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Why Jesus Was Born Among the Jews | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  Can we bow our heads, one more time, as we open up God's word
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  and ask him to help us as we seek to discover the mystery of
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  the Incarnation together. Lori.
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  Thank you with all of our hearts for the inexpressible gift in
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  Jesus Christ and Lord. In this moment, we ask that you
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  would arrest our attention and that you would win our affection
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  as we recognize again and realize the beauty of the
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  humility in Jesus, the mission that was ordained before the
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  world was even created for Christ to come and save Sinners
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  Lord. Pray that the objective of this
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  message would win our obedience and our worship.
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  And so Lord, we just ask that by the power of the Holy Spirit, as
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  we Endeavor to exalt Jesus Christ, you would Empower us to
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  do. So Empower us to communicate it
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  and power us to understand it and Empower us to apply it to
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  our lives. Lord, we trust in you, in this
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  moment as we long to know our savior that much more in Jesus
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  name. We ask these things.
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  Amen. And amen.
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  Well, we're beginning this week when traditionally Believers in
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  the western world are giving their attention to reflect to
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  rehearse and to even rent be reminded of the Incarnation of
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  the Lord Jesus Christ. And though it is true that the
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  Christmas season calls for believers to be fixated on that
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  specific moment when God became a At the same time, there are so
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  many surrounding events in details, around that event that
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  are worthy for our recognition and so that's what we're going
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  to do today. We're going to explore, just one
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  of the facets, one of the details of Jesus Christ becoming
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  a man And this Friday and this Sunday by God's grace, we will
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  also consider other things. And so the purpose, the purpose
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  of today is to just look at one element.
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  And by looking at one of these elements that connects to the
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  birth of Christ, we would by God's grace add to our wonder
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  and our aw concerning the goodness, in the wisdom of God.
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  Two thousand years ago. God became a man.
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  Two thousand years ago, God entered into this world not to
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  just visit as a theophany not just appear as a person with to
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  actually take on flesh and it is this time of the year that
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  ministers and Ministries make great efforts to offer their
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  insights from the scriptures to answer that thematic question.
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  Why is it that God became man? Why is it that he entered into
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  this world in such a way? And as Believers, hopefully, in
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  that truth, we are gathered this morning.
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  Not just to explore that but to look at another layer to the
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  question. To look at another facet of it.
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  Yes, God became man, but we're going to aim this afternoon to
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  look at this question. Yes, he became, man.
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  But why did this man become a Jewish, man?
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  Why was this man? Link to the nation of Israel.
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  Why was it that from all the people groups, all the tribes,
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  all the tongues God chose to be born from this specific race
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  Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn't come as a Roman?
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  Have you ever wondered why Jesus did not come as an Ethiopian?
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  Have you ever wondered why God did not become a Man From The
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  Far East and some Asian country? It seems like an insignificant
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  thought it seems like this this is just a detail that doesn't
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  matter but you would be amazed to recognize that the Holy
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  Spirit doesn't just give us the answers to why God became man.
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  The Holy Spirit finds it necessary to tell us why he
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  became an Israelite. Why it is that God from eternity
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  past chose to come through this people.
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  Why did God become a Jewish man? And perhaps to our surprise.
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  When we understand that truth, we would also be expanded in our
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  understanding that this was given to us by the Holy Spirit
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  to actually frame a certain conviction that would cause us
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  to view and treat others in a specific way.
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  You know, when realizing that and when studying that, I
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  couldn't believe that even understanding Jesus as a Jewish
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  man practically impacts my life, it actually calls me to a
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  certain action to perceive the world in a different way again.
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  Not just that, God became a man but let me reiterate God became
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  a Jewish man. That's a turn with your Bibles
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  to me and that wonderful epistle to the Romans in chapter 15.
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  Romans 15. beginning in verse 8, This morning or this afternoon
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  rather we have three answers to that question among many.
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  That will help us reach a level of understanding concerning the
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  depths and the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.
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  The Bible reads in Romans 15, 84.
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  I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to
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  show God's truthfulness. In order to confirm the promises
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  given to the Patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might
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  glorify God for his Mercy as it is written, therefore, I will
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  praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.
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  In This Very straightforward passage, we read Paul and
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  forming Gentile, Christians that Jesus, Jesus the Savior Jesus,
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  the Lord, Jesus the crucified one, Jesus.
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  The resurrected one came to be a servant to the circumcised and
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  that expression the circumcised, there is no debate about it.
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  It speaks of the ethnic people of Israel speaks Specific people
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  group, it speaks of one nation that God has chosen to fulfill a
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  specific purpose. And he's given the command of
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  circumcision to this people group as a symbol, that would
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  represent their Covenant relationship with the true.
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  God, we're told here that Jesus became a servant to this people,
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  but this is not the first time that Paul speaks about Jesus
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  Christ and his relationship with this physical Israel.
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  It's not the first time in this letter that he brings us subject
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  up. In fact earlier he spends three
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  chapters explaining so eloquently.
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  Why and how and who and when all the details surrounding how does
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  God relate to this people? And how does this people relate
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  to God? Why is that important for us to
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  understand again? Jesus Christ didn't come into
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  this world as a child as a neutral person.
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  He didn't disconnect himself from culture, he didn't
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  disconnect himself from of people.
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  He came specifically through this line through this race.
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  Through this nation. Romans 9, 10 11, is all about
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  that. And in Romans 9, verse 4, we
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  read about the privileged position that Israel enjoyed
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  since their election back in Genesis with a man named Abraham
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  in Romans 9 for you. And I read something that we are
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  familiar with their Israelites and to them belong.
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  The adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the
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  law, the worship. And the promises You see it to
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  them belong. The adoption.
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  And the adoption that is Spoken Here.
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  Concerning this nation. Is not the adoption that you
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  read of. And Romans 8, the spirit of
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  adoption is a completely different thing.
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  Paul tells us in that chapter that the spirit of adoption that
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  gives us the right to cause we sang.
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  God Abba, Father is an inheritance that you and I
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  receive upon salvation upon receiving Jesus Christ as Lord.
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  We are now adopted. We have now been marked with
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  son, Ship concerning our relationship with God, but this
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  adoption here is not speaking about that.
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  This adoption that the Holy Spirit brings up concerning this
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  people group deals with a special place, a position, A
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  peculiar purpose that Israel has amongst all the other nations
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  and I'm sure you are aware that the Bible is so absolutely clear
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  that this one nation has been lavished with.
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  Pacific. Wonderful realities.
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  One of them is what you read in verse 5, right after verse 42
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  them belong to Patriarchs and from their race.
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  According to the flesh is the Christ.
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  Who is God over all blessed forever.
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  Amen. You want a verse that says Jesus
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  Christ is God. You can't find it any plainer
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  than that. Who is God over all blessed
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  forever? I men.
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  There it is again. Christ came from this people
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  Christ, according to the flesh, came from Israel and it still
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  begs the question. Why?
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  And why is it important? Why are we taking a whole Sunday
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  morning? Just to talk about that?
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  Because I'm sure perhaps there's a couple in here.
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  Thinking, how does this actually help me?
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  How does this actually help my walk with the Lord?
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  What is this have to do with me knowing him in a deeper way?
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  We'll stick around. And the first reason why God
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  chose this people. Why God chose from eternity past
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  to work with the partner with this nation, is because he
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  wanted to display his undeserving love.
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  He wanted to display his unmerited compassion.
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  The answer to why God selected this.
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  People group from all the others that populated the world, at
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  that time to serve this peculiar Mission.
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  Even till this day, It's found in Deuteronomy. 7 verse 7. when
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  preparing to lead, the people of Israel, into the promised land,
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  the Lord spoke through Moses, and he tells them exactly why he
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  delivered them from Egypt, and he's bringing him to the
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  promised land, and why he has given them, this special calling
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  to be a light to the world, Deuteronomy 77 It was not
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  because you were more in number than any other people that the
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  Lord set his love on you and chose you for you were the
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  fewest of all peoples, but it is because the lord loves you.
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  And is keeping the oath that he swore to your father's that the
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  Lord has brought you out of with a mighty hand and redeemed.
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  You from the house of slavery, from the hand of pharaoh king of
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  Egypt. Israel.
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  I want to tell you why God is giving you this opportunity to
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  step across this River and go into a land flowing with milk
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  and honey. And here it is, because I want
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  you to understand, I want you to be clear.
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  I want you to know for certain that there is nothing impressive
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  on your part know where there's anything compelling about you
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  that would cause the Eternal God to sanctify you In such a way.
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  It's because he loves you. It's because he chose you.
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  In other words, the Lord wanted to communicate to this people
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  group that they had no part to play and their adoption.
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  You didn't contribute anything. You didn't attract me.
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  There was just something about you that made me say.
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  This is who I want my name to be associated with.
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  And that's why he says, in case you thought, you were something
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  special, you were the fewest of all the peoples.
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  There are many kingdoms. At that time, there are many
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  nations at the time, that had great power, great status, great
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  success, great Prosperity, but it is not because of these
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  things I've chosen to come at the say, this is who I'm going
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  to make a covenant with this is who I'm going to link myself to,
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  but I will tell you why. If you really want to know, I
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  will inform you, why? It is that, I've done all these
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  wonderful things. It's because the lord loves you.
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  That's the motive. No other explanation for God's
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  promotion other than the fact that he has a deep affection set
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  on them. Essentially what God is saying
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  is that he blessed this people because he freely chose to bless
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  this people. It's a sovereign will, it's
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  something that he chose to do that is his prerogative that is
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  his right and no man can change his right to choose whom you
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  serve what purpose on his behalf.
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  But more than that, this choice would teach Israel.
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  Something about the quality of the love of God.
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  He says you were chosen because I love you, but he doesn't
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  explain why he loves them. I love you, why?
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  Because I love you. But why?
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  Because I love you why because I love you.
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  It's not merited. It's not conditioned by
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  something, it's not provoked by what they could offer him.
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  And that's God's love, isn't it? It meets us when we least expect
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  it. It changes us.
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  When we are least deserving of it, it's an astounding love
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  because it comes from a God who is so holy that it doesn't make
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  sense. A God who doesn't need anything
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  chooses to love chooses to partner with people chooses to
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  save them and redeem them, and use them?
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  How can that be? So all they heard with little
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  explanation, is God, chose you? Because he's God and he can do
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  that. And God loves you, not because
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  you're anything special, but because he is He is love and he
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  wants to display his love to you and so he lavished upon them
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  promises Patriarchs. Covenants, worship the law to
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  which someone might object and say well.
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  Isn't this show that God loved Israel more than other nations?
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  Doesn't this prove that he had some special kind of love to
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  them to which I may surprise you and answering no.
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  No God. Choosing Israel to carry the
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  blessings is no indication. That he has reserved more
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  compassion, more, grace, and more Mercy for them and
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  comparison to everybody else. Any more than us knowing that
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  when God chooses to bestow certain gifts, upon one child of
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  God, over the other is no indication that he loves that
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  child, more than the other. We trust that God adorns and
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  that he provides certain things to one person not in the same
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  way as another because God has the freedom to call, whoever he
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  calls and to use whoever uses in a way that he thinks is
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  necessary for him to be glorified.
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  If you believe that because somebody has a public Ministry
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  or somebody has a specific purpose that that seems more
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  effective than you is an indication of God's love.
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  Have to go back to the basics of the Gospel.
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  And it is something that we fight continually, but the point
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  that I'm trying to make is that the scriptures simply read
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  concerning Israel, that in choosing them, it was an
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  expression of his love. And it would cause onlookers to
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  say, surely the Lord is good, and surely.
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  He is wise, and surely is merciful for inviting Abraham.
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  And his descendants though, unlikely to be used of all
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  people, to hold such an honorable position on the Earth.
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  In fact, would you be surprised to know that God often had to
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  Humble this people? Because they were very quick to
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  be puffed up and to look down upon foreigners and even to be
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  so falsely secured in their Covenant that they can live how
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  they want, because God chose us. God chose us so surely he's not
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  going to break his promise with Abraham and surely he's not
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  going to destroy the temple and surely he's not going to pull us
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  out of the land and you read that false confidence throughout
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  the Old Testament. And it's a picture of the false
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  confidence that many Believers have in that wonderful truth of
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  your salvation being secure. Go to Amos, chapter 9 verse 7.
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  I want to see with you hear how God humbles his people.
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  A name is 9:7, God speaks to an idolatrous Israel.
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  So steeped and false worship that he sends this Prophet to
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  rebuke them and not just rebuke them to Humble them.
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  And look what he says to this. Chosen people to this elect
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  people to the selected people. He says, in chapter 9 verse 7,
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  are you not like the kushites to me?
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  Oh, people of Israel. Declares the Lord.
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  Did I bring up Israel from the land of Egypt and the
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  Philistines from calf door and the syrians from Cur?
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  See what God is saying, first? What he's saying is, as I Look
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  To You Right Now, Israel in the current condition that you're
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  in, you are no different to me than the cushion seats.
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  In other words, my Covenant with you though it makes you unique.
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  It's not this agreement that separates you.
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  It's the conduct that this Covenant inspires you to that
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  actually separates you from the world.
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  But right now, as I'm looking to you, as I'm looking at you, I
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  see no difference between you. And the Pagan worshipers around
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  you, what a terrifying thing for God to say, imagine the god
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  looked God looking at the church today and saying the same thing.
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  There is no difference between you and those who don't know me,
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  that's exactly what he's saying here.
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  But that's not the main point. The main point that God brings
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  in this verse as much more profound than that.
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  Notice what he says. Did I not bring up Israel from
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  the land of Egypt? Yes, you did.
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  But there's no period. There, he continues.
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  And the Philistines from catheter and the syrians from
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  Kur. Though, Israel enjoyed a special
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  stance with God. And experienced the Creator and
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  sustainer of the universe intervening on their behalf.
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  With blessed guidance. God is reminding them.
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  You're not the only nation that is experience my mercies because
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  they are also under my sovereign Authority.
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  Think about it. He is reminding this people,
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  this privileged people that there are other nations who are
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  recipients of his mercy. So Israel, who prided herself
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  that that God has provided Divine Guidance.
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  Just learned, you're not the only one who experienced my
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  providential power. I actually deliver the
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  Philistines and brought him out of a place.
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  Actually delivered, the syrians from another place.
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  So you're not so unique in the world that my compassion and
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  love is exclusive just to you. Now, it's much broader than
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  that, and you can imagine how this must have wounded their
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  pride. And I bring this up to say to
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  you, that let this verse serve as evidence that although God
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  selected Israel to perform certain duties, it was not to
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  the extent that his love was compressed and reserved just for
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  them where nobody else could experience his love.
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  His choosing of this people was an expression of his love among
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  many other manifestations of his love, it's because I love you
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  that I chose you. And so you're wondering well,
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  why? Because he's sovereign Okay.
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  But why? Because he loved them.
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  But why? Because he loved them, but why?
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  You know, the answer to that. He chose.
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  He chose them to work with them. And as he did, as you do,
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  reading your Bible, you realize this people are now worthy.
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  Exactly this people, the fewest of the people there was Empires.
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  There were so many others that God could have chosen.
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  Why? That, because God was
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  illustrating, he was displaying, that's the quality of my love.
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  I give it to those who don't deserve it.
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  I work with those who don't deserve it.
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  I redeem those who don't deserve it and exam.
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  A Israel. Look at them.
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  Get a taste of my love, as I deal with them as I've chosen
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  them. But we come back to our main tax
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  to continue the thought as we come to our second point of why
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  Christ came as a Jew, why Christ came through this people group?
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  And we read In Romans 15. Verse 8, for I tell you that
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  Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's
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  truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to
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  the Patriarchs. so Point number two, God chose to work with his
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  people, not just to display his undeserving love, but to also to
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  demonstrate his faithfulness, Christ came.
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  In order to show that God is a truthful.
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  God, Every prophecy that Jesus Christ.
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  Fulfilled concerning his birth, everything from the location of
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  it, everything from the lineage that he would be associated with
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  was and still is a testimony, a memorial that When God Says
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  something, he keeps it. We got vows he's not going to
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  break it when he promises, it's going to come to pass and Paul
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  saying, I want you to realize that when Jesus Christ came to
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  this people he fulfilled what God communicated to the profits,
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  rather the Patriarchs Abraham. Isaac and Jacob, who heard that
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  there was going to be this one seed that's going to come
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  through them. That's going to redeem the
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  world. They heard it and Christ is the
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  Fulfillment of it. This is crucial.
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  This is crucial to understand why, because it doesn't just
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  speak of the Salvation of God. You and I, when we think about
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  the baby Jesus, what we see is what Simeon saw in that Temple
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  behold the salvation of God, right?
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  Yes, but it's more than that, it's much more than that. as you
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  see Christ in that manger as you see him being cradled by that
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  young virgin girl, as you try to imagine these wise men traveling
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  from so far to worship a two-year-old.
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  You and I must say to our souls. God keeps his word.
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  God, fulfills his promises. God gave a promise to his friend
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  Abraham that there would be one coming from his seed that would
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  cause all the families in the earth to be blessed.
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  And when Jesus showed up, that's the Fulfillment of the promise
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  among many other promises and between that declaration where
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  God spoke to the Patriarchs and the Fulfillment of it in Jesus
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  Christ, all you have to do is come to Friday night, bible
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  study for a few years to realize Just how Unfaithful Abraham's
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  descendants were to This Promise keeping God and yet the Lord did
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  not waver with his word and yet God didn't take back his word.
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  He chose to be determined. To stick with what he said.
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  Why? Because Israel was worthy.
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  No, because he is committed to his glory.
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  God has committed to his glory and his Integrity demands him to
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  keep his word when he says something.
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  This puts a new dimension on understanding of the Incarnation
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  of Christ. Yes, you see the salvation of
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  God in that bay, but you also see the faithfulness of God, it
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  happened. It came to pass.
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  It was fulfilled things that were said, thousands of years
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  ago are now manifest and as you. And I reflect on that truth, we
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  realized that if God was so faithful with the details of the
• 26:38
  first coming, do you think he's going to mess up with the second
• 26:41
  one? In fact, I challenge you today
• 26:45
  to realize the faithfulness of your God is so powerful, so
• 26:50
  profound that God is willing to move, Heaven and Earth to make
• 26:54
  sure that every detail of what he has said, would come to pass,
• 26:58
  it would not be ignored. It would not be neglected.
• 27:00
  Every single detail of Christ's first coming came to pass.
• 27:06
  I want to show you just one example of how God is willing to
• 27:10
  shake the world to actually show.
• 27:13
  Take the world in order for every Insight, every inch of
• 27:21
  what he had said concerning his son would come to pass.
• 27:24
  Go to Luke Chapter 2, beginning in verse 1, this is just one
• 27:29
  example. And Luke 2 verse 1, we read in
• 27:42
  those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus.
• 27:47
  And all the world that all the world should be registered.
• 27:52
  This was the first registration when quirinius was governor of
• 27:56
  Syria and all went to be registered each to his own town.
• 28:00
  And Joseph also went up From Galilee from the town of
• 28:03
  Nazareth to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem
• 28:08
  because he was of the House of the lineage of David, be honest,
• 28:14
  you've read that. How many of us have just skipped
• 28:16
  over the details? Best.
• 28:21
  Some would argue that what these verses provide is?
• 28:23
  Some kind of evidence that the scriptures are consistent with
• 28:26
  historical events and historical people.
• 28:29
  And that's that's wonderful. We can use it for that but if
• 28:33
  you want to get Revelation from the Bible, you read a verse you
• 28:35
  read, scripture. You read a portion of the text
• 28:37
  and you ask. What is this reveal about?
• 28:40
  My God, what does it say about the concrete character of my
• 28:45
  Lord? What town did Micah the prophet
• 28:51
  say that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem.
• 28:57
  That obscure town that little that little village that was the
• 29:01
  place where Jesus Christ had to be born.
• 29:03
  Here's the problem, you have Joseph and Mary and Mary is very
• 29:08
  pregnant. She is ready to give birth at
• 29:12
  any moment. And the issue here is that she
• 29:14
  is not in Bethlehem. She's in Galilee.
• 29:20
  She's at Nazareth. And so we see that they are not
• 29:26
  where they're supposed to be. So what does God do?
• 29:29
  God reaches Into the Heart of the most influential person of
• 29:32
  that day. The most feared and revered,
• 29:35
  man, Caesar, Augustus. And he stirs his heart to make a
• 29:39
  decree and this decree would cause all the families in the
• 29:44
  known world. At the time to get up and move
• 29:47
  locations. And God even gave Caesar the
• 29:50
  authority to make such a mandate that had demanded The Obedience
• 29:55
  of every person living under his Rule and reign.
• 29:58
  As Jesus told pilot No Authority that you have has not been given
• 30:02
  apart from Heaven Earth or Rising it.
• 30:04
  Same with Caesar Augustus. So consider this that God has
• 30:07
  ordained that Caesar, Augustus would have such a Authority.
• 30:11
  And he stirred his heart to make this decree.
• 30:14
  And by making this decree, it would cause a holy havoc.
• 30:20
  Yet people planning families, packing, the roads are unusually
• 30:24
  busy, the markets are knowing sales, like they wouldn't know
• 30:27
  unless it's a feast time. Hotels are booked.
• 30:33
  And now you zoom in and to this couple this young couple with a
• 30:38
  mysterious pregnancy who are probably reluctant to get up and
• 30:42
  move and spend energy and endanger themselves by traveling
• 30:46
  because you have a woman ready to give birth at any moment and
• 30:51
  yet because of this decree Joseph and Mary get up and they
• 30:58
  get going. Why?
• 31:01
  In the human understanding. It's because they are obeying
• 31:04
  the Commandment of a politician. But in the Divine understanding
• 31:10
  God, Through this providential leading is causing them to walk
• 31:18
  in the direction where they will fulfill an ancient prophecy.
• 31:22
  See what God was willing to do to make sure that Jesus was born
• 31:25
  in Bethlehem. He cause Caesar Augustus, and he
• 31:29
  caused all the families of the earth to get up and move.
• 31:34
  I'm sure many things were accomplished in that, but the
• 31:36
  main thing was the main thing, my son has to be born in
• 31:39
  Bethlehem. behold how God ensures that what he declared
• 31:46
  through his servants would come to pass even if he has to shake
• 31:50
  the world to make it happen, should not cause our hearts to
• 31:54
  worship. Should not cause your heart to
• 31:58
  be in such awe of the sovereignty of God.
• 32:01
  That even the most powerful man in the world.
• 32:04
  At the time was subject to the control of God that no matter
• 32:10
  what kind of authority. He boasted in no matter what
• 32:12
  kind of power he thought he had He's she's thinking he's gonna
• 32:17
  prove his administrative wisdom. When in reality God is
• 32:21
  fulfilling prophecy. And shouldn't it caused us to be
• 32:26
  comforted to know that though. Joseph and Mary were in
• 32:32
  conveniently, let out of their home through disruption through
• 32:36
  difficulty, where let out of their comfort to travel.
• 32:41
  Not in the way that you and I understand travel. but through
• 32:47
  all those circumstances in reality, God was accomplishing,
• 32:50
  his will This is all to say that Christ came in a manner that he
• 32:57
  came to set up an eternal memorial for all generations.
• 33:02
  That God is faithful with his word.
• 33:06
  When he says it, it will come to pass.
• 33:09
  And he's so accurate. He is so accurate.
• 33:14
  And as I said earlier, if he's accurate with the first Advent,
• 33:18
  you think politicians are going to stop his return.
• 33:23
  Eating the world being shaken up right now is outside of God's
• 33:26
  control. Or could it be?
• 33:30
  I'm not, don't stop me now because I'm not a prophet.
• 33:34
  Nor I claimed to be a prophet, could it be that the same way
• 33:38
  God shook the world through Caesar Augustus?
• 33:42
  To advance his prophetic calendar.
• 33:44
  That what we are seeing today, though you may not see a, you
• 33:47
  don't, you don't see how good and you don't see how this, how
• 33:51
  that plays into this just like, I'm sure Mary and Joseph didn't
• 33:56
  understand how this senses had to do with prophecy at the time.
• 34:01
  Could it be that? What is happening in the world?
• 34:03
  Right now is just one step closer to the return of Our
• 34:06
  Lord? Think about it.
• 34:10
  Think about it and let it cause you to worship at the
• 34:12
  sovereignty of your God. God chose to work with this
• 34:18
  people because he wanted to display his undeserving love.
• 34:23
  Secondly God in Christ coming to this people group is a
• 34:28
  fulfillment of many promises saying something of his
• 34:31
  character. God wanted to show the
• 34:33
  generations. Do you want to see how faithful
• 34:35
  I am to my word? You want to see how committed I
• 34:38
  am to my glory? Let me choose this people and
• 34:41
  watch how inconsistent and rebellious they are and watch
• 34:45
  how I'm going to I promise is nonetheless.
• 34:50
  But as we come back to the text, we come to our final point.
• 34:56
  God in Christ, chose this nation to work with this nation.
• 35:01
  To link himself to this race to show Mercy to everyone else.
• 35:07
  We read in verse 9 in Romans 15 and here's a second reason or
• 35:13
  third rather and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God
• 35:18
  for his Mercy. Pause concluding his thoughts
• 35:22
  here and he's saying as much as God worked with this people
• 35:27
  group. God had every nation in mind.
• 35:32
  I had a Muslim, come up to me once and asked me sincere
• 35:35
  questions about the faith. And one of the top questions
• 35:38
  that she had was, can you please explain to me?
• 35:41
  Why? The god of the Bible seems to
• 35:44
  show special attention to the Jews.
• 35:46
  I mean, what about the rest of us?
• 35:50
  And my answer to that question was along the lines of?
• 35:53
  Well, you see when God did choose to bless Abraham and his
• 35:57
  descendants. He had in his mind to bless
• 36:01
  Every Other Nation at the same time, isn't that what he told
• 36:05
  Abraham? And I will make you a great
• 36:08
  nation and I will bless you and make your name great, so that
• 36:12
  you will be a blessing. So that you will be a blessing.
• 36:18
  That really brings Clarity. Doesn't it too?
• 36:20
  Many misunderstandings? Why did God work with this
• 36:24
  people group? We already determined that.
• 36:26
  It's not because he showed favoritism no, no, it's even
• 36:29
  more. Simple than that.
• 36:31
  God chose to work with this people simply to make them a
• 36:34
  vessel that would pour out the blessings on everybody else that
• 36:37
  was first poured into her. God Sanctified, this people to
• 36:42
  be a servant to the nation's a channel.
• 36:45
  That would touch every tribe and tongue and culture and Country
• 36:50
  nothing more than that. And this is a great place to
• 36:54
  consider a principle that's not necessarily related but it's
• 36:57
  helpful to understand. When God told Abraham, I will
• 37:00
  make your name great when he said you will be blessed.
• 37:03
  So that what you will be a blessing, he set a principle
• 37:08
  that is unchanging that however you and I are blessed by God.
• 37:12
  God always has the intent that through that blessing others
• 37:15
  would be blessed, always Doesn't matter what you have been
• 37:18
  blessed with, it could be a great mind, it could be certain
• 37:21
  abilities that you are wired with.
• 37:23
  It could be resources that are unusual but I want you to be
• 37:26
  reminded today that whatever God has enriched you with God, had
• 37:32
  every intent that you would build others up that you would
• 37:36
  serve others. As Abraham's name would be
• 37:40
  promoted. It was not for Abraham shake, it
• 37:43
  was so that others could be blessed.
• 37:47
  Scripture tells us that Paul tells the Corinthians you will
• 37:50
  be enriched in every way. That's a second Corinthians 9 by
• 37:56
  the way and he's talking about something that Christians get
• 37:58
  uncomfortable with, he's actually talking about money.
• 38:03
  And he says, in verse 11, you will be enriched in every way to
• 38:07
  be generous in every way. Which through us will produce
• 38:12
  Thanksgiving to God, that's not just limited to giving that's
• 38:15
  giving and every aspect your spiritual gifts your time, your
• 38:18
  energy. You have been enriched in every
• 38:22
  way for what purpose, so that you can, you can be comfortable
• 38:25
  no to be generous in every way. Abraham you're going to be
• 38:29
  blessed. You're going to have the
• 38:30
  sentence, like, the stars and that black Sky, why?
• 38:34
  So that others would be blessed the election of Israel Christ.
• 38:39
  Working with this people was not isolated because he has some
• 38:42
  favoritism with this people. They were the chosen vessel,
• 38:46
  that would touch the world. But this truth about God working
• 38:51
  with this people is important to realize, you know, why?
• 38:54
  Because you have many Christians who are under the
• 38:56
  misunderstanding that. Because if you're not doing
• 38:58
  here, by the way by Blood, you're a gentile.
• 39:02
  And you have many Christians who believe that our inclusion into
• 39:06
  the promises of God was God's plan B.
• 39:11
  In other words, God, he really wanted to just work with the
• 39:14
  Israel prize Israel primarily and because they rejected Jesus
• 39:17
  at the first coming, God's like, well, I have to work with
• 39:19
  somebody. So let's just open the doors for
• 39:20
  the Gentiles. That is not true.
• 39:24
  God had every single one of us in mind from the beginning.
• 39:30
  And if there's any doubt about that, may I reach you a prophecy
• 39:33
  700 years before the Incarnation of Christ that really deals with
• 39:38
  this, with certainty and Isaiah 49:6.
• 39:42
  We read, he says it is too light.
• 39:46
  A thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes
• 39:51
  of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel.
• 39:56
  He's talking about the Messiah. He's saying, you know, it's too
• 39:59
  light for you. My servant the Lord Jesus Christ
• 40:02
  to only revive and bring back to me one nation.
• 40:07
  That's too easy for you. I will make you a light for the
• 40:13
  Nations. That my salvation May reach to
• 40:17
  the end of the Earth. Can you imagine how standing
• 40:22
  that is God? The Father speaks of his son.
• 40:25
  He says it's too light for you. To win the hearts of a
• 40:31
  rebellious people in Israel. Your glory is too great, your
• 40:36
  light is to radiating and so when you do come your ministry,
• 40:43
  your sacrifice will touch the four corners of the earth, and I
• 40:49
  have every intention for that to be so, You know, when I read
• 40:54
  this, I thought to myself if that is a light thing for Jesus,
• 40:59
  then why do I worry consider that you have troubles this
• 41:03
  morning? Are you burdened by difficulty?
• 41:06
  Are you before a wall that you do not know how God will help
• 41:10
  you climb. Remember this verse.
• 41:12
  It's a light thing. For the Son of God to win an
• 41:17
  entire nation to him. And if that's a light thing,
• 41:21
  then what's your problem? Is it too complicated for God to
• 41:27
  conquer? Is it too difficult for God to
• 41:29
  solve? We have difficulty seeing one
• 41:34
  person saved in our lifetime and we are told here of the servant
• 41:37
  that he will one day and that is a future thing.
• 41:40
  He will one day have the nation of Israel, bow their knee and
• 41:45
  declare that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah and that's a light
• 41:48
  thing by the way. When I read this, I thought to
• 41:53
  myself. This was partially fulfilled.
• 41:59
  This is partially fulfilled. In fact, look how the Holy
• 42:02
  Spirit quotes Isaiah 49:6 in the book of Acts chapter 13, you're
• 42:07
  going to be touched by this. I hope and acts 13:47 Paul, just
• 42:13
  finished with Barnett is preaching to Jews and guess
• 42:16
  what? They resisted, they rejected.
• 42:24
  And so he rebukes them. And he tells them, you know
• 42:28
  what? Enough is enough.
• 42:32
  We're going to the Gentiles. We're going to preach to the the
• 42:36
  other nations. It was right that you would
• 42:38
  receive the Gospel first, but now is the time for other
• 42:42
  nations to receive the Soul, Saving truth.
• 42:46
  And look what he quotes and verse 47 of chapter 13 for soul.
• 42:50
  The Lord has commanded us saying, I've made you a light
• 42:54
  for the Gentiles that you may bring Salvation to the ends of
• 42:57
  the Earth. He quotes Isaiah 49:6.
• 43:00
  Did you see that little phrase though?
• 43:03
  You go to Isaiah 49:6 and it's clear.
• 43:05
  It's talking about the Messiah, the person of Jesus Christ,
• 43:09
  being the light to the nation's and being the one that would
• 43:13
  bring Salvation to the ends of the Earth, and look at how Paul
• 43:17
  by the spirit quotes that application he says for.
• 43:21
  So, the Lord has commanded who us How can you say that?
• 43:28
  How can you say us when that prophecy is?
• 43:30
  So, clearly about Jesus, Paul? You're treading on Dangerous
• 43:35
  Ground here. But no, pause not a heretic.
• 43:38
  He's being moved by the spirit to say that he understood that.
• 43:41
  There's a partial fulfillment here for who the church.
• 43:47
  In other words, do you want to know how Christ will reach the
• 43:50
  ends of the world with this salvation?
• 43:52
  That would include all peoples? Through his mystical body.
• 44:01
  Through his current mystical body on the earth, this will be
• 44:05
  partially accomplished as the Great Commission is honored and
• 44:09
  fulfilled by my people. That's why Paul could say the
• 44:12
  Lord commanded us to bring this light to the ends of the Earth.
• 44:18
  Does that not make you feel privileged to be a part of the
• 44:21
  Church of Jesus Christ? That you and I have a
• 44:26
  international mission on the earth that we have a global
• 44:30
  mandate on the earth that Christ.
• 44:32
  So chooses to work with us. That even a prophecy that deals
• 44:36
  with him is partially fulfilled in 2021.
• 44:41
  Buy a Tesla filled Apple plague generation.
• 44:47
  This mission is still happening and you're a part of it and I'm
• 44:51
  a part of it. And look at the reaction of
• 44:57
  verse 48. And when the Gentiles heard
• 45:00
  this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord.
• 45:04
  And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed they
• 45:09
  rejoiced, I can just I can just imagine that scene as as Paul's
• 45:13
  confronting these Jews. There are Gentiles watching this
• 45:16
  confrontation and then Paul quotes, Isaiah 49:6, and as a
• 45:20
  result, you had Gentiles high-fiving each other.
• 45:25
  We're in. We we get to be saved, we get to
• 45:30
  know the promises. We get to be known as a chosen,
• 45:33
  people of God as well. We're part of this.
• 45:36
  And they began to rejoice and glorify the word of the Lord.
• 45:41
  This is what the Christmas season is about.
• 45:45
  That as we are reminded of the gospel and as people come in to
• 45:49
  hear the gospel because they don't show up any other time of
• 45:52
  the year, they would rejoice and glorify God, as the truth is
• 45:57
  declared that all men can be saved. but yeah, God came as a
• 46:05
  Jewish man but in in that plan he was just a vessel to serve
• 46:10
  the world. And to bring them in to know the
• 46:15
  mercy of God. Because God wanted to
• 46:21
  demonstrate his unmerited. Love, Jesus became a Jew because
• 46:26
  God chose Israel has that vessel that would Usher in the Messiah
• 46:31
  to illustrate, to the world. The faithfulness of God, he made
• 46:33
  promises to ancient people and thousands of years later.
• 46:37
  When, when Christ appears on the scene now only do we see the
• 46:42
  salvation of God, we see the faithfulness of God.
• 46:46
  And lastly to stir the nation's, through the relationship.
• 46:53
  With Israel, they too would be able to say, I want to share in
• 46:57
  the blessings that this nation has known.
• 46:59
  And Christ says, come all who thirst come all who are weary
• 47:07
  doesn't matter where you're from the invitation belongs to you.
• 47:13
  But why is Paul in conclusion talking about all of this at
• 47:16
  this point in the Book of Romans?
• 47:20
  This is what we're Landing here. Why is he bringing this up?
• 47:22
  Is he trying to satisfy some Complicated theological topic.
• 47:29
  Is he just giving information for the sake of giving
• 47:32
  information? No, and this is what we believe
• 47:36
  as a church. The reason why he goes really
• 47:39
  deep. The really, the reason why goes
• 47:40
  to this nuanced thing is because he has an application in mind,
• 47:44
  in fact, all that you just heard this afternoon.
• 47:47
  Everything about why Jesus became a Jew, why God chose
• 47:50
  Israel and why, that was the seed that he worked with all of.
• 47:54
  That was the motivation for the church to behave in a certain In
• 47:59
  way. Which proves to us that no
• 48:04
  matter how much theology, we discover and preach and learn
• 48:08
  and read. Its end is always application,
• 48:13
  always, it's not just data dump, it's not just like the Athenians
• 48:18
  who want to hear something new. It caused us, it commands us in
• 48:24
  a specific area of life to reflect what?
• 48:27
  We just learned, go back to Romans 15 and I want you to see
• 48:31
  why Paul brought this up. In verse 7.
• 48:40
  He's telling this church. That's mixed that has people who
• 48:46
  believe that there are some days that are holding some foods that
• 48:51
  you can eat. And there are some who say all
• 48:53
  days are alike and it doesn't matter what you eat got
• 48:55
  Sanctified at all. And he says, in verse 7,
• 48:58
  therefore, welcome one. Another as Christ has welcomed
• 49:03
  you for the glory of God. And then he goes on to say, for
• 49:07
  I tell you, in verse 8, it's a continuation of thought.
• 49:13
  Listen to how astounding this is all that we just heard was Paul
• 49:19
  by the spirit trying to illustrate to the Christians.
• 49:23
  Of how they can be more accepting toward one another.
• 49:30
  Church you and I should welcome one another.
• 49:35
  You and I should accept one another, you and I should be
• 49:39
  hospitable reconcilable toward one another.
• 49:44
  In other words, if there's somebody that comes in here and
• 49:47
  they might not share your culture.
• 49:49
  And so there's a disconnect, you don't fail to greet them because
• 49:53
  of that, you don't fail to serve them because of that.
• 49:59
  Just because there's so many that comes in or was part of
• 50:01
  this ministry and they don't have the same taste or the
• 50:04
  hobbies that you enjoy. It doesn't mean that you
• 50:06
  disassociate yourself with them, it doesn't mean that you failed
• 50:10
  to embrace them doesn't mean that you don't serve them.
• 50:14
  You welcome them. You walk up one another, you
• 50:16
  accept broaden your arms. If you think this is an issue,
• 50:21
  right? It is an issue.
• 50:23
  It's an issue in many churches. Broaden your arms.
• 50:29
  Why you want motivation? That's what Jesus did.
• 50:36
  That's what Christ did. He came.
• 50:42
  Into this world as a Jew, but he opened his arms to gentiles.
• 50:48
  He came with a specific. Mission.
• 50:53
  And I'm mission was not just to deal with one people, but to
• 50:57
  touch as many people as possible.
• 51:03
  Christ isn't reserved his Mercy. He didn't Reserve his love.
• 51:05
  He didn't Reserve his forgiveness.
• 51:06
  He didn't Reserve his attention, his energy, his time.
• 51:11
  He even died to welcome, anybody who's willing to accept that,
• 51:15
  welcome. and so as you and I read something, As what it may
• 51:24
  seem irrelevant to my life. What is Jesus Christ?
• 51:28
  Becoming a Jew. Have to do with me practical.
• 51:30
  You just heard it. Look at his example.
• 51:34
  Now imitate him. Now imitate him. and so you and
• 51:39
  I today, And this week we are not just celebrating God who
• 51:43
  became man Hugh and I are celebrating God who became a
• 51:45
  Jewish man. And I hope that you have that
• 51:49
  much more clarity to see something about the wisdom of
• 51:52
  God, the goodness of God. And that it would cause you to
• 51:57
  fall more in love with him and I just fall in love with him, but
• 52:01
  to imitate him. So let's prepare our hearts to
• 52:04
  give thanks for these truths. Louis.
• 52:34
  Thank you, this afternoon, we get to reflect on something that
• 52:40
  perhaps we've never asked or bothered to inquire about Below,
• 52:45
  we see that Christ became a servant to the circumcised.
• 52:50
  Because he wants to display. A love that is undeserving.
• 52:56
  because he wanted to show he wanted to make a statement about
• 53:01
  his faithfulness, and so he recruits a people and through
• 53:03
  that people, he shows his unwavering Covenant of Love And
• 53:10
  the glory that he longs to show through his own commitment to
• 53:14
  his word. And Lord we think about how
• 53:18
  through the relationship that you shared with Israel.
• 53:21
  It would cause a nation's to say, this is what I want.
• 53:24
  I want the true Living God. Now, you do not tease the world,
• 53:29
  you did not withhold yourself from the world, but you open
• 53:32
  your arms to the world. And so Lord, we bask in your
• 53:36
  wisdom this afternoon and we want to worship you.
• 53:40
  Because there's no detail in this book.
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  There's no detail about who you are that fails to touch our
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  hearts. And so receive our adoration as
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  we give, thanks. As we reflect upon you becoming,
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  not just a man, but A man among the Jews.
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  We bless you now as a church who strives to welcome one another
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  as Christ welcomed Us. In Jesus name we pray.
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  Amen. Can we stand as We Worship the
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  Lord together?