Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / The Reality of Christian Relationships | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

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The Reality of Christian Relationships | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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2nd Timothy chapter 4. 2nd Timothy chapter 4 beginning in
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verse 9. Second Timothy 49 reads, do your
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best to come to me soon for Demas and love with this present
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world has deserted me and gone to thessalonica.
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Crescens has gone to galatia Titus to Dalmatia.
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Luke alone is with me, get Mark and bring him with you for.
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He is very useful to me for Ministry tychicus.
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I have sent to Ephesus. When you come bring the cloak
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that I left with carpus at troas, also, the books and above
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all the parchments, Alexander the coppersmith.
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Did me, great harm, the Lord will repay him according to his
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deeds. Beware of him yourself for he
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strongly, opposed our message. Left to our own understanding.
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We might think that there would be no need for Paul to add
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anything else to this letter especially after such powerful
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comforting and reassuring words concerning his own death.
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And the death of the righteous altogether.
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I mean, how can you top verse 8 henceforth?
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There is laid up for me, the crown of righteousness, which
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the Lord, the righteous judge will.
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Award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who
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have loved his appearing just ended there.
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What a crescendo, what? A way to conclude.
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What? A way to land this thing.
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What a way to leave us in. Awe, and empowered.
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And yet, The Holy Spirit. And perhaps to the surprise of
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the first time, reader leaves us with 13 verses.
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What else needs to be said? What else does he longed to
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teach us? Why add to something that we
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just read here in verse 8? Indeed he is wise indeed.
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There is great wisdom for us today and either is great.
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Great application and something as insignificant as details
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random names and random requests.
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If you just get a quick glance of what we just read, your
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realize that God is apparently interested, and US understanding
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Paul's Dynamic relationship with others.
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Paul loved God and because Paul love God, he also cherished
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people, I mean read his letters and you'll realize that he was
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an expert at remembering names and only that he was keenly
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aware of the individuals that he has encountered or administered
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with or served and the circumstances that they're
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enduring at a specific time, he really treasured people and he
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cared Them. And here we are.
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And what we would later, realizes the last letter of
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Paul, the man can't help. But mention names, he has to, he
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has to Spirit is moving in, but there is still an element of his
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personality, tied into these verses.
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But for what purpose, how does this benefit us?
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DMS, take a kiss, Dalmatian Mark carpus.
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So what I believe upon meditation, that wonderful
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promise that we are given that if we think over these things,
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the Lord will give us understanding.
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I believe, the main point out of these verses is that In order to
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understand a genuine or the genuine Christian Life.
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From beginning to end, it is definitely experienced with and
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defined by the intricacy of relationships.
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The genuine Christian Life is experienced with and defined by
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the intricacy of relationships with others.
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It is impossible to say that you serve god without having to also
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open your heart and invite people into your world.
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To serve God means you will serve people.
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And that way of life, introduces soaring Joy's, as well as some
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of the most aching things that your soul can touch and taste.
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You see what many people think about Christian relationship
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with other Christians. As that, it is nothing more than
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an unofficial agreement to check up on one another.
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Once a week, that is not what this is about.
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That is not what this is about. It is much more devoted than
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that it is deeper than it is more serious than that.
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And when you really take on what it means to be a community to
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have people in your life that you run this race with you are
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in for a roller coaster of highs and lows.
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You will know an eruption of praise for an extended period of
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time and you will also know eruptions of pain. relationships
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can be extremely rewarding and at the same time, very upsetting
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And Paul's Network. Reading these verses proves just
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that. I cannot help but think that the
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reason why God has placed these scriptures here for us, is that
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the apostles account of his acquaintances and friendships
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and Ministry Partners is somewhat of a model of what you
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and I can expect. as we do life with others in Christ, the
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attitudes and the actions that he brings up about certain
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individuals that he served. And he served with are extremely
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important for us to understand, you know why?
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Because it will put a realistic lens on our relationships with
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people. Now, what I'm about to present
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to you today will not mean very much if you have a shallow
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participation in a local church, it won't, in fact, it will sound
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strange and it might even sound silly But what I'm about to
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bring to you today will be extremely beneficial if you are
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those who are rooted in a place committed to a group of people,
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this will all make sense and this will greatly help you.
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Because what you have to understand that, there are many
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believers who innocently believe innocently believe that just
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because you have a circle of friends who are apparently
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saved. And just because you're a part
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of a community of people who profess a love for Jesus Christ
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means that we are Perfectly going to share Grace and extend
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forgiveness and love and loyalty hand in hand from the moment we
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meet until we skip into heaven. And you have other believers who
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believe that, absolutely everybody who walks through
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these front doors and even signs up for membership and even
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serves in wonderful ways will be permanent pillars of the
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ministry. Paul and Servants of God
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throughout history, their testimonies would say.
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Otherwise it's much more complicated than that.
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It's complex. It's really complex.
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And it's important to be clear sighted about these things
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because they will help us know how to respond to the complexity
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of relationships with other believers.
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You will know how to respond to the good prayerfully.
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You will be able to react to not so good and you will be ready to
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stand firm with the ugly because there is the good.
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There is a not so good and there is horrific things.
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When we commit ourselves to other people, And if we do not
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prepare ourselves, if we do not have a Biblical perspective on
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what people are capable of that, you just might be setting
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yourself up to be shaken to be shaken For Your Love In Christ,
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and for Christ and to even be shaken in your service to the
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Lord himself, some of us are more prone to under appreciate
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those who are clearly blessings to us.
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Whereas, there are others who are swimming in Dangerous Waters
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because they are overly dependent.
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Pawn other Christians, we want to be exactly in the center of
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God's wisdom and how we how we do this, how we walk this walk?
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How we endure this race with others who are running in the
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same Lane as us. So with that being said, I want
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to present to you 66, there was going to be seven, believe
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number seven for next week. Six realistic, relational facets
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that every believer can potentially encounter and where
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you going to use. Paul's writings here, as a case
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study, Paul's personal relational history to
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understand, what can come about in our lives.
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As we are a church. And the first category of
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Believers that we can forecast to engage with our found in
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verse 9. Those who bring us great joy and
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comfort. Paul says, do your best to come
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to me soon. In this one short verse, you
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know what you have? You have a man who clearly
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believes that, you can know deep deep Delight in another
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Christian. That the presence of another
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believer can be an extension of God's goodness that a friend or
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friends that have been providentially brought about
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into your life. Can genuinely bring relief to
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your soul, can rescue you from despair can awaken a joy and
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Christ and could be a form of shelter.
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As you whether winter storms, Timothy, was that to Paul the
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guy was his mentor. Sure, he encouraged him to
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continue Faith. Absolutely about Paul him.
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Self, drew some sweetness from his relationship with Timothy.
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He actually felt it wasn't like, okay, you're a Christian I'm
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supposed to, you know, walk this walk and hear you out and pray
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with you and lay my head on your shoulder and you cry and I'll
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try to cry with you. It wasn't that Go back to
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chapter 1 of the same book. In verse 4, look what he says
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about Timothy Paul says, in second, Timothy 14, as I
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remember your tears, I long to see you.
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I long to see you that I may be filled with joy.
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Hold on, for a second. Paul is making a connection
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between the presence of Timothy. And being filled with genuine
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Sensational tangible, Joy. You know what, you have some
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good hearted Christians, who might say of that, that sounds
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like idolatry. That sounds like you're making
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much too much of a person. Paul, that sounds like you are
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elevating a man to wear, only God should be And yet the
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scriptures would say. Otherwise yes we are supposed to
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love God supremely but I believe the reason why Paul is saying
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these things and he is perfectly righteous and holy and doing so
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is because Paul knew Paul did not forget that whatever he
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enjoyed from Timothy was ultimately sourced from God
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himself. Timothy who brought this joy in
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his life? Was a reason.
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Why we read this in verse 4, go to verse 3.
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And what does he say? He says, I thank God.
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Whom I serve. I thank God for whom I serve and
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then he tells to me that because I remember you your faith and I
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long to see you man, like, come over, it's been too long.
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We need a hangout, that's the simplified version of it.
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I want to see you. And I moved in my heart and I
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long for you to be close to me and God has always introduced
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men and women in the lives of his servants.
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Who have the ability to make your days lighter and brighter.
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And you have every right to feel great, Joy about people.
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Or about a person. It's often the mix of their
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personality, it's definitely the shared love for Christ that you
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have, I hope? And something about their
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gentleness and their patience towards you.
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Maybe it can be as simple. I know this sounds crazy the way
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they laugh and make you laugh. That causes you to feel a great
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love for that person or people. And guess what?
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That's not just. Okay.
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That's something to worship God about.
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If King David were two here and he were to sit in the service,
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he would totally be able to Echo the sentiments of Paul because
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he had a friend just like that we touched on it last week
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briefly but I want to turn your attention there.
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And second Samuel, the Old Testament chapter 1.
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This is a memoir of Saul and Jonathan who died in battle,
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David heard it. He was grieved, he wrote a song
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about it and he says something inspired by the spirit in verse
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26 of second. Samuel chapter 1, Jonathan and
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this is verse 25. How?
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The mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle.
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Jonathan lies. Slain, on your high places.
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Now, look what he says about his friend I am distressed for you.
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My brother Jonathan very pleasant.
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Have you been to me? Your love to me was
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extraordinary surpassing the love of woman Surpassing the
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love of women. So the same psalmist, who wrote
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in your speaking to God in your presence is the fullness of joy.
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Could also say of another Fallen human being who love God and
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walked according to his ways. You are very pleasant to me.
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You can say both. You can say both.
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And what's? So encouraging here is that he
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actually goes on to even say That the love of this man was so
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extraordinary, it surpassed the love of women.
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Now, David didn't have the best marriage history.
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The ability to relate to one woman was not the most
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praiseworthy, but nonetheless, there's something to be said
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here, and unfortunately, you have men and you have people of
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a certain Community who would try to justify how God how God
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permits for homosexual relationships and what use this
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as a proof text. And saying, look, he clearly is
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saying that the love of another man is greater than the love of
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women, and that is just one sliver of evidence of how
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perverted man can be, you know, why?
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I'll tell you why? Because it's a commentary.
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On how this generation doesn't understand.
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True love isn't not a sad. Thing to know that there are
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people who can't grasp the idea of deep love without sexualizing
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it. If it has to be deep love like
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this than it has to be sexual. Well, you don't know what love
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is. You don't.
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And this man here is expressing a friendship.
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Love, I committed love a loyal love, and he can say, is even
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greater than that of the relationships, he's had with
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women. There's something so powerful
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about this. And the point is that a passage
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like this shows us that God bestows Upon Us, Grace's through
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others, who touch our hearts in a special way and guess why you
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can expect that in your Christian Life.
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You can expect that in your Christian Life that person could
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be a friend, like Jonathan that came at an early point in your
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walk with the Lord like David who was freshly anointed and God
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brought us supporter at the right time.
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That person could be your spouse and I hope it is.
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That person could be a mentor like Paul was to Timothy that
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person could just be somebody that you've just connected with
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on a certain Sunday afternoon and your lives are conjoined in
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a special way. But no matter what, no matter
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what someone offers you, whatever, Comfort, whatever,
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whatever warmth, whatever spring of joy and Delight is ultimately
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God. Who is fashion that person and
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provided that person for you? Don't you forget to thank him
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for it. Oh it's not just Timothy.
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Do a come back to S too many for look at this mention.
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We would we would skip over a verse like this, there's just
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seemed trivial this one, seems so unimportant, but look at
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verse 13. What he says, when you come
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bring the cloak that I left with carpus at troas, also, the books
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and above all the parchments. I was tempted.
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I want to preach just on that verse.
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Just on verse 13, the the cloak, the books, the parchment,
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there's so much there, so much there for the sake of the theme
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of what we're trying to communicate today.
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Consider this that Paul request his personable and valuable
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items from a man named carpus an unsung hero.
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Never hear of them again or before this Timothy before you
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come and visit me, go to carpets his house.
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I've left my prized possessions with him.
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Telling me what Paul trusted carpus.
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He really did, he can leave some cash at his house and not worry
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that a dollar would be taken. Carpus could ask for his car
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keys and and Paul would be okay with that.
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And so there are there there are wonderful things that await us.
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Wonderful people that will become family to us that we can
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trust and we can enjoy. And we can receive so much from.
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It was Timothy, always carpets. I'm sure there are others, but
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realize this again, let me say it that those people have been
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given by God, even the name, Jonathan means, God has given
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God has given and God will give to you and I believe it and
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rejoice at those Treasures because Jesus Christ paid a
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price to purchase friendships like that.
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Christ paid a price so that he can so transform hearts in which
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though you have different backgrounds, and personalities
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and histories, there can be a connection that is deeper than
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blood and that is the holy spirit living in you and living
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in them. Christ paid a price for such
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relationships. So if you are enjoying them, if
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your relishing in them, if you are making memories with them,
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don't forget to thank God. First thing that you and I can
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expect in this Christian walk with other Christians are people
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who will bring us great comfort and joy.
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But secondly, you can expect those who might walk away from
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the cause of Christ. Verse 10 for Demas in love with
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this present world has deserted me and gone to thessalonica.
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If Timothy is an example of the deep joy, as you can know, and
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Christian relationships, then Dimas is an illustration of the
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great risks. That you can expect and choosing
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to serve alongside other people Dimas was not an acquaintance
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merely. He was more than that.
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He was a traveling Ministry partner with Paul, he's
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mentioned and Philemon. Where there he is, called a
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fellow worker, he's mentioned in the book of Colossians.
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But Demas. Although he was a fruitful
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servant at one point, is the embodiment of something that
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Jesus taught, one of the three conditions, the unfortunate
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conditions of the Soul. That response to the word of God
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and the wrong way. Dimas had a heart that was
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Rocky. So at one point he received the
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gospel in such a way that it jolted him to serve alongside
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with a renowned apostle. And he apparently had some kind
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of fruit there. He was a worker.
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He contributed to a certain extent.
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He was an asset to Paul's Ministry Endeavors.
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But just as Christ taught about the rocky soil, Dimas endured
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for a while. For a while.
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And then when there was a price to this thing, when it became
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costly, when he saw Paul getting arrested and persecuted when he
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saw, how Christians were being targeted by the government Dimas
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pulls out, not just because of a fear of that, but because of a
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love for the present world, you know what I find?
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So interesting about verse 10, when Paul describes his
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desertion, he doesn't say he left Christ.
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So that was his ultimate crime. He says he left me.
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He left me, why is Paul making this personal?
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It's very simple because he himself felt the sting himself
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experienced a sorrow when this man that he served with chose to
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walk away from the Narrow Path and straying into the world that
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brought paying to the man. It hurts.
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And how could it not when you are considering the faithfulness
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of Demas? How can Paul not be not be hurt?
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I wonder if he remembered the times where you saw Dimas
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witnessing to people. I wonder if after he learned
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where he went into the world, he reflected upon the times of
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intercession while they traveled into unknown territory, not
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knowing where to go next. I wonder what it was that
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flooded, his mind for him to make this so personal Dimas hurt
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him. And I want to tell you today, I
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want to be very realistic because the Bible is very
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realistic. You better be ready.
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For the possibility of people walking away from Christ that
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once walk with you in the Name of Christ.
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It can happen. It can happen very easily and
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perhaps some of you and here, can even testify, especially you
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Saints who have walked longer in this faith.
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That you go on social media one day.
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And somebody that used to hold Bible studies that you benefited
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from much or somebody that you once evangelize on the streets
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or didn't Ministry without a certain local church for a
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season of your life is now clearly in the world.
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And it hurts you. It stings it brings pain and I
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think that's important for us to know because we need to be
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prepared for it. I remember going to a conference
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when I first got saved maybe a year in and I was in Canada.
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We came to the United States in great Zeal, we hopped in a car
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and we drove 24 hours with a group of friends to go to a
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specific conference. It was a young adults
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conference. And so, before every service,
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there will be lineups lineups of young people and they're getting
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them all pumped up and And all these things and as you're
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standing in line you would meet different people.
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And so I remember meeting a specific young man who was a
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youth pastor in the city of Boston?
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And he just opened himself up. He was so he was just bubbling
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with joy. I mean, the guy was almost going
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to fly waiting for the service to begin and he introduced
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himself and he asked what we did and who we were and then we
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extinct exchange social media, you know, accounts so that we
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can follow up with one another. We saw him periodically
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throughout that conference was a large one, still Nice guy.
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Friendly guy. In that setting, I thought this
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guy was not just an he was on fire for God.
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Years Ago, by never seen him ever since years go by.
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But you know how social media has the ability to keep you
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connected to people even from decades ago.
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One day to my surprise after years, I sign on, I go into
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social media and I see the same person, post a picture, and he
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is Marching In the Gay Pride Parade of his City.
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Dress in a way that I cannot even describe to you without
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blushing. And so, I clicked on his
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profile, I look through his time, I realize that he's in a
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relationship with a man. He walked away from the
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ministry. And guess what?
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I had no more of a 10-minute conversation with that person.
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That might be even in his eyes Eurasian and I still felt pain.
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And I couldn't help, but think of his students.
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I couldn't help, but think of the ministry, that hired him can
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help. But think of the times that
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people listen to this man, preach to them this, these high
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school kids. What are they feeling?
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You want to walk this walk? Expect people to walk out on
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Christ, God forbid. But don't be surprised if it
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happens. But thirdly, we read of another
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group of people, another category and is found here in
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verse 10. In the second part, he says,
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Christians has gone through galatia Titus to Dalmatia.
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Now, look at verse, look at verse 12.
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Take a kiss. I have sent to Ephesus.
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The next group here. Are just again it seems like
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insignificant details of men and names going to certain places
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but it is extremely important to grasp because they will help us
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greatly. This point actually might be the
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most relatable point to a lot of you in this place.
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So pay attention. This actually might heal.
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You We had told at these names have brought my brother here and
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galatian. Other brother here, another
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brother that was commissioned by Paul himself to go to take a
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kiss. We can't place these men in the
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same category as Dimas Dimas abandoned Paul, he was operating
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out of selfishness. He was operating out of
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unbelief, it was an apostate. These men we are told there are
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not in close proximity Paul and he's communicating that they're
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not with me. There's somewhere else.
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He doesn't condemn them for such actions.
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He doesn't blame them for unfaithfulness he remained
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silent and that silence is important.
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Why why are we being told again? Christians has gone to Glacier.
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Okay, Titus to Dalmatia. All right, take you guys.
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I've sent to Ephesus. That makes more sense.
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He's probably sending tickets to Ephesus so that he can take care
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of the congregation so that Timothy can come and visit him,
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that makes sense. But what about the other two?
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And again, upon meditation upon looking at this, I believe, the
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main reason why Paul is mentioning this to Timothy is so
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that Timothy can know that these people had to leave it was out
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of necessity, not out of Apostasy.
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Their absence could be felt it contributed to the need for
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Timothy to be there with them, but they had to be there.
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They had to be away causing separation between the parties
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may be for a long amount of time and maybe even permanently
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here's what I'm trying to say to you today.
28:15
Throughout the course of your life, there will be those that
28:18
you have richly invested your time and energy for there will
28:22
be those that you have shared so much with their we those that
28:26
you perhaps you have made unspoken promises because of the
28:31
richness of your relationship that you would never never part
28:35
ways. And then one day they move.
28:41
And then one day you get the news that your friend that you
28:43
have known for so long. That would bring a smile to your
28:46
face. As you would walk into this room
28:49
is not going to be there anymore.
28:53
That's just the reality of the Christian Journey.
28:56
Listen, please listen to me, people come and go people come
29:04
and go and it's not because they fell in love with the world.
29:10
Truth be told some Christians handle this kind of transition
29:13
in life. More easily than others.
29:17
And again, as I said, if you have a shallow participation in
29:20
your church, if you're not rooted in, if you're just a
29:23
sermon listener and not a committed member at a specific
29:26
place, whether it's here or elsewhere, this might not hold
29:30
any weight but some of, you know, the sadness.
29:35
Of somebody leaving. Somebody moving on.
29:40
And that sadness is a testament, that grief is an indication of
29:46
your love for that person. But I want to say this and it's
29:50
so important to understand, although, that grief is totally
29:55
normal, and it's even to be expected.
29:57
If you really care for somebody, please pay attention.
30:00
Please pay attention. Some of you need to really,
30:04
really, really, really here. This that sadness, can easily
30:09
make you selfish. I can make you and I selfish
30:17
saying, what do you mean? Here's what I mean that over the
30:21
years as people come and go, you have those who in order to
30:25
protect themselves from that pain in order to avoid that
30:30
strange sensation, that even though you are still going to
30:33
the same place, there are some people who are not there and at
30:35
there's a feeling of something's missing here in order to avoid
30:39
all of that you crawl into a shell.
30:43
You refuse to open your heart up to other people that God is
30:46
bringing into your life. I want to be very pastoral.
30:50
Now, I want to speak to a specific thing that many
30:53
Christians deal with and it is dangerous because perhaps you
30:58
have said something along these lines, perhaps you have
31:01
entertained it, perhaps you even communicated it to others.
31:05
I don't know, man. Things are not the way they used
31:06
to be. This is not the same.
31:12
So and so is not here anymore, it's just different.
31:16
I'm not sure if I like it. I remember, we used to have this
31:20
and we used to do that and I'm just I'm not seeing it now.
31:28
That's dangerous. That's really dangerous.
31:34
Because the Bible warns against that kind of thinking.
31:37
In Ecclesiastes, 7 verse 10. We are told say not why were the
31:43
former days better than these For it is not from wisdom that
31:48
you ask this. Say not.
31:53
Why were the former days better than these?
31:57
That's not wisdom. What's the opposite of wisdom?
32:00
You know, the answer and you know why?
32:03
You know why it is not wise to think like that to say that to
32:06
people to say that to yourself to believe that it kills faith?
32:14
It assassinates faith and it listen goes beyond that it
32:20
discredits God. Who has a plan for every season?
32:27
and sometimes that includes new people and sometimes that means
32:32
people will move on This comparison to the former to the
32:40
present is a Temptation among all of God's people.
32:45
And he was as a temptation to God's people in the old Covenant
32:50
and I want you to go to the book of haggai to see an example of
32:52
this. So go to haggai in your Bibles.
32:56
You have your Bibles, right? If you don't have a Bible, come
33:00
see the leadership and we will get you a Bible.
33:03
You need a Bible? Haggai chapter 2.
33:09
What's Happening Here? The people of Israel have
33:12
returned from Babylonian exile. They've now return to the
33:15
promised land. What's happening in the promised
33:16
land. They're rebuilding, they're
33:19
rebuilding the walls and they're rebuilding the temple because it
33:22
was destroyed because of their Disobedience and they lay the
33:26
foundation. They're in the process of
33:29
renewing, the place where they worship God and then God speaks
33:33
through the prophet haggai. Why?
33:36
Because he made an observation about the people and how they
33:39
responded to this new Temple. Look at verse 3 here, who is
33:45
left among you, who saw this house in its former glory, how
33:49
do you see it now? Is it nothing as nothing in your
33:54
eyes. This is God speaking to his
33:57
people and he specifically speaking to the older generation
34:01
because this older generation new, the glories of the Temple
34:06
of Solomon. They saw how Solomon's Temple
34:09
was adorned, perhaps they were there on that day, where the
34:13
glory of God filled the temple, they saw the amount of
34:17
sacrifices the wealth, the prosperity.
34:22
They go into Exile, they come back, it's in Ruins, they build
34:25
it up and they're looking at it like wow.
34:31
This is this, is it. And not only that, you don't
34:36
have to turn there. But when you go to Ezra where it
34:37
gives the details account of them building the Temple.
34:40
Again, it says that you had some people shouting with joy, when
34:44
the foundation was laid yet, at the same time, it was mixed
34:48
with. And it says specifically those
34:50
who are older who were weeping, They were weeping because they
34:56
they made a comparison, they contrasted and those tears came
35:02
through eyes who could not see by faith.
35:05
What God was trying to do in the present.
35:10
And so they lived in the past and that's never really a good
35:13
thing. Even in Ministry, even in church
35:15
life, it's not good and so God speaks to her haggai.
35:20
He says do you see this as nothing?
35:25
Do you think this is insignificant?
35:27
Do you think I was doing things in the past that were greater?
35:29
And now I just kind of cooled off a little bit and you just
35:31
have to endure this because you're a Christian and you
35:33
should go to church and you should be accountable to people.
35:36
Do you think that's what I'm like you got to wrong because in
35:40
the same chapter, you come down to verse 9.
35:42
And what do you read the same, Lord speaks to the same people
35:46
about the same house that they were comparing the latter Glory
35:49
of this house? Shall be greater than the former
35:53
Says the Lord of hosts. And in this place, I will give
35:56
peace declares the Lord of hosts.
35:58
That was ultimately fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, who
36:01
is the glory of God. He walked into the same Temple
36:05
that would later. Be adorned by Herod.
36:09
But the glory was not. What Herod did it was Christ?
36:12
The Incarnate Son of God, who stepped into that place?
36:17
Who taught, who cleansed, who Shield?
36:22
It was fulfilled in Christ. But the Practical implications
36:26
are still true. They're still true when we when
36:30
we see it in this way. God has a purpose for every age,
36:35
every season, every rebuilding process, every transition.
36:41
And if you're not careful to see that, You may fail to see the
36:47
value of what God is doing now. if you are so attached to
36:54
someone or some people or certain memories, You may just
36:59
be drained of enthusiasm and hope and your efforts will not
37:04
be as they should, and you're going to miss out, want to be
37:09
transparent with you when I was living in Canada. 20 21, 22
37:15
years old. So, active group of friends,
37:19
some of them may even be watching, I don't know.
37:24
We would do evangelism on the streets worship nights prayer.
37:26
We travel to conferences together.
37:28
And you know what, I really believe at 20 21, 22, this is
37:32
the group of people that I'm going to be with for the rest of
37:34
my life. Like this is it I can't see it
37:37
getting any better than this. And in one conference happened.
37:43
And that conference changed my world.
37:47
Literally you want to know how much it changed my world.
37:50
I there was nothing attractive about moving out of the place, I
37:53
was living in Canada and I did not want to come to America.
37:56
That was never even a thought. Never even, I never even
37:58
entertained it within 23 weeks, I moved.
38:02
What am I trying to say? God changed the script.
38:06
A script that I really loved and enjoyed And he will do that to
38:13
you too. If you walk with him, he'll
38:17
change it in some way because he's doing something.
38:20
He's constantly writing something. and God promises
38:25
those who walk in obedience that as they behold, the glory of the
38:29
Lord, they will be transformed into the same image from one
38:32
degree of Glory to another So no matter what changes, no this
38:37
that that change will bring about a greater glory in you.
38:41
If you just respond, well, if you just trust him, so what
38:45
should you do about the past? What should you do about?
38:47
People who move in and out? Because guess what?
38:50
People get married, guys. They do and that marriage calls
38:55
him to a different state. What you gonna do ministry
38:59
opportunities are going to we're going to open up, and God is
39:01
going to call certain people that you've loved and served
39:04
with and laughed with and prayed with, and counseled and receive
39:07
counsel from. And God is going to use them
39:09
somewhere else schooling opportunities.
39:12
Fill in the blank. What are you going to do?
39:15
It's not the same anymore. That is not Christian attitude,
39:21
that is not christ-like attitude, that is not
39:23
faith-filled. It's immature.
39:28
And it can be detrimental to your relationship to the Lord
39:31
and it can close you off to the people that God wants to bring
39:33
into your life now. And just in case, none of that
39:37
motivates you guess what? There's going to be a Heavenly
39:40
reunions and all of them are going to be there at the same
39:42
time forever and ever and ever. Hey cheer up.
39:48
Just cheer up and serve the people that God has brought to
39:51
you now. And then one day, we're all
39:54
going to be there. It'll be a short while.
39:59
There will be those. That God will lead to move on.
40:03
And you might feel like you're left behind but you're not.
40:07
You're exactly where God wants you to be.
40:09
Whether it's here or elsewhere, let's move on.
40:12
There's another group of people. and it's those who was stick
40:17
with us until the end verse 11, Luke alone is with me.
40:22
That's it. Luke alone is with me.
40:29
While others went like Demas because they love the world.
40:35
And others had to go because God called them somewhere else.
40:39
God in his Providence. Can sometimes allow those who
40:43
have been with us to stay with us To Stay With You.
40:48
Luke is also mentioned in Philemon and Colossians and it
40:52
is believed that he was a convert to Paul's preaching and
40:55
it is believed that he joined Paul's traveling Ministry at the
40:58
time stamp of Acts chapter 16 but what's so significant here
41:02
is that Luke stuck with Paul until the end that doesn't make
41:07
Luke any better than tychicus or Christians or Titus.
41:11
But it does say something about his character.
41:14
You see Luke symbolizes a type of believe Who stands by those
41:20
when life and Ministry is not easy.
41:24
When we are enduring, humble beginnings and hardships, this
41:30
man here was loyal. He again he had a choice.
41:35
I could go or I could stay and he chose to stay through success
41:40
and through suffering. He chose to remain in crisis,
41:43
not when things were always comfortable.
41:47
And this was a loyal man. Locked in.
41:51
If God has brought me to Paul to serve alongside with them that I
41:55
will until God calls me elsewhere or tells me to do
41:58
something else. And here's the thing that I want
42:00
to bring up to you that in ministry as you serve the Lord
42:04
and some of you have experienced this recently, there will be
42:06
shakings in your life shakings to your world shakings to your
42:10
ministry. And in those shakings, God
42:16
allows it to happen to reveal a lot of a reveal, a reliability
42:22
of others. And it is in those moments where
42:25
we give thanks to God. Paul said that about Titus among
42:29
Point God comforted me through the coming of Titus through the
42:34
coming of Titus. And so when we in life, when we
42:38
serve God and things are flipped upside down and crazy, things
42:41
happen, know that in those moments, You will, you will know
42:46
a type of Joy because you will see you will see people.
42:51
Who will lock arms. Maybe, as you're suffering
42:55
through your marriage. Maybe is your enduring
42:58
persecution. Paul was being slandered here.
43:03
Paul was highly unpopular to be associated with him was
43:06
dangerous and yet he says, Luke is still with me and the Bible
43:11
highlights that I want you to know.
43:16
That although there are turmoils with relationships.
43:18
There are also great reasons to thank God for people.
43:22
Like Luke expect the same prayerfully.
43:27
There are more to say about that, but I want to move on here
43:29
to another group of people. Not just those who stick with us
43:33
at the end, but there will be those who will disappoint us at
43:36
times. Look here again, in verse 11.
43:40
Luke alone was with me, get Mark, get Mark and bring him
43:45
with you for. He is very useful to me for
43:47
Ministry. Now this won't this won't really
43:49
make sense until you understand the history that Paul.
43:51
How with Mark most of you, I'm sure know this Mark was the man
43:55
in Acts 13. That was joining Paul and
43:58
Barnabas in their missionary journey and at one point jumped
44:02
ship, he pulled away no reason given.
44:06
But according to Paul it was inexcusable, it was a whore.
44:10
I'm to the ministry. It was a hindrance and and this
44:15
is not to say that Mark was like demons.
44:17
He wasn't like demons. Mark was a genuine follower of
44:20
Christ who is clearly gifted or as Paul wouldn't have recruited
44:23
him in the first place and yet this highly gifted lover of
44:27
Jesus Christ in a moment of weakness caved.
44:32
And he caved in such a way where he didn't carry his load.
44:35
And at frustrated, those who trusted him, including Paul,
44:39
what am I trying to say serve God in one place long enough
44:44
with the same people long enough and someone just made mess up Do
44:51
you know what? You can expect in your Christian
44:52
relationships with others, disappointment, and others
44:57
believe it? Believe it.
45:00
Maybe some of you are holding back, many amens.
45:03
As I say it, it's just true. There were people.
45:08
There will be people who have a one-point been committed and at
45:12
some point over time, show disinterest to the thing that
45:14
they said they would be committed to.
45:16
There will be some people who will not be as present, who will
45:19
be absent. Will be a long stretch of the
45:21
time coming in and out, for immature reasons.
45:27
And it will, it will Annoy Us. It will hurt us.
45:30
Even what do we do about that? Well, the same Mark that Paul
45:36
was very frustrated with is the same Mark that he says, now
45:39
bring him to me because he's very useful to me in Ministry.
45:46
The failures of those that we live for Christ with should not
45:51
be write-offs to them completely, please hear me.
45:57
Friendships. People are fickle.
46:03
They're not like Jesus, right? Paul talks about Jesus, and
46:05
we're going to talk about that next week.
46:06
They're not like him though. They love him and represent him
46:09
as as they can. But I want you to say to your
46:13
own heart, don't write off people who might have let me
46:17
down. Don't write off people because
46:22
they failed to stand firm or be who they were called to be due
46:26
to fear or due to selfishness. Listen.
46:30
What I've learned about churchgoers over the years is
46:32
that many people want to drink all the grace that they can get
46:35
and they don't want to give a sip to anybody else.
46:40
I mean, it's okay for you to fail, you know, from time to
46:43
time and Jesus to forgive you. But oh, if you fail It was nice
46:49
knowing you. Do you really expect to do life
46:53
with people? Who are on the same path of
46:57
progress as you are to not to not make mistake.
47:03
And yet all it takes are super. Some people.
47:04
And the same church is for one person to mess up one time and
47:08
they'll never be here again. Don't ever show up again.
47:14
What is that? That is the opposite of the
47:17
attitude of this man who said follow me as I follow Christ.
47:21
because that kind of hardening of the heart that stubbornness
47:26
can bar you from knowing blessings like Mark was to Paul.
47:32
He learned that this man was useful.
47:34
He just messed up at one point. So I want to tell you today, be
47:39
ready to be let down, it's going to happen, but at the same time,
47:43
be ready to believe that that same person who might have
47:46
failed in a certain way. God Can Transform and renew and
47:51
teach to the degree, where they will be a blessing beyond your
47:56
own understanding. And so, Mark symbolizes those
48:04
that will disappoint us. I come to the last point.
48:06
It will be very brief. We heard those who bring us
48:10
great joy and comfort. I hope you have those people in
48:12
your life. You heard of those who might
48:14
walk away from the cause of Christ at one point.
48:17
God forbid, you heard about those who will be sent by God
48:20
elsewhere. I'm sure all of us have
48:21
experienced that, but if you're living still in a dark cloud
48:24
because of it, shake out of it. There will be those who will
48:30
stick with us until the end and we should celebrate God for
48:32
that. And there will be those who will
48:34
disappoint us at times and don't give up on them because God
48:37
hasn't given up on you. and lastly, there will be those Who
48:44
are dangerous? Poor dangerous.
48:50
Verse 14. Alexander the coppersmith, did
48:54
me, great harm, the Lord will repay him according to his
48:57
deeds, beware of him yourself or he strongly opposed our message.
49:03
Paul name names publicly. That might make us feel very
49:08
uncomfortable, but if a leadership is truly God-fearing
49:11
and they love the people, they will warn people about other
49:14
people and not just from a leadership standpoint.
49:17
There are people that you have to warn other people about.
49:20
You have to, this is not gossip here, this is not slander.
49:23
This is Love, This is Love and this is very straightforward,
49:29
you know, we just finished saying give people a chance.
49:32
That's true. We have to be forgiving, we have
49:34
to extend Grace especially when people repent.
49:37
I don't think Paul brought Mark back in without any sign of
49:41
repentance or change. I believe that's actually the
49:44
opposite. I believe Mark did learn at some
49:47
point. She was close with Peter
49:49
Barnabas, took him in, and it just makes you wonder if he
49:52
matured over time and Paul observe that and he brought him
49:56
in. But when it comes to people like
49:57
Alexander, who show no repentance, who have an
50:01
appearance of godliness, you have to understand my fellow
50:05
brother and sister you've heard it before.
50:07
Before. So I'm not going to stay here
50:08
too long. There will be those who will
50:10
come in to do damage. Damage to Unity damage to
50:16
Doctrine, damage to you damage to your Purity damage to your
50:20
finances. There are people who will, Who
50:22
will come after you because God is working in your life.
50:29
And God is working in your local church and the same way that
50:33
Christ has ambassadors. So there's the devil.
50:39
And so you and I have to be ready.
50:42
Be ready because look, what Paul said, Alexander the coppersmith.
50:45
Did mean not just harm great harm.
50:51
Do you see as you zoom out? And as you consider these
50:53
thoughts, do you see how this is just so complex?
50:57
You got some people who love you.
50:58
Some people stick with you, some people who walk away because
51:00
they had to and it still hurts but you have to be okay with it.
51:02
There's some people walk away because they love the world and
51:04
there's some people who come into your life that just want to
51:06
make your life a living hell. How do you respond to that?
51:13
I'm sure each of us know how to respond to all of these.
51:15
But up to this point we are told very clearly how to respond to
51:18
this kind of thing. It says here that the Lord will
51:24
repay him according to his deeds.
51:27
You and I, if we're going to survive, if we're going to
51:30
survive on this journey, and this course for Christ have to
51:34
know how to leave Vengeance to God.
51:36
And let Lord, the Lord deal with people himself and you do not
51:40
participate in that act of Retribution and you leave it to
51:45
God, leave it to God and you move on.
51:51
Alexander the coppersmith. Did me, great harm.
51:54
And then he tells Timothy beware of him yourself.
51:57
And I tell you today, beware. Be Discerning, don't be over
52:03
simplistic. Pray, ask questions, be careful.
52:09
And God will guide you. But even if you do all of that,
52:13
sometimes God in his Providence, will allow someone to hurt and
52:17
to harm. And sometimes in those moments,
52:20
we learn great things about God. And sometimes in those moment,
52:23
like God, what he loves to do to get Faith out of us, will try to
52:26
get Faith out of you. And that way, this are you going
52:28
to trust me with that person or you going to deal with it
52:30
yourself? Be careful asking God for more
52:33
faith. Be careful, because it looks
52:36
like many things. And what Paul is doing here is
52:39
an act of faith. And there is no doubt that it
52:41
pleased God. Oh, so many things to say and
52:46
there is a seventh relationships, but it's not.
52:50
It's not a human though. He is fully man.
52:53
He's also truly God. And I believe he is worthy of an
52:58
entire message for himself. But there is a relationship that
53:02
you, and I should understand that United should consider.
53:07
That you and I should know about, as we deal with
53:09
relationships with other people in this world.
53:12
Let's pray. Chloe, thank you for the wisdom
53:47
of these verses. And Lord, we are better prepared
53:52
and we are ready to eat. To know how to righteously react
53:56
and respond to the good and to the bad.
54:04
Thank You. O.
54:04
Lord, that the things that we are experiencing, you have
54:06
already predicted And Lord that. That pain and also the great
54:13
pleasure that we know and others is something that Paul himself
54:16
new. You've provided us this.
54:20
This table of insights. For us to digest for ourselves.
54:28
And so Lord, we thank you that you care about how we experience
54:32
relationships. And we ask that you would help
54:35
us obey and to apply all that we've heard today.
54:40
We thank you for the past. We thank you for the Memories.
54:43
We thank you for the people that you've allowed us to know and a
54:47
chapter 2 of Our Lives. We thank you for those who have
54:53
been with us longer than the average person perhaps and we
54:57
cherish them until you call us home or until you call them or
55:00
call us elsewhere. but Lord, help us help us not go off
55:06
course in our emotions and our thinking With all that we've
55:10
heard Lord we want to be in the center of your will.
55:16
And how we, how we relate to one another.
55:20
We give you praise and we worship you for your goodness in
55:23
this in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
55:26
Let's Stand Together.