Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / Jesus’s Earthly Family & His True Family | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

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Jesus’s Earthly Family & His True Family | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  we worship in singing We Worship and giving, and now we worship
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  and hearing hearing the voice of our Lord and our savior, Our
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  God, our King, and we will do. So as we meet together in The
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  Gospel, According to Mark, and the final verses of chapter 3
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  and Mark 331, join me, Mark 331. And his mother.
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  And his brothers came. And standing outside they sent
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  to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around
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  him and they sent to him your mother and your brothers are
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  outside. Seeking you And he answered
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  them, who are my mother and my brothers.
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  And looking about are those who sat around him.
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  He said, here are my mother and my brothers for whoever does the
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  will of God. He is my brother and sister and
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  mother. Lord.
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  Help us understand the glories of this truth.
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  Lord arrest every intrusive thought calm every aroused
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  emotion that would distract us. And Lord just help us be like
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  Mary of Bethany to sit at your feet and to just receive from
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  your voice. Jesus name, amen.
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  Many places of the scriptures. You are and I am invited to
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  extract many comforting truths that stems from The Marvelous
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  reality, that Jesus Christ. The son of God became a human
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  being Are we not blessed? Are we not encouraged?
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  When we see him in different moments?
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  The all sufficient, Lord hungry. Tired.
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  Thirsty. It's not do something to our
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  hearts when we are told that Christ was visited with sadness.
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  Righteous indignation. Joy.
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  Surely we are we are built up so that we can fight when we see
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  our savior. Combating against all sorts of
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  Temptation and overcoming each and every single one of them.
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  giving us the assurance that we have a high priest who
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  sympathizes with us, And as we struggle, he does not frown.
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  He does not turn his back, but he extends mercy and supplies.
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  What we need in order to endure and overcome as he did.
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  There are so many components. There is this wealth of hope
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  that is supplied. When we realize that Jesus
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  Christ, the Eternal one who created all things, but entered
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  into his creation experience. The complexities of what it
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  means to be human, though, without sin himself.
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  So that is a well that we should drink from every single day
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  especially for those who depend on him.
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  As we are Earthbound. But headed towards Glory, he is
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  with us in this journey closer to us than you can imagine.
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  So close. So willing, was he to walk with
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  us in this Human Experience that he was willing to take on an ad
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  to his nature for all of eternity being, man?
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  What a love. What a mercy, what a compassion
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  and within that supply of hope, that we know in the person of
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  Jesus Christ, there is a detail that you.
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  And I just read that, I believe many of us do not really
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  meditate on and it is this that the Lord Jesus was born into and
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  was raised with a diverse. A complex.
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  A fallen group of other human beings that is known as a
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  family. Jesus grew up with a family.
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  And they were not perfect, like he was when we imagine the life
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  of Jesus, we almost we almost by default.
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  See him as a person. Yes.
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  But very distant from others. He engage with many, but he
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  didn't really have deep relationships and didn't really
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  have relational history. And that would be very wrong to
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  believe Christ had disciples. Yes.
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  And though, the Bible doesn't emphasize on his developmental
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  years with his half-brothers. And Mary and Joseph, there is
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  enough for us in the scriptures to encourage Us in that
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  inescapable reality. That each of us here have been
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  providentially placed in a unit called the family.
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  The Lord knows what it's like to be a part of the family.
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  He knows what it's like to be a son.
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  He knows what it's like to be a sibling.
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  And there is in the Bible. I believe plenty to be able to
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  equip us to know how we can serve God.
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  No matter what kind of family, we are a part of and you will
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  see that briefly in this text, but more than that, we will also
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  see that there is a new family that God is creating and still
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  creating to this day that you and I are all invited to be a
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  part of which is a hopeful thing.
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  An awesome thing, a glorious thing.
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  And so lean in today because there's a bubbling brook for us
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  to drink from. And that is to understand the
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  Lord's wisdom, the practicalities, and even the
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  promises of yes, what we see in Jesus family, while he was on
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  Earth. But also the family that he is
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  calling all men to join themselves to We read in verse
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  31, his mother and his brothers Kane Standing Outside.
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  They sent to him and called him. Why?
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  Why are they here? Why are they willing to
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  interrupt Jesus in the middle of a meeting?
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  While he is teaching and admonishing a crowd?
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  And the reason is what we see in verse 21 of the same chapter.
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  And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him for.
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  They were saying he is out of his mind.
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  And so Jesus is drawing attention from the authorities.
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  Jesus is drawing, good attention, but also quite
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  jeopardize attention and the family is concerned concerned
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  for him. Yes, I'm sure.
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  There's there is a fraction of that, but maybe even concern for
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  themselves. And so they were, they were now
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  on a mission to do something about it to stop him from doing
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  what he was doing, and to bring him out of the spotlight.
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  But the came, it came with criticism that are not Sharp
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  criticism. And some of you here, can
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  testify that you've been able to weather the cruelties of this
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  world, the bitterness of this culture, because of the caring
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  and nurturing love of those who share your last name.
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  You're home though imperfect. I'm sure for some can say was
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  indeed a sanctuary. It was a castle, a castle that
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  secured for you a level of spiritual and emotional
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  protection and nourishment. And you can look back and thank
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  God for those experiences of those who shared your blood but
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  Jesus during the most important years of his life.
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  I did not know such consolation. He was denied it.
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  And when you gather The Limited light of Jesus and his
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  interaction, with his brothers, with his siblings, it is not the
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  most positive portrait of a family.
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  His siblings seem to only add to the mounting pressure that he
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  was knowing in all other areas and all other spheres coming
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  from all other avenues. And when you would think that
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  his family should be present and should be supportive, they're
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  nowhere to be found. Remember, it was Mary who stood
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  before the cross brokenhearted and there is no mention of his
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  half-brothers being there and more than that when the Lord
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  wanted to in love care for his mother.
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  After his departure, he does not assign the responsibility to his
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  brothers but gives it to one of his disciples where are they?
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  Where are they in those times of vulnerability and accusation
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  their absent. And here's how that is helpful
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  for us to know Jesus understands.
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  He understands fully what? It's like to be Dishonored by
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  those. Who should be closest to you.
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  He understands what it's like to be abandoned by those who should
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  be the nearest. He was even treated as a liar.
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  By those who had the greatest access.
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  To his life. For decades, witnessing his
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  Perfection and his sinlessness and yet still did not trust or
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  submit to his claims or his message.
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  The difficulty of serving God with with a family that might be
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  Hard Hearted or provocative is something that your savior
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  understands he knows. And I'm sure that you would
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  agree that the most painful thing about being linked to a
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  family that is surely, Fallen is not how they treat you
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  necessarily, but how they treat the one that you love and serve
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  namely Jesus Christ. And here's what you should, we
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  should understand today. The Lord had unbelieving family
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  members He had those who didn't trust in the saving message at
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  least for a great portion of time.
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  Like many of you today, I want you to see that in John chapter
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  7 verse 1 and we're going to glean some wisdom from this John
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  71. This is another interaction that
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  the brothers of Jesus have with him during the Feast of
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  Tabernacles. John 7.
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  Let's go to verse 3. John 73.
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  So his brother said to him, leave here and go to Judea that.
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  Your disciples Also may see the works.
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  You are doing for no one works in secret.
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  If he seeks to be known openly, if you do these things, show
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  yourself to the world. Now, pause there, you would
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  think that Jesus brother's here are being encouraging, and they
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  are giving him, some kind of advice to make his message more
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  compelling and effective that he can win more followers.
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  And so they are, they're steering him in a certain
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  direction. Hey, why are you doing all these
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  things in the region like Galilee?
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  It's the feast. Everybody's in Jerusalem, we
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  have pilgrims around the world. Go, do your stuff, there
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  manifest, your power there. And so we look at this and we
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  say yeah that seems like a brotherly thing to do until you
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  read verse 5. For not even his brothers
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  believed in him. For not even his brothers
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  believed in him. These words were not coming from
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  the place of allegiance to Jesus.
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  They were coming from the heart of unbelief.
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  Why are they suggesting this surely they are skeptical.
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  But it makes you wonder because for them to charge Jesus to do
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  these Works implies that they are aware that he can do
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  miraculous works. And they could have witnessed
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  that for themselves or or more likely, they heard about these
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  Miracles, they were convinced that Jesus can do Supernatural
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  signs and wonders. And it makes you wonder if they
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  were just like many of the other Jews who wanted Jesus to do
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  certain signs and wonders, not for Redemptive purposes, but for
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  selfish purposes. We want a political Messiah.
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  We want somebody who can give us bread without us having to work,
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  someone that can overthrow or enemies.
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  Maybe that's the kind of mindset that Brothers have.
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  So they being his relative seeing a great personal
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  advantage in all of this say. Jesus, come on, do your stuff
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  there. Let's get this thing going.
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  Let's let's win this nation. Regardless of what their heart
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  posture is, you know, what this shows me is that even though
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  they understood and even though they believe that Jesus can do
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  and could do certain things, they didn't believe.
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  Didn't believe in his claims and in believe in who he was.
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  They didn't believe his Supernatural, not just power,
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  but his, his, his deity, his nature.
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  Now, coupled that, with the likelihood of them growing up,
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  hearing about the events surrounding his incarnation.
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  Who knows what Mary told the siblings.
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  Who knows what they understood. About Jesus, miraculous entrance
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  into the world. And yet, with all of that, They
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  didn't believe you would think that if there anybody would be
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  quick to believe it was those who for year.
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  After year, after year, saw someone that was unlike any
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  other person in the world, even as a child, we saw glimpse of
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  that. At 12 years old confounding.
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  The priests a wisdom, unparalleled more than a moral
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  Majesty. That just didn't make sense
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  humanly speaking because there's something different about him.
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  And then only to come into his adult life for him to shake the
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  nation with his power. Working with his message.
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  And yet, still John tells us even his brothers Did not
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  believe. And with this in mind, I can
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  confidently look out to this crowd this afternoon, knowing
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  that many of you have a lost husband, a lost wife, a lost,
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  brother lost sister, lost children, and tell you with
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  great confidence, that their case of unbelief is not more
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  hopeless than these men. These men who would later on as
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  we see in the book of Acts, chapter one would become his
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  followers. I can't I can't move on from
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  this tax without first seeing how Jesus responds to them
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  because the way Jesus responds to them.
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  Gives us wonderful insight about the contrast between a believing
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  life and an unbelieving life. Look at verse 6, Jesus said to
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  them. My time has not yet come but
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  your time is always here. My time has not yet come but
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  your time. It's always here.
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  What what does that mean? Well, understand what he is
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  saying. Unlike you, I do not navigate
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  through life apart from a submission.
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  A total submission to God's Sovereign timing and purpose.
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  I'm surrendered to a different calendar.
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  I walked to a different beat than you do.
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  And the father said, this is not my time you though, you can do
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  whatever you want, walk wherever you want plan, whatever you
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  want, desire and chase after those desires, however you want,
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  but that's not me. I only do and I only act upon
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  what I see my father doing. And unbelievers.
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  Have no thought about God's Providence, have no care about
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  his Sovereign rule. They want to be autonomous, they
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  want to live by their own desires and wishes and they
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  utterly despise the notion that there would be some Transcendent
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  being that would impose his will upon my life.
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  And that's the hint that we get here, when Jesus contrasted him
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  a true servant of God with his own Brothers.
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  True followers of Jesus Christ. Can say what Jesus said.
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  I placed my future in the hand of him.
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  Who is the author of life? I do what he says.
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  I go where he goes, I stay where he stays and tells me to stay.
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  But you go do whatever you want. And Jesus is not finished yet
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  because he goes on to say something in verse 7 to the same
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  group, the world cannot hate you.
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  The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify
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  about it that it's works. Are evil.
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  Translation. I can't go to the feast because
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  there are those who hate me and are hostile towards me.
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  But you, if you connect verse 6, you can go go whenever you want
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  implying? What you can go because you are
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  of the world. I'm not of the world.
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  You imagine his own, brother's you have the same values of the
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  world, you participate in the same activities of the world
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  therefore because you are of the world.
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  The world loves you as its own. The world does not love me.
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  The world hates me, the world hates me.
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  True Believers like Jesus will take opportunities with wisdom
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  and love to confront and expose with Redemptive light.
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  The falsehood in the wickedness of the systems in the beliefs of
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  this world, they will not hold back.
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  They will not shy away. They are not concerned.
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  Whether they arouse antagonism, they will do what God's word
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  tells them to do no matter how the world responds, the world,
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  no matter how familiar, they are with, Jesus are more willing to
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  receive Condemnation from God than to receive the cold
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  shoulder from this world. And what's fascinating is Jesus
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  is indicting them with that. We're in two different places
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  here. I'm not of the world you are of
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  the world. and I look at that and I think This is how Jesus
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  half brothers were. They weren't neutral.
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  They weren't shy and and they were quiet, just looking at
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  Jesus. And once he was resurrected at
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  all. Okay, yeah, we thought so,
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  There's friction here. There's tension here.
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  There's clashes of worldview here.
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  And the point is this, You I'm sure have loved ones who are
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  worldly, who are skeptical, who maybe even like the
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  half-brothers of Jesus are willing to associate with Jesus,
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  as long as it benefits them. And here's what I want to tell
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  you today. Christ can save them.
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  He can save them as impossible as it may seem as, as much as
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  they are. Hardened and indifferent.
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  Christ can save them. You know, I think about James in
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  the Book of James Jude and James are believed to be the
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  half-brothers of Jesus who were given a privilege to have their
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  writings in sacred RIT. James 21, don't turn there.
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  You can just hear this. Can you imagine the same James
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  who was in this group of brothers, who spoke to Jesus in
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  this matter, who criticized, Jesus and our main text and Mark
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  3, that same James and James 21 says my brother's show.
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  No partiality. As you hold the faith in our
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  Lord, Jesus Christ. The lord of glory, the lord of
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  Glory. That's how James spoke that's
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  what happened to James. That's what can happen to your
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  brother. What can happen to your sister.
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  So I can happen to your father to your mother, to your child,
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  even if your child is here right now, distracted out of their
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  minds, it can happen to them. A final thought to consider.
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  We get a little glimpse of how Jesus responded to the
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  unbelieving brothers, who are unfortunately, adding to his
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  obstacles. As he sought to be devoted to
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  the father, if you want to know how it is, that you can move
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  with courage to serve your God, despite the Deep bonds that you
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  have, despite the Loyalty of your culture and of your family
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  line, look at how your lord acted.
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  Yes. There's plenty of wisdom
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  throughout the scriptures, but look at how Jesus acted in this
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  moment and let it Infuse you with a Grace and a strength.
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  To move forward with your love for Christ.
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  John 7, verse 8, you go up to the feast I am not going up to
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  this Feast for my time has not yet.
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  Fully. Come after saying this, he
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  remained in Galilee Do you struggle to obey the Lord?
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  Because of the voices of those who raised you who were raised
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  with you. Who contributed so much to who
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  you are today in a human sense. I know people who can't get
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  baptized because of their family.
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  They don't want to dishonor their family.
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  They don't want to be disowned by their family.
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  I know people who don't want to make their Christmas dinners
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  awkward. I know people who don't want to
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  create division in their household. you know what Jesus
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  says to his own half-brothers You walk that way, I'm walking
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  this way. I'm going to, I'm going to serve
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  and obey my father. And if you don't want to walk
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  with me, then I'll walk alone. I will stay where God tells me
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  to stay, I will go where God tells me to go, if that means we
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  will take different paths, so be it.
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  That is the high cost of discipleship.
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  God's will taking precedence over blood relationship and in
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  those painful moments, when you feel like you have to do
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  something similar, knowing that I may open up your world to
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  ridicule accusation and maybe even rejection you have a savior
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  who knows. She knows.
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  Be comforted in that truth. Now, let's come back to our main
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  text because Jesus also has a response to the crowd, who
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  informed him your mother, and your brothers are outside
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  seeking you. And this is how Jesus answers
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  them in verse 33. Who are my mother and my
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  brothers. There will be a time where we
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  will dedicate an entire message to the Catholic doctrine of
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  Mary. We're not going to do it today.
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  And looking about are those who sat around him.
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  He said, here are my mother and my brothers, whoever does the
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  will of God. He is my brother and sister and
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  mother. Seems as though, Jesus is
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  redefining what true family is be.
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  Comforted to know that he's not attacking this biblical
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  Institution. Be comforted to know that he is
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  not devaluing the responsibilities that we have to
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  our kin. But what Jesus is doing here, is
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  he is revealing and teaching that there is a superior Bond
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  That is more important holds more worth than any other group
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  that you can be tied to whether by birth or by initiation and
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  that is being part of the family of God.
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  And there is a warning in this passage coupled with like many
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  other texts, a word of encouragement.
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  The word of warning is just like the physical family of Jesus who
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  thought that they had certain rights and privileges.
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  Based on a false assumption. There are those who also, for
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  various reasons think that they have certain access to Jesus.
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  But their confidence is in vain. The reasons are in vain.
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  And the word of encouragement is that no matter who you are or
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  where you came from the Lord, Jesus invites, you to be part of
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  the most glorious, loving unending Fellowship, that you
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  can ever know. And that is the household of
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  faith. You even see that lesson with
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  the physical description of the scene.
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  Look at verse 31, who are the ones who are standing outside.
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  The mother and the half-brothers, and who are the
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  ones who are sitting in close proximity At His Feet, the ones
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  who were eager to do the will of God.
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  So even the physical picture here, denotes that spiritual
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  principle, there are those who assume that they have a
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  relationship with Jesus in a Redemptive way, but are actually
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  outside. And there are those who you
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  think are the most unlikely candidates to receive Rich
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  Fellowship, saving fellowship with Christ who are actually at
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  his feet. So Jesus looks and he says, true
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  access. True access to me is exclusively
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  made available by you knowing the will of God and wanting to
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  submit to the will of God. There is no other entrance.
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  There is no other qualification. There is no other way, only
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  through this way can, you know, Mia's family.
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  But, what does it mean for Jesus to say this?
• 26:36
  I mean, it's powerful to just here on a surface level, but
• 26:39
  there has to be some meaning to this when he says, here are my
• 26:44
  brother's here on my sister's here on my mother's, right?
• 26:48
  It's there's something being said there.
• 26:50
  Did you notice that? He doesn't include father?
• 26:54
  Look at verse 35, whoever does the will of God.
• 26:56
  He is my brother and sister and mother.
• 26:58
  This is a symbolic statement. but he omits, father And without
• 27:04
  reading too much into it, I believe it's because Jesus
• 27:07
  relationship with the father is so unique so special so sacred.
• 27:11
  That he would not even apply that title to somebody else.
• 27:13
  Even if it was symbolic, And we can't get caught up here with
• 27:20
  making a distinction between ol, brother means this and sister
• 27:23
  means that and and mother means that.
• 27:25
  No, that's not what he's trying to do, what he's trying to say
• 27:28
  is You all have access to being unique members in my family.
• 27:36
  It's as simple as that. Ramifications, we can't even, we
• 27:43
  can't even touch the surface in one sitting.
• 27:47
  The consequence of Jesus making this kind of a declaration over
• 27:52
  Sinners is worthy of a series of messages.
• 27:57
  But can I show you at least one idea of what this means to be
• 28:01
  his brother, his sister, what it means to be related to him with
• 28:05
  this language, a family and a very familiar passage, but maybe
• 28:09
  you haven't seen it in this way. Romans 8:29.
• 28:20
  Romans 8:29. For Those whom.
• 28:31
  He foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed, to the image of
• 28:36
  his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many
• 28:40
  brothers and they worry that one more time.
• 28:43
  For Those whom. He foreknew, he also predestined
• 28:47
  to be conformed, to the image of his son in order that he might
• 28:54
  be the firstborn among many brothers.
• 28:57
  God has purposed and predestined from eternity past that those
• 29:03
  who had believed on his son's name.
• 29:05
  Which so pay attention, which so resemble.
• 29:11
  And reflect his moral features that it would cause others.
• 29:20
  To realize and confessed that there is a shared spiritual DNA.
• 29:27
  In the same way that some of you, many of us here, display
• 29:31
  characteristics, physically that give Clues to others that you
• 29:36
  are the brother of, or you are the son of you look like your
• 29:40
  mom, you have these features that just reflect your father.
• 29:45
  God has predestined. God has prepared a work that
• 29:50
  those who would be joined to Christ by faith.
• 29:55
  Would communicate over time to other people?
• 29:59
  You are related to Jesus. You must be related to Jesus.
• 30:06
  Because you look like him, you sound like him, that is what God
• 30:11
  has predestined that in Christ. He is creating and conforming.
• 30:18
  Sinners. Through Jesus Christ, having a
• 30:22
  preeminent position of the firstborn following him.
• 30:26
  This vast family, who by the spirits work would have others
• 30:31
  look with angels hosts and say they are related.
• 30:36
  It look like him. And this is what comforts me.
• 30:42
  You look at Romans 8:28 and we know that for those who love
• 30:46
  God, all things work together for good.
• 30:49
  For those who are called according to his purpose.
• 30:52
  Don't separate that from verse 29.
• 30:55
  For Those whom. He foreknew, he also
• 30:56
  predestined. That's in connection to verse
• 30:58
  28. Here's what I rejoice and I'm
• 31:01
  looking at different people here and you're wired differently and
• 31:04
  you have different callings and different giftings and you will
• 31:07
  go into different places and maybe even move to different
• 31:09
  locations. But there's one thing I know
• 31:11
  about all of you who are in Christ and I'm not a prophet nor
• 31:16
  my son of a prophet. Here's what I know that no
• 31:18
  matter how or where God takes you, it is all for the purpose
• 31:22
  of conforming. You To the image of his son.
• 31:28
  And God's Wonderful Plan. Is that through the first born?
• 31:32
  They would be more Brothers. That would resemble the first
• 31:36
  born. What an awesome plan, what an
• 31:41
  overwhelming plan? That's how close got intends to
• 31:47
  sanctify us. Do you understand that's how
• 31:50
  near God wants to bring each of our characters?
• 31:56
  So that as we stand for Christ and as we declare our allegiance
• 32:02
  to Christ, it wouldn't be just through waving our adoption
• 32:06
  papers which would be our confession of Faith.
• 32:10
  It's more powerful than that. Yes those adoption papers
• 32:14
  through the confession of our mouths.
• 32:16
  Is a wonderful statement that we belong to him, it is our
• 32:20
  confidence. But through this I see that
• 32:23
  would also be the surfacing of Molarities to the one that we
• 32:28
  have submitted to that would cause people to say You must be
• 32:31
  related to Jesus. And that might discourage some
• 32:38
  people because you know that you've had better days and
• 32:40
  others, you had better stretches of weeks where you saw even
• 32:44
  yourself God's doing a work in me.
• 32:46
  He's changing me. But this idea of Brotherhood is
• 32:50
  not just a practical Glory. There is a positional Security
• 32:57
  in knowing that I am a sibling of Jesus.
• 33:01
  Can I show that to you? I was rejoicing all night and
• 33:06
  even today about this verse in Hebrews 2.
• 33:10
  Hebrews 211. Let this verse comfort, you.
• 33:21
  As a child of God, even when you fail to submit and yield to the
• 33:27
  promptings of the spirit, who is the agent that is seeking to
• 33:31
  make you reflect as a brother, the firstborn Hebrews to 11 for,
• 33:38
  He Who sanctifies and those who are Sanctified all have one
• 33:44
  source. That is why he is not ashamed to
• 33:48
  call them brothers. I almost don't need to explain
• 33:52
  that. It's Rich, it's so rich in
• 33:55
  itself. We can just let that sit on our
• 33:57
  hearts and let it melt into us. For He Who sanctifies that's
• 34:03
  Christ and those who are Sanctified.
• 34:06
  That's you all have one source, meaning all come from the same
• 34:12
  place all belong to the same Association.
• 34:16
  So to speak. God, the father and his family.
• 34:22
  The sanctifier made that possible though.
• 34:26
  She don't don't kill don't confuse Jesus statement for
• 34:28
  those who do the will of God. Yeah, they are my mother and my
• 34:31
  brother and sisters. He's not trying to propagate
• 34:34
  this idea. That it's through, Pious
• 34:36
  Excellence that you you win a seat at God's table.
• 34:40
  Hebrew says, he who sanctifies, he Sanctified set apart, Sinners
• 34:46
  and imputed his Holiness unto them so that they would inherit
• 34:51
  that position of brother. And he did so to Such Great
• 34:56
  Lengths that he comes into our world and becomes a man, so that
• 35:00
  he would take sinful man, and a lot of to become siblings of the
• 35:04
  Holy One. and this work was so true, so effective, so powerful,
• 35:13
  so real, That Jesus looks at us even today and he says, I'm not
• 35:18
  ashamed to call them my brother's.
• 35:21
  You know why? That blesses me?
• 35:22
  Because I also read in Revelation that the accuser of
• 35:25
  the Brethren stands before God day and night, And he says, look
• 35:31
  at Daniel bitar. See.
• 35:34
  You're going to actually associate them as a child of
• 35:37
  God. Look at so-and-so.
• 35:41
  Look at so and so on. He he loves to bring up our
• 35:44
  past. Is he not people?
• 35:45
  Always wonder how do I know what's this voice?
• 35:47
  What's that voice? Let me give you a hint, any
• 35:49
  voice in your head that brings up a sin that has been repented
• 35:53
  of is not of God that Satan He loves to bring that up and he
• 35:58
  brings it up, not just to like, look how cruel he is.
• 36:01
  So he stands before God and he accuses you to God.
• 36:07
  And then he comes to you. And he accuses God to you, he's
• 36:13
  not faithful, he's not good. He doesn't hear you.
• 36:17
  He doesn't love you. He's forgotten you then he goes
• 36:19
  back to God, this person's not faithful, they're not good to
• 36:23
  you. They only like we said the joke.
• 36:25
  They only just love you because of what you give them.
• 36:27
  This is who we're dealing with. And you know what, I see as the
• 36:31
  enemy Deuces, does this day and I I see Jesus Christ.
• 36:37
  Promising me that he will never change his mind about me.
• 36:41
  I see my savior, your elder brother, and mine.
• 36:45
  Now only willing to endure such accusations but willing to even
• 36:50
  return praise and say I'm not ashamed to call them.
• 36:54
  My brothers. And if that doesn't cause your
• 36:59
  heart to flutter, let me give you something else.
• 37:01
  I will. Hopefully, hopefully jolt you
• 37:03
  into Joy. You're in Hebrews 211, right?
• 37:06
  Go to Hebrews 11 verse 16. I don't know which I love more.
• 37:19
  The sound of you singing or the sound of your Bibles turning
• 37:21
  like that. Hebrews 11 16.
• 37:26
  But as it is, they desire a better country.
• 37:29
  That is a Heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to
• 37:32
  be called their God. For, he has prepared for them a
• 37:36
  city. Hebrews 2. 11 tells me that my
• 37:41
  sanctifier my high priest is not ashamed to call me brother and
• 37:46
  Hebrews 11. 16 tells me that my God is not ashamed for me to
• 37:51
  call him my God. You see, Jesus assures us for
• 37:56
  those who are not ashamed of him in this adulterous and perverse
• 37:58
  generation. He will not be ashamed of them
• 38:01
  when he confesses us before the father and the Holy Angels,
• 38:05
  that's why Hebrews 211 is so important when I stand before
• 38:09
  him. The atmosphere of absolute
• 38:11
  Holiness and all those creatures in their thousands and millions
• 38:16
  will have their blazing Gaze on me.
• 38:19
  I will have an elder brother that will stand before the
• 38:22
  father and say, father, I am not ashamed of him.
• 38:27
  He is mine. and you couple that with Hebrews 11, So that you
• 38:34
  can. Be free from this notion that
• 38:38
  God is more reluctant. Or he is in some way,
• 38:43
  disinclined to accept me or two number me as his own.
• 38:49
  No, my God is not ashamed to be my God.
• 38:53
  Back to Romans 8, he was the one who predestined and sent the son
• 38:58
  so that the son would be the first born through him.
• 39:02
  Many more brothers and sisters would come.
• 39:05
  That's the father's plan. And so you have the son who is
• 39:09
  not ashamed. And you have the father who is
• 39:11
  not a shame. So then why are you?
• 39:18
  So then how would we even Dare for a moment entertain, even a
• 39:22
  slight shade of embarrassment about the Lord Jesus Christ and
• 39:27
  our God. If there's anyone who should be
• 39:30
  ashamed in this whole thing, it's God.
• 39:33
  With all our failings and all are inconsistencies.
• 39:38
  And all our lack of Courage. If there's anyone who should
• 39:41
  blush at being linked to us, it's him here we are.
• 39:47
  In a world that will increasingly become more hostile
• 39:50
  about your faith. I charge you in the name of the
• 39:52
  Lord, Jesus Christ. Don't be ashamed of the Gospel.
• 39:57
  Paul could say, I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
• 40:01
  Because he served the Christ that was not ashamed of him and
• 40:04
  a God who is not ashamed to be called his God.
• 40:07
  You know why? That is so important?
• 40:08
  Let me give you a final verse on a time together.
• 40:12
  And First John 3. 1st John. I shared this first not too long
• 40:28
  ago. At prayer.
• 40:33
  First John 3, 20. For whenever our hearts condemn
• 40:40
  us. God is greater than our heart.
• 40:44
  And he knows everything for whenever our hearts condemn us.
• 40:50
  God is greater than our hearts. Do you know what that means?
• 40:54
  Your heart is susceptible to lying to you about your position
• 40:57
  in Christ. Our hearts are so vile.
• 41:01
  And so Twisted that even after that experience of being saved
• 41:05
  being born again, still willing to creep up and say you're not
• 41:09
  really is. Look at you.
• 41:12
  So we have the devil to deal with.
• 41:13
  Then we have this heart to deal with and at times it's willing
• 41:17
  to accuse us and here's what this verse is saying.
• 41:21
  God's word, God's verdict. God's promise is more
• 41:26
  trustworthy than your heart. This is one of the most profound
• 41:30
  verses and I give it to you so that you can use it for yourself
• 41:33
  and for others who are prone to listen to their feelings.
• 41:36
  This is one of those verses that obliterates the idea of trusting
• 41:39
  your gut at times. Here's what my heart is telling
• 41:44
  me. And the word says God is greater
• 41:46
  than that, no matter how strong that feeling is no matter.
• 41:50
  What kind of evidence might be mounting, though, contradicts
• 41:53
  this word, understand that God is greater His court is higher.
• 42:03
  And you know what's even I'm so glad the Holy Spirit.
• 42:05
  Put this last part in. And he knows everything.
• 42:12
  He knows everything. You know what, the reason why
• 42:14
  many of our hearts condemn us is because we know something about
• 42:18
  us that others don't not your wife, not your husband, not your
• 42:21
  best friend, not your pastor and so what tends to condemn us is
• 42:26
  the most hidden thing about us so perverse, so dark.
• 42:31
  So cruel. So in just and it haunts us it
• 42:36
  torments us Torrance us to the point where we can't even
• 42:41
  fathom, how we would be forgiven.
• 42:43
  And here's what the holy spirit says through, John God is
• 42:46
  greater than your heart because he already knows about it.
• 42:48
  All He has taken into consideration all even though
• 42:53
  men may not know about it, God knows about it and he still does
• 42:57
  not hold it against you because of what Christ, he who
• 43:01
  sanctifies as done in you. The sun is not ashamed of me.
• 43:07
  The father's not ashamed of me. How dare I be ashamed of him?
• 43:12
  Here. My brother's here.
• 43:13
  My sister's here. Am, I - you want to know how you
• 43:15
  can be part of the family of God.
• 43:19
  You first submit to The Obedience of the one who made it
• 43:23
  possible. The reason why God can look at
• 43:27
  us with such favors not because that you have won his favorites
• 43:30
  because somebody did it for you. And it's such a deep transfer
• 43:36
  and impartation. That when God looks at you.
• 43:42
  He doesn't even choose to remember the things that need to
• 43:46
  happen for this to take place in your life.
• 43:50
  Pure and clean, and holy. To such a degree that God can
• 43:56
  bring you to himself. And say my child, not just my
• 44:01
  servant, not just my friend, not just my disciple, my son, my
• 44:07
  daughter, You Belong To Me, repent, and believe, on the
• 44:12
  Lord, Jesus Christ, run to him who is giving out whatever it is
• 44:17
  that is needed for you to secure, such a wonderful Grace
• 44:22
  and place before the Father. Oh, I invite you to come to him
• 44:26
  or I plead with you, not to how much more glorious can it be
• 44:30
  than this if God were to D me a slave, I would still love him
• 44:35
  and worship him all the days of my life by his grace, but he
• 44:38
  goes beyond slave, he goes beyond Bond servant, he goes
• 44:43
  beyond ambassador. My son.
• 44:48
  My son and that's available to you.
• 44:52
  Lord, we thank you. Overwhelmed or overwhelmed, are
• 45:08
  we in your presence this afternoon?
• 45:17
  Thank you, Lord. That we are predestined.
• 45:21
  To be like the first born. Thank you, Lord.
• 45:29
  That you are not ashamed of us. Our words are limited today, but
• 45:38
  our hearts are full. We just say, thank you.
• 45:44
  Thank you. For those who might be leaning
• 45:50
  on a false security. because maybe of a certain Sacrament,
• 45:55
  that they kept, or because they come from a certain ancestry or
• 46:00
  a certain culture But in fact standing outside because they've
• 46:06
  not truly obeyed what you've called us to do and that is to
• 46:10
  believe on you and to repent, let this word touch their hearts
• 46:16
  and For Those whom you have given access to sit at your
• 46:19
  feet, but their hearts are condemning them.
• 46:24
  May they know that you are greater than our hearts your
• 46:28
  greater than our feelings, your greater than our arguments, your
• 46:31
  greater than whatever it is. That seems to keep us in that
• 46:34
  place a fear. Help us Lord in this day to not
• 46:41
  be ashamed. To not be ashamed.
• 46:44
  And when we feel tempted to be ashamed, to remember that there
• 46:48
  is a day where we will stand before an audience of angels.
• 46:53
  And the Holy One. And you will stand by us and say
• 46:57
  I'm not ashamed of him. We need this truth to be ever
• 47:03
  more real to us. This increasingly evil World in
• 47:07
  Jesus name, we pray. Amen.