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The Five Solas (2017): Soli Deo Gloria · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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This is a copy of God's Word, which I hope you have with you, that it's well read and treasured in your heart.
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Turn with me to the book of Romans chapter 11, verse 33.
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Today we're going to conclude our series on the solas of the Reformation.
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And I'm going to preach from selected texts today.
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I'm going to bounce this around a lot, which is not typically what I enjoy doing.
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But I think to deal with the glory of God alone, we need to do so thematically this morning.
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And so I want to begin our study with a reading from Romans 11, verses 33 through 36.
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And then we're going to leave it.
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I'll probably read it again in summary.
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But I just want you to know, don't be thrown off when you go,
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wait, Nathan's not talking about Romans 11, 33 through 36.
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We'll bring other scripture.
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And I want you to get ready, nimble fingers, to turn to other places with me this morning.
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But I hope that this text will help draw your mind to the glory of God and the salvation of His people.
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As Paul has spent the first 11 chapters of this great letter to the church in Rome,
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outlining what the gospel is.
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Our great need for justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
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And then he writes this, beginning in verse 33 and following.
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Oh, the depths of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God.
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How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways.
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For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been His counselor?
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Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?
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For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
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To Him be glory forever.
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Amen.
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On Tuesday, we will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
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Specifically, on the 31st, we celebrate the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses
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to the door of the Wittenberg Church.
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The 95 theses was a document outlining 95 reasons why the selling of indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church
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was not biblical.
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The prologue to this document reads as follows.
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Out of love for the truth and from desire to explain it,
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the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology,
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an ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg,
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intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place.
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Therefore, he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally
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shall do so in their absence by letter.
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In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Amen.
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So we outlined his reasons and we will not get into them,
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although you can find good English translations of them all over the place.
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It's online.
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It's especially easy to Google search this month.
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One of the major concerns that Martin Luther had was that the selling of indulgences,
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the teaching that justification could come by works of one kind or another,
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were a degradation to the glory of God.
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That maximized man and his work and it minimized God's working.
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What precipitated from this document ignited a flame of doctrinal purification in Europe.
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And we are beneficiaries of this purification.
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God used the reformation in mighty ways that we might believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Now, much of the reformers' teaching has been summed up systematically in what are known as the solas.
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The reformers didn't write it systematically in the way that we are studying it across these past weeks.
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But we've brought it together.
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We've encapsulated it in this way.
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The reformers loved the word alone or only because recall that they were speaking to audiences that considered themselves Christian.
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There was not opposition in the day to Scripture or grace or faith or Christ or the glory of God.
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But there was so much addition to or subtraction from these key doctrines that the reformers loved to say only.
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So a number of weeks ago, five weeks ago, we picked up the topic of sola scriptura.
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That is to say that the Bible is our final authority.
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It's the reigning authority over all other authorities.
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So the Scripture alone is our authority.
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And it teaches us that we are justified, have a right standing before God by grace alone, sola gratia,
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through faith alone, sola fide, with the proper object of that faith being Christ,
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in Christ alone, sola Christus.
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And all things are for the glory of God alone, sola deo gloria.
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As we end this series with a consideration of sola deo gloria,
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know that we very well could have began our series with it.
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God's glory is His renown or His fame.
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And while we cannot make God more glorious than He already is,
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we can mitigate it in our own hearts and to the detriment of others.
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This was the predominant issue of the Reformation.
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The glory of God expressed in the life of the church.
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What do we believe to be true?
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And how does our doctrine either shed a proper light on the glory of God
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or lessen it, in a sense I'll get into momentarily?
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A book I want to commend to you, but I'm not going to give to you, this morning anyway,
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written by John Piper in a series he did called The Swans Are Not Silence.
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There's a series of biographies.
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This one's called The Legacy of Sovereign Joy.
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He writes of an example from John Calvin's life.
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He writes,
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In 1538, the Italian cardinal Sadele wrote to the leaders of Geneva
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trying to win them back to the Roman Catholic Church
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after they had turned to the Reformed teachings.
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He began his letter with a long conciliatory section
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on the preciousness of eternal life
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before coming to his accusations of the Reformation.
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Calvin wrote the response to Sadele in six days in the fall of 1539.
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It was one of his earliest writings
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and spread his name as a Reformer across Europe.
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Luther read it and said,
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Here is a writing which has hands and feet.
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I rejoice that God raises up such men.
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So Calvin writes this response to this cardinal
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who's trying to draw the Reformer leaders back to Roman Catholicism.
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And his response to a teaching that said
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that justification was not by grace through faith in Christ
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was this, and I quote,
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Your zeal for heavenly life is a zeal which keeps a man
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entirely devoted to himself
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and does not, even by one expression,
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arouse him to sanctify the name of God.
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There he goes on to say that the goal of every person's life
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ought to be to set before man
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as the prime motive of his existence
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zeal to illustrate the glory of God.
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To make much of God.
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To know God as he is
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and to help others to know God as he is.
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This was the great cry of the Reformation.
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So we could have also started with
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Soli Deo Gloria,
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but it's also apt to end with this theme,
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this idea of to God alone be the glory.
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Now the Bible reveals God's glory in two ways.
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And this will be the outline for our study this morning.
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The Bible reveals God's glory in two ways.
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Number one,
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as God's intrinsic reality.
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God is glorious.
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And number two,
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as the external manifestation of God's glory.
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So his glory expressed in the world.
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Number one is God's intrinsic reality.
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And number two,
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as the external manifestation of God's glory.
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So number one,
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God's glory expressed as God's intrinsic reality.
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In the Old Testament,
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the primary Hebrew word for glory,
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which is pronounced,
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I believe,
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kabod,
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meant a heavy weight.
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Such as a rich man's possessions,
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which,
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when weighed,
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added up to a great deal of weight.
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The richer he was,
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the more his possessions would weigh.
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With this wealth came a degree of clout,
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or a heavy influence upon others in the community.
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Thus,
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glory came to represent the greatness of a man,
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which commanded the respect of others.
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So not just how well a man would be known,
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not famous like people are famous in our day,
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and then they try to have influence on people,
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right?
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But famous for being famous in some respects.
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But this is a fame that has influence.
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God's weight,
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or glory,
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is the greatness of who he is.
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His glory is the awesome gravity of his name.
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I am who I am.
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The infinite wealth of his divine attributes,
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as is found in his holiness,
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his sovereignty,
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his wrath,
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his justice,
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his grace,
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his goodness,
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and so on.
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Every aspect of his character
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is immeasurably heavy,
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weighty,
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incomparably great,
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beyond any human's character,
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or ability.
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Being absolutely perfect,
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God is awesome in every way.
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Steve Lawson,
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who's a contemporary pastor,
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told the following account in an article
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concerning the intrinsic reality of God's glory.
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He wrote this.
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Years ago,
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Donald Gray Barnhouse,
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pastor of 10th Presbyterian Church
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in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
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delivered a message that aired on CBC radio.
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In this national address,
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the noted Bible teacher speculated
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about what would be
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the most diabolical strategy
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that Satan could employ
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against the church
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in the years to come.
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You catch that?
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He said,
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this is what I think
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would be most diabolical
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that Satan could do
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as a strategy against the church.
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To the astonishment of many listeners,
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Barnhouse imagined
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that all of the bars in Philadelphia
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would be closed.
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Prostitutes would no longer walk the streets.
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pornography would no longer be available.
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The streets would be clean
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and all the city neighborhoods
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would be filled with law-abiding citizens.
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All swearing and cursing would be gone.
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Children would respectfully say,
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yes, sir, and no, ma'am.
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Every church in town,
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Barnhouse added,
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would be packed to overflowing.
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There would not be one church pew
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that could not contain one more citizen.
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What, you ask,
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could be wrong with this?
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Barnhouse then delivered
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the knockout punch.
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The deadliest,
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most diabolical danger,
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he said,
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would be that in each of these
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filled-to-capacity sanctuaries,
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Jesus Christ would never be preached
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and the glory of God
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would never be exalted.
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And beloved,
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this is all too true
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in many of our churches today.
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I have actually found myself
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in these past five weeks
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feeling a heaviness
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about the state of American Christianity.
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the degree to which
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the heirs of Rome
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have slipped into
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our evangelical churches.
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The magnitude
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of a soft prosperity gospel.
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Many call it
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moralistic, therapeutic deism,
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which goes something like this,
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and you can pick this up
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in so many sermons today.
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Do good
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so that you'll feel good
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so that you'll get good.
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Next Sunday,
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we're going to
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I hesitate on the word celebrate.
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We're going to gather together
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and consider
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the persecuted church
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as it's the International Day of Prayer
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for the persecuted church.
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Try to preach that garbage
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at some places in the world.
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Some of our pastors today,
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great theologians,
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well-studied,
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doctors of theology,
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would be shut down
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by the simple faith
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of suffering Christians.
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around the world.
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That they would say to them,
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oh, but to be like Christ.
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This past week,
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a church called
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First Baptist Dallas,
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pastored by a man
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named Robert Jeffers,
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Dr. Robert Jeffers,
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a church that is part
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of our denomination,
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invited Sean Hannity
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to come and be interviewed
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as part of the preaching.
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This is last week.
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Because he is the executive producer
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of a film,
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a faith-based film,
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Sean Hannity has,
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for a long time,
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espoused himself
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as a Roman Catholic.
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So he sits on the stage
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talking to Dr. Jeffers
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and proceeds to talk about
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how he's not sure
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if he really considers himself
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a Catholic any longer,
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but more a,
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and I quote,
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born-again Christian.
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And then he goes on
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to talk about
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how the ill feelings
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he would have
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as a young man
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after partying all night,
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he'd wake up feeling horrible.
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He thought was God
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working and speaking
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in his conscience.
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And so he stopped
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doing those things.
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He stopped partying.
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He started hanging out
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with other people.
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He stopped working
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in the restaurant industry.
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He started working
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in the construction industry
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instead.
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And he finds that
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if he just will listen
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to this conscience
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God telling him,
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helping him to do
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good things,
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that he feels good.
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You're hearing
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do good
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and the feel good
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in there.
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And at the conclusion
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of this,
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Dr. Robert Jeffers
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says to him,
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brother,
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I am so glad
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that I'm going to see you
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in heaven one day.
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Trampled the gospel
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of Jesus Christ.
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Justification by,
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through grace,
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by grace alone,
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through faith alone
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in Christ.
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Alone.
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A horrible travesty.
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And I hope you feel that.
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I hope that you don't go,
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I don't really understand
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what's bad about that.
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Sean Hannity said,
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I'm earning my way
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to heaven.
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And a Southern Baptist pastor,
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a well-known,
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outspoken,
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published Southern Baptist pastor
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said,
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yeah,
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you sure are.
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Dr. Jeffers
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helped damn
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Sean Hannity
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this past Sunday
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did not speak
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clearly to him
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the gospel
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of Jesus Christ
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and they were applauded.
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It makes me tremble.
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I'm so afraid
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for American Christianity.
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God's glory
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may have already
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left our churches.
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He may have already
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moved on
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places like China
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where it's reported
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that 10,000 people
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come to faith
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every day.
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He may have already
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left us
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to this
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diabolical
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strategy
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of Satan.
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let this not be
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true
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of us.
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Despite all of this,
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despite the troubling
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state of American
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Christianity,
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God
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is
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glorious.
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He is
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intrinsically
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glorious.
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Nothing that we
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feel,
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think,
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say,
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or do
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will add
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to or subtract
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from God's
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intrinsic
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glory.
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King David
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declares
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in Psalm
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138,
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verse 5,
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great
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is the
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glory
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of the
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Lord.
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In Ephesians
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3,
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16,
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the Apostle
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Paul
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asks that
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the Ephesian
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believers
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be strengthened
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with power
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according
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to the
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riches
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of God's
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glory.
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In Isaiah
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42,
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8,
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God says,
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I am the
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Lord,
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that is
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my name,
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my glory,
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I give
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to no
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other.
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So God
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is himself
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glorious.
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And not only
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that,
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but we see
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in Isaiah
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42,
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8,
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that he
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is a
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glory
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miser.
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And this
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is good
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for us
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because we
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are glory
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thieves.
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We love
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to have
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glory for
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our self,
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to be made
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famous,
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to have
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influence
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for us.
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We're always
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wanting to make
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more of ourselves
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than we ought
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to,
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and in
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so doing,
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make little
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of God.
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God
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is
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weighty,
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whether or
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not we want
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him to be,
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and so
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God is
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right in
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being zealous
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for his
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own fame.
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Beloved,
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it is so good
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for us that
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God is
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God-centered,
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that God is a
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miser of his
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own glory
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because he
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is
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God.
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God.
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It would
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always be
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wrong for
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any one
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of us
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to try
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to heap
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up glory
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for
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ourselves
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because we
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are not
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God.
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But God
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himself,
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the Lord,
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the great
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I am,
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the self-existent
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one,
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the intrinsically
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glorious
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one,
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would do us
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no favor
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allowing us
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to have glory
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for ourselves.
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He does
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us
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infinite
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favor
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in showing
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us
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how glorious
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he is,
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pointing to
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himself
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all the time
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and in so
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many ways.
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Look at
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me,
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the glorious
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one.
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And that
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we get this
20:13
right is so
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important.
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That in our
20:16
thinking and
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therefore in our
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living,
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God is
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huge and
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we are but
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tiny.
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God is
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glorious and
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we are
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humble.
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It's a
20:28
massive
20:29
importance.
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A.W.
20:31
Tozer said,
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what comes
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into our
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minds when
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we think
20:34
about God
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is the
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most
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important
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thing
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about us.
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So,
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is God
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glorious
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in your
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mind?
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Is his
20:44
holiness,
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his
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separateness
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from us
20:47
massive
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to you?
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Is it
20:50
humbling
20:50
to consider
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God?
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If not,
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I would
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suggest to
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you that
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you do
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not know
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the God
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of the
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Bible.
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Get into
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the
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Scripture
20:59
and read
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about this
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glorious
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God.
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But also,
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we come to
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the second
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way that
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the glory
21:08
of God
21:08
is revealed
21:09
as the
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external
21:12
manifestation
21:13
of God's
21:14
glory.
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So we have
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his glory
21:16
in the
21:16
Scripture.
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We can
21:17
behold his
21:17
intrinsic
21:18
glory in
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the Bible.
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But also,
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in the Bible,
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we're taught
21:22
other ways
21:23
in which
21:24
and ways
21:24
in which
21:25
we read
21:25
it in
21:26
the Scripture,
21:26
the external
21:27
manifestation
21:28
of God's
21:29
glory.
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And I
21:30
have four
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ways in
21:32
which he
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manifests his
21:33
glory
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externally.
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Number one,
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God has
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manifested and
21:39
is manifesting
21:40
his glory
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in his
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creation.
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So we
21:44
look around
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us.
21:46
The beauty,
21:46
I'm glad to
21:47
do this in
21:48
October because
21:49
things are really
21:50
beautiful right
21:51
now.
21:52
Are they not?
21:52
We live in a
21:53
beautiful place.
21:54
It gets
21:54
ignited with
21:55
beauty for a
21:56
couple of
21:56
weeks in
21:57
October.
21:58
I'm told you
21:59
should drive
22:00
north this
22:00
week, not
22:01
too far, and
22:02
the leaves are
22:04
just an
22:05
astounding
22:05
color right
22:07
now.
22:09
Beholding the
22:10
manifest glory
22:10
of God comes
22:11
in so many
22:12
ways in his
22:14
creation.
22:16
The psalmist
22:17
says in Psalm
22:17
19, 1-4,
22:18
the heavens
22:18
declare the
22:19
glory of God
22:20
and the sky
22:20
above proclaim
22:22
his handiwork.
22:24
Day to day
22:25
it pours out
22:27
speech and
22:27
night to
22:28
night reveals
22:29
knowledge.
22:31
There is no
22:31
speech, there
22:32
are their
22:33
words whose
22:34
voice is not
22:34
heard.
22:35
Their voice
22:35
goes out
22:36
through all
22:37
the earth
22:37
and their
22:38
words to
22:39
the end
22:39
of the
22:40
world.
22:40
So we
22:41
behold the
22:42
manifest glory
22:42
of God
22:43
in creation
22:44
and standing
22:45
at the edge
22:46
of the Grand
22:47
Canyon on
22:48
the north
22:48
rim watching
22:48
the sun
22:49
rise, in
22:51
catching a
22:52
brook trout
22:53
in a North
22:53
Georgia stream,
22:56
in skein,
22:58
heavy,
23:00
powdery
23:00
drift.
23:01
We see the
23:02
glory of God
23:03
and the
23:03
beauty of
23:05
his creation.
23:07
Psalm 104
23:08
verse 24 and
23:09
25 and then
23:10
verse 31,
23:12
psalmist says,
23:13
O Lord,
23:14
how manifold
23:15
are your works.
23:16
in wisdom
23:17
have you made
23:18
them all.
23:19
The earth
23:19
is full
23:20
of your
23:21
creatures.
23:22
Here is the
23:23
sea, great
23:24
and wide,
23:25
which teems
23:25
with creatures
23:26
innumerable,
23:27
living things
23:28
both small
23:29
and great.
23:31
May the
23:31
glory of the
23:32
Lord endure
23:33
forever.
23:34
May the
23:34
Lord rejoice
23:36
in his
23:37
works.
23:40
Paul writes
23:41
in Romans
23:41
chapter 1
23:42
verse 20,
23:43
of God
23:44
for his
23:44
invisible
23:45
attributes,
23:47
namely his
23:48
eternal
23:48
power and
23:50
divine nature
23:51
have been
23:52
clearly perceived
23:53
ever since the
23:55
creation of the
23:55
world in the
23:56
things that
23:57
have been
23:58
made.
23:59
God has
24:00
manifested
24:01
and is
24:02
manifesting
24:03
his glory
24:04
in his
24:05
creation.
24:07
And beloved,
24:07
we do well
24:08
when we enjoy
24:09
these types
24:10
of things,
24:11
but when we
24:12
begin to worship
24:12
the things
24:13
themselves,
24:14
we become
24:14
idolaters.
24:15
sometimes our
24:16
worship doesn't
24:16
go quite
24:17
high enough.
24:19
It needs
24:19
to go above
24:20
and beyond
24:21
the God
24:22
who made
24:23
these things.
24:25
This feels
24:26
a bit like
24:26
an obligatory
24:27
plug,
24:29
but maybe
24:29
once a year
24:30
I need to
24:30
say something
24:30
about football
24:31
because I
24:32
hear that's
24:32
what pastors
24:33
do.
24:37
Yesterday,
24:37
for UGA
24:38
fans,
24:38
it was a
24:39
pretty big
24:40
deal that
24:41
UGA beat
24:42
the Florida
24:43
Gators.
24:43
I had to
24:44
rehearse
24:45
that line
24:45
in my
24:46
head,
24:46
just so
24:46
you know.
24:47
I looked
24:48
it up
24:48
this morning
24:48
for your
24:50
benefit.
24:51
We don't
24:52
do well
24:53
when we
24:53
stop at
24:54
worshiping
24:55
UGA
24:56
football,
24:57
but we
24:58
do well
24:58
when we
24:58
enjoy UGA
24:59
football and
25:00
the God
25:01
who created
25:01
the incredible
25:02
athleticism of
25:03
these people.
25:04
We're created
25:06
as people
25:07
who worship.
25:07
We are
25:08
drawn to
25:09
look at
25:10
magnificent
25:10
things,
25:12
amazing
25:13
feats.
25:14
It happens
25:15
naturally.
25:16
There's an
25:16
impulse in
25:17
all of us
25:17
to do
25:17
that.
25:18
It channels
25:19
in all
25:19
kinds of
25:20
ways,
25:20
but every
25:21
bit of
25:22
it ought
25:22
to be
25:23
aimed
25:23
at the
25:24
glory of
25:24
God.
25:26
God
25:27
made
25:27
all
25:28
things.
25:29
Those
25:29
things that
25:29
are admirable
25:30
are to
25:31
pull our
25:31
minds
25:32
to Him.
25:34
So God
25:34
has manifested
25:35
and is
25:35
manifesting
25:36
His glory
25:36
in His
25:37
creation.
25:39
More
25:40
particularly,
25:41
number two,
25:41
God has
25:42
manifested
25:42
and is
25:43
manifesting
25:44
His glory
25:44
in the
25:45
person
25:45
of Jesus
25:47
Christ.
25:49
God
25:49
Himself
25:50
condescended
25:52
to become
25:52
a man.
25:54
Came as a
25:55
baby in a
25:56
manger,
25:57
so humble,
25:59
the son
25:59
of a
26:00
carpenter
26:00
in a
26:01
little town
26:02
called
26:03
Nazareth.
26:04
Colossians
26:07
1,
26:07
15-18.
26:10
Paul says
26:11
this of
26:11
this
26:11
Jesus,
26:13
Jesus
26:13
Christ
26:14
is the
26:15
image
26:15
of the
26:16
invisible
26:16
God,
26:18
the
26:18
firstborn
26:19
of all
26:19
creation.
26:21
For by
26:21
Him all
26:22
things were
26:23
created in
26:24
heaven and
26:24
on earth,
26:25
visible and
26:26
invisible,
26:27
whether
26:28
thrones or
26:28
dominions or
26:29
rulers or
26:30
authorities,
26:31
all things
26:32
were created
26:32
through Him
26:33
and for
26:34
Him.
26:35
And He
26:36
is before
26:36
all things
26:37
and in
26:38
Him all
26:39
things hold
26:40
together.
26:42
And He is
26:42
the head of
26:42
the body,
26:43
the church,
26:43
He is the
26:44
beginning,
26:44
the firstborn
26:45
from the
26:46
dead,
26:46
that in
26:47
everything He
26:48
might be
26:49
preeminent.
26:51
Now you need
26:51
to hear that
26:52
closing phrase,
26:53
not that He
26:53
possibly could
26:54
be first,
26:56
but that He
26:56
will be
26:58
first,
26:59
supreme,
27:00
exalted,
27:02
glorified.
27:04
Hebrews 1,
27:05
3,
27:07
the writer of
27:07
Hebrews says,
27:08
Jesus is the
27:09
radiance of
27:10
the glory of
27:11
God and
27:13
the exact
27:13
imprint of
27:15
His nature,
27:16
and He
27:17
upholds the
27:18
universe by
27:19
the word of
27:20
His power.
27:21
So God has
27:22
manifested and
27:23
is manifesting
27:24
His glory in
27:24
the very
27:25
person of
27:27
Jesus Christ.
27:28
And so when
27:29
we see
27:30
Jesus,
27:31
we see the
27:32
glory of
27:34
God.
27:36
Thirdly,
27:36
God has
27:37
manifested and
27:37
is manifesting
27:38
His glory in
27:39
the work of
27:40
Jesus Christ,
27:43
namely the
27:43
salvation of
27:45
His people.
27:46
So this
27:46
Jesus who
27:46
came and
27:47
lived a
27:48
perfect life
27:49
on our
27:50
behalf,
27:50
that we
27:51
might fulfill
27:52
the righteous
27:53
requirement of
27:54
the law,
27:55
we would have
27:56
His righteousness
27:56
imputed,
27:58
given to
27:59
us,
28:00
who died a
28:01
sinner's death,
28:02
the greatest
28:02
tragedy of
28:04
all history,
28:06
that He was
28:07
punished for
28:09
us in our
28:10
stead.
28:10
He bore the
28:10
wrath of God
28:11
on our
28:11
behalf,
28:13
was buried
28:13
three days
28:14
later,
28:14
raised again,
28:16
that by grace
28:17
through faith
28:18
in His person
28:19
and work,
28:20
we can be
28:21
saved.
28:21
God has
28:22
manifested and
28:23
is manifesting
28:24
His glory in
28:25
this.
28:27
Just listen to
28:28
some of what
28:28
Scripture says
28:29
concerning it.
28:30
Psalm 96,
28:32
2-4,
28:33
Sing to the
28:34
Lord,
28:35
bless His
28:35
name,
28:36
tell of His
28:37
salvation from
28:38
day to day,
28:40
declare His
28:41
glory among
28:41
the nations,
28:42
His marvelous
28:43
works among
28:44
all the
28:44
peoples,
28:45
for great is
28:46
the Lord and
28:47
greatly to be
28:48
praised.
28:49
He is to be
28:50
feared above
28:51
all gods.
28:53
Or Isaiah
28:53
43,
28:54
6-7,
28:55
God says,
28:56
I will say
28:56
to the north,
28:57
give up,
28:58
and to the
28:59
south,
28:59
do not
29:00
withhold.
29:01
Bring my
29:01
sons from
29:02
afar,
29:02
my daughters
29:03
from the
29:03
end of
29:04
the earth,
29:05
everyone who
29:05
is called
29:06
by my
29:06
name,
29:07
whom I
29:07
created
29:08
for my
29:09
glory,
29:10
whom I
29:11
formed
29:11
and made.
29:14
Or Ephesians
29:15
chapter 1,
29:15
verse 3,
29:17
and following,
29:19
blessed be the
29:20
God and
29:20
Father of our
29:20
Lord Jesus
29:21
Christ,
29:21
who has
29:22
blessed us
29:23
in Christ
29:24
with every
29:24
spiritual
29:25
blessing in
29:25
the heavenly
29:26
places,
29:27
even as He
29:27
chose us in
29:28
Him before
29:29
the foundation
29:29
of the world,
29:30
that we
29:30
should be
29:31
holy and
29:31
blameless
29:32
before Him.
29:34
In love,
29:34
He predestined
29:35
us for
29:35
adoption to
29:36
Himself as
29:37
sons through
29:38
Jesus Christ,
29:39
according to
29:40
the purpose
29:41
of His
29:41
will.
29:42
And then
29:42
verse 6,
29:42
so all of
29:43
this working
29:44
together,
29:44
God working,
29:46
verse 6,
29:47
to the praise
29:48
of His
29:49
glorious
29:50
grace.
29:53
Paul again,
29:54
2 Corinthians
29:55
chapter 4,
29:56
verse 6,
29:58
For God
29:59
who said,
30:01
let light
30:01
shine out
30:02
of darkness,
30:04
has shown in
30:04
our hearts
30:05
to give the
30:06
light of the
30:07
knowledge of
30:08
the glory of
30:09
God in the
30:11
face of
30:12
Jesus Christ.
30:14
If we have
30:15
beheld Him
30:16
in His
30:18
person and
30:19
His work,
30:19
we have
30:20
seen the
30:20
glory of
30:22
God and
30:23
it is now
30:23
given to
30:23
us to
30:24
help others
30:25
see the
30:26
glory of
30:27
God.
30:29
Spurgeon
30:30
quote of
30:31
the week,
30:32
it would
30:32
seem,
30:32
that's on
30:33
the front
30:33
of your
30:33
bulletin,
30:34
he said
30:34
this,
30:35
we endeavor
30:36
to glorify
30:37
Him now
30:37
by our
30:38
actions,
30:39
but then
30:40
He will be
30:41
glorified in
30:41
our own
30:42
persons,
30:44
in the fact
30:44
that we are
30:45
redeemed ones
30:46
of God,
30:46
He will be
30:47
glorified,
30:49
and character
30:50
and condition.
30:52
He is glorified
30:53
by what we
30:53
do,
30:54
but He is
30:55
at the last
30:56
to be glorified
30:58
in what
30:59
we are,
31:01
because He
31:02
made us.
31:04
We are saved
31:04
by grace alone,
31:05
through faith alone,
31:07
in Christ alone.
31:09
Regeneration
31:10
preceded our
31:11
faith, I would
31:12
contend,
31:13
and so all
31:14
praise is due,
31:16
to Christ.
31:19
Fourthly,
31:19
and lastly,
31:21
God has
31:21
manifested,
31:22
and is
31:23
manifesting
31:23
His glory
31:24
in the work
31:26
of His
31:27
church.
31:28
So having
31:29
been saved
31:29
by Christ,
31:30
now being
31:31
empowered by
31:31
His Spirit,
31:33
we are
31:33
about the
31:34
work of
31:35
bringing
31:37
honor and
31:37
glory to
31:38
God.
31:38
And do you
31:39
see the two
31:39
ways that it's
31:40
taught in the
31:41
Scripture?
31:42
God is Himself
31:42
glorious,
31:43
we can't
31:44
add to
31:45
that glory,
31:46
but we can
31:46
show Him
31:47
more as
31:48
He is.
31:50
John Piper
31:51
has this great
31:52
little analogy.
31:52
He talks about
31:53
magnifying God
31:55
being the same
31:56
as glorifying
31:57
God.
31:58
He talks about
31:58
how there's two
31:59
types of
31:59
magnification.
32:00
The type of
32:01
magnification that
32:02
a microscope
32:03
does makes
32:04
very tiny things
32:05
look bigger
32:06
than they really
32:07
are.
32:08
Sometimes people
32:08
think in this way
32:09
wrongly about
32:10
glorifying God.
32:11
God is not a
32:12
tiny thing
32:12
who needs
32:13
your help
32:13
to be made
32:14
look bigger.
32:16
But there's
32:16
also the type
32:16
of magnification
32:17
that a
32:17
telescope does
32:18
where it
32:19
makes a
32:20
massive thing,
32:21
a weighty
32:22
thing,
32:22
a glorious
32:23
thing look
32:25
more like
32:26
it actually
32:27
is.
32:28
So in that
32:29
way,
32:30
we bring
32:31
honor,
32:31
we bring
32:32
glory,
32:32
we glorify
32:33
God by
32:34
being reflections
32:35
of who
32:36
He is.
32:38
And you
32:38
see how
32:39
this is more
32:40
glory building
32:41
for God,
32:41
right?
32:41
Because we
32:42
have no way
32:42
of saying,
32:43
look at me
32:44
and how
32:44
great I
32:45
am in
32:46
following God,
32:47
but look
32:47
how great
32:48
God is
32:49
as I
32:50
follow Him.
32:51
It's a
32:52
humble posture
32:53
that brings
32:54
glory to
32:55
God.
32:57
In 1646
32:58
and 1647,
33:01
a group
33:02
of divines
33:03
met together
33:04
at a
33:06
synod
33:06
at Westminster
33:07
to help
33:08
bring the
33:09
Church of
33:09
England into
33:10
greater
33:10
conformity
33:11
with the
33:11
Church of
33:12
Scotland.
33:12
And they
33:13
wrote a
33:13
number of
33:14
documents.
33:14
We know
33:15
them as
33:15
the
33:15
Westminster
33:15
Confession,
33:16
the
33:16
Westminster
33:17
Shorter
33:17
Catechism,
33:18
and the
33:18
Westminster
33:19
Larger
33:20
Catechism.
33:21
Maybe well
33:22
known to
33:22
you,
33:23
the first
33:23
question of
33:24
the
33:24
Westminster
33:24
Shorter
33:24
Catechism
33:25
is this.
33:25
What is
33:26
the
33:26
chief
33:27
end
33:27
of
33:28
man?
33:29
And the
33:29
answer
33:30
that they
33:31
wrote is
33:31
man's
33:32
chief
33:32
end
33:32
is to
33:33
glorify
33:34
God
33:34
and to
33:35
enjoy
33:35
Him
33:36
forever.
33:37
And I
33:37
like
33:38
Piper's
33:38
alteration
33:40
on that.
33:40
I think
33:41
it's
33:41
correct.
33:41
I think
33:41
this is
33:42
what they
33:42
meant.
33:43
Man's
33:43
chief
33:44
end
33:44
is to
33:44
glorify
33:44
God
33:45
by
33:45
enjoying
33:46
Him
33:46
forever.
33:48
And just
33:49
to your
33:49
benefit,
33:49
I don't
33:50
know if
33:50
you're
33:50
aware
33:50
or not
33:51
of the
33:52
Westminster
33:52
larger
33:53
catechism.
33:53
Very few
33:54
of us
33:54
pay much
33:55
attention
33:55
to it.
33:57
Question
33:57
one is
33:58
a bit
33:58
different
33:59
and the
33:59
answer is
33:59
a bit
34:00
different.
34:00
And I
34:00
just think
34:01
it's
34:01
good.
34:01
It's
34:01
a little
34:01
expanded.
34:02
Question
34:02
one is
34:03
what is
34:03
the chief
34:03
and
34:04
highest
34:04
end
34:05
of
34:05
man?
34:06
So
34:06
not only
34:06
the
34:06
primary
34:07
but
34:07
the
34:07
best
34:08
end
34:09
of
34:09
man.
34:10
And
34:10
the
34:10
answer
34:10
is
34:10
man's
34:11
chief
34:11
and
34:12
highest
34:12
end
34:12
is
34:13
to
34:13
glorify
34:14
God
34:14
and
34:15
fully
34:15
to
34:16
enjoy
34:20
him
34:21
forever.
34:23
And so
34:24
we're
34:24
meant
34:24
to be
34:25
about
34:25
this
34:26
work.
34:27
This
34:27
is
34:27
the
34:27
chief
34:28
high
34:29
end.
34:29
Jesus
34:29
said
34:29
in
34:30
Matthew
34:30
5.16
34:30
Let
34:32
your
34:32
light
34:32
shine
34:33
before
34:33
others
34:34
so
34:35
that
34:35
they
34:35
may
34:35
see
34:36
your
34:36
good
34:36
works
34:37
and
34:38
give
34:38
glory
34:38
to
34:39
your
34:39
Father
34:39
who
34:40
is
34:41
in
34:41
heaven.
34:42
My
34:43
father
34:43
has
34:44
this
34:44
wonderful
34:45
analogy
34:46
that I
34:46
have
34:46
used
34:47
rather
34:47
widely
34:47
and
34:48
so
34:48
if
34:48
you've
34:48
heard
34:48
it
34:48
before
34:48
my
34:49
apology
34:49
to
34:49
you.
34:50
He
34:52
uses
34:53
it
34:53
and
34:53
I
34:53
have
34:53
used
34:53
it
34:54
most
34:54
specifically
34:54
about
34:55
church
34:55
leaders
34:56
but
34:57
today
34:57
I
34:57
want
34:57
to
34:57
expand
34:58
a
34:58
little
34:58
bit
34:58
to
34:59
all
34:59
of
34:59
us
34:59
all
34:59
of
35:00
those
35:00
who
35:00
claim
35:00
to
35:01
know
35:01
Christ
35:01
and
35:01
to
35:02
follow
35:03
him
35:03
and
35:04
it's
35:04
an
35:04
analogy
35:05
about
35:05
a
35:06
race
35:06
horse
35:07
versus
35:07
a
35:07
plow
35:08
horse
35:08
my
35:09
dad
35:09
always
35:09
starts
35:09
it
35:10
this
35:10
way
35:10
he
35:10
says
35:10
our
35:10
denomination
35:11
needs
35:12
more
35:12
plow
35:13
horses
35:13
and
35:13
fewer
35:14
race
35:14
horses
35:15
and
35:16
he
35:16
goes on
35:16
to
35:16
explain
35:17
that
35:17
race
35:18
horses
35:18
get
35:18
a
35:19
lot
35:19
of
35:19
applause
35:20
right
35:21
they
35:21
do
35:21
something
35:22
that's
35:22
not
35:22
extremely
35:22
meaningful
35:23
running
35:23
around
35:24
a
35:24
track
35:24
but
35:24
we
35:25
all
35:25
praise
35:26
the
35:27
race
35:27
horse
35:27
we
35:27
want
35:28
to see
35:28
the
35:28
race
35:28
horse
35:28
run
35:29
fast
35:30
right
35:31
and
35:31
crowds
35:31
gather
35:32
to make
35:32
see
35:33
this
35:34
happen
35:34
and
35:34
applaud
35:35
them
35:36
on
35:36
the
35:37
plow
35:37
horse
35:38
doesn't
35:38
really
35:38
get
35:38
applauded
35:39
by
35:39
anybody
35:39
right
35:40
the
35:41
plow
35:41
horse
35:41
gets
35:41
hooked
35:42
up
35:42
to
35:42
a
35:42
plow
35:42
and
35:43
it
35:43
puts
35:43
its
35:44
head
35:44
down
35:44
and
35:44
it
35:44
draws
35:45
a
35:45
long
35:46
straight
35:47
line
35:47
and
35:48
at
35:49
the
35:49
end
35:49
of
35:49
that
35:49
row
35:50
it
35:50
gets
35:50
turned
35:51
around
35:51
and
35:52
it
35:52
puts
35:52
its
35:52
head
35:52
down
35:52
and
35:53
it
35:53
does
35:53
it
35:53
again
35:53
long
35:54
straight
35:55
line
35:57
and
35:58
the
35:58
only
35:58
people
35:58
that
35:58
possibly
35:59
praise
36:00
the
36:00
plow
36:00
horse
36:01
are
36:01
the
36:01
family
36:01
for
36:03
whom
36:03
he
36:04
helps
36:05
provide
36:05
food
36:06
and
36:07
that
36:07
plow
36:08
horse
36:08
lives
36:08
a
36:08
long
36:09
faithful
36:10
life
36:10
to
36:10
that
36:11
family
36:11
and
36:12
one
36:12
day
36:12
passes
36:13
on
36:14
we
36:14
need
36:15
more
36:16
plow
36:17
horses
36:17
I
36:17
would
36:18
suggest
36:18
that
36:18
the
36:18
Christian
36:19
is
36:19
meant
36:19
to
36:19
be
36:20
a
36:21
plow
36:21
horse
36:21
humbly
36:22
!
36:22
serving!
36:23
loving!
36:24
Putting
36:24
our
36:25
heads
36:25
down!
36:25
And
36:26
simply
36:26
doing
36:26
the
36:27
next
36:27
right
36:28
thing
36:29
quietly
36:30
lives
36:31
lived
36:31
to
36:32
the
36:32
glory
36:32
of
36:33
God
36:33
teaching
36:34
the
36:34
truth
36:34
propagating
36:36
it
36:36
everywhere
36:36
we
36:37
go
36:37
if
36:38
we
36:38
would
36:38
have
36:39
more
36:39
plow
36:40
horses
36:41
Ephesians
36:44
2.10
36:45
Paul
36:45
says
36:46
for
36:46
we
36:46
are
36:47
his
36:47
workmanship
36:48
created
36:49
in
36:50
Christ
36:50
Jesus
36:50
for
36:51
good
36:51
works
36:51
which
36:52
God
36:52
prepared
36:53
beforehand
36:53
that
36:54
we
36:55
should
36:55
walk
36:56
in
36:57
them
36:58
so
36:59
whatever
36:59
it
36:59
is
37:00
that
37:00
you
37:00
do
37:00
in
37:00
your
37:01
life
37:01
you
37:02
can
37:02
be
37:02
sure
37:02
if
37:03
you
37:03
are
37:03
a
37:03
Christian
37:03
you
37:03
are
37:03
meant
37:04
to
37:04
glorify
37:04
God
37:05
in
37:06
it
37:06
you
37:06
work
37:07
to
37:07
the
37:07
glory
37:07
of
37:07
God
37:08
you
37:08
study
37:08
to
37:09
the
37:09
glory
37:09
of
37:09
God
37:09
you
37:10
sing
37:11
music
37:11
to
37:12
the
37:12
glory
37:12
of
37:12
God
37:12
you
37:13
cut
37:13
your
37:13
lawn
37:14
to
37:14
the
37:14
glory
37:14
of
37:14
God
37:15
Martin
37:15
Luther
37:15
famously
37:16
said
37:16
a
37:16
milkmaid
37:17
can
37:17
milk
37:17
cows
37:17
to
37:18
the
37:18
glory
37:19
of
37:19
God
37:20
and
37:29
glory
37:29
of
37:30
God
37:31
and
37:32
thinking
37:32
about
37:32
Soli
37:33
Deo
37:33
Gloria
37:34
it's
37:34
hard
37:34
for me
37:35
not
37:35
to
37:35
consider
37:36
Johann
37:36
Sebastian
37:37
Bach
37:37
if
37:37
you
37:37
don't
37:38
know
37:38
who
37:38
he
37:38
is
37:38
shame
37:39
on
37:39
you
37:39
you
37:39
need
37:39
to
37:39
listen
37:40
to
37:40
classical
37:40
music
37:41
he
37:42
was
37:42
a
37:42
late
37:43
17th
37:44
early
37:44
18th
37:44
century
37:45
German
37:46
composer
37:46
his
37:46
music
37:47
is
37:47
just
37:48
fantastic
37:49
and
37:49
you
37:49
may
37:49
not
37:50
know
37:50
that
37:50
he
37:50
signed
37:51
all
37:51
of
37:51
his
37:51
work
37:52
Soli
37:52
Deo
37:53
Gloria
37:53
you
37:54
find it
37:54
on
37:54
his
37:55
original
37:55
pieces
37:56
written
37:56
somewhere
37:57
on
37:57
there
37:57
and
37:57
then
37:58
later
37:58
in
37:58
his
37:58
life
37:59
he
37:59
simply
37:59
signed
38:00
things
38:00
S
38:01
D
38:02
G
38:03
and
38:04
if
38:05
you
38:05
received
38:05
an
38:05
email
38:05
from
38:06
me
38:06
you
38:06
may
38:06
have
38:06
noticed
38:07
a
38:07
lower
38:07
case
38:07
S
38:07
an
38:08
uppercase
38:08
D
38:08
and
38:09
a
38:09
lower
38:09
case
38:09
G
38:10
and
38:11
sometimes
38:11
my
38:12
name
38:12
in
38:12
lower
38:13
case
38:13
as
38:13
well
38:14
Soli
38:15
Deo
38:16
Gloria
38:18
Johann Sebastian Bach
38:19
and all of his
38:20
talent
38:21
wanted people
38:22
to be drawn
38:23
to the God
38:24
who gave him
38:25
the talent
38:26
he recognized
38:26
that he could
38:27
compose music
38:28
to the glory
38:29
of God
38:30
and so
38:32
right
38:34
doctrine
38:35
leads us
38:35
to this
38:36
a greater
38:37
magnification
38:38
of God
38:40
we do
38:40
not want
38:41
to make
38:41
much
38:41
of ourselves
38:42
we want
38:42
to make
38:42
much
38:43
of him
38:44
because
38:44
he is
38:45
worthy
38:45
of being
38:46
made
38:46
much
38:47
of
38:48
if
38:49
you
38:49
work
38:49
to make
38:49
much
38:50
of
38:50
yourself
38:51
you
38:52
will
38:52
find
38:52
yourself
38:53
a
38:53
liar
38:53
if
38:55
you
38:55
work
38:55
to make
38:55
much
38:55
of
38:56
God
38:56
he
38:56
will
38:56
never
38:57
fail
38:58
in his
38:59
intrinsic
39:00
gloriousness
39:01
so
39:03
the Bible
39:05
is our
39:05
final
39:05
authority
39:06
and teaches
39:07
us that we
39:07
are justified
39:08
by grace
39:09
alone
39:09
through faith
39:10
alone
39:11
in Christ
39:12
alone
39:12
and all
39:13
things
39:14
are for the
39:15
glory
39:15
of God
39:17
alone
39:17
I said I'd
39:19
read it again
39:20
and I will
39:20
Romans chapter 11
39:21
verse 33
39:22
and following
39:23
I hope it has a little
39:25
more meaning for you
39:26
now
39:26
oh the depth
39:28
of the riches
39:29
and wisdom
39:30
and knowledge
39:30
of God
39:31
how unsearchable
39:33
are his judgments
39:33
and how inscrutable
39:34
his ways
39:36
for who has known
39:37
the mind of the Lord
39:38
or who has been
39:39
his counselor
39:39
or who has given
39:41
a gift to him
39:41
that he might be
39:42
repaid
39:43
for from him
39:45
and through him
39:46
and to him
39:47
are all things
39:48
to him be glory
39:49
forever
39:50
amen
39:51
please join me
39:53
in prayer
39:53
thank you
39:53
thank you
39:54
thank you
39:55
thank you
39:55
thank you
39:56
thank you
39:57
thank you