Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10229 - Follow the Lord Closely - Exodus 23:1-19

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#10229 - Follow the Lord Closely - Exodus 23:1-19 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through
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Abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Open your Bibles.
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Exodus chapter 23. Is where we are.
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Exodus Chapter. 23 and I've entitled our study today.
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Follow the Lord closely. Follow the Lord closely.
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In order to do that, you need to keep your eyes on Him.
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I mean just really looking to the Lord, looking to what He
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desires, asking him, asking him for wisdom.
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Recently I had this deep prayer on my heart and and just
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thinking, God, I want the wisdom that you gave Solomon.
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I feel the weight of what you have allowed.
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In my life and I. Sense the difficulty.
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Of making a decision and. Which way should I go?
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To the left or to the right? One thing I've noticed in my own
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life, years that have been added to my life, people call that
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getting old. You know, the older you.
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Get the. Slower I am to react when you're
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younger. You're so sure?
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And just got all figured out and you just.
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You read a scripture. So you're going to apply it to
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every single situation in your life and.
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Over the years through. Much error and a few.
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Successes the Lord has revealed. To me that I'm going to give you
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wisdom and I'm going to give it to you at just the right time
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and until I give. It to you, you got.
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To stay close to me. You got to stay close.
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And so I've been praying that perhaps you've been praying that
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in your own life for the nation here.
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They need the wisdom of God. They need help to understand
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what their. Future is we read the Bible, we
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get all of the all of the. Teaching looking backwards,
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which can be a disadvantage because we know the end, what we
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know how it's going to end, we know some of the.
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Stories already. We know what God has done, but
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whenever you're reading the Bible.
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Please keep at the. Forefront.
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They don't know, just like you don't know the book is not
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written for you. Yet the story.
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Of your life, the different chapters, the different volumes,
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it's not written yet. You're living your life looking
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to the Lord, wondering and wishing and praying and desiring
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and thinking and all of the. All of the real.
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Life experiences. That's where they're at.
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They have just been miraculously.
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Delivered. From hundreds of years,
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generations of slavery, generations of bondage, and God
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is laying out for them. These.
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Rules. As we've learned in previous
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studies, rules in and of themselves are not bad.
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They define relationship, the boundaries.
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These are rules. They've been given to cover
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their conduct. Their relationship with God, to
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love the Lord God with all their.
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Heart, soul and mind. And then how to love one
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another? How to?
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Relate to one another and the prevailing theme we saw last
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time. Notice in chapter 21.
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In verse 34. In chapter 21.
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Verse 34 you see. That it's important that the
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owner of the pit shall make it good.
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Remember that phrase Make it good again in chapter 22 in
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verse, let's say 22 verse 13 in that area.
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It says. If it's torn to pieces by an
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animal, it should bring it as evidence.
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They shall make not, and he shall not make good what was
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torn. But if a man borrows anything
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from his neighbor, becomes injured, then the owner of it
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not being. With it he shall, surely.
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Make it good, and again in verse 15 he shall not make it.
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Good. The whole idea is that things
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would be. Good, fair and right, and these
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were given for protection and also for.
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Peace. When you and I know the
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boundaries and we live within the boundaries, there's.
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Peace. We just know where.
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We where we are. And where we belong and the.
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Place of safety. God wanted his nation to thrive
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and in be and enjoy life. They they weren't.
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They weren't. Used to the.
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Freedom and in order to rein in the freedom.
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That what they were used to. Was being oppressed and taking
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advantage of each other and trying to just make it through a
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day and make it through a moment.
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And it didn't matter if you were my blood, it didn't matter if
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you were my relative. I just need to make it through.
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And he wanted them to enjoy this freedom now.
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It is easy. Before we jump into the text, to
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get bogged down with the law, to get bogged down with all of the
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different insights, you know, it's often in this general area
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and it's. So perfect.
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Timing for this, so perfect timing because it's often in
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this. Area of the Bible that if you
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choose to read through the Bible.
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In a year, this is the time where people drop.
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Off because for you, right? Now, if you're following our
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plan, you're in Leviticus. And it would.
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Just be really easy. To say, I don't know, I'll just
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catch up somewhere else on the app there it says catch me up I
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think or whatever. So I'll just click that.
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After a month. Or after but the.
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But the law is. Important God has a purpose, you
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ask? What does this have to do with
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me today? And that's where the Bible
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teaching comes in, where while I may not be be able to explain
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every single point and I there may be some things I'm still
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figuring out, there's a lot that I can share.
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There's a lot that I can give inspired by God as I'm studying
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and preparing for you. It's interesting.
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Someone put it this way, you can jot it down.
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I encourage you to. Look this up for yourself, but
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as you're. Reading through the scripture,
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somebody counted throughout the Bible and came up with 365
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negative laws, laws in the negative and 248 laws in the
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positive. So that when you start in the
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Psalms, when you start in the Psalms, in Psalm 15, there are
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basically 15 principal commands that sum up the law, the law of
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Moses. Then you move forward a little
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bit in the Bible. You come to Isaiah 33,
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summarized in just six. Then you move a little further
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in the Bible and Micah. Chapter 6, verse 8.
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There's just three. And then you move a little bit
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farther in the Bible. And by the way, Micah 6 says
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this. He has shown you, O man, what is
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good and what does the Lord require of you?
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OK, what does He require of me? To do justly, to love.
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Mercy and walk humbly with your God.
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I mean, if that's all. You had.
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You would be walking in in the boundaries of the Lord.
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Then you Fast forward as we learn recently, as we open up
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Galatians when we come to. Habakkuk.
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It's just. 1. The just shall live by faith.
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You live by faith. The Lord will lead.
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You and so it seems, the closer and closer.
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You get to Jesus the old. Covenant seems to be fading
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away, and we're going to learn that.
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It's just a tutor. It has a purpose.
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It's holy, right? And good Romans says Romans
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Chapter 7, verse 12. Says therefore the law is holy.
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And the commandment holy and just and.
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Good if it was. Just for that that point alone.
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It would be worth reading through.
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Leviticus and going through the challenging reading through.
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Because you'll get to a few. When you get to a few
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genealogies and just like what do they all these names matter,
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I'll tell you how they matter if your name was in the Bible.
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You'd read it. I mean, if you knew, it's like
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I'm on, I'm on page 1665 and there I am.
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There's my name right there. But we learn in genealogies, not
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only is God wanting to be. Careful to reveal to us.
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The lineage of Messiah very important.
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But also to see that throughout all of.
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History and the billions of. People he's related to.
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He knows you one by one, by name.
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And you're you're important, and your family's important and your
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generations are important. They're all valuable before God.
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The just shall live by faith. So today in chapter 20.
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Three the first few verses speak about social love, the Sabbath
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all. Expanding remember on the 10
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commandments verse 1, you shall not circulate.
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A false report. Do not put your hand with the
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wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
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So here let me summarize that one for you.
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Don't send with your mouth. Tell the truth.
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Be honest. Be truthful, be trustworthy.
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In James chapter 1 and verse 19 it says so.
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Then, my beloved brethren, let every man be.
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Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath for the wrath.
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Of man does not produce the righteousness of God, it makes
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sense be use your mouth in a truthful way and be.
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Slow to speak. Give time for the.
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Holy Spirit to lead. Verse 2 You shall not follow a.
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Crowd to do evil. Can I get an Amen on that?
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This is super important here. Simple.
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Stuff, but also a part of the. Original law given the mosaic.
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Law. Given to the children of Israel
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do not follow. A crowd to do evil.
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Nor shall you testify. In a dispute so as to turn aside
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after many to pervert. Justice, this is very relevant
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to us today. The Bible would say in another
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place evil company corrupts good habits but very important in a.
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Society that we have. Been raised, whether you realize
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it or not, to make decisions based on the majority.
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Now, you may not always, you may be kind of a contrarian and you
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find out in the majority and I'm always going to go against that,
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but. Generally there is great
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comfort. When you are with the majority,
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it's why a lot of people make incorrect decisions, because the
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majority is making an incorrect decision and there's a.
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Place of safety. But God says right after he says
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be truthful. He says watch out for the
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crowds. Watch out for the many.
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Watch out for what's popular. From an early age it's ingrained
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to us that the majority rules and since everyone agrees, it
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must be right. But we know that's not to be
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case. Truth.
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Is outside of numbers and what I mean by that is it doesn't
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matter minority or majority of the truth stands on its own.
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Whether you. Agree with it or not, whether I
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agree with it or not, the truth doesn't need our agreement.
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It exists and now. If if truth exists.
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Then you and I. We have a choice to agree with
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it or disagree with it, but it. Doesn't need.
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Our approval, it is truth. In and of itself self-evident
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now. It is true, it's easier to
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follow. The crowd than to resist.
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Peer pressure is incredibly powerful.
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Not just for kids, though. You think of peer pressure, you
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think of kids on the playground, you think of kids in the
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neighborhood. It's not just for kids.
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There's a whole source of pressure among us.
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As adults. And God just says, here, here's
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the answer. We don't need to go deep on it.
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We don't need to sit down for counseling.
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We don't need to. Hey, just don't follow.
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A crowd to do evil. Don't do it.
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Don't. Don't.
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Go with those. That are going to sin you'll see
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later on in Exodus. 32, just a few chapters later.
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Everyone that a sense to this law will then be making a golden
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calf and start worshipping it. Because of the crowd.
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Because it was. The popular thing to do notice
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in verse three now it says you shall not show partiality to a
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poor man in his dispute Again the theme of fairness, honesty
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if you mean an enemy's ox or his donkey going.
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Astray you shall, surely. Bring it back to him again.
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Now think. About this you were.
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Taught something as a kid. You probably still say it.
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At least once a year. I don't know how often you say
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it, but if you know it, finish it with me.
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You. Ready finders keepers, losers
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weepers. If you find your enemy's ox.
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You're supposed to give it back, the Bible says.
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And of course, there's always Christians.
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Oh, I haven't found an ox. Lately apply it.
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It's not finders keepers, losers weepers the more you read.
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The Bible. The more you allow the.
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Holy Spirit. To minister to you, the more
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that you find and that I have found.
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That I have held beliefs. That are not consistent with the
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heart of God. I've held to beliefs.
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That don't please God and this is one of them I mean it's.
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Such a It's everybody that everybody.
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That spoke up, you know, and what a feeling it is to find
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something, but then the next. Thought should be who does?
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This belong to. I want to give it back.
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That's what the Bible says. Here.
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Notice in verse 5 if you see the donkey of one who.
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Hates. You lying under its burden and
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you would refrain from helping it.
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You shall, surely. Help him with it.
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You shall not pervert the judgement of your poor in his
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dispute. Social standing.
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Rich or poor, like or dislike? Shouldn't change justice.
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Leniency should be shown because a person is hurting.
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Special treatment shouldn't be given to one who's rich.
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Justice must be fair across the. Board.
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And even to the one that's your enemy, you have an obligation in
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the Lord to help them. Notice verse 7.
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Keep yourself far from a false matter.
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Do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not.
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Justify the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, for
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a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words.
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Of the righteous. Also, you should not oppress a
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stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger.
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Because. You are strangers in the land.
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Of Egypt, so stay out of. Issues you know to be wrong
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Don't take bribes, don't get paid.
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Off Why? Because you will not be honest
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and fair in your judgments. You will.
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Lean toward the person that. Bribed you be.
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Kind to strangers. The stranger, the person that's
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different than you, the one that's not from around these
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parts, be good to them. Why?
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Because you know what it's like. You remember he tells them you
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were strangers in the land of Egypt.
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In Hebrews we learn in chapter 13, what does it say?
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Chapter 13, verse 2, do not forget to entertain strangers,
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for in so doing some of unwittingly entertained angels.
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And then he says, remember prisoners as if chained with
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them, those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the
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body. Also, I just learned today we
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received a voicemail looking for a Bible.
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Study to be forwarded. It was a mom, a mom called in,
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left a voicemail in our media department asking for a Bible
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study to be sent to her and forwarded to her.
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And it was a mom of a prisoner headed to go visit her son in
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prison down South. And so it was shared with me
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because we're still knocking on doors to see if God will open,
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get a station down there for all the prisons.
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And it just keeps coming up and we keep knocking.
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We'll see. What the Lord has?
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But it was interesting because I was thinking, how do you think
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that mom feels visiting her son in prison?
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I mean, it's a very special that's no, that's no ordinary
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prisoner. That's no ordinary person.
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That's her boy and all the hopes and dreams and love and care
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that she has for her boy. And what does the Bible say?
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Remember the prisoners like you're with them.
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Or I would even add this illustration as this mom was
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like, you know what I want to bring?
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I want to, I want to bring the word of God to my boy in jail.
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Remember him? Like here.
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Their mother or their father or their brother.
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That's what he's telling the nation.
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Be merciful and kind and fair. It's not all about.
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You. It never has been, don't forget,
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even though we're just days from the deliverance in Egypt, don't
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you? Ever forget Egypt?
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You. Don't have to live there and you
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don't have to condemn yourself. You don't have to beat yourself
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up. That's not what he's saying.
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But he says. Remember what I delivered you
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from. Because it will.
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Burst forth in your heart. A place of worship.
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And you'll remember the suffering as well.
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And you'll remember people that are.
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Maybe a few steps. Behind or a few years behind or
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a few thoughts behind or a few decisions behind where you are.
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Don't forget because you were strangers.
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Use your testimony as a way to remember what God has done in
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your life. Notice verse 10.
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Six years you shall sow your. Land and gather in its.
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Produce but the 7th year you shall let it.
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Rest and lie fallow. That the poor of your.
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People may eat and what they leave.
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The beasts of the field. May eat in like manner you shall
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do with your vineyard and with your.
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Olive Grove six days. You shall do work.
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And on the 7th day you shall. Rest that your ox.
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And your donkey may rest, and that the son of your maidservant
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and your stranger may be refreshed.
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And in all that I've said to you, be circumspect and make no
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mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from
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your mouth. Six and one.
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That's the pattern. Six and one.
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So even with your land. Give it rest.
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With your animals, give them. Rest with those that.
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Work with you, the strangers. Let them be refreshed now you'll
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notice. Throughout the Bible as we'll
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study. Through that, there are many.
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Sabbaths Mini Sabbaths the Sabbath.
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Day gave a man. A day of rest every week.
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And now the land gets it, the animals get it, and the farmers
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will. Tell you that it's good to rest.
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The land and to. Till the give it a rest before
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you. Till it again and plant again
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there was the. Sabbath day There was the
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Sabbath year. And then we learn in.
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Leviticus, there's the Jubilee year, there was the the year of
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Jubilee where? Possessions were returned and
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slaves were set free and there was great rejoicing.
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We didn't. We're not going to cover it in
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depth today, but remember there are those that would come
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alongside of you and try to impose upon you the.
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Sabbath as a way of. The only day that you can
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worship. God.
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And I've taught this in much depth.
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You can go on the website or on the app and just put the word
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Sabbath in and I've taught in depth on this.
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This is not an obligation when you run into folks that will
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condemn you. For what day you worship?
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Even to some degree, they may condemn you for worshiping on
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Sunday and call and say that you're worshiping the mark of
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the beast. It's not true.
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You don't need to be afraid, or you don't need to be stumbled.
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By that although it. Probably is a little
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intimidating. Some stranger come up.
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And what day do you worship? I worship on Sunday.
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You're worshiping the mark of the beast.
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I'm like, bro, I'm just trying to get my French fries.
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Like I don't know what are you doing?
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Why are you sharing this? So I've got done, I've done a
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Bible study in depth if that's a question.
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But if in depth is not what you need, let me give you 2.
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Verses if that's all that will. Settle your heart tonight on
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this topic. Let me give you 2 Romans chapter
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14. Let's turn there.
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Go ahead, hold your place in Exodus.
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Let's turn over Romans chapter 14 so you can see it in your own
19:55
Bible. Or.
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Flip over on your app Romans 14 notice with me verse. 5.
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You might want to mark it and circle it, maybe even right in
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the. The.
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Column there in the margin. Sabbath just so you.
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Can automatically remind. You.
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That's what it's. Helping you with.
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Verse 4-5 of chapter. 14 One person esteems, one day above
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another, another esteems. Everyday alike let each be.
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Fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day,
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observes it to the Lord. And he who does not?
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Observe the day to the. Lord, he does not observe it.
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He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God.
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Thanks he does not eat to the Lord, He does not eat, for he
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gives God thanks. Wife verse 7.
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For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
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If we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die, we.
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Die to the. Lord, so no matter.
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What day you worship you? Worship.
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On Monday, it's under the Lord. You sleep in on Tuesday, it's
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under the Lord. You go out and shovel on
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Wednesday, or that was today, wasn't it?
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You go out and shovel today, it's under the Lord.
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You come to Bible study, it's under the Lord.
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If you choose to say. Hey, the most important day for
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me is Sunday. The first day of the week as it
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is. Given in the scriptures.
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Great. It's under the Lord you want to
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worship on. Saturday we have Saturday
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service. You're more than welcome to join
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us. You can worship on.
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Saturday, But the key is. Be fully convinced and make sure
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you're doing it under the Lord. Then Colossians chapter 2 verse
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16 is the next one. If you want to turn there,
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you'll be really close Romans to Colossians.
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Colossians 2, verse 16. So let.
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No one judge you in food or in drink or regarding a festival or
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a new moon or. Sabbath.
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'S. Plural, which are a shadow.
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Of things to come, but the substance is of.
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Christ so today by faith. In Jesus Christ you.
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Keep the Sabbath every day. Every moment of every day.
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Because He is our Sabbath. And we fully rest on him.
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But again I developed it much deeper.
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If if you need a deeper answer, I went through.
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But notice here he says. There are many different
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Sabbath's in the scripture not. Just the day of rest.
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It's important to rest. Verse 14.
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Three times a year should keep a feast to me.
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In the year you should keep the Feast of unleavened bread.
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You shall eat unleavened. Bread 7 days as I.
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Commanded you at the time appointed in the month of Abib,
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for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me
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empty and the feast. Of harvest the first fruits of
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your laborers. Which you have sown in the field
22:41
and the feast of Inn gathering which is at the end of the year
22:44
when you have gathered in the. Fruit of your laborers.
22:46
From the field three times in the year, all your mail shall.
22:49
Appear before the Lord God. You shall not offer the blood of
22:52
my. Sacrifice with love and bread.
22:55
Nor shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until morning.
22:58
The first of the the first of the 1st.
23:01
Fruits of your land you shall bring into the.
23:03
House of the Lord your. God, you shall not boil a young
23:06
goat in its mother's milk. So much of the worship.
23:13
Of of the. Children of Israel was festive.
23:15
It still is today festivals. And feast, prescribed for the
23:19
nation, were three primary feasts.
23:21
First, there's the. Passover, the Feast of
23:23
unleavened Bread. And remember, they took the
23:25
lamb, and they removed the leaven and took the blood, and
23:29
put it on the doorsteps. It it was a.
23:31
Quick meal keeping them. Ready to go the the.
23:34
Lamb fed between 10 to 20 people and it was a reminder of God's
23:38
great. Deliverance, but it was.
23:40
Also a pointing to the Lamb of God that would take away the
23:43
sins of the world. You you would see this.
23:45
It was. Point forward to the coming.
23:47
Of the Lord. And notice in verse 15 it says
23:50
don't anyone come empty. Do you see that none shall
23:54
appear before me empty. That's interesting.
23:58
They were to bring some kind of offering as an expression of
24:02
Thanksgiving for. All that the Lord.
24:05
Has done this. Is how how I believe this can be
24:08
applied to today? Certainly can be applied in a
24:11
practical sense if you want to spread your giving out of some
24:14
sort or something like that. But I I see a more deeper
24:17
spiritual principle and it's. This when we gather together.
24:21
Don't come with the expectation of what can be done for you
24:25
alone. For example, I I I'm going to
24:28
church, I want to be fed. The word of God, good you will
24:30
be. And I want to come to because I
24:32
want to sing or I want to be with, I want to meet someone.
24:34
We're going to have, we're going to pray together.
24:36
Whatever you you have this. Gathering where?
24:39
I'm here for something, I'm here for something, but I'm here for
24:41
something. But God says no when you show.
24:43
Up. Don't come empty.
24:45
Come ready to give. Bring something to give when you
24:49
gather. That's the principle here.
24:51
Bring something to give, and the greatest thing you give is
24:54
yourself. To the Lord.
24:55
Number one like come with the. Right heart.
24:58
Give your heart to the Lord. Give your voice to the Lord.
25:01
Give your time to the Lord. Give your.
25:03
Attention to the Lord. There's so many things and so
25:06
many ways that you and I can remember to not come here empty.
25:12
But to. Step in to what the Lord is
25:15
wanting is don't come empty. Mark that none of us shall
25:18
appear empty, and for them. It's very practical.
25:21
Because everything they had in the land, everything they were
25:23
given, was an addition from the Lord.
25:26
Everything. All of it.
25:28
It was. All from the Lord.
25:30
They had nothing except what they plundered from the
25:33
Egyptians. Everything was from the Lord and
25:35
they were to remember where it came from.
25:38
Matthew Henry says this in his commentary and I quote some free
25:41
will offering or other. They must bring in a token of
25:45
their respect and gratitude to their great benefactor.
25:50
And as they were not allowed to come empty handed, so we must
25:53
not come to worship God empty hearted.
25:57
I like that we're not to come and worship empty hearted.
26:01
Our souls must be filled with grace, with pious and devout
26:05
affections, holy desires toward him, and dedications of
26:10
ourselves to him. For with such sacrifices, God is
26:14
well pleased. And he says don't come empty
26:18
handed. Then he has the Feast of Harvest
26:21
in verse 16, AKA also known as the Feast of Pentecost.
26:25
This was to take place 50 days. After the first sheaf.
26:28
Of the barley harvest. Was taken and this is how they
26:31
lived in rhythm the rhythms of their lives were set in worship
26:36
of God another great application that the rhythms of our.
26:39
Lives would be set by the worship of God that that we
26:43
would. Set our lives around worship
26:46
rather than around other things, because we know what it's like.
26:49
To set our lives up. Around things and around events
26:53
and around situate, we plan it out, we think it out and what
26:57
God is saying is put me. First, let the.
26:59
Rhythm of your life be surrounding me and what and in
27:04
very small. Ways that that be our worship
27:06
services are that way. You get involved in a smaller
27:09
group. You.
27:10
You make a commitment to someone.
27:11
You. Like let your.
27:14
Let your life surround as you get deeper into the scriptures
27:16
you see. These feasts.
27:18
And we will as well, pointing toward Jesus Christ in the
27:22
significance of their importance.
27:24
The next one was the Feast of In Gathering, which is also known
27:27
as the Feast of Tabernacles verse. 17 prescribes this.
27:31
Three times a year. All your mail shall come three
27:35
times a year. To repeat it for us.
27:37
Again in Deuteronomy chapter 16. And here's the thing, this is a
27:41
command these 3 feasts and it reminds us today.
27:45
That. Worship is not optional.
27:48
Worship is not optional. The.
27:50
Gathering together. Is not optional.
27:52
We see that even in Hebrews repeated do not neglect the
27:56
gathering. Don't.
27:57
Forsake the gathering together worship.
28:00
Is not optional. Sometimes I think we have on our
28:03
minds. That worship of God is.
28:05
Optional. Gathering together is optional.
28:08
Coming in, you know, coming with something, it's optional.
28:11
It's just all. We have such an emphasis in our
28:13
culture. Choice, choice, choice choice,
28:15
choice, choice, choice that we. Begin to think that it's all us
28:20
when God. Has prescribed for us what will
28:22
be a. Blessing in our lives.
28:24
He's prescribed for us, if we will.
28:26
Follow Him. We will experience the blessing
28:29
of being abiding in Him and trusting with our lives.
28:33
I think of, you know, let's drill it down.
28:35
Let's take it down a notch just to something simple like
28:38
singing. Some of you think singing is
28:41
optional, and we'll even say that you know, if you want to
28:44
sing, you can. You want a hum, you can.
28:46
You can make a joyful noise and that can be easily interpreted.
28:49
Of I'll just skip. That song part of church, I'll
28:54
just skip that song part. I'll just come in late, leave
28:57
early. It's something I understand
28:59
because that's my, that was my approach early on as a new
29:03
believer, the. That that part of the.
29:07
Gathering didn't mean much to me.
29:09
Even Bible study didn't mean that much to me because I didn't
29:12
know the Lord well, and the more I learned about the Lord, the
29:17
more I wanted to express myself, the more I.
29:20
Or I should say the less I thought.
29:22
About how I sounded, you know. Well, you know, if I sing, was
29:26
the person in front of me? Well, I mean, they'll probably
29:27
move next time. I don't know, but it doesn't
29:30
matter. And you come in and certainly
29:33
there are those days when you're heavy hearted and songs don't
29:36
come. That's not what we're talking
29:36
about here. We're talking about that thought
29:39
of optional or instead of the option of worship is, you know,
29:43
I've got options. I can sing or I can criticize.
29:46
I. Think I'll just criticize today.
29:48
Don't like that song? Don't like that song?
29:50
Don't like that song? Well, let me, let me speak.
29:53
To the critics. Just for a moment, did you know
29:56
something? We're not singing.
29:58
To you or for you? So it really doesn't matter what
30:03
you think. But while you're.
30:05
Criticizing. You're not worshipping, and that
30:07
matters. That really matters.
30:11
We have elevated our preferences to a place where.
30:14
That says I want you to do this three times a year.
30:16
I want you to do this. I want you to sing to me.
30:20
I want you to pray together. I want you to take communion.
30:23
I want you to read my word. I want you there.
30:26
These are. These are not options.
30:29
Now, of course we kind of pull back from them because we don't
30:31
want to make them legalistic. And now you measure your life by
30:34
that. But you know, in relationship
30:36
you don't think like that. In a relationship of love you.
30:40
Do not have a list of things to follow.
30:42
You just do you just. Are and through trial and error,
30:47
you might find a few mistakes along the way, but you're not
30:49
looking to OK, what do I need to do?
30:51
What I need to do today? What do you mean?
30:52
What do you need to do? You get to do what you want to
30:54
do because you're in the Lord. So you wake up and go.
30:58
I don't what do I need to do today?
30:59
No. I was like, my word, where's my
31:01
word? Before I even have my coffee,
31:03
Where's my word? I want, I want to hear what the.
31:05
Lord has to say. I want to catch up on my Bible
31:08
reading as I get behind at times.
31:10
I just want to seek the. Lord.
31:12
I don't. I don't want to be in a place
31:14
where and we kind of take this approach.
31:16
Here as. Well, as we mentioned with the
31:18
huddle and we don't make it mandatory even though it really
31:21
is, we want you to be there because we want you to be there.
31:24
That's why we want you to be there.
31:27
We want you to want to be there. Because this is the church where
31:30
you your. Gifts are being lived out when
31:33
we have a gathering like that to make it mandatory.
31:36
I guess we could, but then you know, most people that want to
31:39
be there are mandatory doesn't mean anything and then the
31:41
mandatory part just makes. People get hard hearts.
31:43
I don't want to be here anyway. Well, if you don't want to be
31:45
here, don't be here. But then don't serve here either
31:49
like. If you don't have a heart to
31:50
serve like it's all. Heart of the matter.
31:52
I didn't. That might be for someone here,
31:55
but. The reality of.
31:57
This sense of your heart, but. We we can't.
32:02
Come into a place of criticism. We can't come in a place.
32:05
Where I'll take it or leave it? Worship in our devotional lives,
32:09
it's not optional. Worship in our church family.
32:13
It's not optional. Worship with our kids.
32:15
And I know I'm not just speaking about song.
32:18
But just a life of worship, a place where the.
32:21
Your your your room here is a sanctuary, but so is your home.
32:26
So is your bedroom. So is your.
32:27
Car. So is your cubicle.
32:29
There's a place of refuge. Because God is in that place.
32:33
And how is God in that place? Well, primarily through you,
32:37
inhabiting you. So that wherever you go,
32:39
wherever the soles of your feet touch, God says I've.
32:42
Given that to you, I've given that to you.
32:45
Worship is not optional. Every Jewish head of household.
32:49
That lived within 15 miles around Jerusalem had to be
32:52
there. They had to get.
32:54
Ready for the feast, and the roads were fixed and the holes
32:57
were repaired. And they would.
32:58
Whitewash the. Tombs all along the way.
33:00
Even Jesus, remember when he rebuked the scribes and
33:03
Pharisees used the whitewashed tombs as an example because they
33:06
would clean things up to make things look good on the outside
33:09
as everyone would be on their way to worship.
33:13
And then finally, we're only going to get to verse 19.
33:15
Today it says at. The very end, which is unusual.
33:20
You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
33:24
You know what that's become today?
33:26
If you go to Israel. With us, what that's become
33:28
today is you can't eat meat with dairy and that's how they
33:32
approach. That so.
33:33
In the morning, I forget which one it is, In the morning you
33:36
get real butter and at night you get margarine.
33:39
That's how it works. And and they're very they're.
33:42
All the hotels we. Stay in are very strong on this
33:45
on this kosher regulation and and that's not what it.
33:48
Means at all the idea. Was that that they're thinking
33:51
is because you're eating them? Both.
33:53
They would be both. In your body and you.
33:54
Would be. Digesting them as both and that
33:58
way you can't eat them together because then you would be
34:00
boiling a kid. That's not what it means at all.
34:03
It's not what it means at all. God was telling the nation not
34:07
to follow the Pagan rituals of the land, which included.
34:12
This practice, that's all it. Is that he wasn't giving them a
34:15
dietary instruction that would follow thousands of years later
34:19
of figuring out something that's in your stomach boiling together
34:23
he's. Just like look the pagans.
34:24
Do this. You're different than the
34:25
pagans. Don't do it and sometimes.
34:28
There are those things that. God tells us to do where you
34:31
don't need an explanation, you just need to do it.
34:34
You don't need to. Have hey.
34:36
Well, why and why and why kids do that?
34:40
Why, why, what? Eventually it's like, you know,
34:43
just trust me now, you may not be so kind because I said.
34:46
So but what you're really? Saying is just trust me.
34:49
Just trust me. Even if I explained it to you,
34:52
you're five years old. You won't understand it.
34:55
Just trust me Dad, right now. Just just follow me.
35:00
I love you, I. Have what's best for you, and
35:01
this is one of them. Don't be like the pagans, and so
35:04
be careful in the word. Church be careful, let the.
35:08
Plain things. It's once been said that the
35:11
plain things are the main things, and the main things are
35:14
the plain things. So you don't have to go search
35:17
for some deeper meaning. And you're looking at this and
35:19
go, I don't know what this means, but maybe there's some
35:21
kind of deep. And goat means this, and young
35:23
means this and mother means it, and before you know it you've
35:27
got some new theology or something.
35:28
No, no, just. It's it's a very.
35:30
Quick statement and those that. Have studied before us, it says
35:33
OK. Boiling a young goat in that was
35:35
common with the pagans. Don't do it.
35:38
It's what they did. And it grieves my heart at times
35:41
to hear the extremes of so-called teachers taking
35:44
passages out of context. To lead people astray.
35:48
Which is why we're studying the Book of Galatians.
35:50
That's. Exactly what they did there.
35:53
They took things out of context and impose these heavy burdens
35:56
on the people when God never. He as he gives the.
36:00
Direction. He doesn't want to live your
36:02
life. He doesn't want us to live our
36:04
lives under this burden of mandatory, mandatory, mandatory.
36:10
He wants us to live under the motive, motivation of love,
36:13
which is the greatest motive of all.
36:17
No greater love is than this than one to give down, give.
36:21
Lay down his life for a friend. Lay down your life, Church.
36:26
Let him lead you and guide you and follow him.
36:28
Close as. The Old Testament has these
36:32
obscurities involved. With them you can get to the.
36:35
Root of it. And find in the New covenant an
36:38
equivalent. Don't be like the world.
36:41
Don't follow the majority. If they're headed toward evil,
36:45
say no Be an example. I mean, you can go through each
36:49
one of these. When you worship, come together
36:52
and celebrate. Don't forget where you came
36:54
from. Let it be a motivation to love
36:56
others and serve others. And by the way, finders are not
37:02
keepers because God doesn't want the.
37:05
Losers to be weepers. Why don't you write that one
37:07
down? That sounds like a bumper
37:09
sticker. But that's what the Lord says.
37:12
If you find something, give it back.
37:14
It's not yours. Do everything you can to restore
37:19
to someone, even your enemy. Help their animal.
37:21
It's a heart issue, each one of them.
37:24
They reveal our. Hearts and so Lord, we thank you
37:26
for the revelation of just things in our hearts tonight
37:29
from this simple text and as we're growing in your grace and
37:34
and learning from you. Lord, I pray that your spirit.
37:37
Would minister to us and that we might grow and even as we are
37:43
gathered together and. Lord, you have.
37:49
Have met us here. Forgive us for the.
37:53
Criticisms, they come so quickly and they come.
37:58
So easily for whatever. It may be, and it's just changed
38:04
us from the place of worship and adoration to murmuring and
38:11
complaining. That's the words that you use in
38:14
the Bible. And we, our heart of hearts, do
38:17
not want to be there, even though we are at times we don't
38:20
want to be there. We don't want to find something
38:24
at the loss of someone else and not even think of them and not
38:29
even care. So they're ministered to our
38:32
hearts tonight that we might grow in your grace, in Jesus
38:36
name, Amen. We pray that you've been
38:40
encouraged by this Bible study delivered live from the
38:42
sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
38:45
Call us at 87730 grace that's 877-304-7223.
38:54
To listen to this message in its integrity or to join us for our
38:57
live stream services, visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church
39:03
or download our free Calvary Church app.
39:06
Be blessed as you worship Jesus this week.