Latest / Mount Eaton Church / Christ the True and Better - Hebrews 3:7-15 - The True and Better Prophet pt.2

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Christ the True and Better - Hebrews 3:7-15 - The True and Better Prophet pt.2 · Mount Eaton Church

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  Alright, if you guys would please turn to Hebrews chapter 3.
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  We will not get through this entire message.
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  Not gonna happen.
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  Of course, I could keep you longer.
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  No, I'm not gonna do that.
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  Hebrews chapter 3.
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  We really have walked since we've been walking through this letter.
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  It's a very powerful letter.
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  Every time I go through it, I know that we really don't know who the author is, but I
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  get more and more convinced it's gotta be Tim.
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  It's gotta be Paul.
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  But either way.
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  I want us to really think about some very important words that are used throughout
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  this letter.
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  There is a common thread, and this thread happens to be pretty large, concerning the
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  issue of confidence and hope.
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  And there's a specific word that is used to kind of help you understand the importance
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  of that.
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  And that is the thread I'm talking about.
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  There's many threads that are important doctrinally through this letter, but there's one that
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  I really want us to really kind of remember today.
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  We have a tendency to not do this particular thing because it's hard.
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  And so God does call us to the hard things.
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  So we're gonna pray, and then we're gonna read, and then we're gonna go right into verse
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  7, et cetera, and you'll see what the importance here is, okay?
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  Father, I wanna thank you so much.
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  Thank you, Lord, for your word.
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  I pray, Holy Spirit, that you would guide my words, that the full counsel of your word
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  is spoken, and that we teach it, that I teach it in a way that honors and glorifies you,
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  that we would grow in the full stature and maturity of Christ, that we understand the
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  importance of this particular imperative as your people and what you are calling us to.
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  Lord, we thank you and praise you that you are the example of this, and that is the reason
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  why you are greater than Moses.
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  Lord, we thank you and praise you.
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  Though there are many reasons why you are greater, this is a very prevalent truth you
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  are giving us, so we praise you and we thank you.
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  In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Hebrews chapter 3, verse 1 through 6 says this, therefore, holy brothers, you who share
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  in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
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  who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's
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  house, for Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, as much more glory
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  as the builder of the house, has more honor than the house itself.
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  For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
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  Now, Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that
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  were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son, and we are his
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  house.
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  If indeed we hold fast to our confidence and are boasting in our hope.
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  Now, very important when we're thinking about some things here.
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  First, I want to refer us back to verse 1, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider
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  Jesus.
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  Okay?
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  So in order for us to understand this principle that I'm going to be talking about today,
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  you have to consider Jesus.
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  He has to be the focal point of all things in your life.
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  He is what matters.
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  Now, that being said, the writer then brings us to this ending statement in verse 6, and
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  we are his house.
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  I want you to hear that.
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  We are his house.
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  We are his people.
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  We are his chosen people.
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  He says that in Hebrews later on, which we will eventually get to.
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  What does he say?
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  You are a chosen people, a peculiar people, a holy nation, a people unto himself.
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  Okay?
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  So we are his house.
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  This house is built by the hands of God.
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  I want you to hear that.
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  For every house is built by someone, and the builder of all things is God.
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  And the one who owns the house is the son.
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  It's his inheritance.
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  We are that house.
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  He doesn't have two houses.
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  He has one house, which he brings two people in.
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  Okay?
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  So, that being said, this word confidence here, if indeed we hold fast, our confidence,
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  the word confidence, parasea, means free and fearless confidence.
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  We can have free and fearless confidence, a confidence that regardless if it cost you
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  your life, you will gladly die and give it because your confidence is in Christ and he
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  is the keeper of his promises.
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  That's the point.
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  Okay?
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  So our confidence is free and fearless.
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  We don't walk in fear.
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  The second thing here I want you to notice is the word hope.
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  Hope.
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  The word hope is joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.
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  Or he who is its foundation.
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  Your confidence is in Christ.
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  He is our joyful expectation of our eternity.
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  He.
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  So our confidence is in Christ.
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  Our hope is in Christ.
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  He is the answer to those things.
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  That being said, there's a clear thread I want us to see here.
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  Here we go.
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  How do we hold fast to our confidence and hope?
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  Because remember it says that.
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  If we hold fast our confidence and hope, this is a thread that we end up reading through
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  in chapter three.
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  So how do we hold fast?
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  Hebrews chapter two verse one, therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we
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  have heard, lest we drift away from it.
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  How do we hold fast?
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  We must pay closer attention to the gospel.
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  If you don't, you will drift away from it.
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  Hebrews three six, hold fast our confidence.
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  Hebrews three fourteen, hold our original confidence firm to the end.
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  Who is our confidence?
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  Christ.
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  What is our confidence?
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  His gospel.
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  We must hold fast to the original confidence firm to the end.
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  Do you remember when you first heard the gospel?
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  Did you really love God?
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  No, you loved his story.
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  What an amazing, beautiful story.
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  Here you're told about the power and love of God through his son.
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  God dies on the cross for you, was buried, rose again the third day and you go, man,
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  I want to get to know that man.
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  That is the confidence that we hold firm to the end.
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  The original confidence is loving his gospel.
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  Hold fast to the gospel.
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  Chapter three verse eight and fifteen, do not harden your hearts.
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  To what?
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  The gospel.
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  Do you see that's happening in our country today?
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  How important is the full gospel of Jesus Christ where Jesus calls us to repent of our
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  sin and believe the gospel?
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  No, don't want to talk about that stuff anymore.
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  We just love Jesus because he loves us.
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  Not the issue that he hated sin so much that he had to destroy it.
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  Now chapter four verse sixteen, let us then with confidence draw near.
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  How do we continue to walk in this confidence to draw near, to know that you can come fearlessly
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  before God?
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  Chapter six verse eleven through twelve, and we desire each of you to show the same earnestness
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  to have the full assurance of hope until the end so that you may not be sluggish but imitators
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  of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
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  You must earnestly with full assurance hold on to the hope you have.
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  Don't be sluggish, don't be lazy.
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  Be imitators of Christ.
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  Moving on to the faith and being patient that he will give and do what he promised.
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  Chapter ten verse twenty three through twenty five, this also clarifies later.
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  I'll show this with Abraham.
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  Chapter ten verse twenty three through twenty five, let us hold fast the confession of our
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  hope without wavering for he who is promised is faithful.
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  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to
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  meet together as in the habits of some but encouraging one another and all the more as
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  you see the day drawing near.
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  So how do we hold on to the confidence that we have?
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  How do we hold on to making sure that we are boldly walking in the hope that we have?
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  Well we must hold fast to the confession of the gospel, to the confession of Christ without
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  wavering.
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  We don't water it down because it's convenient for people to make them happy.
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  We're honest.
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  We don't waver from the truth of God because it's inconvenient.
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  Then he also says consider how to stir one another up in love and good works.
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  How do we challenge each other to walk in this newness of life and do what God has commanded
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  us to do in his word?
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  Are we stirring each other on to obedience?
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  That's the proof of love, right?
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  If you love me, you will obey me.
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  And real true love is seen in what we do.
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  You show me faith without works.
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  I show you my faith by what I do.
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  I don't do good works to get faith.
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  I do good works because I have faith.
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  And so he says not neglecting to meet together.
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  This is probably the one that drives probably most pastors crazy.
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  Not because here at least I could care less if you give anything.
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  God owns it all and his money, his life, his church, his property, right?
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  We don't come, I don't ask for any of that.
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  I want you here because we are able to stir one another up to love and good works.
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  I want you here because I love you.
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  We love you.
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  We miss you.
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  We need you.
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  We're part of the body.
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  If one of the bodies is sick and missing, it affects every one of us.
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  And so it's important that we really don't neglect to meet together.
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  Don't find excuses.
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  I know this is being recorded so that's good.
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  Because I'm going to tell all those parents who take their kids to sports on Sunday, don't
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  take your kids to sports on Sunday.
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  Bring your kids to church.
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  Those sports aren't going to save your kids.
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  You're going to lose your kids.
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  Drives me crazy.
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  And it's hard because our kids are so wrapped up in things that they fall in love with.
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  And then when they get older, and I'm speaking to myself here, all they desire is the thing
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  that they want.
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  They walk away from the living God.
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  And then they wonder why their lives are all a mess.
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  And so, I'm yelling at myself on that one.
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  And so we must not neglect to meet together.
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  It's important.
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  Isn't it nice when you work together?
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  I mean we were really encouraged yesterday.
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  Isn't it nice when we see each other and we go, I miss you.
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  I love you.
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  I love you.
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  I hug you.
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  You know, side hug with the ladies.
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  Hug with the dudes.
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  You got to do the man hug with the dudes.
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  You know?
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  To keep it biblical.
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  So getting together.
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  Don't neglect to meet together.
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  As in a habit are some, and we know that habit is pretty bad, but encourage one another.
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  How?
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  Because we know the day is coming.
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  When you encourage someone, you're asking them and challenging them to endure.
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  And so, we have this.
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  Chapter 10, verse 35 and 36.
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  Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward, for you have need
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  of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.
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  Do not throw away your confidence.
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  Draw near to God.
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  Hold fast.
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  Be earnest in the assurance you have.
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  Don't be sluggish.
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  Be imitators.
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  Be patient.
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  Hold fast to the confidence without wavering.
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  Consider how you should stir one another up in love and good works.
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  Don't neglect to meet together.
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  Encourage one another.
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  Don't throw all that away.
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  My brother or sister offended me.
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  I don't know if I can be here anymore.
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  You threw it away.
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  Don't throw it away.
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  We're not here to make each other comfortable.
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  We're here to sharpen each other that we would be godly, holy people of God.
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  That's the point.
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  Especially in these days.
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  Oh my goodness.
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  I was watching this video on the alpha males.
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  This guy is cursing out this Christian guy who's supposed to be an alpha Christian about
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  how he's a sissy because he loves his wife and he doesn't have money and he doesn't have
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  a six pack.
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  I'm like what an idiot.
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  You define your manhood based on what you have and based on the way you look.
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  How superficial.
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  I can't wait until you turn 60 and 70 years old.
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  What a good look you're going to be then buddy.
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  Like you're going to rot just like the rest of us.
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  It's all false.
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  Where's your confidence?
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  Oh yeah, yeah, you can be started.
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  This world's nuts.
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  Verse 39.
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  Chapter 10 verse 39.
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  He says this, but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those
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  who have faith and preserve their souls.
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  We if we walk in the confidence of the gospel of Christ, then we don't shrink back.
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  We don't back up.
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  We don't terror.
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  We're not destroyed, but we are of the people of faith and we do preserve our souls.
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  Chapter 11 verse 1.
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  Here it is.
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  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.
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  We know what the truth is.
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  Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside
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  every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that
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  is set before us.
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  So important.
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  Why is that so important that we run with endurance the race set before us?
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  Why is it important that we lay aside every weight and sin that which clings so closely?
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  Because if we don't, you will walk away from your confidence.
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  Feel true men of God and women of God fearlessly and confidently walk with him in the freedom
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  that Christ has given.
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  You want to be free?
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  Walk in him.
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  True freedom.
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  So endurance, that's the answer here.
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  If you've read all these verses, there's a clear thread here.
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  Endure.
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  Endure in the faith.
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  Fight for the faith.
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  Walk in Christ.
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  Contend for the gospel.
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  It's the same constant message because it's the only thing we have.
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  It's him.
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  So we must endure with Christ.
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  We must endure in Christ and we must endure by the faith of Christ.
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  So principle number one.
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  One ministry that the Holy Spirit does for us is confirming our confidence and hope.
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  He reminds us what we must not forget and encourages us what we must hold fast to, which
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  is our hope.
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  Hebrews chapter three, verse seven through 11.
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  Therefore, in other words, you know what he said, why that's there.
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  Every Baptist always says the same thing.
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  Therefore is therefore because it's there for.
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  No, it means pay attention.
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  That's what it means.
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  What's there for, why is therefore there?
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  Therefore.
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  Okay.
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  Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, isn't that interesting?
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  That the writer is letting us know that the Holy Spirit is speaking to us through his
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  word.
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  If you want to hear the voice of God, listen to his word.
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  You're not going to be out in the middle of the, you know, on your climb or your hike.
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  And then all of a sudden you're going to hear an audible voice going, Joe.
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  Yes, Lord.
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  It doesn't work that way.
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  It's not how it is.
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  It's here.
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  It's right here.
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  The Holy Spirit says today, interesting word, today means what?
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  This very day.
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  This very day, if you hear his voice, imperative, here it is, do not harden your hearts as in
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  the rebellion.
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  So I'm going to say something.
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  Priscilla Shriver always has been talking about this.
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  You know you can hear the voice of God.
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  It's word.
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  He's speaking through his word because literally what the writer is saying is says therefore
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  as the Holy Spirit says, verse seven through 11 of Hebrews is also Psalm 95, seven through
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  11.
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  Ouch.
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  Is that a quinky dink?
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  I don't think so.
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  I don't think that's a coincidence at all.
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  Why?
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  Because we want to find all other kinds of ways for God to speak to us, but we don't
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  want to spend time in here because in here we see the real true character and holiness
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  of God and our condition as a sinner.
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  We want some supernatural experience with God and we end up missing what he says in
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  here.
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  So what does this guy say?
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  If you want to hear the Holy Spirit's voice, it's right there.
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  What's interesting about the Holy Spirit is he is in essence exactly and identically as
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  the son, as the son is in his essence exactly and identically as the father because they
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  are God.
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  So the Holy Spirit is speaking here.
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  So when you're reading the word and Jesus is speaking to you through his word, the Holy
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  Spirit is speaking to you through his word.
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  So the Holy Spirit says to you today, this very day, if you hear his voice, imperative,
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  do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
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  On the day of testing in the wilderness where your fathers put me to the test and saw my
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  works for 40 years.
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  That's the Spirit speaking.
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  Isn't that interesting?
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  Have you ever noticed that?
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  The Spirit is saying you put me to the test.
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  The Spirit is saying you rebelled against me.
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  The Spirit is saying you hardened your hearts towards me and you saw what I did for 40 years.
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  40 years of manna, 40 years of water, 40 years of your sandals not being ruined, 40 years
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  I took care of you in the desert and all you could do was complain.
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  You hated me that much and you know what?
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  You hated me that much and I still took you out of Egypt.
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  Think about that.
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  God delivered them out of Egypt though they hated him.
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  Wow.
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  Ouch.
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  And so he says, look what it says in verse 10, therefore because of this I was provoked
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  with that generation and said they always go astray in their heart.
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  They have not known my ways.
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  Do you see the link there?
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  They have already decided in their heart that they will not obey me.
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  They always go astray.
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  Not sometimes, not when they choose to.
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  They are bent that way.
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  They are going to do it regardless.
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  Why?
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  Because they have not known.
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  That word not, that means to know means to know intimately as if it was part of them.
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  They didn't know my ways.
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  As I swore in my wrath, I want you to hear this, he says I swore in my wrath towards
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  them they will not, they shall not enter my rest.
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  They are not coming into the promised land.
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  Ouch.
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  That's painful.
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  Do you see the link?
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  Disobedience does not produce endurance and a lack of endurance produces what?
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  Very lazy and complaining people.
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  Second principle, our lasting endurance is in Christ.
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  See what Moses could not do for the people of Israel.
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  Jesus has done by transforming the hearts of his people and placing them, placing in
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  them the full assurance and confidence of his promises.
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  That's the one thing that the people of Israel did not have.
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  They did not have the confidence that God would keep his promise.
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  Think about that.
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  So not only does he make a promise which was given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, which then
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  he uses Joseph to save his people and then at a particular time when all the first born
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  are dead except for one, Moses, he pulls Moses out, prepares Moses to pull his people out
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  of Israel, pulls his people out of Israel.
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  They watch him part the sea.
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  Not only all the plagues, but he parts the Red Sea and gets to the other side and what
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  do they do?
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  Complain.
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  You know what?
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  We should have stayed in Egypt where all the melons and the fish were.
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  I love them watermelons.
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  I love them cantaloupes and them honeydews.
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  Yeah, they want that.
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  They didn't want their freedom.
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  They wanted their melons and their fish.
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  So what does God do?
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  In his loving kindness, he gives them manna.
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  What is that?
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  Happens to be the best tasting food they ever had in their life.
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  This little flake that tastes like honey and had every nutrient they could ever need to
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  survive.
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  I mean, I don't know about you, but I think I could do that and not even gain weight.
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  They can eat as much as they want.
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  Oh my goodness.
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  Then they complain, we don't have any meat.
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  Okay, fine.
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  I'll give you quail.
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  You can splice the quail up any way you choose, but what do they do?
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  Complain about the quail.
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  We're thirsty, don't have water.
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  Moses touches the rock the first time, he smacks the right the second time.
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  Gives them water.
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  What do they do?
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  Complain.
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  He gives them the Ten Commandments.
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  He tells them the Ten Commandments verbally.
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  He then writes it with his own finger, cuts out the tablets with his own hands.
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  They end up doing something they weren't supposed to do, which was build an idol out of silver
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  and gold.
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  After he warns them not to do it, they do it anyway.
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  Moses breaks the tablets, goes back up, takes two tablets and God gives them the commandments
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  again.
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  Do you see the point?
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  The point is they hated God when they were in Egypt.
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  They're never satisfied.
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  And what do we call them?
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  God's chosen people.
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  Are we serious?
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  No.
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  God's chosen people are obedient people.
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  Are there Jews within that group that are the remnant, who are believers, who are obedient?
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  Yes.
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  We are his building.
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  We are his people.
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  Let's get used to the reality of that.
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  It's crazy.
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  It's mind boggling for me.
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  And so what does he tell you to do?
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  Endure.
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  Hold on to Christ.
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  Keep the gospel.
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  Be obedient people.
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  So Christ was far better than Moses.
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  Moses could not get his people to endure because they did not have a heart of obedience.
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  And the reason why they didn't have a heart of obedience is because Moses could not transform
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  the heart.
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  But Jesus did.
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  Isn't that wonderful?
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  And then he says in Hebrews chapter three, verse 12 through 15, take care, brothers,
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  lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living
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  God.
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  Take care, brothers.
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  Endure, brothers.
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  Fight for the faith, brothers.
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  Guard your heart above all else because out of it flow the issues of life, brothers.
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  Take care of what was given to you, brothers.
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  But exhort one another, verse 13, every day as long as it's called today that none of
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  you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
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  Do you get it?
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  See, the people of Israel hated God.
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  They didn't want God.
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  So when God came as a man, what do you think they were going to do?
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  They didn't want him in the wilderness.
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  They didn't want the miracles.
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  They didn't want to die because they were just like sissies.
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  But they didn't want Christ.
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  Christ said, I came to my own.
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  My own did not receive me.
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  Don't want me either.
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  You didn't want me then.
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  You don't want me now.
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  And we're still dealing with that today.
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  We must be a light.
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  We must hold to the confidence.
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  We must share the love of the gospel with every creature so that out of all the creatures,
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  God will save his people.
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  And let's keep reading.
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  But exhort one another every day as long as it's called today.
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  Exhort, challenge, push each other.
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  You can't do that if we're not hanging out with each other.
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  And that's what he says here.
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  That none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, for we have come to share in Christ.
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  If indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
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  What did we share in Christ?
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  Chapter 2 verse 10, look what it says here.
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  For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons
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  to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
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  If God used Christ's suffering to bring glory, what makes you think that you're exempt?
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  We share in his suffering.
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  Here's the point, chapter 2 verse 14 through 18.
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  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of
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  the same things that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death,
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  that is the adversary, the accuser, the devil.
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  And it's not the devil as the person, it's our sin.
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  And then it says, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong
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  slavery.
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  He has freed you.
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  For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
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  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every aspect so that he might become a
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  merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of
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  the people.
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  Why?
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  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
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  So when we read verse 14, he says, for we have come to share in Christ, do you know
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  why?
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  Why have we come to share in Christ?
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  Because this is his way.
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  He has become like us so that we would become like him.
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  If indeed, if we endure, if we prove, hold, work out our salvation, that's what this means,
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  our original confidence from TDM.
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  What is your original confidence?
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  The gospel.
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  That God will, Christ will do what he promised.
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  And that's why he says in verse 15, as it is said today, this very day, if you hear
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  his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
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  Today, if you hear the spirit's voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
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  The heart is deceitful above all else who can know it.
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  I'm going to end there, because that's where I ended in first service.
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  But I hope you're getting the point.
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  Do we really, as God's people, really understand and know how to endure?
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  Or do we just complain because we don't like the discomfort?
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  Know men and women of God, understand the freedom they have in Christ, and fearlessly,
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  fearlessly walk in the confidence of the gospel and of Christ.
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  We commit to living in his ways, being obedient, because that's how we show the world we love
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  him.
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  And we read that we have love one for another.
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  That's on Wednesday nights.
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  We show the world that we are his disciples if we love one another.
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  It all connects.
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  Father, I want to thank you.
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  You are holy, good, righteous, and true.
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  Thank you for your amazing word.
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  Help us to endure and help us as we continue to think through these scriptures and the
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  message coming next week.
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  As we finish that part up, I pray, Lord, that you would be working in the hearts of your
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  people for your glory in Jesus' name.
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  Amen.