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What is a Christian: By Devotion · CCC West Covina

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Father, we thank you, Lord, for today.
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We thank you for this week. We thank you for the things
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you've already taught us, Lord, through your word.
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Tonight we want you to open our hearts and minds to understand
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more of what you have for us as your children.
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We love you, Lord, and that's why we're here, and that's why
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we want to study the Word of God.
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And that's why, Lord, we anticipate that what you're
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going to teach us tonight, we'll stick with this, not just for a
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brief moment, but for the rest of our lives.
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We just thank you, Lord, that you have allowed us the
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opportunity to study your word. It's such a, a precious,
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precious tool. And we are so grateful that
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you've given it to us to equip us, to teach us, to lead us and
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to guide us, to comfort us and to move us on to maturity in
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Christ. May that happen in all of us
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this evening. Lord, we pray in Jesus name,
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Amen. Now by now, hopefully you have
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been able to understand and answer more of what it means to
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to be a Christian. I hope that's the case because
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if someone was to ask you what is a Christian, I, I'm sure that
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you'd be able to explain things maybe hopefully better than you
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could have seven weeks ago. But I'm sure that if someone
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asks you what is a Christian, you would tell them that a
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Christian is known by, by their decision.
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And that decision is based on Luke 923, right?
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That if any man come after me, let him deny himself, take up
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his cross and follow me. And so you'd also tell them that
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a Christian is known not just by the decision that he or she
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makes, but by the definition of Scripture.
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And that is in Philippians chapter 3 verse #3 that we are
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the marked ones, we are the circumcision, we worship God in
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spirit, we glory only in Christ Jesus, and we put no confidence
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in the flesh. That is the best definition of a
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Christian in the Scriptures. Philippians 3 verse #3 You'd
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also be able to explain to them that a Christian is known by by
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description. That is second Corinthians 517
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that a Christian is described by being in Christ.
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For the man be in Christ. He is a new creation.
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Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become
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new. That's how it is.
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A Christian is described in the Bible.
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They are in Christ and Christ is in them.
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And then you'd be able to say, well, a Christian is also known
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by declaration. They have a declaration that
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they speak loudly, without hesitation and without
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reservation, that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God,
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that Jesus is the Messiah, and that he is God in the flesh.
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Every Christian understands that.
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And next a Christian is known by by his dedication.
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Philippians one verse #21 For it to me, to live is Christ, and to
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die is gain. A Christian is dedicating to
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living for Christ because they want to live for no one else but
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the Christ. And then a Christian is known by
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his or her denunciation. That is, they denounce the
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things of the world, so much so they're willing to put to death
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the members of their body in order to glorify and honor the
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Christ. That's Colossians 3 verses 1 to
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8. That was last week's lesson.
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Tonight I want to talk to you about the Christians devotion.
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The Christian is devoted to one thing and one thing only.
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The difference between dedication and devotion is this.
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A person who is dedicated is committed to one purpose.
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A person who is devoted is committed to one person.
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A person who is dedicated is committed to that purpose, but
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it demonstrates itself by a disciplined pursuit of
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fulfilling that purpose. A person who is devoted is
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committed to one purpose, and to fulfill that purpose, they are
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deeply passionate toward that person.
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That's the difference between the Christian's dedication and
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the Christian's devotion. And So what is the Christian
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devoted to? He's devoted to one thing.
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It's summed up in one verse, Second Corinthians chapter 5
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verse #9 where the apostle Paul said it very clearly this way.
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Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or
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absent, to be pleasing to him, Paul says.
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I have one ambition, I have one drive, I have one passion.
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I am completely devoted to doing one thing and that is pleasing
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the Lord. You see, you are either going to
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please the Lord or you're going to please yourself.
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It's very clear that in Romans chapter one that those whom the
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wrath of God is poured out upon are those who want to please
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themselves. They want to worship the
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creature rather than worship the Creator.
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And God pours out His wrath upon those people.
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Paul would say it this way in the book of Ephesians, Ephesians
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chapter 5. He would say this, let no one
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deceive you, verse number six with empty words.
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For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons
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of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers
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with them. For you were formerly darkness,
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but now you are light in the Lord.
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Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the light
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consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
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Trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
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Paul says, Seek to please the Lord.
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Walk as children of the light live in a way that honors and
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glorifies the name of the Lord. You were created for this
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purpose. Revelation chapter 4 verse #11
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All things were created for His desire or for His pleasure.
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Everything was created for the pleasure of God.
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Therefore, His creation is designed to please their God.
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Those who don't experience the wrath of God.
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When you seek to please yourself, it is foreign to the
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original purpose for which you were created.
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The Bible says in Psalm 115, verse #3 that the Lord is in the
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heavens. He does whatever He pleases.
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In Psalm 135 it says this in verse #5 For I know that the
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Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
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Whatever the Lord pleases, He does in heaven and in earth, in
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the seas, and in all the deep. Interesting that Jesus said in
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John chapter 8 verse #29 I always do those things that are
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pleasing to the Father. Our Lord's devotion was seen in
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that statement. I always do those things that
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are pleasing to the Father for us to be like Christ.
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We then too want to do all things that are pleasing to the
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Father. That was our Lord's ambition.
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That was our Lord's devotion. That was Paul's ambition.
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That was Paul's devotion. That should be the devotion of
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every single believer. They want to please the Lord
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over in Romans chapter 15, Romans chapter 15, the apostle
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Paul says these words in verse #1 He says now we who are strong
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ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not
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just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his
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neighbor for his good, to his edification, for even Christ did
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not please himself. But as it is written, the
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reproaches of those who reproached you fell upon me.
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Paul says, If you want to be like Christ, then you need to
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understand that Christ did not please himself.
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No, He sought to please his Father.
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Therefore you were looking out for the welfare of others, for
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those who want to please themselves.
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I'm not looking out for the welfare of others.
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They're looking out for their own welfare.
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But Christ wasn't that way. And so in order to be like
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Christ, then you want to please the Lord.
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Paul said in Galatians chapter one verse #10 these words.
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For I am now seeking the favor of men or of God.
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Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please
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men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ, Paul
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said. If I seek to please man, I cease
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to be a bondservant of Christ. In other words, a bondservant
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seeks to please his master. So if I seek to please men, I
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cease to find the favor of God or I cease to please God.
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Now this is hard for us because we are narcissistic at nature.
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Everything in our lives revolves around us, or so we think it
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does. Or we want it too, right?
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We want it to revolve around us. We want people to please us.
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And we are more men pleasers than we are God pleasers.
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Just ask yourself how you converse with other people so
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that they like you and not confront them when they live in
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sin. That would make you a man
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pleaser, not a God pleaser. And if you're going to live out
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your devotion, you are devoted to pleasing God above all else.
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That's so incredibly important. Over in Colossians chapter 3,
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Paul says these words verse #22 slaves and all things.
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Obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external
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service as those who merely please men, but with sincerity
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of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do you work
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hardly As for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from
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the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance is the
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Lord Christ whom you serve. So whatever you do, you, you
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seek to please the Lord. The apostle Paul knew this.
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So in Second Corinthians chapter 5, after he says in verse #9
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that it is his ambition to please God, he says in verse #10
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For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so
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that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body
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according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
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Poemics are very clear that the reason I please the Lord is
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because one day I will stand before my Lord.
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I will be judged before my Lord. And this is not a judgment of
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condemnation. This is not the Great White
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Throne judgment of Revelation chapter 20, that that's a
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judgment for unbelievers, not for believers.
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This judgment is only for believers and this judgment is
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is what they call a a Bema seat. And the Bema seat was a raised
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platform where those who who were winners of their athletic
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contest would stand upon and receive a wreath for their
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victory. Paul is talking about the
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judgment seat of Christ being that platform by which believers
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step up on and receive their crowns, and at that time they
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will receive that which is done on their body, whether it be
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good or whether it be bad or whether it be evil.
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That's not the word, for it's not the word Ponte, Ross or
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kakia which deals with evil, but it's the word phallos which
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deals with worthless or useless. In other words, the things that
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you do based on the motive for pleasing God are those things
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that are good, those that were based on the motive for pleasing
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myself. Those things are useless and
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they are burned up, and they are not attributed to whatever it is
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you have done. What you think in the name of
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Christ is because your motive was wrong.
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Your motive was to please yourself, and God is the one who
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weighs the heart. God knows those things, so God
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will judge you based on the motive of your heart as to why
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you did what you did. That's why Paul says I make it
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my ambition. This is my soul devotion to
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please the Lord, please the Lord and how I speak, please the Lord
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and what I do, please the Lord above men.
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The Bible says these words in the book of Hebrews chapter 13
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verse #20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the
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great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal
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covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you and every good thing
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to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His
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sight through Jesus Christ, through whom be the glory
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forever and ever. Amen.
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The right of Hebrews makes it very clear that God is working
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in you, the Good Shepherd is working in you to equip you, to
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put you together so that you will do those things that are
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pleasing to the Lord. Solomon said in Proverbs 16
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verse #7 When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even
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his enemies to be at peace with him.
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That's just an incredible statement.
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When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies
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to be at peace with him. Years ago, it must have been at
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least 20 years ago now, I was talking to an individual who had
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come to see me about his marriage, and he came to me and
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poured out his heart. He says I need to leave my wife,
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I can't be with her anymore. I can't stand to be around her.
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I said, why can't you stand to be around your wife?
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He goes. She is the most critical person
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I've ever met. She has to support me in
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anything. In fact, I really believe that
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she is my biggest enemy, therefore I need to leave her.
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I said I got good news, he says you got good news.
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I said I got good, I got great news, he says.
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What's the good news? I said, Well, by your own words
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you said she was your enemy, and the Bible says you are to love
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your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
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On top of that, you can do that because Romans 55 says that the
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love of God is shed abroad in your heart.
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In other words, the love of God is everywhere already in your
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heart. And Galatians chapter 5, verse
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23 says the fruit of the Spirit is love.
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So here's the good news. You can love your wife who is
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your enemy, because the love of God is shed abroad in your
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heart. And the fruit of the Spirit is
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love. And the Spirit of God is going
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to produce love in you that you might reach out and volitionally
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love your wife as Christ. Love the church.
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He goes, that's not good news. I said that's great news.
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I said, what do you mean? That's the best news ever?
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See, you can do this. You're telling me you can't.
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I'm telling you, you can. Why?
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Because of what God has done. And when you when you listen,
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when a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies
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to be at peace with him. If your wife truly is your
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enemy, don't you want your wife to be at peace with you?
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If that's the case, then your ways must please the Lord.
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And how do you know you're going to please the Lord?
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By loving your wife as Christ loved the church, by nurturing
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her, by protecting her, by caring for her.
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This is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate to your wife
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who Jesus Christ is. This is great counsel.
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He didn't accept the counsel. Unfortunately, he didn't want to
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do that. He thought it was beyond him.
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I tried to help him understand that it wasn't beyond him
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because God is working in Him so that He can please the Lord
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Jesus Christ. You see, so many times we forget
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that we have a we have a responsibility to honor and
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glorify the name of Christ, to be pleasing to Him.
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But the problem is, the problem is, as Paul says in Second
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Timothy chapter 3 verse #2 that in the end times, men will be
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lovers of self and lovers of pleasure more than lovers of
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God. And that's very true.
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We, we really do love ourselves, so much so that we don't
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necessarily want to love other people, and we certainly don't
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want to please the Lord because we're too busy trying to please
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ourselves. Solomon was this way, right?
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We read for you a couple of weeks ago from Ecclesiastes
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chapter 2, where Stalin said I'm going to do this for myself, I'm
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going to do this for myself, I'm going to do this for myself and
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enlist all these things he did just for himself.
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It was all empty. It was all futile.
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But but why did, why did he do that?
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Well, the answer lies in the Book of Second Kings Chapter 11,
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which says these words. Now King Solomon loved many
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foreign women, along with the daughters of Pharaoh, Moabite,
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Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite, women from the nations
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concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, You
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shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with
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you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their
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gods. Solomon held fast to these in
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love, in spite of what God said, He held fast to those he loved.
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And then it says he had 700 wives, princesses and 300
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concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.
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For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away
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after other gods, and his heart was not holy, devoted to the
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Lord. His devotion was not to please
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the Lord. His devotion was to please
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himself. His devotion was all about him.
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He was devoted to doing whatever suited him best.
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Forget about what God said. Forget about what God commanded.
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He wanted to please himself, and Ecclesiastes 2 says he did not
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withhold one thing that would bring pleasure to himself.
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Not one. He found out it was all futile,
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it was all empty, but his heart was turned away.
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It says his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as
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the heart of David his father had been.
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David's heart was devoted to his God.
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Solomon's heart was not. For Solomon went after Astaroth,
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the goddess of the Sedonians, and after Milkham, the
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detestable idol of the Ammonites.
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Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not
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follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done.
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Then Solomon built high a high place for Chemish, the
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detestable idol of Moab on the mountain which is east of
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Jerusalem, and for Molech, the detestable idol of the sons of
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Ammon. Thus also he did for all his
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foreign wives, and burned incense, and sacrificed to their
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gods. Now the Lord was angry with
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Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the
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God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
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And it commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not
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go after other gods. But he did not observe what the
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Lord had commanded. So the Lord said to Solomon,
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because you have done this and you have not kept my covenant in
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my statutes which I've commanded you, I will surely tear the
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Kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.
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Here's the king of Israel whose devotion was not to God but to
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his own self, and it ended up dividing the Kingdom of Israel.
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God didn't do it till after Solomon died.
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God was gracious to Solomon for 40 years has he reigned as king.
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There was no wars in Israel. Complete and total peace.
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God bless them because of his father David.
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But yet when he died, the Kingdom was divided simply
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because he was not devoted fully to the Lord is God.
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You see, whatever you're devoted to, you love, right?
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Whatever you're devoted to, you love.
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That's why you, you, you need to stay true to the Lord.
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And so if you love your wife, you're you're, you're devoted to
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your wife. If you love your kids, you're
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devoted to your kids. If you're devoted to the Lord,
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if you love the Lord, you're devoted to the Lord.
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See our our devotion wanes because of our of our love for
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God. That wanes.
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And therefore we need to realize that the Christian is known by
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his devotion. He wants to please the Lord.
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For those of you who love your wives, which I trust all of you
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do, you want to please your wife.
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Those of you who who love your children, you want to please
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your children. Children want love their wives.
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Excuse me, Children who love their parents, that they want to
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please their parents, right? If you love your parents, you
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don't want to displease them. And if you love your wife, you
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don't want to displease her. If you love the Lord, you don't
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want to displease them, you want to please them.
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So the question comes, how do you please the Lord?
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Simple question, very simply answered in the scriptures.
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Let me answer it for you. You want to please the Lord.
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Those who please the Lord please him by proclaiming the message
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of the cross. You please him by proclaiming
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the message of the cross. Listen to what Paul says in
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First Corinthians chapter one verse #18 For the word of the
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cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who
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are being saved, that is the power of God.
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For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
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and the cleverness of the clever.
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I will set aside, Where is the wise man?
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Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this
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age? Has not God made foolish the
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wisdom of the world? For a sense in the wisdom of
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God? The world through its wisdom did
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not come to know God. God was well pleased through the
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foolishness of the message preached to save those who
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believe. When you proclaim the message of
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the cross, you please the Lord, because he was well pleased
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through the message that the world calls foolishness to bring
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about the salvation of lost souls.
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It's interesting that Paul would quote from the book of Isaiah as
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an illustration about the power of God.
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Once the Nekireb would come with the Assyrian army against Judah,
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Hezekiah would want to revert to the ways of wisdom, the counsel
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that he would receive from those in leadership.
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And God said, don't do that. Trust me, I am the all powerful
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God, I will deliver you, but you got to trust me and God did.
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The Angel of the Lord came and one foul swoop killed 185,000
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Assyrians. And God made it very clear that
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your victory comes through me and my power, not through you
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and worldly wisdom. Paul uses that as an
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illustration to say, you know what?
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God's gospel is powerful. The message of the cross is
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powerful. Just preach.
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That message you're preaching does not make the message
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powerful. The message of the cross is
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powerful in and of itself. You don't make it powerful.
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God made it powerful. That's why Paul said, For I am
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not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of
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God unto salvation to the Jew 1st and also to the Greeks.
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Paul says I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
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Why? Because the gospel has the power
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in and of itself to save men. You being filled with the Spirit
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don't make the gospel any more powerful than it is.
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It's powerful in and of itself. It's powerful not to save
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people. That's why it's well pleasing to
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the Lord when you proclaim the message of the cross.
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But the cross is foolishness to the unbeliever.
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It's a stumbling block to the Jew.
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Remember in that encounter that Christ had with Peter and the
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apostles in Matthew chapter 16, when the great confession was
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made, that great declaration now with the Christ, the Son of the
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living God, when Christ said, Who do men say that I am?
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Who do you say that I am? And then Christ said something
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very interesting. He said, don't tell them what
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you just said. Instead, tell them this.
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Tell them that the Son of Man must go to Jerusalem, suffer
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many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, be
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killed, and be raised up on the third day.
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Don't tell them that the Messiah is the Son of the living God.
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Tell them that the Messiah is going to die and rise again.
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And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying God
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forbid. Why?
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Because the message of the cross is foolishness to the Jew, and
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the Bible says cursed as everyone who hangs upon a cross.
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Peter knows that. So why would you take upon
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yourself a curse and die and rise again?
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The Christ says this is what you need to proclaim freely for all
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to hear, because that's the message.
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That's foolishness to the world, but is the power of salvation to
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men. And Peter only had in mind the
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things of man. That's why Christ said, get thee
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behind me, Satan. Peter was being used by Satan to
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detract Christ from the mission of the cross because the cross
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is central to the mission of Christianity.
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And we'll talk more about this in weeks to come.
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But when you proclaim the message of the cross, it is
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pleasing to the Lord. So if you want to please Him,
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you proclaim the message of the cross.
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Not only proclaiming the message of the cross is pleasing to the
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Lord, but living a life of faith is pleasing to the Lord.
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Living a life of faith. Hebrews 11 verse #6 For without
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faith it is impossible to please Him.
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Impossible. So in order to please the Lord,
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you must be living a life of faith.
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What is faith? Faith is defined by two words,
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trusting, obedience. That's what faith is.
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Faith is, if you recall our study in Hebrews Chapter 11,
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where we spent 17 weeks in Hebrews Chapter 11, that faith
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is believing absolutely in what God said, and faith is behaving
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accordingly to what God said. That is trusting obedience.
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It behaves absolutely or believes absolutely in
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everything that God said without reservation and then behaves
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accordingly to what God said. That's faith.
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That's living the life of faith. That's why it says in Hebrews
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11/5 about Enoch that Enoch had this testimony that he walked
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with God and was well pleasing to God and God took him.
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Enoch was well pleasing to God. Why?
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Because he lived a life of faith.
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And therefore, in order to please God, you must live a life
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of faith. And remember, Enoch was 65 years
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old, according to Justice chapter 5, when he began to walk
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with God. He died at age 365 S.
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For 300 years, Enoch had this testimony that he pleased God.
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That was a man of supreme devotion.
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He wanted to please his God. So the writer of Hebrews comes
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around and says, listen, without this kind of faith it's
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impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must
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believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who
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diligently seek him. Faith not only costs you, but
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faith always compensates you. It rewards those who diligently
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seek him. So in order to please the Lord,
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you must proclaim the message of the cross.
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You must live a life of faith, that is believing in what God
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has said, looking at His Word, trusting what He says is true,
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and saying, Lord, you said it, it's true.
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I'm going to follow it no matter what others might think, what
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others might say. Lord, I'm going to do what your
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word says because I'm going to live a life of trusting
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obedience in the living God #3 Faith is proclaiming the message
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of the cross, living the life of faith, and exalting Jesus Christ
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the Son of God. When you exalt Christ, the Son
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of God, when you lift Christ high, when you acknowledge His
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glory, when you acknowledge the fact that He is to be magnified
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in through your life, that is, He used to be seen so big in
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your life, you please the Lord. Matthew 3 verse #17 The Lord at
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the baptism, the voice out of heaven came.
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This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
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Listen to what Paul says in Colossians chapter 1.
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Colossians chapter one verse #15 He is the image of the invisible
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God, the first born of all creation.
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For by Him all things were created both in the heavens and
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on earth, visible and invisible, with the Thrones of dominion or
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rulers or authorities. All things have been created
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through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in
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Him all things are held together.
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He is also head of the body of the Church, and He is the
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beginning, the first born from the dead, so that He Himself
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will come to have first place in everything.
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For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to
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dwell in Him. It pleased the Father for the
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fullness of the Godhead to dwell in Him.
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He is preeminent, He is above all things.
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He's all powerful because He created all things, and
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therefore all the fullness of God dwells in Him.
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So whenever you exalt the Son, you are bringing pleasure to
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God, because that's the Son that brought pleasure to God.
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Therefore when you exalt the Son, you are pleasing the Lord.
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John 5 verse 23 says He, he who does not honor the Son, does not
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honor the Father who sent the Son.
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In other words, he who does not exalt the Son, he who does not
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glorify the Son, he who does not put the Son first, does not
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honor the Father who sent the Son.
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And therefore, in order to be well pleasing to the Lord, you
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honor the Son of God. So proclaiming the message of
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the cross, living the life of faith, exalting Jesus Christ the
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son #4 asking God for wisdom brings pleasure to God, asking
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God for wisdom. First kings three.
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God said to Solomon, Ask me anything that you want, and I
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will give it to you. And Solomon asks, Give your
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servant an understanding heart to judge your people, to discern
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between good and evil, for who was able to judge the great
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people of yours? Verse 10 It was pleasing in the
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sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.
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Solomon asked for wisdom in order to discern between good
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and evil, and it pleased the Lord.
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So when you go to the Lord and you ask for wisdom, it brings
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pleasure to Him. Why?
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Because you're not relying upon human wisdom, You're not relying
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upon your own understanding. You're relying upon the Lord who
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gives you wisdom. Over in the book of Colossians,
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the first chapter, Paul says this verse #9 for this reason
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also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray
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for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of
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His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
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Paul prays that they would be filled with spiritual wisdom so
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that you will walk in a manner worthy the Lord to please Him in
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all respects. In other words, we're asking God
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to fill you with all wisdom so that you can walk in a manner
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that is pleasing to the Lord. You can't please the Lord
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without wisdom, He says, Bearing fruit in every good work,
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increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthen with all power
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according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all
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steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the
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Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the
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Saints in light. In order to walk worthy of the
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Lord, those things must happen. In order to for that to happen,
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you must ask God for wisdom that comes, and it's pleasing to him.
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Therefore you begin to bear fruit because you are pleasing
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to the Lord. That's why James says, if any of
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you ask, ask wisdom, let him ask James one verse #5 and those of
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you ask, God gives generously. God gives without condemnation,
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without rebuke, so that you don't become a double minded
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man, but that you become a man singularly focused upon God.
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So if you lack wisdom, you ask for wisdom.
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Why? Because wisdom pleases God.
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Pleasing God means you proclaim the message of the cross, you
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live a life of faith, you exalt Jesus Christ's Son, you ask God
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for wisdom #5 you stay away. From sexual sin you should know
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this. First Thessalonians chapter 4.
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We spent many weeks here. Finally then, brethren, verse
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one, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you
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receive from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and
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please God, just as you actually do walk, that you excel still
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more. For you know what commandments
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we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
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For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that is
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that you abstain from sexual immorality.
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Paul says we want you to walk and please God.
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In order to walk a life that's pleasing to God, you must
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abstain from sexual immorality. So many people, so many people
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don't want to do that. Even in the church.
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They just don't want to abstain. Why?
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Because they're lovers of self rather than lovers of God.
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They're lovers of pleasure rather than they are lovers of
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God. Those who are devoted to the
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Lord want to please the Lord. Your devotion begins to wane
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when you engage in sexual immorality.
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Why? Because you find yourself
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willing to give in to those sensual desires we talked about
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last week that need to be put to death so that you can walk in a
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manner that's pleasing to the Lord.
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Staying away from sexual immorality is pleasing to God
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and look at Solomon's life. He just could not stay away. 700
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wives, 300 concubines. How do you celebrate an
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anniversary with 700 wives? How do you do that?
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There's not enough days in a year to celebrate an anniversary
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with all those wives, right? And so, but he could not forego
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his own pleasures, his own desires, and therefore his heart
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was turned away. He was not devoted to his God
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fully like his father David was. And he continued in sin.
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And of course, the book of Ecclesiastes is a record of his
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downfall. And so we need to realize that
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that in order to please God, you just stay away from sexual sin.
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Number six, you want to please God.
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Please pleasing God comes because you imitate the Christ.
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You imitate the Christ. John 829 we quoted to you
43:35
earlier says, I always do those things that are pleasing to the
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Father. So in order for us to please the
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Lord, we imitate the Christ. We do what He did.
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We seek to please the Father because we want to imitate the
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Lord Jesus. How badly do you want to be like
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Christ? How badly do you want to walk
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like Christ? How badly do you want to be
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Christ like? In your behavior then, you seek
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to please the Father as the Son, please the Father.
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Over in first John chapter 3 verse 22, John says whatever we
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ask we receive from him because we keep His commandments and do
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the things that are pleasing in a sight.
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You want to know why you ask for things and do not receive them?
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It's because you do not do things that are pleasing in the
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sight. Paul says we know.
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John says we know them when we ask.
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We receive what we ask because we keep His commandments, and in
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keeping His commandments, we're doing those things that are
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pleasing in His sight. So whatever you're asking God
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for and you're not getting an answer to, ask yourself this
45:06
question. Am I doing those things that are
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pleasing in the sight of God? Am I proclaiming the message of
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the cross? Am I living a life of faith?
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Am I exalting Jesus Christ, the Son above myself and everything
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else? Am I asking God for wisdom?
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Am I staying away from sexual sin?
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And am I imitating the Christ? Because if you are, you will
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always do those things that are pleasing to the Father.
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Now granted, Jesus Christ is the perfect Son of man.
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He is sinless and we are sinful. That's why last week's lesson
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was so important that we are constantly putting to death the
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members of our body. Why?
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Because it hinders us from pleasing the Lord.
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And that's why the Christian life is marked not by
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perfection, but by progression. Are we moving on toward maturity
46:10
in Christ? Are we further along in our walk
46:13
with the Lord now than we were yesterday and last week and last
46:16
month and last year? That's the question that needs
46:19
to be asked and answered #7 you. Please the Lord when you neglect
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not to share with others. Neglecting not to share with
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others. Had to have an N word there
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because I'm spelling the word pleasing.
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If you're taking notes, you know that if you're not taking notes,
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you're not spirit filled anyway. Neglecting not to share with
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others. Hebrews chapter 13 verse #16 Do
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not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such
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sacrifices God is pleased. What sacrifices?
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I told you on Sunday, I'll reiterate it this Sunday, that
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we are a priesthood of believers.
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Priests offer sacrifices. There are three sacrifices that
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all Christians offer #1 the sacrifice of their person.
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Romans 12 verse #2 We present our bodies a living sacrifice #2
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There is the sacrifice of praise, right?
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That's in verse number 15 or 14. If he was 13.
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We'll talk talk to you about that in a second.
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A sacrifice of praise. So there's a sacrifice of my
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person. There's a sacrifice of my
48:08
praise. Are you ready for the next one?
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There's a sacrifice of my purse, my money, my goods, right?
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You can say it this way, the sacrifice of myself, the
48:29
sacrifice of my song, the sacrifice of my substance,
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whatever words you want to use. There are three sacrifices that
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every Christian offers as a priest of the believers, and it
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becomes the sacrifice of my substance.
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I'm not going to neglect others by hoarding everything for
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myself. There are people that are in
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need and therefore I'm going to offer up a sacrifice to those
48:58
who are in need of my substance to help them in their time of
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need, to move them on to maturity in Christ to help them
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understand that I, I love not just in Word and in tongue, but
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in deed and in truth, as John says in first John chapter 3.
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That's why Matthew 25 is so important, right at the, at the
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judgement of the sheep and the goats at the at the end of the
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tribulation in the Jezreel and in the the Kidzman Valley, right
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that there is this great judgement where the sheep are on
49:33
the right and the goats are on the left, right.
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And the Lord says to the sheep, when I was hungry, you fed me.
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When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink.
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When I was naked, you clothed me.
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When I was in prison, you visited me.
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And the sheep will say, When did we see you hungry?
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When did we see you thirsty? The sheep are perplexed.
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When, when were you in prison that we visited you?
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When were you naked that we clothed you?
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And Jesus says these words, when you did it to the least of
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these, my brethren, you did it as unto me.
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It's it's a remarkable judgement.
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Why? Because you see, the direct
50:23
opposite happens with the goats. When Christ says when I was
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hungry, you didn't feed me. When I was in prison, you didn't
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visit me. When I was hungry or thirsty,
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you didn't give me something to drink.
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And when I was naked, you didn't clothe me.
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And the goats say the same thing.
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When did we see you naked, hungry or thirsty in prison?
50:45
Christ responds when you didn't do it to the least of these my
50:50
brethren, you didn't do it as unto me.
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You see, both were perplexed. But you see, the sheep did it
51:01
and the goats did not Why? Because inherit.
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Inherent in your DNA as a Christian is the desire to do
51:13
that which is pleasing to the Lord.
51:17
You don't neglect to do good to those who are in need.
51:21
And so when there was a need for someone who was thirsty, they
51:23
gave him something to drink. When there was a need for
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someone who was hungry, they fed them.
51:28
When there was a need to visit someone in prison, they visited
51:30
them. When there was a need to close
51:33
someone, they clothed them. And you know what?
51:38
They did it simply because it was part of their spiritual DNA.
51:44
They weren't doing it for recognition, they weren't doing
51:47
it for a crown. They weren't doing it so that at
51:51
the sheep goat judgement they would be rewarded.
51:54
No, they did it simply because it was part of their nature.
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So Paul, the right of Hebrews, it might be Paul, I don't know,
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but the right of Hebrews says do not neglect in sharing with
52:11
those who are in need, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
52:17
Neglecting not to share with others is pleasing to the Lord.
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You ever notice that sometimes we can hoard that which is ours
52:29
and not be willing to share it with those who are in need?
52:33
And that's just pleasing to the Lord, especially when it's in
52:38
your power to do that which is good.
52:41
And lastly, pleasing God comes when you give praise in His
52:46
name. That's the earlier verse in
52:49
Hebrews chapter 13. Through him then let us
52:53
continually OfferUp a sacrifice of praise to God.
52:57
That is the fruit of lips that give thanks to his name.
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Do you know that you please God when you OfferUp a sacrifice of
53:06
praise? When you when you get to a place
53:09
where where you don't want to praise and sing to God and thank
53:16
Him, but you do anyway? That's a sacrifice that brings
53:24
pleasure to God and don't you want to please him?
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Of course you do. I love what the psalmist said in
53:37
Psalm 69 when he said these words.
53:44
Psalm 69, verse #30 I will praise the name of God with Saul
53:53
and magnify him with Thanksgiving, and it will please
53:59
the Lord better than an ox or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
54:09
There's one thing that will please God more than anything,
54:13
that's offering a song of praise in His name simply because of
54:19
who He is. So I spelled out the word
54:27
pleasing and gave you 8 principles that if you follow,
54:35
the Lord is pleased. This is our devotion, the
54:40
Christian's devotion. As the apostle Paul said, this
54:44
is my ambition. This is my soul desire.
54:49
This is my driving passion. This is what I'm devoted to.
54:56
I'm going to please my God. How about you?
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I would trust that that's your prayer this evening.
55:05
Let's pray together. Father, we thank you, Lord, for
55:08
the word of God. We thank you, Lord, for the fact
55:11
that you spell out what it means to be pleasing to you.
55:15
Our prayer is that that's exactly what we would do, that
55:19
truly our our efforts would be toward you.
55:24
Forgive us, Lord, for always seeking to pleasure ourselves.
55:30
We, we do love ourselves more than we ever should.
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We do love pleasure more than we ever should.
55:40
We should totally love God. Be devoted to you.
55:45
Our prayer, Lord, is that we would be so devoted to you that
55:50
everything else pales in comparison to the glory of our
55:52
God. That we would exalt your name.
55:55
That we would abstain from sexual sin.
55:59
That we live a life of faith, trusting obedience in our God.
56:04
That truly we would do good to others, help them in their time
56:07
of need. That we give praise to your
56:09
glorious name. That when we lack wisdom, we'd
56:14
ask for wisdom to the God who gives to all men generously.
56:22
And that we'd always proclaim the message of the cross.
56:27
For it's that message that's the power of God and to salvation
56:32
for all men. We ask us in Jesus name, Amen.