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Mankind in The Last Days | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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Well, if you have your Bibles, please meet me in the second
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letter to Timothy written by the Apostle Paul.
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In chapter two, excuse me, chapter 3 and we will read from
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verse 1 again. second Timothy chapter 3, beginning in verse 1,
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the word of God reads but understand this That in the last
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days, there will come times of difficulty for people.
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Will be lovers of self. Lovers of money proud, arrogant,
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abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful, Unholy
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heartless, unappeasable slanderous without self-control
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brutal. Not loving good treacherous.
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Reckless swollen with Seat lovers of pleasure rather than
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lovers of God having the appearance of godliness.
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But denying its power avoid such people Lord, we come before your
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word. And we ask, oh, God, because we
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confess our weakness. Lord, we do not want this to be
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a dead Service. As one man said, how can we have
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a Debt Service with the living Christ?
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We ask. Oh God, that your power would
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radiate in this place that your wisdom would be known that.
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As we hear the word of God, as we hear these verses, we will be
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like those officers who were sent Arrest Jesus.
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And they came back saying no one has ever spoken.
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Like this, man, we want to be exposed to that same wisdom and
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power. We asked, oh, Lord, that your
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people that we would be astounded by your truth and not
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just so God, emotionally or intellectually pray that you
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would cause us to obey this word, to apply it to our lives.
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And so Lord, in this moment, may the spirit of wisdom and
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revelation. Ation rest upon the ministry of
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the word. We confess or God that apart
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from your holy spirit's help up apart from the work of opening
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our minds and burning in our hearts.
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This meeting will be futile. And so, have your way in exalt,
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the name of your son in our midst.
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And Jesus name, we pray and ask these things because we hunger
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for righteousness. Amen.
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And amen. Amen.
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As you are aware last week, we began a new section in the book
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of 2nd Timothy that introduced us into the theme of the last
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days and more specifically Paul writes about how as we approach
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the Glorious and triumphant return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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We will first be met by an amplification and escalation of
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ungodly Behavior. Inspired by the spirit of God.
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The Apostle begins to go into this list of specific sinful
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characteristics, that will pollute the general population.
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And we learned that such conduct the things that we just read is
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mainly energized by the emerging, false teachers, and
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false doctrines that will only get worse and only magnify as
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well as a greater resistance to the gospel and to the truth on a
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wider level. And this text, those few verses
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that we read provide the necessary warning for the
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difficulties that will come as we as we advance in gospel work
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and we really want to see Souls come to Christ, Paul's very
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realistic and the Holy Spirit is very realistic and he wants to
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let his people know. You will have great difficulty.
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There will be times of great difficulty, not that the gospel
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is ineffective. Not that people will not be
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saved but it has been set. It has been declared that it's
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only going to get worse before it gets any better.
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But it's also the motivation. The motivation that Timothy
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would get from this to be all the more passionate about
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declaring the truth as Society chooses to spiral into greater
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depravity and darkness. This is not to be hopeless, it's
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to charge the church to be more hopeful and more faithful to the
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word of the Lord to stand your ground.
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Let the world fall, let the world stumble but you Timothy
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and you Christians who are living in the generation and the
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generations to come. That will lead to the second
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coming of Christ. Stand your ground.
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And our goal with these verses last week was to take take the
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time to skip over each of these different traits and get an idea
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of what is coming, what is already here?
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And what's only going to get worse, but we didn't get very
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far, did we know we stayed at the first point we stayed at the
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first attribute, which was for people will be lovers of self.
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And the reason why we stayed there, and the reason why Paul
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presents it first, it's because it is the primary cause it is
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the heart that pumps the life into every other sinful thing
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that is listed here. It is.
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The life Giver. It is the Energizer of all these
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sinful attributes and even more Which gives us a great Insight
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that if you and I want to see greater Holiness, if we want to
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deal with maybe some of the things that we are tempted to
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fall into, then we must by the power of the Holy Spirit, cut
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off the lifeline, which is self-love deal with that, and
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you will deal with many other things kill that and you will
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put the death, many other things that choose and decide and want
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to put you to death. And that's why Jesus Christ your
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Lord. I hope your master.
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I hope has made it the primary condition for his discipleship
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program that you and I should deny ourselves.
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Deny yourself, don't love yourself.
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Don't praise yourself. Don't make you this Center the
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moment you do. That is the moment all these
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other vices will become a reality in your life but denying
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yourself brings Fort. A fruit brings Fort many fruits
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of great Holiness and righteousness that will bless
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others and bless you. But after talking about being
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lovers of self, he immediately meets it with what we read here.
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That in the last days, the quality of mankind will be
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lovers of money. They will love money and this is
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a much more dangerous in that most of us might estimate.
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It's a much more crucial thing to understand because yes we've
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always known that. There has been a love of money
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since the beginning of the world.
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But more importantly, we have to understand that in the latter
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times, there will be a level of consuming passion for material
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gain. Like we have never seen before.
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We might think that the worst that can come from loving money
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is that you become. So ambitious and life that you
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neglect your spiritual disciplines and you're not as as
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frequently attending your church because you want to make the
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extra shift, whatever the case may be.
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Honestly, that's what Christians believe the most dangerous thing
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about loving money is is that you don't show up to church and
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you neglect your time in the morning and you just become so
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motivated for for gain that you just walk away from.
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Basic Christian. Disciplines I'm telling you this
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afternoon, that it is much more disturbing than that.
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Because you know the verse not in 2nd Timothy but in 1st
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Timothy 6:10 For the Love of Money is a root of all kinds of
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evil. Never mind.
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You just being lazier with your spiritual disciplines.
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It is a root of all kinds of evil.
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So what's the equation in light of understanding the last days?
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Here's the equation. Paul says, that, in latter
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times, there will be a greater love for money and there will be
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more lovers of money and because of that, then the result will be
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according to First Timothy 6:10 that there will be greater evil.
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There will be more evil, all kinds of evil, creative types of
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evil for one, sole purpose because it is the manifestation
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of loving gain. The scriptures testify this in a
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book, the book that most describes what the last days
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will look like. In the Book of Revelation,
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consider these verses turn with me to Revelation chapter 18.
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Which describes the response as you're turning there, the
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response of the inhabitants of the Earth.
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Once they witness God, judging the Antichrist economic Empire.
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Most of this chapter deals with the response of the merchants of
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the world, who will witness the Fatal hit.
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That the economic system that this world will know during the
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tribulation will take. Because as we know that in the
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final years before Christ returns, there will be a one
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world political system, a one world economic system that will
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be led by political figure who is labeled in our Bibles as the
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man of lawlessness. And this man will be an agent of
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Satan, that will introduce a deception.
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Unlike the world has ever experienced.
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And with this, widespread deception will come at false
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peace. There will be a false
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tranquility and they're also be great Prosperity.
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There will be a flourishing commercialization that will
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bring much luxury into that time and much gained for many people.
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But God will judge him and God will judge his work and his
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kingdom at some point. And I want you to see in
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Revelation, 18 how again, the merchants will respond to the
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Swift. Wrath of the Lord, specifically,
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on the economic headquarters of the Antichrist during the
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tribulation period. Verse 11 of chapter 18.
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And the merchants of the earth, weep and mourn for her since no
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one buys their cargo anymore cargo of gold.
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Silver. Jewels pearls fine, linen,
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purple, cloth, silk Scarlet, cloth, all kinds of scented
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would all kinds of Articles of ivory, all, kinds of Articles of
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Frankincense, rather costly would bronze iron and marble
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cinnamon spice incense myrrh. Frank Is wine oil, fine, flour
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wheat, cattle and sheep horses, and chariots and slaves.
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That is human Souls. Notice that when God judges
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Babylon, which is some say, it's a literal Place.
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Some states as symbolic term to describe again the headquarters
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of the Antichrist economic and political agenda.
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The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her.
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That's disturbing. You know, why?
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It's disturbing read the book of Revelation.
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And if you read the book of Revelation, you will see very
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quickly that there is little weeping and mourning from
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Sinners on the earth, concerning their sin.
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You don't see this kind of reaction when it when it deals
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with God trying to get the the world's attention by
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Supernatural shakings and plagues and pestilences.
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Oh no. If anything read Revelation, 16,
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you will see that the people will all the more Curse God as
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they are objects of discipline. When God begins to move
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supernaturally in a way that is so obvious that it is a
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Transcendent being that is doing these things and they will still
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bite their tongues. And curse God. what all when
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their financial gain was damaged, When their sales, when
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their trade was destroyed, they wept.
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They were broken. They were dismayed, they were
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shattered. And I read that and I thought
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surely this is an example of how man proves that they are under
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the lordship of Mammon instead of the lordship of Jesus Christ.
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Surely, this is an illustration of how people love money.
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And there are more concern. According to this verse about
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the lostness of their gain rather than the lostness of
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their souls. Do you want to know how you love
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money this afternoon? Let me give you a hint.
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You're more concerned about your financial condition, then your
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spiritual condition. You're more concerned.
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If you've lost money, then if you've lost your testimony,
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you're more concerned. If you've lost something, then
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if you've lost your prayer life, you're more concerned that if
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you didn't get the newest, instead of growing in the
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presence of God, Here we see these people broken over the
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fact that they, they had so much going for them and it was all
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taken away at a moment. What a testimony of the
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fickleness of your finances. There is a very, very fine line
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between us owning stuff and stuff owning us.
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And Paul said, in that famous verse about the Love of Money.
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How it is. A root of all kinds of evil in
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the ESV. He goes on to say for it is
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through this craving that some have wandered from the faith.
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We got to read our Bibles slowly, he didn't say it is
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through the gaining, just the craving of it.
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Just the appetite alone has the ability to pull you away from
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your faith, never mind, having the stuff, just wanting it and
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dreaming about it, and wishing it, and going into debt for it.
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Just the craving has the ability to persuade you away from what
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truly matters, and that is your personal walk with the Lord
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Jesus Christ. There's a very fine line, think
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about it. As we look at this, notice, the
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reaction between these Merchants concerning, the loss of their
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possessions. And a man, like job When
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everything was stripped away from him, because God allowed
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Satan to have a hand on his stuff, on his farm, on his land,
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on his cat, on his own children. Notice the difference of
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reaction? Oh, he wept.
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Oh, he was broken but he worshipped He worshipped, why?
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Because he had stuff, but stuff didn't have him.
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These people, they wept. Why?
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Because all they had was stuff and that was taken from them.
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There's a very fine line between us owning money and money owning
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us. And it's very unpopular teaching
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to talk about the love of money. And I'll tell you, this is
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because many preachers Love Money themselves.
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Many people are in Ministry just for the sake of financial gain.
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I fear for you preacher and how you will stand before God
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because you have all along served Mammon instead of the man
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Jesus Christ. But secondly, the you hear the
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list there and did you notice that a majority of the materials
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that were mentioned? Describe luxury, over a
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necessity? Look at the list again.
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What is this cargo of? Gold pearls fine.
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Linen, purple, cloth, silk, this is talking about extravagance.
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This is talking about about stuff that you add on to what is
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necessary. And it is true that the sadness
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here stems from their sales and their trade, taking a blow.
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And the merchants not being able to make more as a result of what
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God had done, but consider how strange this is.
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This is during the tribulation period, this is during a time
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where the world will know unusual, manifestations of God's
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Wrath. Up to that point we really are
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just experiencing God's passive wrath where he lets people and
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Nations dive into their sin. But when the tribulation period
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comes, it will be very much God's Act of Wrath on display.
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And so you're going to see catastrophic things millions of
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people dying animal. All these things just just
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turning to Ash. And yet you look at this in
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Revelation, 18 and what do you see a people who are still
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concerned about the newest and the Latest.
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Look at how the grip of the Love of Money can a can so get you
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that it can distract you from the very thing around you.
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That is signaling the second coming of Jesus Christ.
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Then in Jesus talked about the last days being like that, they
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will marry given to marriage. They will drink, they will eat.
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They will buy, they will sell in the last days, the days of Noah,
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the days of lot. We think that when the
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tribulation period comes, were all going to be in Bunker's
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know, there's going to be people here that are going to be very
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much busy, with their work, and growing, and stocks, and real
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estate and jewelry and fashion and furniture.
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Not knowing that you were at the threshold of the return of Jesus
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Christ. Materialism has such a powerful
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convincing power over people that it can even keep the
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devotion of men and the final hours of History.
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But did you notice the last thing that was mentioned on this
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list? the last thing on this list that
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these Merchants are so disturbed about slaves, That is human
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Souls. The word slaves in the original
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simply means bodies. The bodies of men and in other
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word, for word translations, like the nasb, the new King
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James, the King James, they would they would say slaves and
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human Souls /, human lives. What does that mean?
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The spirit of God is showing us that the love of money will be
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so great in the last days that people will become objects for
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sale. That people, their bodies will
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actually be Commodities. Not the service of people not,
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not slave labor. No people People will actually
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be given a people actually be on the same list as cattle and
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chariots. Because we were being told by
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this that the love of money will be so great, that the desire
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Financial game will be so intense that humans themselves
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will be for sale. We're already seeing that today.
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We're seeing though, you do not see it.
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So obviously, it's happening. It's even happening this
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afternoon where little girls are being kidnapped by vicious man
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and being sold into sex trafficking.
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All that. That seems so vile and
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Despicable, right? Well, pornography makes an
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annual revenue of twelve billion dollars.
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And guess what the commodity is a pornography?
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Humans. Their bodies.
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You don't think we're living in the last days.
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Or what about the services that are given under the guise of
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healthcare. When in reality, there is
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genocide happening in the wombs of mothers on a daily basis.
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And even some of those body parts that are extracted, are
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are sold and used for research when I living in the last days,
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huh? Are you waiting for a volcanoes
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to erupt and waiting for tsunami?
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Don't come. But Paul says here.
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There's going to be lovers of money. and notice on that list
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in Revelation 18 where the human Souls were, they listed Last.
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Last there. Last on the list.
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To say that man will cherish in a steam material Goods over the
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sanctity of human life. In the last days, there will be
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lovers of money. We're in the last days we're
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seeing it and it's only going to get worse, brothers and sisters.
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But we come back to our main text.
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And after telling us that for people will be lovers of self
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lovers of money, Paul moves on to say that they will be proud
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and arrogant. Again, the ESV is unique here
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because another word for word translations, the word proud is
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replaced with the word boastful, boastful, and the original
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Greek, the word as eyelids own actually meaning empty
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Pretender. So I believe that the best fit
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for that is actually boastful because the original says empty
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Pretender and it helps make a distinction when you have
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boastful there instead of proud because the neighboring word is
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arrogant and being boastful and arrogant they overlap but
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they're not the same thing. But Paul says in the last days
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there will be empty Pretenders and this is to speak about how
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men will exaggerate their own greatness.
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Speaks about one who boast about their accomplishments, their
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knowledge, their abilities, their experiences, by stretching
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the truth or even making claims that have no basis in reality.
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It highlights the attitude of someone who comes off and wants
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to make sure everybody knows that they are superior.
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Or they're the most significant one in the room.
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And it is essentially the verbal manifestation of self-love.
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So in the last days, there are going to be people who are going
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to give the impression that they are something or someone when
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reality, they are something else.
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And let me give you a very innocent example.
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You got people today that edit themselves to the point where
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they are different online than they are in person.
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It's a cultural thing. It's normal to us.
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It's like it seems fine, but I think it speaks of what Paul is
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talking about here. Even on a physical level.
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We want to show people that don't know, us in reality and
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people are making tons of money on this through Instagram and
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other things. And they have so skewed
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themselves that they are pretending.
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To look like somebody to have perfect skin to have the perfect
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shape and to be perfectly symmetrical.
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You, what is that? Is that just?
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It's fun. No, it says something in the
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last days, this is going to become very known, very common.
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And it's going to be widespread. Arrogant as well boastful and
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arrogance again. They overlap but they're not
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necessarily the same thing because you can be arrogant and
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not be boastful you can be arrogant and not necessarily
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trumpet it. It's not as vocal.
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It's something that manifests in different ways, but it primarily
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plagues the heart and it's a, it's a convincing of yourself
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that you Harbor. And that is you are greater than
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everybody else. Just about everybody else and
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the eyes of the inner man. They look at others with
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contempt. And although they don't demand
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the praise of others, there is an internal worship service
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happening continually in the internals parts of who they are.
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The Arrogant eventually cannot hide their arrogance. when you
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esteem yourself above others as preeminent, in value and worth,
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It will, it will make itself known.
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Sometimes it's known through actions other times.
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It verbal vomit, it just slips out in the right time.
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And there's some kind of comment that is made.
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Because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,
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this is the channel in which the heart is revealed.
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And sometimes as proverb says, all it takes.
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Is a look that can speak much louder than words.
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Why am I saying all this? Because in the last days,
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humility will be a rarity. In the last days, a humble
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spirit. Will not be as common as
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boastfulness and arrogance. Over history, we have lost
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species of animals and in like manner as we advance from
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generation to generation. Humility will become nearly
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extinct. The Bible speaks about this sin.
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And great, great warning and James 4:6.
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We are told. God does what Tommy?
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He resists or he opposes the proud.
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Guess what's so fascinating about that?
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Verse? James is talking to Christians,
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ain't talking to non-believers and he's not teaching about the
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pride of those who have not submitted to the righteousness
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of God in Christ Jesus, he's actually talking to Christians
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and if we don't believe that, then Peter borrows the same
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language. When he tells Christians, clothe
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yourselves, in humility toward one another.
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And then he says, for God, opposes the proud, but he gives
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grace to the humble. What's amazing about that word
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resist or opposes? Is that it actually means to
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range in battle against. You know what that means.
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It's a military term. So let me translate it and
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simple language, God. We'll go to war against the
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proud. Unless somebody knows I can't
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find of any other kind of sin that God speaks in such manner,
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he will set up the battle ranks, he will declare war against
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those who have harbored arrogance.
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You know why? That's concerning to me?
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I don't know about you. I have enough things fighting
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against me. Hey, I have this flesh to deal
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with I got the world to deal with.
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And I got the devil to deal with and so do you and the hordes of
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demons? They oppose me daily and I'm
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sure they oppose you too. But according to this verse, if
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I want to add one more, all I have to do is be unrepented in
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my pride and, and I have God to deal with and guess what if God
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is on our side, it doesn't matter who stands against us,
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the flesh, the devil All the hordes of hell if God is for me.
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None of these things can overcome me. but if God is
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against me, It is a matter who I have on my side. this is a
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matter of I have the entire world standing behind me with
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their hands on my back, as Paul said, rhetorically to the
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Corinthians, are we stronger than he So you can only imagine
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the war is that the Lord will have with people in the last
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days. As there will be a greater
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military of the boastful in the arrogant.
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And let's be very Vigilant here believer.
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Let's be very, very Discerning concerning.
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Spiritual warfare. If pride is the very thing that
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invites God's Army against me. One of Satan's greatest
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strategies against the Christian what the temptin to be proud.
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Consider that. One of Satan's greatest
29:28
strategies is to allow the heart to become puffed up.
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And this is how clever he is because when we allow that Pride
29:37
to be planted, a nourished and mature, and the enemy knows,
29:43
never mind, I don't have to deal with them.
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God will deal with them. When Jesus Christ returns to
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this world. To this Pride, pumped Pride,
29:55
filled world, I want you to see how he's going to deal with this
29:59
sin. It's quite amazing because one
30:01
of the prophets, the Minor Prophets and their minds are not
30:04
because they're less significant than Isaiah, Jeremiah and
30:06
Ezekiel just because their prophecies are a little shorter.
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One of the Minor Prophets, pulls the curtain back and give us a
30:13
little peek into the millennial reign of Jesus when he
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physically Returns on the Earth. And I want you to turn to that
30:21
book called Zephaniah with me in chapter 3.
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And I want you to see how the Lord Jesus Christ will
30:28
specifically handle the people of Israel.
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And those who are proud and arrogant in the midst.
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I'll give you some time to find Zephaniah.
30:43
It's not a very popular book. Zephaniah, chapter 3.
30:50
And once we hear the rustling of the leaves, calm down will
30:53
expound. Zephaniah chapter 3 again.
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This is a prophecy about the world to come.
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Not heaven. This is why we believe in the
31:06
literal reign of Christ because you have a lot of prophetic
31:08
words to deal with Because they haven't happened yet and if
31:12
we're just waiting for heaven and we have a lot of wasted real
31:16
estate in the Bible. Is that when I Chapter 3
31:20
beginning in verse 11 on that day, you shall not be put to
31:24
shame. Because of the Deeds by which
31:28
you have rebelled against me. Now, look what happens for then.
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On that day Christ returns and becomes king.
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I will remove from your midst, your proudly, exultant ones and
31:42
you shall no longer be haughty in my Holy Mountain.
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Think about this when the Lord Jesus Christ, pierces, through
31:51
the skies, and with those Pierce feet lands on the Mount of
31:55
Olives, one of the top priorities that Christ will come
31:58
to accomplish is to cleanse the world from Pride.
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Is to wash the hearts of those who try to be in close proximity
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to his Dwelling Place from haughtiness because those who
32:13
have haughtiness harbored in their hearts cannot be close to
32:16
his Earthly Throne, he will not tolerate it.
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As he comes as the Messiah, he will deal with this Pride.
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That will be so common. Can you imagine a world will
32:30
Pride will be suffocated? It's hard to imagine, you know,
32:32
why? It's hard to imagine because we
32:34
live in a culture today, that celebrates Pride as confidence.
32:39
And a strength. But our King is Meek.
32:47
And he is humble gentle lowly in heart, and he will demand from
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the citizens of the world to reflect his character.
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And so when Jesus first came into the world, he said, learn
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from me for, I am gentle and lowly in heart, but when he
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comes again, he's not going to say learn from.
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He's going to make you be humble.
33:07
Because when we stand before the superiority of his glory, the
33:12
moral Majesty, the radiating righteousness, the power of his
33:16
wisdom. Pride will have a very difficult
33:21
time surviving under his Rule and reign.
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And I look at this, and I get excited because if what will
33:33
characterize the last days is that there will be the proud and
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the Arrogant, what do you think? Will characterize the
33:38
inhabitants of the earth? When Jesus comes look at verse
33:41
12. But I will leave in your midst
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of people, humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the
33:51
name of the Lord, because that's one of the evidences that you
33:54
are humble, and lowly. You are dependent on the Lord.
33:57
You hide in the Lord, you seek wisdom from the Lord, your
34:01
protection is the Lord. Your provision is not your bank
34:04
account, it's the Lord, the humble, and lonely.
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That's who I'm going to leave in the midst.
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I'm going to come and clean up all the junk.
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That the human heart has created and that the Antichrist has
34:17
encouraged and I will leave in your midst, the humble and
34:20
lowly. I'm excited.
34:27
Come Lord, Jesus. But I'm not just excited because
34:31
this is a glorious window into that time.
34:34
I'm excited because it holds application power for today.
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Well, what do I mean by that? Well, ask this if Jesus is going
34:43
to deal with the pride in the world, by becoming the ruler of
34:47
the Earth. The righteous King of the
34:51
Nations. Then what is the solution for
34:54
the arrogance? That might so live comfortably
34:56
in my heart, the pride of my heart, the heartiness, the snob
35:01
Enos of my heart, the same solution for the world.
35:04
When he comes, Jesus Christ must sit on the throne of my will.
35:11
If Jesus Christ sitting on the throne on Mount, Zion will deal
35:14
with the pride and the world. And Jesus Christ sitting on the
35:17
throne of my heart will deal with the arrogance that will try
35:21
to live so comfortably Within Me.
35:27
In other words, as you submit to him as we seek him as we crown
35:32
him as Lord and Master every single day, trust that he will
35:37
be faithful to remove the pride from the midst of us.
35:45
And to, instead replace it with a humility that reflects his
35:49
character. the more I behold, the example of Christ, the more
35:55
I pray for the reality of Christ of my soul, The More, I Seek to
35:59
imitate Christ, the less pride has the power to have its way in
36:04
me, The solution to the pride in this world will be when the
36:08
Prince of Peace comes. To eliminate it with his power.
36:13
And the only Power for Pride to die in my heart, is if Christ
36:18
becomes the king of it, we should be very careful of
36:22
praying things as a church, really because when we pray,
36:25
Lord lead this ministry. Lord have your way in our midst.
36:32
Lord be the center of attention and have all things unto your
36:36
glory. You know what?
36:37
He might do as a response. Remove the pride.
36:43
From the midst, remove the exalted ones, remove the ones
36:48
that are a part of the ministry to have it for their selves and
36:51
their own name and their own reputation, be careful.
36:55
The same way, he will cleanse the earth when he becomes king
36:58
of Christ is King of Maranatha Bible Church Christ will cleanse
37:01
this place. From Pride from those who will
37:04
not allow him to cleanse their hearts first.
37:09
And we come back to our text and second Timothy And we read.
37:15
We're making progress. We didn't stay on one.
37:20
For people will be lovers of self.
37:21
Lovers of money, proud, arrogant, and then interesting
37:24
enough in the ESV. We are told that people will
37:25
become abusive. Abusive, that is an interesting
37:30
translation of the original word, which is in the Greek
37:34
Blasphemous sound familiar. It's where we get the word
37:38
blasphemous. And that word is so pregnant.
37:42
With application, it speaks of to speak evil against to revile
37:47
against To ridicule to slander and even to be abusive.
37:56
And most people have limited the sin of blasphemy as being
38:00
something that we can only do against God.
38:02
No, we can be Blasphemous against one another.
38:07
And that's why I believe that. Yes we chose the word abusive to
38:10
widen the application of the original word to not make people
38:14
think that it's something that people only do against God, know
38:16
they will, they will do it against others.
38:20
Paul by the spirit, listen to this foretells that there will
38:23
be a heightened level of insults.
38:27
Of disrespect of vulgarity of cursing Of Dishonor and
38:32
reviling, that will be the common language of the folk.
38:39
And even though such words, carry the force to cut to wound
38:43
to destroy, even defile the imagination of those who are in
38:46
the presence of blasphemy, it will be so prevalent.
38:51
It'll be so normal. And you know that we're living
38:54
in that day, whatever Direction you turn into your eyes, will
38:59
see your ears will hear a blasphemy.
39:02
It's in our entertainment. If we can call it that, It's in
39:06
the music. It's in the conversation.
39:09
On the commute. It's in the conversation at
39:10
work. It's so prevalent and I wonder
39:15
if Paul had a chance to make a weekend, visit to America and
39:20
then head back to heaven on Sunday evening.
39:23
He would make the observation. This is the blasphemy that I
39:27
told Timothy about 2,000 years ago.
39:31
This is it, I'm sure he would come to that conclusion and we
39:35
can spend the rest of the remaining time pointing to how
39:38
it's real here, how it's real. There you're fully aware of it.
39:43
But again, remember this point that when we started this
39:45
section and Timothy, we don't want to just study the evil
39:49
behavior that will mature, the wickedness that will grow in our
39:53
generation and the future Generations.
39:55
If God does not tarry, we want to make an ambition that if this
40:00
world is only going to get darker than let the light of
40:02
Christ shine brighter. Let's match the wickedness with
40:05
righteousness. If the world is going to succumb
40:09
to the power of the evil one, and allow the flesh to dominate,
40:12
Then we met, we submit to the power of the spirit and still
40:16
remain the salt of the earth. And so I'm reading this and I'm
40:20
thinking, okay, yeah, abuse abuse with the language abusive
40:24
with slander and reviling, and cursing.
40:27
I mean, you got Christians today who are calculated with their
40:30
cursing because you want to be cool or not.
40:32
Cool, your amateur, your marring, your testimony, I can't
40:42
help but think about how every ugly Dimension, that Paul lists.
40:47
Your Christ is the exact opposite.
40:50
He is the exact polar opposite. And when I saw this, that people
40:55
are going to use their tongue to be abusive, the my mind rushed
40:58
to well, how did Jesus use his tongue?
41:01
Because he's our example. And if the world is going to
41:04
intensify in this, then Lord, let Christ be real.
41:07
Even with this mouthpiece and I couldn't help.
41:10
My mind, went to that Prophecy of the suffering.
41:13
Servant in Isaiah, chapter 50, would you meet me there?
41:16
It's so precise about one of the elements of the Messiah who will
41:20
come into this world and it doesn't deal with his healing
41:23
power though. That is wonderful, doesn't deal
41:25
with his miraculous abilities. It doesn't deal with doesn't
41:29
necessarily deal with his power. For preaching.
41:34
Though it is included in that. Look at what this is about.
41:37
Jesus this is what Isaiah foretold about Christ your lord,
41:40
your savior, our master and Isaiah chapter 50 verse 4.
41:44
We read the Lord, God has given me The tongue of those who are
41:51
taught. That I may know how to sustain
41:56
with a word. Him who is weary morning by
42:00
morning. He awakens, he awakens my ear to
42:03
hear as those who are taught You know, that verse, I'm sure
42:09
you're convinced can be a whole sermon series.
42:13
What does it say about Jesus? As this is one of the suffering
42:17
songs of the Messiah. We are told here that Christ
42:21
says, the Lord, God has given me all.
42:23
Look at the humility. Look at the servanthood.
42:27
Look at the dependency of Christ in the flesh.
42:30
The Lord God Yahweh has given me and I received something from
42:35
him. what is it that he is received from God the tongue of
42:41
those who are taught or learned, And as I said earlier, in prayer
42:48
that tongue was so impressive. So powerful so captivating it
42:52
dripped with the honey of God's word it dripped with piercing
42:57
power convicting strength, comforting Grace.
43:00
That even when the Pharisees sent those officers to arrest
43:03
and they came back Spellbound like where is he?
43:06
The like we've never heard anybody spoke like him.
43:12
We've never heard anybody other words.
43:14
Like he uttered. But this prophecy doesn't deal
43:19
with the the wisdom that confounds the wise.
43:22
It doesn't deal with necessarily the scriptures that Jesus pulled
43:27
out of the Bible though. It includes that the the
43:31
application the ability of Christ tongue is right here that
43:35
I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.
43:41
So all that Revelation, all that knowledge that he had received
43:45
from God as he grew up. The scripture tells us in wisdom
43:47
and stature it had the ability to lift the weary head.
43:53
Can you make like, look how compassionate God is?
43:55
That one of the Prophecies of the Messiah is that when he will
43:59
use his tongue, people who are discouraged, beaten by life,
44:04
deflated will feel as strength. To move on.
44:10
That was the kind of preacher. Jesus was when you heard Jesus
44:13
preach, it provided strength. It provided life, it provided
44:20
hope. Unlike the Pharisees, when they
44:23
preached Jesus condemned them, you throw burdens on people that
44:26
you yourself are not even able to carry.
44:28
That was not Jesus. He lifted burdens when he spoke
44:32
to the alleviated, when he spoke, he healed when he spoke
44:34
people sense. A bomb to their souls.
44:37
If you're aspiring to be a preacher, imitate your master
44:41
that even in the hardest words, the hardest rebukes people will
44:44
still feel his strength. That's the spirit of Christ and
44:47
the true preacher that even if it's a rebuke, they would sense.
44:51
There we are. Hearts come to life.
44:56
But how did he achieve this? How did Jesus as yes?
45:01
Truly God. But also man, how do we achieve
45:04
this ability to sustain people with the word, unlike the abuse
45:07
that will be known in the last days?
45:12
Morning by morning, he awakens. He awakens my ear as to hear, as
45:18
those who are taught the speaks about the fellowship that Jesus
45:23
had with the father. Was it sporadic?
45:29
Morning by morning. I want you to never read those
45:33
passages in the gospels. The same way again, when you
45:36
read that Jesus often secluded himself to lonely places to
45:39
pray, or when you read in Mark, that Jesus woke up.
45:42
Even before the sun came up, you know what he was doing that
45:45
morning, he was receiving the tongue of those who are taught
45:51
He was receiving the Revelation, he needed for that day to
45:55
sustain someone else with his words.
46:01
Are we not imitators of Christ? I read this and I thought Lord,
46:05
do I do this morning by morning. Do I come to you and to your
46:10
word? Not some subjective thing.
46:15
But do I come to your word and do I come with an open ear and
46:18
do I say Lord awaken my ear that I may know how to sustain with a
46:22
word. I don't want, I want to stand
46:26
and complete opposite to the to the world who are so quick to
46:29
tear down and Destroy. They will be abusive, but Lord,
46:32
if I'm going to live in these last days, make me like you.
46:38
I want to be the person that when people hear me speak, they
46:41
are only built up. They feel that much more grace
46:45
and energy to live as a Christian.
46:48
It feel that much more joyful to be in the will of God.
46:52
And if they Veer off that my words, by your grace will bring
46:55
them back. And that can only come from one
46:59
thing brothers and sisters. If you want to have that kind of
47:02
tongue, unlike the tongue of the world that holds no wisdom, no
47:05
ability to provide strength, even modern-day psychology.
47:09
It's so silly to me when I hear these people even Christians and
47:13
I won't mention these peoples names because I believe they're
47:15
good people. But these philosophers these
47:17
modern speakers that write books about the meaning of life.
47:21
And stop, there's no power. It's just how to tidy up your
47:26
life a little bit, but it doesn't have the ability to Only
47:29
God can give him that sustain with a word.
47:33
I want to be that vessel by God's grace.
47:35
I hope you would want it to, but it can only come from one thing.
47:38
Can't come from Seminary. Can't come from degree, and
47:42
listen, those who acquire greater knowledge.
47:44
You want to know if it really came from God, when they speak,
47:47
does it give you Grace? I don't care how much knowledge
47:51
they have. You can study books and memorize
47:53
it. And you can just spew out
47:55
information, even Bible information, if it doesn't have
47:59
If it doesn't have the fruit of sustaining with a word, it's
48:02
just knowledge and God's touches in on it.
48:07
Morning by morning, he awakens. He awakens my ear to hear.
48:11
As those who are taught, can you picture it in Jesus?
48:15
As this world is going to pull away from God?
48:18
More and more. Of course, they're going to
48:20
inherit abusive tongues but as we come closer and closer God
48:24
deposits, deposits are knowledge not to impress people with
48:29
debates, not to Simply Be apologetic with our faith, but
48:32
to even provide strength to the weary heart, Look at the next
48:39
verse. In verse 5, we read something
48:41
and we'll close here. Because if we want to achieve
48:47
that yes we have to have that morning by morning fellowship.
48:51
And if you work night shift, don't be condemned.
48:53
Okay? I often tell people, people get
48:56
sober and I love that bird and brother, I can't my scheduled
49:00
this and that and I just say give God what you can give him
49:05
And like the woman who anointed his head and anointed his feet,
49:08
Jesus will defend you and say she has done what she could.
49:13
But when we come to Isaiah 50, look at verse 5, Messiah
49:17
continues, the Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not
49:22
rebellious, I turn, not backward, let's just read on to
49:25
prove that this is Christ. I gave my back to those who
49:28
strike and my cheeks, to those who pull out the beard, I hid,
49:32
not my face from disgrace and spitting.
49:34
This is Christ. But when you look at verse 5,
49:37
notice, he says the Lord, God has opened my ear.
49:40
And if we're not careful, we're not familiar with Biblical
49:42
language and phrases. We might think that it's just an
49:45
emphasis that he was very attentive and is quiet time in
49:48
the morning. No, that's not what it is.
49:50
We heard earlier that. Yes, he comes morning by
49:53
morning, he listens, he comes to the word and he was rich.
49:56
He was the word. But then we're told that the
50:00
Messiah says the Lord, God has opened my ear, and he's not
50:05
talking about made me more attentive, know the Messiah, who
50:09
would come, was alluding to what you read in, Exodus 21, some
50:14
things that most Christians would Skip and that's laws
50:17
concerning Hebrew slaves. Can I show you what this means?
50:21
Let's turn there. And these were the instructions
50:25
that were given. To the slave masters in the old
50:30
Covenant. There was rules.
50:33
And as you read these rules, you're going to quickly get the
50:36
impression that slavery in the Bible is not the same way.
50:38
We understand American slavery. Exodus 21.
50:43
Look at this. Now these are the rules and
50:45
verse one that you shall set before them.
50:48
When you buy a Hebrew slave, He Shall Serve six years.
50:54
And in the seventh he shall go out free.
50:57
For nothing. And then we come here to verse
51:01
5. So this is the rule.
51:02
If you purchase a slave, he's really like an employee.
51:07
He comes on in and after six years, no matter who he is, no
51:10
matter how close he is to you, no matter how much he's done for
51:12
you. My law is you have to let him
51:15
go. But the slave has a choice and
51:18
the fact that a slave has a choice implies that he was not
51:22
being beaten and whipped and had a iron collar around his neck.
51:27
Know look at verse 5 but if the slave plainly says, I love my
51:30
master. How can you love your master of
51:32
your slave? The way we understand slavery?
51:34
This is important. As you answer people's
51:36
questions. I love my master, my wife and my
51:40
children. I will know, I will not go out
51:43
free. If you're a slave, you're
51:45
counting down the days for that sixth year again, different
51:49
concept of slavery, as people would understand it.
51:51
And our history, I will not go out free.
51:55
Then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him
51:59
to the door or the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear
52:05
through with an awl, and he shall be his Slave forever.
52:11
So, if a man would be free after six years and in his heart and
52:15
goes, but I love my master, he has treated me so, well, I enjoy
52:18
his, his Fellowship, I enjoy his friendship.
52:20
I want to be a part of him and his family forever, then he
52:24
would turn around and he would say, I want to be your slave
52:27
forever. So then the master would take
52:31
him before God open his ear. Take a sharp instrument known as
52:38
an all and Pierce it on the doorpost as a sign of his slave
52:45
ship to him forever. Jesus says and Isaiah 50 verse
52:54
5. The Lord God has opened my ear.
53:00
what is he saying that as the servant of God, he was a slave
53:07
to God. Forever.
53:11
He was dedicated to the cause of God.
53:14
He loved his God as his master and he chose to not do his will
53:19
on the Earth, but the will of him who sent him. and because of
53:26
that, dedication ever since he was a babe, God honored him
53:32
morning by morning with a tongue of those who are learned to
53:38
empower others. That is Christ but that is an
53:42
invitation for you. And I you want to be used by God
53:46
this afternoon. You want to be set apart?
53:48
You want God to? So touch your mind and your
53:52
tongue that when you speak it Springs out life Open your ear.
53:59
I'm talking about morning devotion time.
54:02
I'm talking about the opening of the year, that Jesus described,
54:04
put your ear on the doorpost and let God pierce it.
54:09
And let him claim you forever. That is the vessel that God
54:14
uses. The one who says I'm yours.
54:16
I'm not going to be passionate about you for 6 years.
54:20
I'm not going to serve you like everybody serves you in the
54:22
beginning of my faith. When I come to know you, I'm
54:24
yours forever. The day, I die, I'm dedicated to
54:30
you. And it is those types of vessels
54:34
who will stand out in the last days.
54:37
It is those types of instruments who have dedicated their whole
54:40
life to God that God will use and that's why there are many
54:44
Christians that don't have that, you know, why?
54:47
Because they haven't given everything to him yet.
54:50
They're his there, they're his employee.
54:52
They love God, but it's like in and out, right?
54:55
It's like, No, dedicate yourself and watch what he will do in and
55:03
through you. Let's pray.
55:28
Heavenly Father, we realize according to your word that we
55:32
are indeed in the last days. For we see what mankind has
55:40
become and what direction mankind is headed towards.
55:45
But Lord, we will not study this.
55:47
Merely as a subject, we longed to know what is our call in in
55:51
all of this. And we pray and we beg of you.
55:55
Oh God. That although these times will
55:58
be difficult, although there will be a greater rejection of
56:01
the gospel and a greater South love.
56:05
Make us like your son. Conform us to His Image.
56:11
Even down to the detail of how we use our words.
56:18
If the law will reject you day after day, then Lord, may we be
56:21
like the master who met with you morning by morning.
56:26
We submit ourselves to you. If anybody in here has not fully
56:30
given themselves as a bond servant of Jesus Christ made
56:34
today, be the Turning Point. May they say I love my master
56:38
and I will not go away from him. I will not just visit him, I
56:42
will not just come for the holidays.
56:44
I will be his slave forever. May that be true of every
56:48
servant and Maranatha Bible Church.
56:52
We asked oh God that we would be found faithful in these Final
56:56
hours of History. We asked oh God, that although
57:00
there will be perilous times, you will see a city on a hill
57:06
through this local body. Among many other local bodies
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that will shine bright for Christ.
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Well, we submit to you and worship, not just in song, but
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through our Our Lives. We give you all the glory, and
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thanks for the word of the Lord today, and Jesus name we pray.
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Amen.