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What More Could We Ask For? · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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For a short time to a reading in Colossians chapter 1.
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We're going to look at the end of the section that we read.
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The reading from verse 11.
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May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might,
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for all endurance and patience, with joy, giving thanks to the Father,
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who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
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He has delivered us from the domain of darkness
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and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
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in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
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As you go through this letter that Paul wrote to the church at Colossae,
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and indeed as you go through many of Paul's writings,
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and as you go through the scriptures in general,
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you find that the writers, inspired by God,
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they are able to put into words, just in so few words,
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such a clear teaching.
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It's a gift I sometimes envy in people,
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being able to put into a few words,
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something that you would struggle,
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even in a few sentences or paragraphs, to put across.
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When I first went to study in Edinburgh,
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one of the first essays I handed in came back, marked,
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and I'd passed, and I was delighted,
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but there's a little bit of feedback on the essay,
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and the professor had said where I'd been writing strongly,
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or where I could improve,
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but one of the comments that really stood out for me was,
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a bit wordy.
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And you think to yourself, it's fine for a professor,
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he's able to put things across so clearly,
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but I was obviously struggling just to find words,
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and when you've got a word count to reach,
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you maybe just fill it in with a few extra words here and there.
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But I'm sure you all know people,
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and you're trying to get something across in words,
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and then someone just comes in,
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and in one sentence they're able to sum up things so beautifully,
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and just in a way that is so clear,
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and makes so much sense.
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It is a gift to be able to do it.
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And it is a gift that we have from God,
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that we have his word in such a way to us,
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and that his word comes across to us with so much clarity.
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Even when there's times when you're reading through something,
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and you've got questions about what you're reading,
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and you're wondering, where's this going,
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and how can we go forward with this?
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And yet it's followed so often by a qualifier
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that just sums up things so beautifully,
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and puts everything into perspective.
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And here as Paul is writing to the Colossians,
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he does this for us.
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He's talking here about living a life pleasing to God,
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which really begins there in verse 10,
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fully pleasing to him,
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bearing fruit in every good work,
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and increasing in the knowledge of God,
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being strengthened in power according to his glorious might,
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for all endurance and patience with joy,
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giving thanks to the Father.
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So there's so much there for us
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about the wonder of all that God has done for us,
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joyfully giving thanks to God.
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But there are people who are enduring things,
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who are suffering things,
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and so just to leave it there would make you leave you wondering,
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how can this be so?
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How can we go on in a manner worthy of the Lord,
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fully pleasing him,
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bearing fruit,
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being strengthened,
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enduring with patience,
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with joy,
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and giving thanks?
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How can you go on in this?
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Well, he goes on to give a reason why.
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In just a few words,
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he sums up for us
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a reason why
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they and we can go forward like that,
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looking to walk
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in a manner worthy of the Lord,
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fully pleasing him.
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And how is it?
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Well, he gives us
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great reason for thanksgiving
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and seeing the bigger picture
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and reminds them here
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of the love of God towards them,
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the love of God
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that will never leave them
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in the midst of all
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that they are seeking to do for him.
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And there are three reasons
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why they can focus here
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that we want to think about this evening.
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Three things that they have
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and we have through faith.
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You will have heard
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or seen the idea
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of a genie in the bottle.
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Maybe it's in a cartoon
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or something like that
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where someone finds a bottle
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and rubs the bottle
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and the genie pops out
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and you've got three wishes.
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It's make-believe, of course,
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but sometimes when you see this,
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it makes you think,
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what would I ask for?
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If I had such an opportunity,
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what would I ask for?
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But what if God was asking you?
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What do you want of me?
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So when I think of that question,
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I come back to Bartimaeus.
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Blind Bartimaeus who met with Jesus
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and Jesus asked him that very question.
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What do you want me to do for you?
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And what was Bartimaeus' response?
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Lord, that I may see.
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All the things that he could have asked for,
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it was that he could see.
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And that is what Jesus gave to him.
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Well, here we see three things
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that are ours through Christ.
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And they're not wishful thinking.
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They're not make-believe.
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They are ours through faith in Christ.
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And that's what Paul is reminding the Colossians here of.
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That in their going forward,
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in their living a life pleasing to God,
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bearing fruit,
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and all of these things,
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with patience and joy and giving thanks,
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he gives them three things
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that they can hold on to.
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And that's what we have in the middle of verse 12
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down to verse 14.
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And the three things that are highlighted for us
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are there is a share in the inheritance of the saints.
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That there is a deliverance,
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as it speaks of in verse 13,
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delivered us from the domain of darkness
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and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son.
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And then the final one we see there in verse 14,
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that is redemption,
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the forgiveness of sins.
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Three things that could seem almost like wishful thinking for us.
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And yet it is what we have in Christ.
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I just want us to focus on these three things together
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just for a short time.
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And we begin with that,
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share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
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Everything that we have here,
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as Paul is writing,
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is the foundation is God.
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And what God has done for us
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in Jesus Christ,
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our Redeemer,
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who lives.
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That is the foundation of all of his writings.
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It's the foundation of scriptures,
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as we have it.
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It's the foundation of all that we see
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in the Old,
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right through to the New Testament.
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And language that Paul uses here
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has so much of it
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reflecting the Old Testament as well.
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In summing up in a few words,
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there's a depth of teaching here
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and a breadth of teaching
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that covers all kinds of situations
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down through the generations
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of God's people.
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And here as he speaks of a share
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in the inheritance of the saints in light,
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it takes us right back to the Old Testament
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and to the promises of God,
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to his covenant promises
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that he gave through Abraham,
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Isaac, and Jacob,
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that they would have an inheritance,
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that God's people would have an inheritance.
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And when you go back to the Old Testament,
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so much of it was to do with land
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and the promise of a land for God's people.
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And it's the promises that you see fulfilled
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during the Old Testament days
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with the Exodus,
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as God led the children of Israel out,
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he was leading them to the promised land,
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taking them out of slavery in Egypt
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to the promised land.
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And so there was a kind of exclusive side
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to that inheritance,
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that it was for God's chosen people
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in the Old Testament,
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God's chosen race.
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But yet there is a change for us here now
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in the New Testament.
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Still the same kind of language,
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this inheritance and a share in the inheritance,
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but there's a change.
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And that change is because of Christ's coming
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and of what he has done for his people.
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You see, the inheritance is broadened out.
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It's for all of the saints in light.
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And you think of this in light
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of how the Old Testament,
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we're looking at God's chosen people,
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but the New Testament speaks about Jew and Gentile.
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It speaks about all of God's people
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in a broader sense.
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And it's not just speaking about a land,
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it's more than that.
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We have an inheritance,
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a share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
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Of what?
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Of God's chosen place for his people.
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Not just a land in an earthly sense,
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but in a heavenly sense.
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Of what we have through Christ as our Lord.
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And when you think of inheritance,
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it's something that so often causes difficulties
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in this world.
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Especially when there's a lot to be gained
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from an inheritance.
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How many people and families
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have fallen out over an inheritance?
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Something that has been left by someone
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for somebody else.
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And maybe somebody's been left out.
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Feeling that they were due something.
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And they get nothing.
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And if you look at it so much
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in the world of the rich people
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who have passed away,
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how often you see it's caused
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so many problems.
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Famous people,
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you could almost list them off.
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People who have passed away.
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Michael Jackson,
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Bob Marley,
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John Lennon,
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Nelson Mandela,
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Robin Williams.
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There's been a whole host
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of famous people
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who have passed away.
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And if you look it up,
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what you find is
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what they've left behind
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has just caused
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so much tension.
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Fallouts.
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People claiming
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what they feel is rightfully theirs
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and somebody else has got it.
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even in some cases
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has been left to an animal
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or to a charity
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and they feel so hard done by.
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And it causes
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so many problems.
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But yet here we have
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a wonderful inheritance
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that is for all
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and for any
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who will put their trust
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in the Lord Jesus.
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It's for the saints,
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the holy ones,
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for Jew and Gentile,
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for young and old,
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for rich and poor.
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No matter what,
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it covers all.
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By faith in Christ,
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he has qualified you
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to share the inheritance
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of the saints
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in light.
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It is a wonderful promise.
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And Paul puts it
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to the Ephesians as well,
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where he speaks there
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in chapter 3,
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in verse 6,
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he says,
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this mystery is that
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the Gentiles are fellow heirs,
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members of the same body
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and partakers of the promise
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in Christ Jesus
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through the gospel.
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Again,
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just a few words
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that sum it up for us.
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The mystery
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that the Gentiles
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are fellow heirs,
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partakers of the promise
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in Christ Jesus
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through the gospel.
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So there's no debate,
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there's no dispute.
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It's what is ours
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through the gospel,
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through faith
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in Jesus Christ.
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And when you think
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of the famous people
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and the disputes
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over their inheritance,
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just looking at it
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for money,
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and yet the gospel
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has so much to offer
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on people
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who should away,
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they don't want it.
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And this is what is ours
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through Christ,
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an inheritance
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with the saints,
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something that can be
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never taken from us,
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that is ours
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through Christ.
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What a wonderful
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blessing that is.
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So then,
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in light of
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what he has spoken
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about before,
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of fully pleasing,
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bearing fruit,
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increasing in knowledge,
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having patience,
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with all joy,
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giving thanks,
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here is one reason
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why,
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the inheritance
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that is ours.
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The second thing
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we see here
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is a rescue
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from darkness.
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He has delivered us
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from the domain
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of darkness
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and transferred us
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to the kingdom
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of his beloved son.
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So as well as
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having something
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that we really
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had no right
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to,
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this inheritance,
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ours through
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the mercy of God,
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verse 3 leads on
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from there then.
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And it's telling us
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that there are two kingdoms
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that we have
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around us.
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That there is
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the kingdom
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of darkness
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and the kingdom
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of light,
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the kingdom
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of God.
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And we can only
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be in one
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or the other.
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And the one
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that should cause
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us fear
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is the kingdom
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of darkness.
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darkness.
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And yet,
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when you read
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in other places
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like in John's
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gospel,
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you read there
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that the people
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loved darkness.
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They loved that
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aspect of life
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where they felt
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hidden from God.
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And yet,
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there is that assurance
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that God will bring
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all into the light.
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But in what way?
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Well,
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here we are given
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assurance that
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when we put our
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trust in the Lord,
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he has delivered us
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from the domain
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of darkness
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and transferred us.
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So he's taken us
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from one
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and put us
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into the other.
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And we are put
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into the kingdom
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of his beloved
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son.
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Again,
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when you think
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of Bartimaeus,
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blind Bartimaeus,
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how he was brought
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from darkness
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to light.
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He was blind
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and could not see
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and yet,
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by the mercy of God,
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he was brought
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to see Jesus
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and follow him
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on the way.
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And that is,
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again,
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the Christian hope
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that we have here.
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The reasons
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that we have
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to be full of joy
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and patience
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and all of these things
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is that we've been
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brought from one place
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to another.
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John Newton
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was another one
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who saw that change
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and transformation
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himself.
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How he knew
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the grace of God
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and he put it so well
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when he said,
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it's almost like
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the darkness
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still has a little
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hold in some ways
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and yet he knows
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he's in the kingdom
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of light
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but he knows
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he's still a work
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in progress
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but he knows
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he's in the kingdom
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of the beloved son
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but he says,
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I am not what I ought
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to be.
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I am not what I want
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to be and I am not
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what I hope to be
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in another world
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but still,
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I am not what I once
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used to be
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and by the grace
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of God,
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I am what I am.
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The grace of God
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which enables us
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to see where we've
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been taken from
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and taken to.
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And again,
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this is Old Testament
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language for us as well
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when you look at
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the experience
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of God's people
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in the Old Testament
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of one kingdom
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and another
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waging war
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against them.
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You think of
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the children of Israel
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again
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and the Exodus
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and how it speaks
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of it in this way
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in Exodus 6
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verse 6
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it says,
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Therefore,
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say to the Israelites,
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I am the Lord
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and I will bring you
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out from under
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the yoke of the Egyptians.
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I will free you
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from being slaves
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to them
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and I will redeem you
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with an outstretched arm
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and with mighty acts
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of judgment.
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There is the Lord
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working in their midst.
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He is the one
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who brings them
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out of the yoke
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of the Egyptians
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and who brings them
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into another kingdom,
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another place.
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They were physically
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delivered from one
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to another
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but now the emphasis
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is on
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a kingdom of darkness,
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the works of evil
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of this world,
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to the kingdom
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of the beloved son
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and the redemption
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and the redemption
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that we have
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in Christ.
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And the trouble
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that the Colossians
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and so many other
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churches in Paul's day
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faced up to
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was the false teachers
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coming in
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and saying,
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you need to do
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you need to do
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you need to do
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you need to do
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X, Y and Z
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before you can be
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qualified for the
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kingdom of God.
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But no,
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he delivers
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from the domain
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of darkness.
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He brings us out
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and puts us in.
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Jesus does not just
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bring us out
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of darkness
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but he brings us
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into his own
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kingdom.
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Jesus saves us
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and he speaks here
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of that darkness
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and light
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and we speak
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of darkness
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around us
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especially in the
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winter months
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and we talk about
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maybe our eyes
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becoming accustomed
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to the dark
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so that you're able
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to see a little
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at least in the
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darkness
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when your eyes
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readjust
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but would you
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choose to live
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in darkness?
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Would you choose
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to go out
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on a dark night
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and say it's a
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full moon
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so I'll think
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I'll switch my car
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headlights off
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and just go
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by that little light
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I have from the moon?
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You wouldn't.
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You would still
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keep your lights on.
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You wouldn't go out
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to the shed
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and not switch
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on the light
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when it's dark
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to start looking
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around for something.
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You would put
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the lights on.
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and so
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as God
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speaks to us
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here about
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the kingdom
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of darkness
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and the kingdom
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of his beloved
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son
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which one
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would you want?
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Which one
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would you choose
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to be in?
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Why would be happy
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walking in darkness
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when there is the
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kingdom of his
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beloved son
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the kingdom
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of light
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to be part
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of?
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God
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is able
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to save
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and that's
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the wonder
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of it
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and he saves
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sinners
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transfers him
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from one
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kingdom
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to another
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and Jesus
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warned
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of this
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he warned
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in the gospel
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of John
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so often
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about the need
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to be in the light
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that he is
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the light
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of the world
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and in chapter 12
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he said
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to the people
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there
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Jesus said
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to them
20:07
the light
20:08
is among you
20:08
for a little
20:09
while longer
20:10
walk while you
20:11
have the light
20:12
lest darkness
20:13
overtake you
20:14
the one who
20:15
walks in darkness
20:16
does not know
20:17
where he is going
20:19
while you have
20:20
the light
20:20
believe in the light
20:22
that you may
20:23
become sons
20:24
of the light
20:26
and here we have
20:27
the kingdom
20:28
of his beloved
20:30
son
20:30
that we would
20:31
be his sons
20:32
of light
20:34
so God
20:35
has qualified
20:36
you for an
20:37
inheritance
20:38
he has
20:39
transferred you
20:40
from the
20:40
domain of
20:41
darkness
20:41
to the
20:42
kingdom
20:43
of his
20:43
beloved
20:44
son
20:44
there are
20:46
two reasons
20:46
to go on
20:47
and joy
20:48
and thanksgiving
20:50
and you have
20:52
the third
20:52
and final one
20:53
here as well
20:54
in verse 14
20:56
the kingdom
20:57
of the beloved
20:58
son
20:59
and it's in the
21:00
son
21:00
in whom
21:01
we have
21:01
redemption
21:02
the forgiveness
21:04
of sins
21:05
so we are
21:08
brought into
21:09
view of
21:09
the cross
21:11
now
21:11
of all
21:13
that has been
21:13
done for us
21:14
on the cross
21:15
of Christ
21:16
the redemption
21:17
the forgiveness
21:19
of sin
21:19
that is ours
21:20
through Christ
21:22
so we have
21:23
an inheritance
21:24
we have a rescue
21:25
but perhaps
21:26
even more
21:27
importantly
21:28
we have
21:29
the forgiveness
21:30
of sins
21:31
we couldn't
21:34
do any
21:34
of these
21:35
things
21:35
we couldn't
21:37
give ourselves
21:38
the inheritance
21:39
we couldn't
21:41
transfer ourselves
21:42
from the
21:42
kingdom of
21:43
darkness
21:43
to light
21:44
and we
21:45
certainly
21:46
could never
21:46
redeem
21:47
ourselves
21:48
because as
21:49
the psalmist
21:49
says
21:50
to redeem
21:51
my life
21:52
is costly
21:53
none
21:54
sufficient
21:55
price
21:55
can pay
21:56
but the
21:58
Lord Jesus
21:59
has paid
22:00
it for us
22:01
we have
22:02
redemption
22:03
we have
22:04
redeemed
22:05
a price
22:07
has been
22:08
paid
22:08
and again
22:10
that word
22:11
has reference
22:12
to the
22:12
Old Testament
22:13
redemption
22:15
is so much
22:16
related to
22:17
slavery
22:17
and to
22:19
being in
22:20
bondage
22:20
and to
22:22
be redeemed
22:23
was to
22:24
be set
22:24
free
22:25
and that's
22:26
certainly
22:26
what the
22:27
people would
22:27
have had
22:28
in their
22:28
mind
22:28
here
22:29
even
22:30
looking
22:30
back
22:30
to the
22:31
exodus
22:31
and being
22:32
slaves
22:33
in Egypt
22:33
to be
22:34
redeemed
22:34
was to
22:35
be set
22:36
free
22:36
from that
22:37
slavery
22:38
so now
22:39
we are
22:39
looking at
22:40
it in
22:40
another
22:40
way
22:41
a
22:41
redemption
22:42
the
22:43
forgiveness
22:43
of sin
22:44
the Bible
22:47
the New
22:48
Testament
22:48
speaks about
22:49
being in
22:50
bondage
22:50
to sin
22:51
being slaves
22:52
to sin
22:53
and the
22:54
only way
22:54
to be
22:54
freed
22:55
is through
22:56
the price
22:56
being paid
22:57
for us
22:58
and Christ
22:59
came to
23:00
redeem
23:00
sinners
23:01
to save
23:02
sinners
23:03
from their
23:04
sin
23:04
so that no
23:06
longer we
23:06
will be
23:06
slaves to
23:07
sin
23:07
but we
23:08
will be
23:09
free
23:09
in him
23:10
and the
23:13
image here
23:14
you think
23:16
of being
23:16
set free
23:17
from prison
23:19
there's almost
23:19
two ways
23:20
it can
23:21
happen
23:21
there was a
23:23
series called
23:25
prison break
23:26
where two
23:27
brothers escaped
23:28
from prison
23:28
but all the
23:30
time that they
23:30
had escaped
23:31
they were always
23:31
looking behind
23:33
them and
23:33
wondering
23:33
would they be
23:34
caught
23:35
would they be
23:36
found out
23:36
would they be
23:37
put back
23:38
in
23:38
and that's
23:40
one way
23:40
you could
23:40
look at
23:41
this
23:41
a freedom
23:43
a forgiveness
23:44
of sins
23:44
but we're
23:45
always looking
23:46
behind our
23:47
back
23:47
just like
23:49
being on
23:49
run
23:49
on the run
23:50
from prison
23:51
and you
23:51
can't live
23:52
your life
23:53
because you're
23:54
always in
23:54
fear
23:55
you're always
23:57
wondering
23:57
what's
23:58
ahead
23:59
but the
24:01
image here
24:01
is not
24:02
that
24:02
it's much
24:04
more powerful
24:04
the image
24:06
is of
24:06
a rescue
24:08
of being
24:09
freed
24:09
of being
24:11
found
24:12
guilty
24:13
and put
24:14
in prison
24:14
but someone
24:16
else has
24:16
come
24:17
someone else
24:18
has confessed
24:19
someone else
24:21
has taken
24:21
the guilt
24:22
that you
24:23
had
24:23
and taken
24:24
it on
24:24
themselves
24:25
so you
24:27
are set
24:27
free
24:28
because they
24:29
have taken
24:31
the price
24:32
and that is
24:34
what we have
24:34
here
24:35
we have
24:36
redemption
24:36
the forgiveness
24:37
of sin
24:38
because
24:40
as Mark
24:42
puts it
24:42
in his
24:43
gospel
24:43
as it
24:44
says in
24:44
his gospel
24:44
for even
24:45
the son
24:46
of man
24:46
did not
24:47
come to
24:47
be served
24:48
but to
24:48
serve
24:49
and to
24:50
give his
24:50
life
24:50
as a
24:51
ransom
24:51
for many
24:52
he has
24:54
redeemed
24:54
his
24:56
people
24:56
so we
24:59
have these
25:00
three things
25:01
three things
25:03
that for
25:04
some
25:04
it can
25:05
seem
25:05
just like
25:06
wishful
25:06
thinking
25:07
that we
25:08
would ever
25:09
have such
25:09
a blessing
25:10
of God
25:11
in Christ
25:12
but here
25:13
we are
25:14
told
25:14
what is
25:15
ours
25:15
through
25:16
faith
25:16
in Christ
25:17
and why
25:17
we can
25:18
go on
25:19
strengthened
25:19
with endurance
25:21
with patience
25:21
with joy
25:22
giving thanks
25:23
because
25:25
we have
25:26
a share
25:27
in the
25:28
inheritance
25:28
of the
25:29
saints
25:29
we have
25:31
been
25:31
delivered
25:31
from the
25:32
domain
25:33
of darkness
25:33
and transferred
25:34
to the
25:35
kingdom
25:36
of his
25:37
beloved
25:37
son
25:38
and we
25:39
have
25:39
redemption
25:40
we have
25:42
freedom
25:42
we have
25:43
the forgiveness
25:44
of sin
25:46
isn't it a
25:47
wonderful
25:48
reason
25:48
to give
25:49
thanks to
25:50
God
25:50
for what
25:51
we have
25:52
through
25:53
Christ
25:53
and why
25:55
we aim
25:55
to live
25:56
a life
25:57
fully
25:57
pleasing
25:58
to him
25:59
in just
26:01
these few
26:02
words
26:02
it is
26:03
summed up
26:04
so beautifully
26:05
for us
26:06
what we
26:07
have
26:08
in Christ
26:09
these
26:10
three
26:10
wonderful
26:12
things
26:12
that are
26:13
ours
26:14
through
26:15
faith
26:16
and may
26:17
God's
26:17
words
26:18
strengthen
26:18
us
26:19
and help
26:19
us
26:19
to go
26:20
on
26:21
living
26:21
for him
26:22
knowing
26:23
and reminding
26:24
ourselves
26:25
of what
26:26
is ours
26:26
in Christ
26:28
let us
26:29
pray
26:29
God's
26:33
I'm
26:35
we're
26:35
all
26:36
we're
26:38
we're
26:39
all
26:39
we're
26:39
we offer
26:40
to be
26:41
we're
26:41
we're
26:42
we're
26:43
going to