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The Union of the Spirit We Have (Part 3) · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out, stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. Matthew chapter 28 So, we're going
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to continue in what I've been teaching, that
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is the union of the spirit we have. The union
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of the spirit we have. So, this is the third
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part. Matthew chapter 28, from verse 18 to 20.
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and he came and Jesus came and spoke to them,
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saying, All authority has been given me in heaven
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and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples
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of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
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the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
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teaching them to observe all the things that
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have commanded you and lower with you always,
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even to the end of the age. Praise the Lord!
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In the previous teaching that I was teaching,
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I told us that geography is important to understand
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the message of the scripture. Geography is important
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to also understand God's plan or why some of
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the things that we see in the Bible are the way
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they are. We looked at Galilee of the Gentile
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and how that was significant to the plan of God.
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We looked at Jerusalem as well as part of the
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things that we were looking at. And today, we're
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going to also look at why He said to baptize
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them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
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the Holy Spirit and many more things that we're
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going to look at, but this is just one of them.
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Mark chapter 16. Mark chapter 16. Mark chapter
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16. From verse 15 to 20 Mark chapter 16 from
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verse 15 to 20 He says and he said to them go
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into all the world and preach the gospel to every
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creature He who believes and is baptized will
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be saved, for he who does not believe will be
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condemned. And these signs will follow those
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who believe. In my name they will cast out demons,
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they will speak with new tongues, they will take
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up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly,
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it will by no means hurt them. They will lay
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hands on the sick and they will recover. So then,
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after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received
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up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God
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the Father, verse 20. And they went out, preached
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everywhere, the Lord walking with them, and confirming
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their word through the accompanying of signs.
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Amen. John chapter 20. John chapter 20, verse
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21. John 20, verse 21, So Jesus said to them
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again, Peace to you! As the Father has sent me,
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I also send you. And when he had said this, he
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breathed on them and said to them, Receive the
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Holy Spirit! If you forgive the sins of any,
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they will be forgiven. If you retain the sin
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of any, they are retained. Praise the Lord! And
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we have looked at these scriptures and we said
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that this is the mandate of every believer to
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go and make disciples. To go and make disciples.
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And this is one of the few last words that Jesus
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spoke to his disciples. That is John 20, right?
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And we said again that the things that Jesus
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spoke from or where he taught them from was from
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the old testament if you like from genesis to
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malachi praise the lord look chapter 24 covers
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25 to 26 we also looked at this the last time
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we were here look 24 25 to 27 then he said to
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them O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe
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in all that the prophet hath spoken, but not
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the Christ, who hath suffered these things, and
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enter his glory. And beginning at Moses, and
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in all the prophets, he expounded to them, in
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all the scriptures, the things concerning himself.
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And we say that what he did was that he taught
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them the things concerning himself, via the scriptures.
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Right? He taught them. He explained the scriptures.
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to them and then in verse 44 to 45 verse 44 to
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45 and he said to them these are the words which
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I spoke to you while I was still with you that
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all things must be fulfilled which are written
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in the law of Moses the prophet and in the Psalms
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concerning me and he opened their understanding
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that they may comprehend the scriptures and we
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said this opening of understanding is by explanation
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Praise the Lord! He opened their understanding
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by explanation. So, all the things that were
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read from Matthew, from Luke, from John, were
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all explanation of the Old Testament. Praise
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the Lord! Jesus was explaining to them the Old
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Testament. So, let's go back to Matthew 28. Verse
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19 says, Go therefore and make disciples of all
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nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
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the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!
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He tells them to go and make disciples. Praise
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the Lord! It means to train people as it is like
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a school. Praise the Lord! To go and train them
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like a school. The church plays a huge role in
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teaching. It is a Bible school. Praise the Lord!
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The church ought to be a Bible school. We have
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explained this time and time again to us. It
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serves as a Bible school. It is not a place of
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entertainment. It is not a place of other things,
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but it is a Bible school. is a place where disciples
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are made. So he says to them, to go and make
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disciples. In verse 20, he says, teaching them
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to observe all the things that have commanded
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you and law and with you always, even to the
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end of the age. Teaching them, right? To make
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disciples, to make them students by teaching
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them. Praise the Lord! And the things that he
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has commanded them is the things that we said
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were all from the law of Moses or the writing
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of Moses and the prophet and the sons consigning
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him. So the church serves as a teaching place.
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So when you go to a place or when you go to a
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church and there is no teaching, there is every
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other thing, but there is no teaching, you have
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not walked into a church. Praise the Lord! It
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is a place of service. It is a place where God's
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word is taught. Or it ought to be a place where
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God's word And as it's being taught, you're not
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just looking, praise the Lord! You're not just
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looking and... As we said, the church is not
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an entertaining place. So, when you come, you
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also should not be expecting entertainment. Praise
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the Lord! So, you come like somebody who is a
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student, somebody who is willing and is able
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to learn, somebody who listens to the instructions
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that is given to make disciples. Right? That
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word to make disciples is used for scholars.
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Praise the Lord! It is used for scholars. In
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other words, that we are supposed to be people
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who are students of the Bible. Praise the Lord!
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Every church member, it's not to the pastors,
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it's not just to the people that are teaching,
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that everybody has to be acquainted with the
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Bible. Everybody has to know what what is saying.
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We should be students deliberately learning from
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the Word of God Teaching them is a word Disasco
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as we said in the Greek D -I -D -A -S -K -O It
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means to teach to instruct right it comes from
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a compound word Didascalia right is a word D
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-I -D -A -S -K -A -L -I -A right It's a body
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of belief or doctrine, if you like. Praise the
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Lord. It's the same way you would, you know,
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there are different ways you can look at life.
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Some people can explain the, maybe through the
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lens of natural things, what you can see. Praise
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the Lord. Or through a medical lens, right? Or
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through... through a psychological lens. You
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can look at life like that or you can interpret
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life like that. But when it comes to doctrine,
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when it comes to doctrine, it is the explanation
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or when it comes to theology, it is explaining
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life from God's perspective. Praise the Lord!
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That's what we come to do in church. We come
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to explain the things of life or the things that
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God has instructed us. in its perspective, not
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by the things that we see. Praise the Lord. So
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it is called doctrine, to study things together.
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It includes teaching. And then we have teachers.
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It is also, we have teachers, the one who teaches.
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Praise the Lord. The one who teaches. And then
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most importantly, again, we have, there's so
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many ways they call this, It refers to a mode
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of teaching. Praise the Lord! Remember, we are
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looking at teaching them to observe all the things
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that He has commanded you. It refers to a mode
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of teaching. So, Jesus gave His disciples a mode
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of teaching. Praise the Lord! When he says that
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he began from Moses and in all the prophets and
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in all the sons and he began to explain to them
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the things concerning himself, he was giving
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them a mode of teaching, a style of teaching.
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Praise the Lord! There is a mode of teaching.
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Praise the Lord! So how do we know this? How
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do we know that there is a mode of teaching?
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Matthew chapter 16 verse 12. Matthew chapter
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16 verse 12. He says, then they understood that
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he did not tell them to beware of the leavens
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of the Pharisee. for the doctrine of the Pharisees
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and Sadducees. Praise the Lord! When he tells
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them the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees,
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what he is trying to say to them is that the
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Pharisees and the Sadducees have a mode of teaching.
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Praise the Lord! There is a mode of teaching.
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There is a way they touch people. There is a
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pattern in which they touch people and it is
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not the same as that which Christ has taught.
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Praise the Lord! So, when he tells them, Beware!
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They already have gotten something from him.
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So he tells them to beware of the doctrine of
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the Pharisees. He warns them of the doctrines
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of the Pharisees. Their doctrine is their mode
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of teaching. How they taught. Mostly they taught
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out of context. We see several times they would
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just lift one scripture and come and ask him
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a question. Praise the Lord. or tell people to
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do things as it pleases them. Praise the Lord!
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And we're going to look at much more, right?
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In Matthew chapter 19, he also taught them that
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they should beware, or he taught them about covetousness.
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It is one of the things that the Pharisees thought.
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It was also part of their mode of teaching. He
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warned them of material things. He warns them
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of covetousness. The doctrine that is full of
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material things. Praise the Lord. Luke chapter
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16 verse 14. We see them mocking Jesus's teaching
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or interpretation of the scriptures. Luke chapter
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16 verse 14. Now the Pharisees who were lovers
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of money also had all these things and they derated
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him. Praise the Lord. They laughed at him. Praise
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the Lord. After hearing his teaching, they laughed
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at him. Why? He says, they were what? They were
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lovers of money. Praise the Lord! They were lovers
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of money and he was teaching contrary to the
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things that they want or the things they like.
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So beware of covetousness. So if you go on to
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begin to explain the scriptures on... from the
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perspective or the mode of covetousness, what
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you're trying to do is that you're trying to
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invest in material things. Praise the Lord. You're
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trying to invest in material things. Matthew
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chapter 20 verse 14. He tells them of their covetous
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attitude. He says what? Take what is yours and
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go your way. I wish to give the last man the
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same as you. Matthew chapter 16 verse 12. We
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have read that already, that turns them to beware.
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So, Jesus has a mode of interpretation. Praise
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the Lord! Jesus has a mode of interpreting scriptures.
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Daida hei. Praise the Lord! Matthew chapter 7
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verse 28. Matthew chapter 7 verse 28. And it
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was so when Jesus had ended his saying that the
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people were astonished at his teaching. Praise
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the Lord! He has the mode of teaching. And we
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have looked at it in this church that he didn't
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just tell them whatever he pleased. Praise the
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Lord! Even when we see that later, even when
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the devil came to tempt him, he didn't just tell
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him anything. He quoted the scriptures for him.
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Praise the Lord! So Jesus had the mode of teaching,
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of interpreting the scriptures. There's a mole
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of teaching, of interpreting the scriptures.
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There's a way to explain the Word of God and
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as disciples or as children of God, we need to
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learn that. Titus chapter 1 verse 9, it talks
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about the bishop, right? Somebody who has taken
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the responsibility in a local church or as a
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pastor. It's a world first, the faithful world
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as you have been taught that that he may be able,
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sorry, that he may be, hold fast the faithful
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word as he has been taught that he may be able
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by sound doctrine or to exalt and obey those
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who contradict. Praise the Lord! Speaking of
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a bishop, someone who has taken a responsibility
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in a local church, right? He doesn't just say
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whatever he wants to say. He learns from that
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which Christ has said. He doesn't just preach
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anything that he feels like. There is a mode
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of teaching the scriptures. There is a way that
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the scriptures is being taught. Romans chapter
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6 verse 17. You see, but God will be telling
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that through you, though you were slaves of sin,
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yet you obeyed from the heart, that form of doctrine
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to which you were delivered. Praise the Lord.
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that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
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When it says form of doctrine, that word form
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there is the same thing to say copy. Praise the
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Lord. It's the same way as saying that you copied
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something. Praise the Lord. It's a mode of teaching.
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The copy of the mode of teaching. Praise the
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Lord. So which means that in a church or in a
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Christian gathering or in Christian, we copy
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each other. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
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We copy each other. We copy the mode of teaching.
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Praise the Lord. Why? Because Jesus has a way
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that he taught. Romans chapter 16 verse 17. There's
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a mode of teaching. Then he warns them. Romans
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chapter 16 verse 17. Now I urge you brethren,
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not those who cause division and offenses. Contrary
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to the doctrines which you have learned and avoid
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them praise the lord he warns them that they
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should not those who are teaching something else
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right those who are causing division and offenses
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those who are teaching things that are contrary
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to that which you have learned and he says avoid
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them this means that you should not teach like
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the Pharisees praise the lord so when you see
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somebody right Teach the scriptures as the Pharisee.
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You should avoid them. Praise the Lord who are
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teaching to benefit self He said avoid them avoid
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such people. There's no truth in poison Praise
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the Lord. There's no truth in poison verse 18
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of that same place He said For those For those
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who are such, who do not serve our Lord Jesus
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Christ, they are barely. Praise the Lord! They
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don't teach our Lord Jesus Christ. What they
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are trying to teach is for something else. They
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have smooth words, they have flattering words.
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Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! As I mentioned earlier,
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as we said, the church is a place where we come
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to learn the Word of God, where we come to be
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disciples, where we come with the eagerness to
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be taught, to grow, praise the Lord. So, when
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you come to church, when you come to the house
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of God, you come as somebody who wants to learn.
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Right? It should not be that you have stayed
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in church for a very long time and your interest
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or the things that you focus on the more is,
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ah, the song today, I was all feeling it. Praise
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the Lord. It was not, it was all my type of song.
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They didn't teach or they didn't sing my type
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of song today, right? Or they didn't do some
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things that were exciting to me. Praise the Lord.
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You leave those things and you grow. That you
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come to church because you want to hear the Word
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of God. You want to learn from the Word of God.
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You come to the place of knowledge. Praise the
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Lord. So Jesus had a way of teaching. So we also
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find this, or we also find that this Father,
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Son and the Spirit also is also a teaching praise
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the Lord is a mode also of teaching Acts chapter
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1 verse 4 Acts chapter 1 verse 4 and he said
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being assembled together with them he commanded
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them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait
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for the promise of the father which He said,
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You have heard from Me. Praise the Lord! You
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have heard from Me. Remember, before now, Jesus
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had spent 40 days with them. Right? He had spent
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40 days with them, verse 2 -3. Verse 2 -3. Until
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the day in which He was taken up, after He, through
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the Holy Spirit, had given commandment to the
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apostles, whom He has chosen to whom He also
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presents Himself alive after suffering by many
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infallible truths, being seen by them during
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forty days and spoke the things pertaining to
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the kingdom of God. Praise the Lord! The things
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pertaining to the kingdom of God. He says what?
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Through the Holy Spirit or through the Holy Ghost.
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We say it through the Holy Ghost. Which means
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that He spoke by revelation the things to come.
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Praise the Lord. When He says to them, they should
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wait. He showed them the things to come, right?
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And He gave them instructions concerning the
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things to come. And this word, he says what is
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true the Holy Ghost or through the Holy Spirit.
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Now let's look at what the instruction was. There's
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four of their acts. And being assembled together
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with them, he commanded them not to depart from
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Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the
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Father, which he said, you have heard from me.
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So, he has told them or he has taught them about
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what? The promise of the Father. What is this
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promise? Praise the Lord! What is this promise
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of the Father? And he says, you have heard it
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from me. I have taught you about it before. So,
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I'm asking you now to wait. What is it that you
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heard from me? So, in teaching, he taught them
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the promise of the Father. Praise the Lord! So,
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the things that we're expecting... was not just
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something that they are unaware about. Praise
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the Lord! The things they were expecting were
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not things that they are unaware about. Praise
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the Lord! That is why in this church when we
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are praying and we find out that some people
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cannot speak in tongues, what we first do is
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not to ask you to speak. Praise the Lord! We
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first want to open the scriptures for you so
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that you may understand. Praise the Lord! That
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you may understand the things that you're doing.
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So he had taught them about the promise of the
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Father So they are aware of the things to come
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The promise of the Father verse 5 He said for
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John truly baptized with water But you shall
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be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
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from now the promise of the Father that they
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will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many
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days from now. Verse 8. But you shall receive
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power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
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and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem,
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in Judea, and in Samaria, and to all the end
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of the earth. Praise the Lord! Now, with this
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place, we have seen the Father, We have seen
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what? The Spirit. And we have seen Christ, the
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Son. So, in Dei Dahe, you have the concept of
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what? The Father, the Son, which is the Christ.
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Praise the Lord. John chapter 14, we see more
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on that. John chapter 14, verse 2. He says, What
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in my father's house are many mansions. In my
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father's house are many mansions. If we are not
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so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a
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place for you. We have done these studies. Verse
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6, And Jesus said to them, I am the way, the
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truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except
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through me. Nobody comes to the Father except
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through Him. So, when He says to them, the Father,
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the Son, and the Spirit, It is something that
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they are aware about, something that He has taught
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them about. And we see them here. He said, nobody
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comes to the Father except through Him. So, they
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know about the Father, they know about the Son,
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and they know about the Spirit. Verse 7, And
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if you had known Me, you would have known My
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Father also. From now on, you know Him and have
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Because they know Him, they have what? Seen Him.
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Because they know Christ, they have seen the
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Father. You would have known my Father also.
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Verse 9. And Jesus said to them, I have been
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with you so long and yet you have not known me,
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Philip. He who has seen me has seen the Father.
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So how can you say, show us the Father? Praise
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the Lord. So, they are aware of the Spirit, the
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Son, and the Father because He has taught them
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over and over again. Praise the Lord! He has
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taught them over and over again. So, when He
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says in Matthew chapter 29 and verse 19 that
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He baptized them in the name of the Father, the
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Son, and the Spirit, it is not a new idea. Praise
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the Lord! It is not a new idea to them because
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He has been teaching them consigning the Father,
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the Son and the Spirit. Praise the Lord! He has
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been teaching them consigning the Father, the
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Son and the Spirit, verse 10 of John chapter
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14. Do you not believe that I am in the Father
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and the Father in me? The word that I speak to
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you, I did not speak to you of my own authority,
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but the Father who delivered, who dwells in me,
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does the work. He also tells them about the Father.
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Verse 16. I will pray the Father and he will
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give you another helper that he may abide with
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you forever. Right? So he will pray the Father
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and the Father will give another helper that
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he may abide with them forever. So he also tells
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them what? About the Spirit. Praise the Lord!
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Verse 20 now. He said, At that day you will know
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that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I
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in you. Praise the Lord! So, the disciples have
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learned about the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
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So, when he says, baptize them in the name of
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the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, it is not
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a new thing to them. It is by teaching that they
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know these things. So, there is a strong emphasis,
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or from Christ, there is a strong emphasis on
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what the doctrine of Christ, the Father, the
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Son, and the Spirit. Which means that, that is,
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Jesus, the Spirit emphasizes is what in the Didache
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that you have in Jesus, praise the Lord. That
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is in the incarnation, the birth of the Son.
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That is Jesus taking the human form, right? Being
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born of Mary. So it says the Holy Spirit, when
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you read Luke chapter 1 verse 35, it says that
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the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost will come upon
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you. Right? That is the very inception or introduction
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of this. The Holy Spirit will come upon you.
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So it means that the concept of the Spirit is
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core to the teaching of Jesus. Praise the Lord.
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Even from the beginning, before he took on the
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human form, that has always been there. Praise
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the Lord. It is core to part of his teaching.
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So, looking at the union of the spirit that we
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have, right? Do not forget we said that Jesus
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was teaching from Genesis to Malachi. This is
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very important. Acts chapter 1 verse 5. It says,
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For John truly baptized with water, but you shall
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be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
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from now. This means that Jesus was quoting someone
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who did not write any book. Praise the Lord.
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Did John the Baptist write any book? Did John
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the Baptist write any book? Okay. So Jesus was
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quoting John the Baptist who did not write any
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book. Right? He quoted John the Baptist what?
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Among the prophets. Right? So he's quoting John
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the Baptist. Why? From among the prophets. John
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the Baptist did not write any book. John the
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Baptist came to fulfill the written word. Praise
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the Lord! It has been prophesied on signing him.
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So let's focus a bit on John. Matthew chapter
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3. Matthew chapter 3 verse 11. unto repentance.
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For he who is coming after me is mightier than
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I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry, who
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baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Verse
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8. Verse 8 of chapter 3. He said, Therefore bear
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the fruit worthy of repentance. Sorry. Mark chapter
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1 verse 8. Mark chapter 1 verse 8. I indeed baptize
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you with water, but he will baptize you with
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what? The Holy Spirit, saying the same thing
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that we saw in Matthew chapter 3 verse 11. So
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Jesus referenced John in what? The resurrection.
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Right? Jesus referenced John in the resurrection.
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He didn't say a lot about Him before the resurrection.
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But John said it or said these things before
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the ministry of Jesus. Praise the Lord! Do you
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understand that? Let me say that again. John
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or Jesus did not say many things about John before
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the resurrection. He said it after resurrection.
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What did he say? Right? John was the one who
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was saying that he would baptize you with fire,
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with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and Jesus
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was telling them to wait. Where? To wait for
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the promise of the Father. So John was saying
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this at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. So
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this means that what John said is a post -resurrection
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experience. What John was saying to them that,
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He that is coming after me will baptize you with
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what? With the Holy Spirit and with fire. He
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is speaking of what? The post -resurrection experience.
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Jesus did not baptize them with the Holy Spirit
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and with fire before the resurrection. Luke chapter
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3 verse 16. He will baptize you with spirit and
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with fire. John chapter 1 verse 33. John chapter
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1 verse 33. I do not know him, but he who sent
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me to baptize with water said to me, Upon whom
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you see the Spirit descending and remaining on
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him, he is the one who baptized with what? With
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the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord! So John is
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saying, I don't know him. I don't know who the
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Christ is. But the person that sent me said that
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if I see the Spirit descending and remaining
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on someone, He is the one that will baptize with
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what? With the Holy Spirit and with fire. So
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this means that John's ministry is very important
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in understanding the ministry of Jesus. Praise
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the Lord! What John stated is important to understand
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in the ministry of Jesus. So look at the word
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baptism or baptized with the Holy Spirit. Baptized
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with the Holy Spirit. So Mark also showed us
36:59
that John came to fulfill the scriptures. Mark
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chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning of the gospel
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of Jesus, the Son of God, it is written in the
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prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before your
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face, who will prepare your way before you. Praise
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the Lord. I will send my messenger, right? I
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will send my messenger, verse 2. I will send
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my messenger. I will send that word, messenger,
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is the word that is used also for angels. angelos
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praise the lord angelos a n g e l o s is used
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for angels to say my angel or my messenger so
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behold i send my angel or my messenger before
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you who would prepare the way for you verse three
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and four of mark chapter one the voice of the
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one crying in the wilderness Prepare the way
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of the Lord. Make His path straight. Verse 4.
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John came baptizing in the wilderness. Right?
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In the wilderness. This is very significant.
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Preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission
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of sins. He came baptizing in the wilderness.
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Preaching the baptism of repentance. Verse 5.
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Then all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem
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went out to him and were baptized by him in the
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Jordan River. Again, this Jordan River is important.
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Confessing their sins, confessing their sins
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too, is very important to what I'll be teaching.
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So John came, right? He said he came to fulfill
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the scriptures. So, what are the references for
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this? Where did he come to fulfill this theme?
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Malachi 3 verse 1, Behold, I send my messenger,
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and he will prepare before me, and the Lord whom
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you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even
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the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight.
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Behold his coming, saith the Lord of hosts. Exodus
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chapter 23, verse 20, Behold, I send an angel
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before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring
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you into the peace in which I have prepared.
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Praise the Lord! So, these things, what John,
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or what was said in Mark, were all coming from
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this. He sends an angel to bring them into a
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place where he has prepared for them. Praise
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the Lord. Remember what Jesus said, in my father's
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house are many mansions. If it were not so, I
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wouldn't say I've gone to prepare a place. Now,
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what happened in the wilderness? Right? What
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happened in the wilderness? Because in Mark 1,
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verse 3 to 4, He said, The voice of the one crying
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in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord.
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make his path straight. John came baptizing in
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the wilderness. He was crying in the wilderness.
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He was baptizing in the wilderness. And he preached
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a baptism of repentance for the remission of
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sin. What happened in the wilderness? Into the
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place I have prepared for you, Exodus, right?
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What place is he talking about? The place that
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he has prepared for them. What is that place?
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Let's look at Exodus chapter 6 verse 6. Exodus
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chapter 6 verse 6. and I will redeem you with
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an outstretched hand with a great judgment. Verse
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7. I will take you as my people and I will be
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your God and you shall know that I am the Lord
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your God who brings you out from under the body
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of the Egyptians. Praise the Lord. He will do
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what? He will take them as my people and I would
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be your God. I will take you out." Where? Where
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is he following them? Where are they following
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him to? When he's taking them out, where are
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they following him to? He said, to where? I will
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take you as what? To me, as my people, and I
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will be your God. So the people are coming to
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him, praise the Lord. The place they were going
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was to God. The place that we are going was to
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God. To whom? As my people. Verse 8. I will bring
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you into the land which I have sworn to give
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Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And I will give it
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to you as a heritage. I am the Lord. I will bring
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you into the land. So the land, with all the
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teachings that we have been teaching in this
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church, what do you think the land is? Is it
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a person or a land? Is it a person or a land?
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I'm not hearing anybody. Anybody bold enough
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to say something? Is it a person or a land? When
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he said, I will bring you into the land which
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I've sworn to your fathers, right? Is it a person
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or... land or place a person why because the
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land there was used figuratively because God
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is calling them to himself to himself rather
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God is calling him calling them to himself because
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God called himself the Almighty Genesis chapter
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17 verse 1 Genesis chapter 17 verse 1 When Abraham
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was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abraham
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and said, I am Almighty God. Walk with me and
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be blameless. He says what? Walk with me. Walk
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with me. Or some scriptures will put the old
44:29
King James... Okay. He says walk before me rather.
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Walk before me. Right? walk before me. Because
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the land that God was promising to Abraham, He
44:51
was saying that that land or the promises that
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God gave Abraham was such that it was uncountable.
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Praise the Lord. Did Abraham see an uncountable?
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Can he count his family as long as he was alive?
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Praise the Lord. or the places that God was taking
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him to praise the Lord so when he says to land
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right it means to me so again remember we're
45:23
looking at John the Baptist right in Mark Isaiah
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chapter 40 from verse one to two Isaiah chapter
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40 from verse one to two Comfort, yes, comfort
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my people, says the Lord. Speak comfort to Jerusalem.
45:47
Cry out to her that her warfare is ended, that
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her iniquity are pardoned, for she had received
45:56
from the Lord a hand double of all her sins.
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Praise the Lord. Comfort. So that is, that comfort
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is what is God's plan, is God's compassionate
46:10
work. God is saying, comfort her. Right? It's
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God's compassionate work. That is God's redemption.
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Verse 3 of that same place. The voice of the
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one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way
46:25
of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway
46:29
for our God. Speaking of what? John the Baptist,
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chapter 4 to 5. Every valley shall be exalted,
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and every mountain and hill brought low. The
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crooked places shall be made straight, and the
46:45
rough places smooth. Verse 5. The glory of the
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Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see
46:53
it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
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The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and
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God's plan is that all flesh might see it all
47:05
together. not just a particular people remember
47:08
from the last teaching we said our god's plan
47:10
was not just for israel praise the lord was for
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the whole earth verse nine oh zion you who bring
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good tidings get up into the high mountains oh
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jerusalem you who bring good tidings Lift up
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your voice with strength. Lift it up. Be not
47:40
afraid, says the Lord. Say to the cities of Judah,
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Behold your God. Behold your God. So the messenger
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there is to point people to who? The messenger
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there is to point people to God. Praise the Lord.
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He says what? Behold. your God. This is your
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God. This is Yahweh. So in Malachi, it's up to
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three, right? So if the messenger is human, right?
48:18
Then all flesh watch shall see him. That is,
48:22
behold your God. So if the messenger is human,
48:24
it means that what people are going to see him
48:27
and what he will say is what? Behold your God.
48:31
It is what Isaiah recreated. there that God is
48:34
coming as a man. So John the Baptist therefore
48:40
the voice of the one in the wilderness right
48:45
he's saying this is the land and we said the
48:48
land there is what is to God that is come to
48:53
God. He would therefore be the voice that says
48:58
this is the land or this is your God. John the
49:01
Baptist is the one who says what? Behold your
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God! This is a promise that is made to the fathers.
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Praise the Lord! This is a promise that is made
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to the fathers and the fathers are aware of this.
49:17
Praise the Lord! The fathers are aware of this,
49:21
so they were not looking forward to a land. Praise
49:23
the Lord! They are aware of this, they were looking
49:26
forward to what? Behold your God! Praise the
49:29
Lord! They were looking forward to behold your
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God. So what does John teach us about this event?
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Or how did he teach us about this event? In Mark
49:43
we saw, he taught it through his baptism. Praise
49:47
the Lord! He taught it through his baptism. So
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before then, we have nobody who was baptized.
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The closest I was to somebody who was baptized
49:56
was Nehman. Praise the Lord, right? He was the
50:00
closest who was baptized or as a semblance of
50:05
baptism in the Second Kings, chapter 5, from
50:08
10 to 15. He was ill, as we know, and he came
50:14
to Elisha saying... So Elisha said to him to
50:18
go and dip himself. He started saying, is there
50:21
no rivers in this place? Can't we go to another
50:23
place? Are there not beautiful rivers? in my
50:25
own place. Why do I have to go to a particular
50:27
place? Praise the Lord. Why do I have to go to
50:31
this place? And what did he say he should go?
50:35
He says what? And Elisha said to him, sent his
50:38
messenger out with him, and said, Go and wash
50:41
in Jordan seven times. Praise the Lord. Where
50:44
was John the Baptist baptized? The Jordan River.
50:50
Praise the Lord. How John the Baptist was preaching
50:57
or how he thought about this thing was through
50:59
his baptism. He's saying that if a man comes
51:02
here and he's baptized, he's showing or he's
51:05
saying that behold your God. That man, his words,
51:10
has come to God. So this is the closest we have
51:19
to baptize it, right? That was Nehman and he
51:24
was healed in verse 15 we saw. So then when we
51:27
come to John the baptism or the baptism of John
51:31
John the Baptist is the prophet who was prophesied
51:36
right in Mark chapter 1 John goes to Jordan.
51:41
Why did he go to Jordan, right? Why did he go
51:44
to Jordan was because there was a message that
51:48
is communicated from that place In Acts chapter
51:56
1 verse 5 that we read, it says what? Baptize
51:58
them with what? The Holy Spirit. So the word
52:04
baptize is the word Baptizo. B -A -P -T -I -Z
52:13
-O. Baptizo. Right? Baptize with the Holy Spirit.
52:21
You put an end to that. To that Baptizo. So when
52:28
he says, baptize, let's go to Acts chapter 1
52:32
verse 5. Remember what we talked about, the Father,
52:35
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, right? Acts chapter
52:41
5, Acts chapter 1 verse 5. It says, For John
52:43
truly baptized with water, for you shall be baptized
52:46
with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
52:49
So when Jesus is saying, baptized with the Holy
52:52
Spirit, he's using a very broad word, right?
52:56
That is to mean your baptism is in and buy and
53:03
wait and add the Holy Spirit. He's using a broad
53:11
word. So why Jordan? Why did they go to Jordan?
53:14
Or why did John baptize in Jordan? So Jordan
53:21
is a location that teaches us theology. praise
53:26
the Lord Jordan is a location that teaches us
53:31
theology it is a location that teaches us or
53:37
takes us back to the event that Jesus was teaching
53:41
from the Jordan also remember we're going to
53:47
we have some scriptures right is the entry point
53:50
of the children of Israel from Canaan Praise
53:54
the Lord. The Jordan River is also the entry
53:56
point for the children of Israel into Canaan.
54:02
So again, Canaan will also see that it is an
54:06
illustration, right? Jordan too, will see also
54:11
that it is an illustration. So Canaan is an illustration,
54:15
as we have seen the land we said is God. God
54:18
who is what? O mini Hothent, right? or God who
54:23
is all -sufficient, or the God of salvation.
54:30
So, that land, right, what it represents is what,
54:38
so when they are coming to Him, what they are
54:40
saying is that they are coming for a new life,
54:43
or when they come to God, or when people come
54:45
to God, what they are saying, or what happens
54:47
to them is a new life. So that land represents
54:52
new creation in God. And Jordan is where people
54:59
cross into. It is an entry point of crossing.
55:04
So why is Jordan important? John goes to the
55:10
same place to do his baptism. The geography is
55:14
important as we have talked about and we have
55:17
seen. He goes to the same place and he dips the
55:21
same people into it and he brings them up. That
55:24
is the act of baptism, to put them down into
55:27
the water and to bring them up. What does Jordan
55:34
represent? Behold, the ark of the covenant of
55:55
the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before
56:00
you into the Jordan. Right? It's crossing into
56:05
the Jordan. It's crossing before them. Verse
56:12
5. And Joshua said to the people, sanctify yourself,
56:22
for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
56:25
Verse 7. And the Lord said to Joshua, this day
56:31
I will begin to exalt you in all the sight of
56:36
the people, that they may know that as I am with
56:42
Moses, so I will be with you. Verse 8. You shall
56:52
command the priest who bears the ark of the covenant,
56:54
saying, When you have come close to the edge
56:59
of the water of Jordan, you shall stand in the
57:04
Jordan. And it shall come to pass as soon as
57:15
the soul of the feet of the priest who bears
57:18
the ark of the Lord The Lord of all the earth
57:25
shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the
57:31
waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, and the
57:34
water that comes down from the upstream, and
57:37
it shall stand as a heap. So when the people
57:43
set out for their camp to cross over the Jordan,
57:47
the priest bearing the Ark of the Lord came before
57:50
the people. Praise the Lord! So, because of time,
57:55
I will just say a few things. I will close. I
57:58
will continue on Wednesday. So Jordan, I'm going
58:04
to come back to this. So Jordan is the second
58:09
Exodus. Praise the Lord. Jordan is the second
58:12
Exodus. Jordan is God renewing his promise. in
58:21
spite of the people's disobedience. It is God
58:26
renewing His promise. We see that in Deuteronomy,
58:30
in Genesis and all of that. So, it was the border
58:37
of Egypt. It is where you cross out of Egypt.
58:42
Praise the Lord! We're going to read much more
58:47
and We appreciate you being here today. We hope
59:01
you carry this word with you throughout your
59:03
week. Don't forget to check the show notes for
59:06
additional insights. Stay connected with us through
59:09
our website or follow us on social media. If
59:13
you were encouraged, share this message with
59:15
someone you care about. Until next time, stay
59:18
blessed.