Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #20250330 - Forward Faith - 2 Peter 3:14-16

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#20250330 - Forward Faith - 2 Peter 3:14-16 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word recorded live at Calvary
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Church in Aurora, Co. To learn more about the many
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resources available through Abounding Grace Media or to tune
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into our live stream services, visit us online at Calvary Co
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dot Church or download our free Calvary Church app.
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Now let's open our Bibles and study God's Word.
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Good morning. So good to be here with you guys
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once again. This is our second home and then
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we we love it here and my wife is with me this morning.
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Many you remember. Amen.
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Norma's right over here and thank you for your prayers.
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You had a double organ transplant back in September.
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Her liver is doing fine. The kidneys not not so much and
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so she's looking at a second kidney transplant here pretty
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quick. Everything's been green lighted.
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Everything's a go. In fact, it was a dear sister in
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the Lord that is going to be a living donor for her kidney and
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and one of your one of your people here, Amen.
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Praise the Lord, yes, Amen. And that's, that's, that's a
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whole story in and of itself and how that all came about having
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this living donor, dear sister in the Lord, but also God just
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putting the pieces together. The living donors caseworker is
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a member of this fellowship. My name is Lindsay.
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And so Lindsay, I don't know if you're here, but God bless you,
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Lindsay, thank you, Amen, for helping expedite things.
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So God is just good all around. Amen.
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Today I want to, I want to first of all, foremost before I go
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anyway, I want to thank Ed and Ed and Marie, thank you so much
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for allowing us to come and to be a part of what God, this
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tremendous work that God is doing here at Calvary Church in
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Aurora. So we're blessed to be here.
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I want to encourage you today with a message entitled forward
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faith and encourage you to move forward in your faith.
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Regardless of where you are in your faith.
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God is always pushing us forward, not pushing us, leading
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us to move forward. So if you have a Bible, please
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open to second Peter chapter 3, verses 14 and to 16.
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And we'll be looking at today. So not a whole lot of verses,
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but I managed to get an hour and a half message out of it.
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But no, not an hour and a half. It's not that long.
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Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for
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this glorious opportunity to share your word.
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I pray that you will bless your word.
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It is not the opinion of men, it is not Republican or Democrat,
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it's not liberal or conservative.
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It is your word and Jesus in my word of spirit of his life.
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May your word go forth with the promise that it will not return
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to you void but will accomplish what you Father send it to do be
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glorified. We pray in Jesus name and
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everyone said Amen some years ago and share the stories.
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A little embarrassing, but my kids are really small and, you
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know, we were taking them to Disney World and, you know, and
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my wife always arranged the, the travel and the flights and all,
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and, and we, she couldn't get a, you know, a flight at, you know,
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my time, which would be like 12 noon or something.
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And you were only able to fly away to be at the airport like
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at 4:00 in the morning. Now, I don't know, there may be
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some people in here like me. I I'm not the most chirpy and
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cheery person in the world early in the morning, you know, I'm
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known as the grump in my house early in the morning when I get
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up. I'm not, I'm not always, you
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know, perky, you know, and but you know, so that morning I was
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a you know, so grabbing the bags, I have my one suitcase, I
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have my wife, 4 suitcases. And yeah, and the kids are
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pulling their little suitcases. We're standing there in line.
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Sure enough, get to the airport 4:00 in the morning is and
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there's this line so long that we're going to miss our flight
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and we're rushing and, and we're standing in this line.
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So my wife, she's very innovative and creative.
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And so she goes up and asked one of the authorities at the
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airport if there's any way we can get this shorter line so we
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can get through and make our flight.
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And the guy said not a problem, gave her authority to do it.
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And next thing I know, she's way up there and she's waving at me,
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right? Just, you know, so has an
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obedient husband. I go drag and everything up
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there grumpy. And when I get up there, there's
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this gentleman who is kind of berating my wife and my, my
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children and you can't get in this line.
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You need to get in the back and blah, blah, blah.
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And, you know, and my wife's ignoring him and I went up there
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and I, he was talking and he was in back of me and I was, you
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know, and, and you know, felt like the Lord said, just just
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love him and pray for him in Jesus name.
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And I rejected the Lord's counsel and turned and turned
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around and looked at the guy and said, we heard you.
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And he persisted to talk. So he and I had a little
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fellowship there. And so it was so intense that
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they, they call security. Anyway, that story I tell you
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because I just thought about it later on.
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I thought it was kind of embarrassing, but but Lord, it's
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kind of like the devil. God has given you a promise, has
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given you permission to move forward from where you are.
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He's told you to come to follow me and the devil is standing
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like this guy in line and just berating you and say you have no
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business being here. Who do you think you are moving
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up to the front? Get in the back.
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I want you back there living in the past.
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I want you back there living with your guilt and your
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failure. How dare you think you could
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move forward even though God has given you permission to be
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there? Just like the enemy telling you
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that you you can't be. Some place that God has ordained
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you to be has given you permission to be.
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Amen. God has called you to move
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forward and the devil's always challenging you and demanding
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that you move backwards. I want to talk to you about
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moving forward today in your face, continuing in Christ, to
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ignore the lies of the enemy and to move forward by the promises
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of God. Is that all right?
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Amen. And how do we move forward?
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There's three ways I'm going to share with you this morning from
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our text, and that is through divine perspective, divine
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persistence, and divine patience.
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That is the patience of our Lord God towards us.
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This message is important because it keeps us moving
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forward. It's an antidote against being
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stagnant in our faith. God never wants us to be
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stagnant. He wants us to be, to continue
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to grow in our faith. He wants us to grow for our own
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good and for His glory. So we look at verse 14 here
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within our text, the very first part of verse 14, we find our
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first point on how to continue to move forward in the Lord.
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How do we do that? Through divine perspective,
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Peter says here in verse 14, the very first part, he says,
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therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things.
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Now let's just stop right there. Looking forward to what things?
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Where you got to go to verse 13 to find out what he's talking
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about. He's talking about the new
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heaven and the new earth. Did you know there's going to be
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a new heaven and new earth? Revelation chapter 21, verse one
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says John the Revelator, as he's referred to many times, John the
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Apostle John says there's going to be a new heaven and a new
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earth that will come into existence.
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And this is after the 1000 year reign of Christ and a new heaven
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and new earth will appear. And, and, and Peter was just
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talking about that in verse 13 about this new heaven and new
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earth, the very promise of God, an irrevocable promise of a new
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heaven and a new earth. Often say as believers, this is,
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is a true statement. No matter what you're going
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through right now in your life, no matter what you may be
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experiencing, maybe people here or you're watching online and
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you feel you're in total despair and, and how are you going to
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get out of the situation? You are and you feel hopeless or
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whatever. But as a believer in Jesus
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Christ, no matter what we're going through right now, you
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know what the best is yet to come.
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The best is yet to come. Amen.
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And what is that? The new heaven and new earth.
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Oh, we're going to see Jesus. Amen.
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And the Bible says when we see him, he's going to wipe every
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tear from our eyes. Amen.
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Praise God. We look forward with a divine
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perspective, understanding that life consists not only of the
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things that we see, but the things that are unseen.
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Divine perspective is not based on what I can see or, or what I
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feel, but it's based on the things that are unseen.
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In fact, the Bible says this. Paul the apostle in Second
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Corinthians chapter 4 verse 18 says, while we do not look at
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the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
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seen, for the things which are seen or temporary, but the
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things which are not seen are eternal.
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Amen. Everything you see around you
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right now, the person sitting next to you, the the chairs of
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this building, all these things, everything will pass away.
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It is all temporary. But that which is unseen, that
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which God is spoken into existence, that which is, is,
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is, is ordained by the Word of God.
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It will last for all eternity. We talk about faith in a faith
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perspective. If faith is resting in God's
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perspective, what God is able to see, God sees things that you
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cannot see. I'm, I'm reminded of, of the,
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the account in Luke chapter 22 when, when the apostle Peter is
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boasting and bragging to Jesus about how everybody's going to
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abandon you, Lord, but I'm going to Lord, I'm never going to
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abandon you. Those guys are flakes, but not
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me. I'm the real deal.
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That's what Peter was basically saying to Jesus, I'm the real
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deal. I'm never going to abandon you.
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And it's like Jesus, you know, pull back the curtain of
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eternity to show him things that he could not see.
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And he said, now come here, Pete, let me show you something
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the devil has asked for you. Oh, really?
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Well, isn't that a sobering thought?
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If the Lord would come to you and say to you, the devil wants
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your address, the devil has asked for you that he might sift
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you like wheat. But Jesus said, but I prayed for
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you that your faith would not fail, not your feelings.
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Our feelings will fail you. The psalmist said in Psalm 73,
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My flesh and my heart failed, but God, it's the strength of my
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heart and my portion forever, Amen.
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My flesh and my heart may fail. He said, I, Jesus said, I pray
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that your faith would not fail. Aren't you glad Jesus is praying
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for you right now, that your faith, your feelings are going
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to fail, your friends are going to fail, your family's going to
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fail, but that your faith would not fail.
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Your perspective of what God can do will not fail.
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And then he said to Peter, after you return to me, I'm sure
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Peter's like, where am I going? He was going to deny Jesus three
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times. Jesus knew it.
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He knows the end from the beginning.
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After you deny me, after, you know, after you return to me, he
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said, don't sit around licking your wounds, feeling sorry for
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yourself. Walk by faith, go strengthen
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your brethren. That's a whole nother message,
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Amen. But Peter could not see the
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unseen. Jesus could.
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God wants us to trust that He has a divine perspective that we
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do not have. Amen.
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The old saying is that perception is reality.
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What is our reality as believers is Jesus.
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What's your perception of life? Is it conservative?
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Is it liberal? What is your perception?
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It ought to be Christ. In fact, the Bible says Christ
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is our life. Christ is our reality.
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Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by
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no means pass away. God does know the end from the
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beginning because He knows the end from the beginning.
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He's able to walk into the very midst of your mess and speak
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these words. He has to do a divine audacity
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to say these words to you right now, non care what you're
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facing. What I'm going to listen.
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You know, life is not always easy.
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And he walks into the midst of our mess and you know what he
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says? Fear not.
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How does he say that? Lord, you don't know.
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You don't know the boss I'm working with.
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You don't know the husband I'm married to.
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Lord, you don't know my situation.
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The doctor just said I have this.
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What do you mean fear not because I know the end from the
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beginning. Amen.
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Fear not. He knows.
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He has the audacity to come in and say fear not.
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Trust in my perspective, not in what you feel or what you can
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see, your limited capacity to see what is going to happen.
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Fear not if we will trust in His power and His perspective, the
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Lord will make a way for us. In Proverbs chapter 3, verses 5
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and 6, and I put all these scriptures up here.
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I didn't write them all out for you and hope that you would
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write them down and go back and read them yourselves again.
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Many of you know this one. Proverbs 3, verses 5 and six.
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own
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understanding. In all your ways.
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Acknowledge Him, and He will what He shall direct your past.
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What are you leaning on today has a lot to do with your
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perspective. If you're leaning on your
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feelings, your perspective will be limited.
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Your feelings will fail you. If you're leaning on your
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friends, they can fail you, leaning on your finances.
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Amen. A little short this month.
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You're leaning on Jesus. You'll be all right.
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Somebody said, oh, you, you follow Jesus because he's
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nothing but a crutch. So yeah, he is a crutch.
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The difference between my crutch and your crutch, my crutch will
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never break. Lean not on your own
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understanding, but lean on Jesus.
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Lean on his perspective, divine perspective, and you'll be able
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to move forward in Christ. The second aspect of forward
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faith, if you will, if we're going to move forward is divine
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persistence. Now verse 14 here in second
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Peter chapter 3, Peter says in the latter part of verse 14, be
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diligent and be to be found. Be diligent to be found by Him
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in peace, without spot and blameless.
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To me, that speaks of relationships.
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So when I talk about divine persistence, I'm talking about
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our relationships in Christ. As believers, there needs to be
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divine persistence in our willingness, excuse me, to love
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one another. Diligence is the same as
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persistence. Why?
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Because it speaks of continued effort.
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There has to be continued effort in our relationships, and if
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we're going to move forward, we need to be persistent in loving
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one another. Now understand this, that
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positionally by faith, we put our faith in Jesus Christ.
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We are already at peace with God.
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We're already spotless. We're already blameless.
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Why do I say that? Because he who knew no sin
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became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God
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in him. When you look at yourself in the
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mirrors, you say I'm looking at the righteousness of God.
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Why? Not because of you're perfect,
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but because you put your faith in Christ.
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And when God looks at you, he sees the righteousness,
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righteousness of His Son. But the reality is until we get
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to heaven, we are pilgrims going through this world.
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We are sojourners going through this world.
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The reality is that practically speaking, you have to endeavor
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to live a life that is at peace and spotless and blameless.
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The Bible calls it the the the work of sanctification, how the
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Holy Spirit works in our lives and sanctifies us that what
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simply means that he's makes us more like Jesus each and every
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day. That's the work of the Holy
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Spirit within our lives. But practically I however, we
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are still in this flesh suit and I have to endeavor and be
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persistent in exemplifying the fact that I am a son or daughter
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of the living God. I can't say that I know the Lord
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and then walk in darkness. I can't say I'm in the light and
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walk in darkness. The Bible clearly tells us that
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Ephesians chapter 4 verses one to three Paul the apostle writes
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there. He says therefore the as a
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prisoner, therefore I I therefore ask you, I'll get it
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right. I therefore the prisoner of the
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Lord beseech you to walk worthy. We're not in heaven yet, we're
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still in his flesh suit. He says walk worthy.
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That requires persistence. What worthy of the calling with
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which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness and
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long-suffering. That's in our relationships.
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And those are characteristics, by the way, of a persistent
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believer, disciple of Christ, he goes on to say, bearing with one
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another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of of the Spirit
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and the bond of peace. Colossians chapter 3 talks about
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this as well. It says that if you, if you have
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a complaint against another brother or sister in Christ,
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then you ought to forgive each other and love each other as
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Christ has forgiven you. Amen.
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Do you have a do you have a complaint against a brother or
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sister in Christ? You have a complaint against
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your spouse in Christ. You know, the Bible says that
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forgive them like God forgave you.
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Hey, man, and you, you have to be if, if you want to be a
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disciple of Christ, you got to be persistent in that.
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But, but, but let's face the, let's face the reality.
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OK, let's get real. There's nothing that depletes my
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persistence in the Lord probably more than people.
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Amen. I mean you came here with a
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smile on your face and someone took your parking spot.
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You haven't heard a thing nobody said right now you still think
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took my can't believe took my parkas.
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But you always sit in the same place.
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Somebody's in your seat, you know?
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I mean we're weird creatures. Amen.
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But but people dealing with people, the church will be a
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glorious place if it wasn't for people.
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You can't say I love you Lord, but I hate your people in Jesus
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name. You just can't.
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You just can't do that, Amen. Nothing depletes your, your,
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your persistence. You know, you get up in the
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morning, wouldn't be persistent. I'm going to persevere today.
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And then there's your spouse, Amen.
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You got 2 imperfect people living in a perfect union and
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God says in that union I want you to be at peace, spotless and
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blameless. Wow, the test of our
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relationship with God is based upon our relationship with one
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another. Did you know that you can't say
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that I love God whom I have not seen and hate my brother who I
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see. If I say I love the Lord, the
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Lord can say prove it. Love one another.
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Wow, be persistent in your love. For one another, you've said it
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and I know I've said it probably before.
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Maybe you didn't say it. I've said it.
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It comes to people getting on your nerves sometimes if you
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know, hey, you know, they're getting on my, my last nerve.
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I don't know how many nerves we have, but there's that last one.
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We always know when that they get on that last one.
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You are my last nerve. But here's let me tell you this,
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God does his best work on your last nerve.
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When you come to the end of yourself, when you give up, when
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you say God, I cannot do it. God says, I've been waiting for
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you to admit that, now let me do it.
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God does his best work on your last nerve.
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Peter declares as disciples of Jesus we are called to be
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persistent, be at peace, spotless, blameless, persistent
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in loving one another. Bible tells us that iron
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sharpens iron. In other words, somebody's not
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always going to agree with you. How do you get something sharp
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not all going the same way? This thing is so funny.
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And people are looking, you know, for single people, they're
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looking for somebody who's compatible with them that's
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going to like the things they like and do all these kind of
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things. No, God, listen, we know what
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marriage is. When God brings you a spouse, he
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brings you, you know, you, you, you first, you know, especially
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guys, you know, we, our wives, oh, they're just so gentle, so
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soft. They're just so wonderful, you
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know, You know, they're disguised.
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They're disguised because after you've been married they become
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sandpaper. They're not so soft.
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And you can Lord, she was so gentle, so soft, and now she's
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running me the wrong way. Because iron sharpens iron.
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If God brings you somebody that's compatible, it's going
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your way all the time, Whatever, that's not a marriage, that's
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deception. That's a fantasy.
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I don't know what that is. My wife and I, hey, we'll be
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married July 19th this year. 50 years, 50 years, 50 years of
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blessed bliss. We've never had an argument.
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We've never had a disagreement. It's just been, you know, just
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wonderful, just wonderful all the time.
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Just oh, there's been some days of I mean, that little sandpaper
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on a block. It's one of those things you
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plug in the wall that that grinder sparker flying
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everywhere, you know, iron sharpener.
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And so we have to we learn to be persistent and loving when it
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persevering and loving one another.
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Ephesians chapter 4 just read a few moments ago, and Paul says
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bearing with one of the bearing and love.
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Literally that word bearing means holding up one another in
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love, not beating up one another, holding up one another
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in love. That takes persistence.
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We're also called to endeavor. Endeavor literally means to
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hasten with all diligence to be united.
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If there's something wrong or something that divides us, let's
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get it settled, let's reconcile, let's pray about it, let's deal
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with it. So if you have to endeavor, that
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means you have to be persistent and loving one another to love
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those who love you. Jesus said it's no big deal.
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I'm paraphrasing, he said. But to love those who talk about
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you, who spitefully use you to love your enemies, He said.
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Now you're being like your Father in heaven.
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I've always said it's not a church's ability to never have a
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problem, but it's the church's ability to love one another that
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really is a witness of Christ through our problems.
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In fact, as believers, I believe God called us to be first
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responders spiritually, to be that like a police officer who
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doesn't run from the gunshots but who runs toward the gunfire.
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To be like the fireman who doesn't run out of the building
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when it's burning, but he runs toward it to put the fire out.
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As believers in our relationship, that's what we're
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called to do. To be first spiritual first
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responders to the glory of God, to love one another.
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Persistence is crucial. Also in loving one another is
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crucial to what? To our witness, our witness to
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the fact that God so loved the world that he sent his one and
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only Son, that whosoever will believe in him shall not perish,
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but have everlasting life. Why do I say that?
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Because it's when you, when we divide among ourselves, when we
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refuse to love each other, refuse to be first responders
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and try to resolve things and be united, we are working against
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the very prayer of Jesus Christ. I don't want to be on that side.
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Jesus prayed this in John chapter 17 verses 20 and 21.
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He said I do not pray for these alone.
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He's talking about His disciples and all, but also for those who
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will believe in me, that's you and me who will believe in Me
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through their words. Excuse me?
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That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in me, and I in
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you, that they also may be one in US.
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Why? That the world may believe that
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you sent me? How is the world going to
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believe that God so loved the world when we can't love one
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another? Unity, which glorifies our Lord,
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requires what I call spiritual sweat equity.
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We want love and we want peace and all these things.
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Then you got to put the work in. You got to put the work in.
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Little boxes will tell you that you got to put the work in.
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You got to show up at the gym, you got to punch the bag.
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You got to do the crunches, you got to do exercise.
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You got to jump rope. You got to you got to put the
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work in. If you want to be a contender,
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If we want to be a contender, we have to put the work in.
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And love, my friend, is work. You see, it's far easier in our
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society today to label people rather than love people.
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Why? Because love is work.
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It's far easier to label you a racist or whatever than it is to
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get to know you, to understand you, to sit down and have a cup
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of coffee with you, to take time out of my schedule, to actually
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understand you. In fact, the Bible says that
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husband, the first Peter chapter, first Peter chapter 3,
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that we ought to dwell with our wives as understanding because
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we don't dwell with our wives with understanding.
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He says if you don't do that, make that effort, your prayers
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will be hindered. God says you want to move
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forward in your marriage, but you don't.
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You don't care anything about understanding your wife.
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You can't move forward with me till you move forward with her.
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That's another message, but the point it's valid.
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God is saying put the work in. Love is work.
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Love is persistent effort. The problem with in my life, my
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confession with being persistent in the Lord so that I can move
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forward in the Lord has to do with my unwillingness as many
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times to die to myself, to be crucified.
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I don't want to die to myself. Did Jesus not say unless you
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pick up your cross and follow me daily, you cannot be my my
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disciple. In other words, he was like,
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don't even be front if you're not picking up your cross and
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follow me. How how many times daily you
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cannot be my disciple. And Paul the apostle said it
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this way. He said I die daily, I die
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daily. In Galatians chapter 2 verses 20
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and 21, he said I have been crucified with Christ.
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It is no longer I who live, Oh really?
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But Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the
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flesh. I live by faith in the Son of
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God who loved me and gave himself for me.
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Amen. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4. It's not on the screen, but
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again, if you're taking notes, you can write this down.
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Second Corinthians chapter 4, verses 11:50 says this.
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And Paul says that I always carry about in my body the dying
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of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the life of Christ might be
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manifested in my flesh. So then death is always working
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in me, but life is working in you.
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In other words, you need to die so somebody else around you can
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live. And if you're carrying your
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cross with you daily, they're going to be time.
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That's what Jesus said. Take it with you daily because
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you're going to encounter somebody that you want to just
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smack in the next week and Jesus is going to say, now it's time
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for you to get on your cross and be crucified.
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You're going to have a disagreement with your wife or
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whatever. Somebody's going to cut you off
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on the on the road. You're trying to get to work and
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they cut you off and you want to just kind of give them a piece
30:04
of your mind or whatever. And the Lord is saying to you in
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the car while you're driving, get on the cross, be crucified.
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Jesus was crucified because he he prayed and he wept and he
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sweat great drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane.
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And this is what crucifixion means.
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Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.
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That's being persistent, that's endeavoring, That is moving
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forward in Christ. When I choose to die to myself
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so that my wife can be edified, I choose to die to myself so my
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my husband can be edified so that the body of Christ can be
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edified. That's what God has called us to
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do. Persistence, perseverance is
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essential because the way that Jesus has called us to go is not
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easy. Love is not always easy.
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And Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 7 verses 13 to 14 that
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enter, enter by the, the the narrow gate for wide is the gate
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and broad is the way that leads to destruction.
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And there are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate.
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And listen to this. Why did he say this?
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Because it's true. And difficult is the way which
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leads to life. And there are few who find it.
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Why are there few? Because there are few who are
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willing to die to themselves. Yes, even many times in the
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church, to die to ourselves. A diligent disciple of Jesus
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Christ is a persistent disciple who persistently decreases that
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Christ might increase within his or her life that they might be
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able to move forward in Christ. Finally, to maintain forward
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moving faith, if you will, it requires divine patience.
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Trusting in this is the context, trusting in God's divine
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patience. This is why I say that verses 15
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and 16 of our texts read along with me Second Peter chapter 3.
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He says, and consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is
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salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the
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wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his
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epistles, speaking in them of these things in which are some
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things hard to understand. We don't know everything which
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untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction
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as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
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Who are these unstable people? He's talking about the
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Judaizers. Judaizers were Jewish people who
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came to Christ, but they were, it came to Christ and and said,
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OK, you, you, you, we, we believe in Jesus, but you have
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to keep all the law if you really want to be saved.
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That's what the Judaizers were teaching in Paul's day.
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And some are still teaching even to this day and and Peter's day,
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and some are teaching even to this day.
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And Peter was exhorting the Saints to continue forward
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despite the attempt of Judaizers to twist the scriptures to to
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tell them that they can't move forward unless they're able to
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adhere to some legalistic system.
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But Paul wrote a whole book about this, about the grace of
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God and the law called the Book of Galatians.
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And in the book of Galatians, Paul referred to such brothers
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who taught that you had to keep the law.
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He referred to them as false brothers because Jesus fulfilled
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the law. And through faith in Him, we
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also have fulfilled the law because of what He has done, not
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what we've done, but because He fulfilled the Law for us.
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He became. He is our sacrifice, and it's
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through our faith in what He has done that has given us and
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granted us salvation. God's long-suffering brought
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about a Messiah. God's long-suffering with the
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nation of Israel down through the history of man,
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long-suffering with mankind brought about the birth of Jesus
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Christ, His, His, his, His life, His death, and yes, His
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resurrection, that we might be justified through faith in Him.
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It was God's long-suffering, not our ability to keep the law that
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has secured our salvation, His divine patience with mankind.
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Now, why is this important? Because there's some believers
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who have given up on the patience of God.
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And it sounds weird, but it's true.
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They have bought into the lie of the devil that says that God no
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longer loves you. Now you're here today.
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Praise God. I'm glad you're here.
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But there are some believers right now, I guarantee you.
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You used to come here at me, not come anymore, or you used to go
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to a church somewhere, don't go anymore because they've been
35:19
convinced by the devil that they have blown it one too many times
35:23
and God is done with you. That's a lie from the pit of
35:27
hell. The Bible says if God is for
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you, who can be against you? He who did not spare his only
35:33
his own son. Romans 8 says how much more will
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He freely give you all things? It is God who justifies.
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And if God has justified you, everybody else has to shut up.
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Amen. Amen.
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Oh, give him praise and glory for that, any man.
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Thank you, Lord, it is his long-suffering.
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Don't believe the lie of the enemy.
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This is an important point because here's the deal.
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If I believe God has given up on me, why do I need to get out of
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bed in the morning? Why do I need to take another
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breath? God has not given up on you.
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The Bible says He loves you with an everlasting love.
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And in fact, Lamentations chapter 3, verse 22 to 24 says
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this. It says that through the Lord's
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mercies we are not consumed because his compassion's fail
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not. They are new every morning.
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Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my
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soul. Therefore hope in Him.
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The Lord is my portion. Is it your portion?
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And that word means allotment as He's at which you, you feed
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upon, you feast upon his faithfulness.
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The Bible says feed upon the faithfulness of the Lord.
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Are you feeding upon his faithfulness or you feeding upon
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your faithfulness? Psalm 73, the psalmist says my
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flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and
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my portion forever. Your flesh is going to fail you.
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Your heart is going to let you know your heart a lie to you.
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Your flesh is going to fail your friends.
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Everything's going to fail but God.
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Amen. I'm glad there's a but God in
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Scripture. I hope you have a butt God in
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your faith, no matter what your face butt God.
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It's the strength of my my heart and my portion forever.
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That's the reason I get out of bed every morning, no matter
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what happened the day before, no matter what I may be facing.
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Butt God, here's my portion. I love my wife, but she's not my
37:29
portion. You may love your husband.
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He's not your portion. God is your portion because He
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never fails. Amen.
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Hallelujah, bless his holy name. This is the reason why we can
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move forward because I'm trusting in the long-suffering
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of my God. I'm I'm trusting in his patience
37:50
that His grace is sufficient for me.
37:52
It's a great offense to God to think that He can love you when
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you're a Sinner, but now that you're a St. that He can't stand
37:58
you. And Paul says in Romans chapter
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5 verses 10 and 11. For if when we were enemies, we
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were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more,
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having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
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And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord
38:23
Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the
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reconciliation. We have now received salvation.
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Here's the point. There's never a day or time or
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space or circumstances by which we cannot move forward no matter
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what's going on in our life in Christ.
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Romans chapter 8 verse 28 says all things work together for
38:45
good to those who love God, who are called according to his
38:47
purpose. You are God's workmanship.
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Did you know that God is a a patient Craftsman?
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He is molding and shaping as you are the clay.
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He's the Potter. We don't know what he may be
39:02
forming, but whatever it's going to be is going to be glorious if
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we would trust him. You are his workmanship.
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I'm glad God is a patient Craftsman.
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I'm glad I'm not God. I'm not a patient Craftsman.
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There are some of you guys out here and ladies, you are, you
39:17
are handy. You know what I mean?
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You can fix anything. Honey, the washing, you know,
39:23
dishwasher is broken, You fix it.
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Cars broke, you fixed it. You know, we need to let an
39:29
electrical run down this wall. You get in there and you fix it,
39:33
take you an afternoon or whatever.
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I hate guys like that. Amen.
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Because I can't fix nothing. In fact, one of the most
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horrific vision that my wife can have of me, it's me with a tool
39:46
belt on because I can't fix anything.
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My skills are so bad. One time I build a dog house for
39:53
our dog. Dog wouldn't even go into the
39:54
house. Dogs, I ain't going there.
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That's bad. I'm not handy.
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I'm not handy. But God is a skillful Craftsman.
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He's very patient. He's not in a rush.
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We are He never is Amen. He never is workmanship.
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We are his workmanship. The Greek word poema, it means
40:20
that which has been made the works of God as Creator.
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Everything God created when he created the earth in the very
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beginning, God says it is good, and God looks at you and he says
40:33
it is good. He's not making junk, he's
40:40
making something unique. Don't try to be somebody else.
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God looks at you, says you're good.
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Just yield your hands to the hand of the Master and let Him
40:50
form you and fashion you into what He has called you to be.
40:56
He loved us while we're sinners. He loves us now that we're
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Saints. He will never stop loving us.
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David said Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of
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my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord for hallow.
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Amen. That's accomplished by God, not
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by David. So it is with us.
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And then in Micah Chapter 7, excuse me, sure, this these
41:19
verses with you, because sometimes we feel like the
41:21
devil's have been ready to pop the the champagne and and the
41:25
demons are rejoicing because he's knocked you down or you
41:27
failed or or whatever you gone through a crisis or what have
41:30
you and, and you and the devil's rejoicing because he thinks he's
41:33
discouraged you and all of that. But I love what Micah's Chapter
41:36
7 verses 8 and 9 says. It says this.
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Do not rejoice over me, my enemy.
41:40
When I fall, I will arise. Hallelujah.
41:46
Why? Because God's not finished with
41:48
me yet. When I sit in the darkness, in
41:51
darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
41:54
I will bear the iniquity of the Lord because I have sinned
41:58
against him. You know Michael saying we're,
41:59
we're confessing, we're admitting we've sinned against
42:02
him until he pleads my case and God has pleaded our case through
42:06
Jesus Christ. He pleased my case and and
42:08
executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the
42:13
light, and I will see His righteousness.
42:17
Whoa, isn't that good? Come on somebody.
42:20
Amen. Thank you, Lord.
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Paul said I'm down, but I'm not out.
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And Scripture says when we fall, God catches us by His right
42:31
hand. You know what the right hand is,
42:32
is the hand of favor. He doesn't catch you by your
42:36
throat to condemn you, but by his right hand He upholds you.
42:45
And then Paul says to Timothy in Second Timothy chapter 2 verse
42:48
13, he says, if we are faithless, this is a faithful
42:52
saying. He said, in other words, you can
42:54
take this to the bank. If we are faithless, He remains
42:57
faithful for he cannot deny who he is.
43:02
Peter denied him, but Jesus never denied Peter.
43:07
You may have denied him, but he would never deny you if you're
43:12
his child. If we are faithless, he remains
43:16
faithful where he cannot deny himself.
43:17
Why? Because of his patience,
43:19
long-suffering for you. You and I can move forward.
43:24
Here's the conclusion of the matter.
43:26
Like the gentleman at the airport, the devil's selling
43:28
what we used to call back in the day, Wolf tickets.
43:30
Anybody ever hear that phrase for you young people, Wolf
43:34
tickets are somebody berating you, saying bad things about
43:39
you. The devil is just like that man
43:42
at the airport saying you can't go forward, just stay back.
43:45
You know, live in your past, live in your failures.
43:48
Who do you think you are believing God for great things?
43:51
But if you've got the promises of God, you got his permission,
43:53
you better move forward in Jesus name.
43:59
We've been granted permission through His word, through
44:01
Almighty God, as has been said. Listen, thieves do not break
44:08
into empty houses. If a thief's going to break in
44:13
the house, you got something in there he wants.
44:15
Thieves are not breaking empty houses.
44:17
The devil is a thief. The Bible says he's come to
44:18
steal, kill, and to destroy. He wants to destroy your legacy.
44:22
He wants to destroy what God has put within you because he know
44:26
God has put something in you and he does not want it to get out.
44:29
So he'll use things to discourage you.
44:31
But you can overcome him through God's divine perspective,
44:35
through persistence in the Lord, and through the patience of our
44:39
God. You can be an overcomer because
44:44
everyone in here has a due season.
44:48
I'm not just talking about one season.
44:49
There are many due seasons in our life.
44:51
God says, hold on, I got something for you and you
44:53
experience that. And then God continues to say,
44:55
hold on, I got something else for you and it gets better and
44:58
better and better throughout your life.
45:00
Everyone of you right now in the Lord has a due season.
45:04
So we have this exhortation. I want to close with from
45:07
Galatians chapter 6 verses 9 and 10.
45:10
The apostle Paul says, and let us not grow weary while doing
45:14
good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
45:22
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to
45:26
all and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
45:30
Amen. Your due season is coming.
45:34
Continue to move forward that you might experience the glory
45:40
of our godfather. We thank you so much for your
45:43
word today. We thank you, Lord, that you
45:45
have called us. The trajectory of our faith is
45:49
always forward, not to backslide, but to move forward
45:54
in Christ, because you've got things, Lord, prepared for us
45:59
that would blow our minds if you would tell us.
46:02
Help us, Lord, to move forward in you by faith.
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We give you all the praise and glory in Jesus name, Amen.
46:10
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible study
46:13
delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
46:16
prayer. Call us at 87730 grace that's
46:21
877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
46:27
integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
46:31
online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
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Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
46:39
this week.