.
35:18
The definition and application of greater already we can learn
35:22
does not necessarily have to mean superior.
35:25
And that definition is expanded even more in the Bible.
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So we heard about John the Baptist when Jesus said that no
35:32
one was greater than him, but those who are least in the
35:34
Kingdom of heaven will be greater than him in Matthew
35:38
1111. I'll just read it again for your
35:39
memory sake, he says, Truly, I say to you, among those born of
35:43
woman, there is arisen no one greater than John the Baptist,
35:46
yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater
35:48
than he. Matthew 1111.
35:51
Jesus said with the same word greater.
35:56
No one born of woman is greater than him, but those should be
35:59
under the category. Those would be included in the
36:01
Kingdom of heaven. By faith they would be greater.
36:05
How is that? Is Jesus saying that John the
36:09
Baptist is more human than others?
36:13
That John the Baptist is someone who holds greater human dignity
36:18
from those before him and those who would come after him?
36:21
Let me ask you this way. Is it totally acceptable for me
36:24
to say that the mayor of Chicago, no matter what your
36:27
opinion about him is, the mayor of Chicago is greater than me.
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Yes, you can say that. You know why you can say that?
36:36
Because in terms of status, position, and rank, he is
36:40
greater. But I am no less human than the
36:44
mayor of Chicago. I'm not least deserving less,
36:47
deserving of dignity and respect, and so it's totally
36:52
possible for me to use the word greater and denoting that
36:55
someone can have and possess greater rank than myself while
36:59
still holding the same intrinsic value and worth.
37:04
And what Jesus said about John in terms of John being greater
37:07
and those in the Kingdom being greater than, he is very similar
37:10
to how he's applying that in relation to the Father while he
37:12
was on earth by virtue of becoming man and humbling
37:17
himself to the point of being a slave, Jesus could say in terms
37:22
of position, rank and honor, the Father is greater than I, and in
37:27
the same way with the Mayor of Chicago myself as an example, I
37:31
am no less human than him. Jesus, in saying that the Father
37:34
is greater, is no less God. He is no less divine.
37:38
He's no less worthy of worship and respect and submission.
37:42
Jesus could say the Father is greater than I and still retain
37:48
the status of deity. And there will be a day, and
37:52
that day has already come, where Jesus even prayed in John 17 and
37:55
asked the Father that he would be restored to the glory that He
37:58
shared with them before the world even began.
38:01
And that He would be in that environment, after enduring
38:06
successfully his humiliation on the earth to receive praise and
38:10
recognition. And that great status that he
38:13
laid aside so that he can come into this world and save a
38:16
broken humanity. He's there now and he will be
38:20
there forever more. So Jesus could say the Father is
38:23
greater than I and it does not imply that the Father is gone
38:27
and that he is not. In the same way you can say
38:29
greater in terms of numeric value and greater in terms of
38:31
position and rank. So this is not a proof text to
38:34
say that Jesus is not divine and there are so many texts.
38:38
We know so many people take Jesus's words out of context and
38:42
if you want to, you go further than that with with John 1420.
38:44
Just read the whole chapter and you will come out with this
38:49
undeniable unquestionable conclusion that he is God.
38:53
Pray and ask my name and I'll answer it.
38:55
All these different things he says in John 14 that
38:58
emphatically defines his omnipresence and omnipotence.
39:02
He is God. God cannot be multi personal.
39:09
Of course you can be He's God. And lastly, for the sake of
39:13
time, God cannot be man. God cannot change.
39:18
God cannot be tempted. God cannot be multi personal.
39:22
God #5 cannot die. God cannot die.
39:29
This is what the objection is and many people's understanding
39:33
of death, their definition of death.
39:35
They would say that to die is to cease to exist completely, To
39:40
cease to exist completely completely.
39:44
And that's where the strength of the argument lies.
39:46
You believe that Jesus is God. How in the world can you also
39:50
say that God died on a cross? Died God, the eternal 1
39:59
self-sufficient died. And this is where mockery and
40:05
scorn tends to follow. But is it possible for us to die
40:10
and to continue to exist? Absolutely.
40:16
To be absent from the bodies to what?
40:18
Be present with the Lord. We believe that about ourselves.
40:20
And Jesus made these claims about his own death.
40:25
That confirms that even though his flesh did in fact die a real
40:30
death, he did not cease to exist.
40:32
You remember what he said in John 219 to 21, right where he
40:37
said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
40:42
And then later on that same text we're told that this temple he
40:44
spoke of his body. Did you hear Jesus words
40:47
carefully in John 219 to 21 destroy this body and who will
40:53
raise it up? Who?
40:55
Who's going to raise up Jesus body?
40:58
He said. I'm going to do it.
41:00
I myself, I'm going to do it. And it's a Trinitarian effort.
41:02
We know that the Father did it. We know that the spirit, Romans
41:05
8, the same Spirit who raised Christ Jesus from the dead,
41:08
lives in us. We know that.
41:09
But Jesus at that point at that juncture said, I will raise up
41:13
this body, destroy it, do whatever you would with it, but
41:17
I will raise it up. Implying what?
41:19
Well, hold on, your body's destroyed, but you're how are
41:21
you going to raise it up? Because though his body was
41:23
destroyed, he was still conscious and still in control.
41:29
So even Jesus nailed on the tree does not mean that he ceased to
41:33
exist as God. He said I would raise it up.
41:36
Well, how are you going to raise it up?
41:37
Because I'm still in control. I'm still conscious.
41:43
This is going according to my plan perfectly.
41:47
I had a conversation with somebody who reached out to me
41:49
years ago. They found me online, I guess,
41:53
and they knew my, my family from many years before I was even
41:56
born, I guess. And based on the language of
41:59
this person who is reaching out online, I thought, oh, this
42:02
person's a Christian. So began to speak Christianese,
42:04
you know. And I quickly realized that this
42:08
person is not a Christian. And this person wasn't reaching
42:14
out to really have an encouraging conversation.
42:17
But they have a debate, an informal one, because I guess
42:22
they heard what these messages were all about.
42:25
And we hope to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified.
42:30
You believe Jesus is God? Yes, of course I do.
42:35
One objection after the next, one objection after the next.
42:39
And it was just back and forth. And at that time something just
42:43
rushed into my mind. And this is pretty much the end
42:47
of the conversation. Can God die?
42:58
Of course not. God is spirit.
43:00
God is eternally existing. OK, OK.
43:03
Does God have blood? That was the question.
43:09
Does God have blood? Of course he doesn't have blood.
43:18
He's spirits, and on and on and on, I said.
43:20
Then explain to me this verse, and this is the verse that I
43:24
call you to turn to in Acts 20 and verse 28.
43:38
Paul the Apostle to the elders of the Church of Ephesus.
43:42
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock
43:46
in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.
43:50
To care for the Church of God, to care for the Church of God,
43:54
to care for the Church of God which he obtained with his own
44:00
blood. Whose blood are we speaking
44:04
about here? The blood of God in the person
44:08
of Jesus Christ. Does God have blood?
44:10
Yes, in nature His Spirit. But he took on a body, and in
44:14
that body there was blood, and that blood would be shed.
44:19
And through that shed blood there would be forgiveness,
44:21
redemption, restoration, salvation.
44:24
Yes. And so in that there was like
44:33
the text bubble. No text bubble.
44:35
Text bubble. No text bubble.
44:36
That was it. Because the Bible declares that
44:40
our God did become man and he became man.
44:43
Because in his great love for men he died.
44:48
And that dying you would have life, and dying you would have
44:53
hope, and dying you would have forgiveness of sin.
44:55
And dying you would have a body glorified, prepared to enjoy the
45:01
bliss and the joy that can only emanate from a good and perfect
45:07
and holy God. A body prepared to be embraced
45:11
by this God who we will look at forever.
45:15
And when we see His hands and it's tight in his feet, we will
45:17
always remember what he did for us to be in His presence.
45:25
Do you know this Jesus Christ whom I declare to you today?
45:29
Or you might be familiar with him.
45:30
Yet you can be familiar with celebrities and your favorite
45:33
sports teams and know where they went to college, what their
45:35
stats are. It doesn't mean they know you or
45:37
you know them. I'm not asking if you know
45:39
statistics about Christianity, nor am I asking you if you are
45:42
familiar with the truths about Jesus.
45:45
Maybe you knew everything that I just said.
45:46
You can know all these things and still go to hell because
45:52
your faith is demon faith. It's not a faith that submits to
45:56
God. It's not a faith that recognizes
45:57
His Lordship that causes you to repent and to put your trust in
46:01
him. And so you might be able to
46:05
prove the Trinity, you might be able to wax eloquence of
46:07
concerning the person of Jesus Christ.
46:09
But does he live in your heart? Does he live in your heart?
46:14
Are you assured that this Christ who cannot be refuted this book,
46:19
this truth that has gone through scrutiny throughout human
46:23
history, still stands today? Are you convinced that if you
46:27
stand before this holy loving God that he will know you?
46:32
If you are not confident of that, what's more important to
46:36
this God than you having a wealth of knowledge, even
46:39
theological knowledge, is if you know him, If you have bended the
46:41
knee and surrendered to him and said I need forgiveness, and you
46:45
know that he's given to you because his word says so.
46:48
And now you know your heart has been made new because when you
46:50
say yes to Christ, he doesn't just come and stamp something on
46:53
you invisibly. He transforms you from the
46:54
inside out and people say what happened to you?
47:00
Now you have this insatiable desire for the word of God.
47:02
Now things that were so boring and dull and grim to you are the
47:05
ultimate thing for you in this life.
47:08
To worship him, serve him and make him known perfectly.
47:11
No, we're imperfect. Thank you for the blood.
47:15
Christianity is not about you become instantly perfect, but it
47:18
is about you having new heart, direction, and it's all based
47:23
upon faith. It's all the gift of grace.
47:26
What's this Christmas season about?
47:29
It's about what you just heard. Christ coming into the world,
47:33
taking on flesh, humbling himself as a babe, growing up as
47:37
a child and then a teenager and then into adulthood so his body
47:40
would be prepared to be a sacrifice for you.
47:44
That's what this is about. I know it's cute, I know it's
47:47
warm and fuzzy. I know we decorate and it's
47:49
nice. I know we have jingles in the
47:51
air and it's it's light hearted. But Christmas is about blood.
47:59
It is. It's about God having a body so
48:03
that he can bleed. And that blood would cover you
48:05
and wash you of all your sins. That's what Christians would
48:09
love. So if you've not received Jesus
48:16
Christ as Lord, that is the greatest gift you can receive on
48:20
this side of heaven. And as much as it is a free
48:23
gift, can I tell you something in great love?
48:25
It has an expiration date on it. We are not universalists.
48:31
We're God and His great love, No matter what you believe will one
48:33
day bringing everybody into the fold, No, there is a time limit
48:37
and while you have breath, you can accept this gift.
48:42
But the moment that you are absent from this body and you
48:46
stand before him, you won't be able to have that chance to
48:48
receive the gift. That's why you need to answer
48:50
this today and give your life to Christ.
48:53
Believer, do not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
48:58
Do not be intimidated by objections.
49:02
If this book is true, we believe it is true.
49:04
All it requires is some investigation and some hunger to
49:08
to know more. And you will be further assured
49:13
that you are serving and following the true God, Jesus
49:16
Christ as Lord Lord. We thank you for this time and
49:19
we worship you as a family. Thank you for the word that has
49:23
nourished us. Thank you, Lord, that though
49:28
this is in fact about the gospel, we have every right to
49:30
feel warm and at peace and excited this time of the year,
49:36
and maybe always for the reason that you intended it to be, that
49:39
we would remember our salvation is in Christ and Lord.
49:43
We ask for the visitor who might not know you.
49:46
They would leave here with the overwhelming sense that they
49:49
must seek you and they will give their lives to you.
49:54
We pray, Lord, that your spirit will do what no man can do in
49:57
dealing with the human heart, the deepest parts of who we are.
50:00
Again for the believer, the believer who might be familiar,
50:04
may there be fresh fire in their bellies to realize again that we
50:08
have the truth in our hands and we serve the true and living
50:11
God. We pray for our neighbors, our
50:13
friends who do not know Christ, who might even have given these
50:16
objections to us at some point. Would you touch them this
50:18
Christmas season? Would you open their eyes to see
50:21
that salvation can only come from God, not by our own efforts
50:25
or participation? May they realize it, Lord, may
50:28
they realize that somehow, someway in your Providence, use
50:31
pastors across this land, church services across the world, and
50:36
may you providentially lead lost souls in those places so that
50:39
they can hear the gospel and beyond church services.
50:42
Lord, use our lives. Help us be equipped so that we
50:45
can be light and that people can see that we in fact do have the
50:49
truth. Lord, for those this season who
50:55
do not anticipate this time of the year because it invites
50:57
memories of pain and loneliness, but would you comfort them?
51:05
Family members who are no longer with us?
51:09
Maybe situations and family that have caused hurt and division
51:13
and separation. Lord, we just ask that your
51:16
presence, Lord, would flood every home and that we would be
51:19
comforted by you. We just ask for those who are
51:23
hurting now. And though they might have
51:27
salvation, we pray that they would receive your healing touch
51:29
and that they would know that you are with them and that you
51:32
love them, and that you see every tear, you see every ache
51:35
of the heart, and that, Lord, you have not forgotten about
51:38
them. Lord, we need you more than
51:41
gifts, more than the newest and the latest.
51:43
We need your presence. Give us your presence.
51:46
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
51:48
Amen. Amen.
51:50
Yes, my heart is so full to see you here worshipping the Lord
51:59
Jesus with us. And at this time we will give a
52:01
final song to him and give him glory.
52:06
I want to encourage you today that if something touched you in
52:08
the service where you say I want to give my life to Christ,
52:10
here's the beauty about what we believe.
52:12
You can speak to God even now. You don't have to go through any
52:16
minister. You don't have to go through any
52:17
person, any religious hoops. In this time, as the song is
52:20
being played and people are singing, you can speak to the
52:23
Lord Jesus who is alive and well.
52:26
And the moment that you give your heart to him, you will be
52:28
justified, you'll be forgiven, you'll be redeemed.
52:31
And if it's a true confession followed by repentance, then you
52:35
will leave here knowing that you have been changed.
52:37
The Bible says that the spirit of God bears witness with our
52:40
spirit that we are children of God.
52:42
There will be a supernatural confirmation the depths of your
52:45
soul that you have been saved. Just speak to him, confess your
52:49
sin to him. Repent, believer.
52:51
You've been saved and you're reminded that this month.
52:53
So give him glory. Let's stand together and give
52:55
him glory.